Treatment management and outcome of polytraumatized patients in a German certified trauma center - comparing standard versus maximum care.

German hospitals are classified as basic, standard and maximum care facilities within the German trauma networks. The Municipal Hospital Dessau was upgraded in 2015 as a maximum care provider. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a change in treatment management and outcome of polytraumatized patients has occurred afterwards. The study compared polytraumatized patients, treated in the Dessau Municipal Clinic as a standard care facility (DessauStandard) from 2012-2014 vs. those treated in the Dessau Municipal Clinic as a maximum care facility (DessauMax) from 2016-2017. Data of the German Trauma Register were analysed using the chi-square test, t-test and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.In DessauMax (238 patients; Ø 54 years, SD 22.3; ♂ 160, ♀ 78), the shock room time with 40.7 min (SD 21.4) was shorter than in DessauStandard (206 patients; Ø 56.1 years, SD 22.1; ♂ 133, ♀ 73 ) with 49 min (SD 25.1) (p=0.001). The transfer rate of 1.3% (n=3) to another hospital was lower in DessauMax (p=0.01). DessauStandard had 9 (4%) thromboembolic events and DessauMax 3 (1.3%) (p=0.7). Multiorgan failure was more common in DessauStandard, (16%) than in DessauMax (1.3%; p=0,001). DessauStandard showed a mortality of 13.1% (n=27), and DessauMax 9.2% (n=22) (p=0.22; OR=0.67, 95% CI, 0.37-1.23). The GOS in DessauMax (4.5, SD 1.2) was higher than in DessauStandard (4.1, SD 1.3) (p=0.002).The Dessau Municipal Clinic as a maximum care facility has achieved improved shock room time, fewer complications, lower mortality and an improved outcome.