RESUMO
PURPOSE: The study aimed to verify the association between in-hospital complications and characterization and clinical variables including hospital care and trauma severity. METHODS: This analysis with the prospective cohort data was conducted at a municipal hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, and included participants aged 14 years or older, with traumatic injuries from traffic accidents. Data was collected from January 2015 to July 2016 and included demographics variables, type of traumatic event, clinical parameters, length of stay in the Emergency department and in the Intensive Care Unit, length of hospital stay, survival probability, trauma severity and mortality. RESULTS: Of the 327 patients, 25.1% had in-hospital complications and their occurrence was statistically associated with higher mean age, run-overs and higher trauma severity. The length of stay in the emergency room, hospital stay, ICU stay, percentage of deaths, and hospital readmission were higher in patients with complications. The number of complications was correlated with trauma severity, ICU stay, and mortality. CONCLUSION: Complications were associated with older age, run-overs, greater trauma severity, length of stay and readmission after hospital discharge.