Impact of advanced trauma life support training on 30-day mortality in severely injured patients at a Kenyan tertiary center: a retrospective matched case-control study

Introduction: Trauma is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Kenya. This study evaluates the impact of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) training on 30-day mortality outcomes in severely injured patients at a tertiary care center in Kenya. Methods: A retrospective matched case-control study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. The study included adult patients (≥ 18 years) with polytrauma (Injury Severity Score [ISS] > 15) from 2011 to 2022. Propensity score matching was used to pair 81 post-ATLS cases with 81 pre-ATLS controls based on age and ISS. Data analysis was performed using R Statistical language (version 4.3.0). Results: The 30-day mortality rate decreased significantly from 17% (95% CI: 9.4–27.4%) pre-ATLS to 6% (95% CI: 2.0-13.5%) post-ATLS (p = 0.028). No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Road traffic accidents were the primary cause of trauma in both groups (72% pre-ATLS vs. 78% post-ATLS). Conclusion: ATLS training significantly reduced 30-day mortality in severely injured patients, demonstrating its effectiveness even in resource-limited settings. Further prospective randomized studies are recommended to confirm these findings and evaluate long-term outcomes.