Rethinking the time-to-laparotomy indicator of regional trauma center quality metrics in South Korea: a multicenter retrospective study with propensity score matching

Trauma continues to be a major global public health concern and is a leading cause of death, particularly among individuals under 40 years of age [1,2].Beyond its direct impact on individual health, trauma imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden by limiting workforce participation among the workingage population [3].Furthermore, trauma-related mortality