Trauma is a major health problem in the United States. No one plans to go to the hospital because of an injury, but Trauma is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 44.
- More than 100,000 people die because of Trauma each year in the United States. Trauma kills more people than heart disease and cancer combined. (American College of Surgeons)
- Each year, 8 to 9 million people in the United States suffer disabling injuries. Of those, 3 million people will be permanently disabled. (American College of Surgeons)
- Texas has the highest death rate of alcohol related crashes in the United States. From 2008-2011, a total of 4,897 individuals died in vehicle trauma with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit of 0.08 or higher (Texas Department of Transportation). This is an average of 1,224 deaths annually.
- Trauma is preventable. Doctors and nurses who care for injured patients do not call these events “accidents.” Nearly all events are preventable. Alcohol abuse, distracted driving, violence and not using safety equipment properly are some of the many causes of these trauma events.
According to the 2010 census 6.1 million people reside within the 15,574.71 square miles of TSA-E, representing almost 25 percent of the entire population of the State of Texas.
Mechanism of Injury |
Total Number of Admissions |
Percent of Admissions |
Vehicle |
2005 |
42% |
Falls |
1144 |
24% |
Assaults |
439 |
9% |
Other |
295 |
6% |
Industrial |
235 |
5% |
Gun Shot |
259 |
5% |
Stab Wound |
169 |
3% |
Sport |
106 |
2% |
Animal |
94 |
2% |
Boat |
7 |
Less than 1% |
Aircraft |
1 |
Less than 1% |
TOTAL |
4754 |
100% |
Mechanism of Injury |
Percentage of Deaths |
Vehicle |
65% |
Gun Shot |
16% |
Fall |
10% |
Stab Wound |
3% |
Hanging |
2% |
Fire / Structure with Traumatic Injury |
2% |
Aircraft |
2% |
TOTAL |
100% |
