Medical initiative: A major medical initiative which could help dramatically reduce deaths from serious road crashes will be launched shortly. It is estimated that the move could help reduce deaths by 25-30 per cent.
The move comes as concern mounts over the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads. To date this year, 54 people have been killed on the roads. Last year, the overall figure was 400. The number was recently revised slightly upwards, following a road-related death which took place after the final year figures were compiled.
Prof Niall O'Higgins, president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, is leading the initiative which seeks to compile data on road crashes and injuries from all hospitals in the Republic.
The aim is to collate the data and see how best services, including training and equipment, can be improved to treat road crash victims and improve their long-term survival rates.
Prof O'Higgins said the initiative would see a national trauma register being compiled. This would include details of people who are seriously injured in road crashes, the severity of those injuries, their treatments and the outcomes of their treatments.
There are internationally recognised criteria or benchmarks which can be used to evaluate their treatments. International studies have shown that 25-30 per cent of lives could be saved by using information from such a data register to ensure that road victims are sent to the most appropriate medical centres for treament immediately after accidents.
"It is a very important principle of trauma care that patients with severe injuries be brought to the nearest appropriate hospital," he said.
Prof O'Higgins said there were three "timeframes" concerning road accident victims. The first group can die instantly or within minutes. The second group survive 24-36 hours, but then die. The third group dies within a few weeks, having spent some time in intensive care. Prof O'Higgins said deaths among those in the second or third group could be reduced if we had top class medical centres dealing with such patients.
Prof O'Higgins is seeking a recommendation from the College of Surgeons to proceed with seeking to establish the register, which he believes will be forthcoming. He will then seek the co-operation of the hospitals, which he also expects, and then will approach the health authorities for funding.
Prof O'Higgins, who is also chair of surgery at UCD and consultant surgeon at St Vincent's University Hospital, said the length of time involved in setting up the register would depend on how many years of data it was decided to collate. However, he felt it could be done within 6-12 months.
He stressed that current treaments were very good, but a trauma register could draw attention to areas of deficiencies or strengths in health services. "That in turn would allow the Government or the Department of Health to take the appropriate steps," he said. "If we have the relevant data, we will know where the improvements should be made."