Road traffic accidents with vehicular entrapment: incidence of major injuries and need for advanced life support.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) with entrapment are perceived as a challenge to emergency systems because of the severity of the ensuing traumas and the inherent complexity of the rescue procedures. To clarify these two aspects this prospective cohort study enrolling 244 entrapped trauma patients was conducted by a Regional Medical Helicopter Service. Forty-six victims (18.9%) were found dead, 101 (51%) of the 198 patients who reached the hospital alive had an injury severity score (ISS) > or = 16. The use of seat belts was associated with lower trauma severity. Out of the 101 severely traumatized patients (ISS > or = 16), 46 (42.6%) were intubated at road side, 12 required decompression of a tension pneumothorax on the scene and in 15 cases a pneumothorax was drained during the early intrahospital phase. Thirty-six (34.7%) patients had the first systolic blood pressure (SBP) Language: en