Analysis of risk factors associated with outcomes in road traffic injury patients with acute lung injury

Over 50% of road traffic injury (RTI) patients experience post-traumatic acute lung injury (ALI) and it is, therefore, extremely important to identify the risk factors related to the poor outcomes associated with ALI in RTI populations. This study evaluated 19 potential risk factors associated with the outcomes of ALI in 366 RTI patients. They were divided into two groups: a ‘favourable outcomes group’ and an ‘unfavourable outcomes group’. The results indicated that the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score and the presence of gastrointestinal haemorrhage may help predict the outcomes of ALI in the early post-trauma phase of treatment. The duration of trauma and sepsis were shown to impact strongly on both the short- and long-term outcomes of ALI. Age (≥ 65 years) and disseminated intravascular coagulation in the early RTI phase were also independent risk factors for a poorer short- and long-term outcome in ALI.