Study Protocol
The medical charts of the patients who were found
to be eligible for the study were reviewed and the data
was extracted using a data gathering form.
Patient data were abstracted while protecting patient
confidentiality by individual chart review. Data
were collected on age, sex, mechanism of injury,
presentation, location of injury, associated injuries,
treatment, mortality and morbidity. HVI diagnosis,
operations, and discharge/death was also recorded.
Data was prospectively entered into a computer
database.