Nova Scotia Trauma Registry

What We Do > Trauma Registry

The trauma registry is an essential component of a successful trauma system as it allows for timely evaluation, research, and monitoring of trauma care, and can be used for outreach, planning, and improvement. Since April 2000, Trauma Nova Scotia has identified and collected data on all major trauma patients seen at the two Level 1 trauma centers in Halifax (QEII Health Sciences Centre, IWK Health Centre), the 8 regional hospitals across Nova Scotia, and from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service. This information is stored in the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry (NSTR), a comprehensive population-based database that currently houses over 17,000 records of the most severely injured patients with the capacity to collect over 2200 data elements per record.

There are three components of the NSTR which are the: 1) Comprehensive Data Set (CDS); 2) Death Data Set (DDS), which contains the same detailed data as the CDS, on deaths at the scene, enroute or on arrival at a Primary Trauma Centre, where Registry data is not otherwise collected and 3) Minimal Data Set (MDS), received as a download from the Department of Health, Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), which includes all hospitalized injured patients in Nova Scotia. The NSTR is a valuable resource that enables the NSH Trauma Program to conduct quality assurance, engage in injury surveillance, and research, and develop injury prevention and control strategies. In addition, the NSTR allows administrators and clinicians to engage in evidence-based decision-making, policy development, and program planning.

Potential “major” trauma cases are identified by review of facility generated reports of all trauma cases based on the Inclusion External Cause of Injury Codes; ER admission lists; facility transfer lists; death lists. The data collection process involves abstracting patient records retrospectively in the respective hospitals. Trauma Nova Scotia Staff identify and collect data on major trauma patients from the QEII HSC, the IWK Health Centre, the 8 regional hospitals across Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.

DATA COLLECTION SITES

Level I Trauma Centres

QEII Health Science Centre

IWK Health Centre

Level III Trauma Centres

Aberdeen Hospital

Cape Breton Healthcare Complex

Colchester East Hants Health Centre

Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre

South Shore Regional Hospital

St. Martha's Regional Hospital

Valley Regional Hospital

Yarmouth Regional Hospital

NS Medical Examiner Service

Data from the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry (NSTR) can be requested for research and non-research purposes. Depending on the type of data being sought, the requestor(s) submit an application for access to person-level personal health information or aggregate-level personal health information. A general overview of the data request process is shown to the right. The duration of this process varies depending on the complexity of the request and the time required to obtain all necessary review board approvals and a signed data sharing agreement.

The process for NSTR data requests is shown below. For more information or to submit a request for data, contact Gina Boonstra (TNS Registry Coordinator) at nstrauma@nshealth.ca.

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Trauma Registry cases are selected for inclusion based primarily on Injury Severity Score (ISS). The ISS considers the severity of injuries and the body regions involved. Injuries are evaluated and the three most severe injuries from up to three different body regions are used to calculate the ISS. The ISS ranges from a score of one to 75. The higher the ISS, the greater the severity of injury.

Injuries resulting from a transfer of energy (mechanical, chemical or thermal) and resulting in an anatomical lesion due to an appropriate mechanism described by the Inclusion ICD-10-CA External Cause of Injury Codes (see below) AND one or more of the following:

Injury Severity Score (ISS) equal or greater than 12 for blunt, burn or hanging/drowning/asphyxia trauma
ISS equal or greater than 9 for penetrating trauma
Trauma Team activation with/without admission to acute care facility, regardless of ISS
Death in the Emergency Department due to appropriate mechanism of injury, regardless of ISS
Death within 24 hours of admission to a Regional Hospital or Level 1 Trauma Centre due to appropriate mechanism of injury, regardless of ISS
Death at the scene or during transport due to appropriate mechanism of injury, regardless of ISS
Predetermined inclusion at another trauma centre, where the individual has been treated and admitted, prior to transfer to a second or third trauma centre for continuing care of initial injury

NSTR Inclusion and Exclusion ICD-10-CA Codes

(download)