Traumatic injury in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

Injury is a leading cause of mortality, hospitalised morbidity and disability in Australia and New Zealand. Of the many public health challenges facing clinicians on a daily basis, traumatic injury is one of the most significant. A large spectrum of injury severity may result, ranging from minor injuries which require little medical intervention through to severe multisystem trauma, requiring definitive management by an experienced multidisciplinary team. An improved understanding of the incidence and prevalence of trauma can empower clinicians of all levels of experience to contribute to improving the trauma system they work in at a local level. This paper provides an overview of the history and epidemiology of traumatic injury in Australia and New Zealand. The reading of this article and completion of revision questions is equivalent to 2h of self-directed learning.