Statin use is associated with an 80% higher risk of multiple organ failure in severely injured blunt trauma patients

This study was published in the Journal of Trauma 2009 Sep;67(3):476-82; discussion 482-4

Study title and authors:
Preinjury statin use is associated with a higher risk of multiple organ failure after injury: a propensity score adjusted analysis.

Neal MD, Cushieri J, Rosengart MR, Alarcon LH, Moore EE, Maier RV, Minei JP, Billiar TR, Peitzman AB, Sperry JL
Division of General Surgery and Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19741387

This study sought to determine the relationship between preinjury statin use and outcome in severely injured blunt trauma patients. (Blunt trauma is a usually serious injury caused by a blunt object or collision with a blunt surface, as in a vehicle accident or fall from a building). Data was obtained from 295 blunt injured adults with hemorrhagic shock. Patients aged 55 years and older were analysed.

The study found preinjury statin use was associated with an 80% higher risk of multiple organ failure in severely injured blunt trauma patients.