(MedPage Today) – Critically injured trauma patients without insurance had a higher risk of being taken off life-saving care sooner than their insured counterparts, according to findings from a retrospective cohort study of more than 300,000 U.S. adults.

After adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics, those without insurance had significantly earlier withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) when compared with Medicaid recipients (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.45-1.62) or the privately insured (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.49-1.65), reported researchers led by Graeme Hoit, MD, of the University of Toronto. (Read More)