Grand Canyon Times

The State Trauma Advisory Board (STAB) marks 30 years of oversight and quality improvement within Arizona's trauma system. In collaboration with the ADHS Bureau of EMS and Trauma System, STAB has released its annual report and interactive online Trauma Dashboard, which offers insights into injury and trauma mortality in Arizona.

In 2023, a total of 71,015 trauma incidents were reported by 47 trauma centers to the Arizona State Trauma Registry. This figure shows a 4% increase from the previous year, averaging 195 incidents daily. Among these incidents, pediatric patients aged 0-17 accounted for 6,568 cases (9.25%), while those over 65 years old represented 31,334 cases (44.14%). There were 1,750 deaths recorded from these incidents; pediatric deaths rose to 101 from the previous year's count of 78.

Falls emerged as the leading cause of both injury and death across all age groups in Arizona for the year. They accounted for 52.1% of reported trauma incidents. Motor vehicle traffic involving occupants was responsible for 18% of injuries, while "Struck By/Against" injuries constituted 5.3%.

For children aged up to 17 years, falls were most common as an injury mechanism; however, firearm injuries led as the top cause of death with firearms responsible for one-third of pediatric trauma fatalities. In contrast, adults over the age of 65 experienced falls as both their leading cause of injury and death.

The report highlights significant opportunities for injury prevention focusing on areas such as fall prevention training and expanding dashboard features related to fall incidents.

"Passenger restraints are a significant protective factor proven to increase survival," according to the report. In motor vehicle accidents during that year, nearly one-third involved unrestrained passengers who faced more than triple the risk of fatality compared to restrained passengers.

Motorcyclists also faced increased risks when not wearing helmets; only about half wore helmets during accidents with higher mortality rates among those unprotected.

Substance influence played a role in nearly a quarter (24.39%) of all trauma cases where drugs or alcohol were suspected or confirmed factors at incident times—particularly affecting individuals aged between 25-44 years where this rate exceeded over forty-four percent among patients involved in traumas under influence conditions

Moving forward into future efforts aimed at reducing traumatic events' impacts statewide: The State Trauma Advisory Board alongside BEMSTS plans continued support toward maintaining high-quality care accessibility through ongoing preventative measures like emphasizing safety around firearms usage alongside promoting consistent helmet use amongst cyclists/motorcyclists alike