Prevalence and Patterns of Patient-Reported Missed or Delayed Injuries in Polytrauma Patients and Their Association With Health-Related Quality of Life Using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey

Purpose Polytrauma patients may feel that certain injuries were not identified during the initial examination. The current study analyzed the prevalence of patient-reported missed or delayed injuries and their correlation with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Methods A cross-sectional study of 250 polytrauma patients in Islamabad was conducted using demographic data, a study-specific patient-reported questionnaire for delayed or unrecognized injuries (SSMIQ), and SF-36 scores. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression using SPSS version 26. Results Most participants were male (n = 212, 85%) and aged 18-29 years (n = 120, 48%). Patient-reported missed or delayed injuries were identified in 191 (76%) patients and were associated with worse quality of life (r = -0.28, p = 0.001). Patients with reported missed or delayed injuries had lower SF-36 scores than those without such injuries (85.9 ± 6.2 vs. 88.5 ± 5.4, p = 0.015). Older age, male sex, ICU admission, surgery, and ambulance arrival were other factors associated with lower quality of life. An independent association with lower quality-of-life scores was observed for patient-reported missed or delayed injuries (B = -2.85, 95% CI: -4.26 to -1.44; p = 0.001). Conclusion Patient-reported missed or delayed injuries were associated with poorer HRQoL. An organized tertiary survey, thorough examination, and post-discharge follow-up may help reduce missed injuries and improve outcomes.