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Trauma
Trauma undertriage still high in Tromsø
Trauma undertriage at a University Hospital in North Norway: the need to look beyond mechanism of injury
Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine · Added 20 August 2026
Retrospective registry study assessing trauma undertriage using ISS ≥16 and NISS ≥16 as reference — found 15% undertriage (above the recommended <5%), with 63% of undertriaged patients meeting national criteria but not receiving trauma team activation, mostly low-energy falls.
- Study type
- Registry
- Design
- Retrospective local trauma registry review
- Participants
- 527 trauma patients (2018 and 2023)
- Main finding
- Undertriage 15% by ISS≥16 and 18% by NISS≥16, exceeding recommended <5%; 63% of undertriaged patients met national trauma team activation criteria; 73% involved low-energy falls
- Caveat
- Single Scandinavian university hospital; retrospective design
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (High relevance). Relevant to Australian paramedics triaging trauma patients; low-energy falls are common presentations and this highlights risks of undertriage.
Learning goal
Strengthen my judgement on when older patients with low-energy falls warrant trauma team activation despite unremarkable mechanisms.
More
- Topic: Trauma
- Daily scan: 20 August 2026
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