Background

Early recognition of trauma patients at risk for multiple organ failure (MOF) is important to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with MOF. The objective of the study was to externally validate the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score, a 6-item instrument that includes age, intubation, hematocrit, systolic blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count, which was designed to predict the development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization.

Study design

We performed a prospective multicenter study of adult trauma patients between November, 2011 and March, 2013. The primary outcome was development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization, assessed using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations between the Denver ED TOF Score and MOF. Discrimination was assessed and quantified using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The predictive accuracy of the Denver ED TOF score was compared with attending emergency physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF.

Results

We included 2,072 patients with a median age of 46 years (interquartile range [IQR] 30 to 61 years); 68% were male. The median Injury Severity Score was 9 (IQR 5 to 17), and 88% of patients had blunt mechanism injury. Among participants, 1,024 patients (49%) were admitted to the ICU, and 77 (4%) died. Multiple organ failure occurred in 120 (6%; 95% CI 5% to 7%) patients and of these, 37 (31%; 95% CI 23% to 40%) died. The area under the ROC curve for the Denver ED TOF Score prediction of MOF was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.91) and for physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF was 0.78 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.83).

Conclusions

The Denver ED TOF Score predicts development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization. Its predictive accuracy outperformed attending emergency physician estimation of the risk of MOF.