The UCITE of the public Hospital 12 de Octubre coordinates RETRAUCI, a registry with over 20,000 cases analysing severe trauma in Spain. The latest report reveals an increase in motorcycle accidents and the emergence of scooters as a significant cause.
The Intensive Care Unit for Trauma and Emergencies (UCITE) of the public Hospital 12 de Octubre in the Community of Madrid has established itself as the national reference centre for the study of severe trauma. Its team, led by intensivist Jesús A. Barea Mendoza, coordinates the RETRAUCI registry, a database that has already surpassed 20,000 included cases and has become an essential tool for improving care for critically injured trauma patients across the country.
The project, sponsored by the Trauma and Neurocritical Care working group of the Spanish Society of Intensive Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), has analysed 19,119 cases of patients with severe trauma between May 2015 and December 2025. This volume of data allows for precise mapping of the epidemiological evolution of trauma in Spain and detecting significant changes in patient profiles.
Profile Change: Motorcycles Surpass Cars
The analysis of the last decade reveals a transformation in the causes of severe trauma. Car accidents, which represented 16.9% of admissions in 2015, have decreased to 11.8% in 2025. In contrast, motorcycle accidents remain one of the main causes and outline the most common patient profile: a man around 46 years old who is admitted after an incident with his motorcycle.
This trend change forces emergency services to adapt their protocols. The typical severe trauma patient in Spain is no longer a car driver, but an urban motorcyclist, with injuries that require rapid and specialised attention. In fact, only 38.5% of these patients require urgent surgery within the first 24 hours, and the average stay in the ICU is four days.
Scooters and Ageing: New Care Challenges
The report highlights the emergence of personal mobility vehicles, such as electric scooters, which in 2025 already accounted for 14.7% of injuries in their subgroup. This figure reflects a change in urban mobility and, with it, the emergence of a new profile of injured individuals that did not exist until recently.
Moreover, the average age of admission has risen to 49 years, indicating an ageing affected population. This factor compels intensivists to rethink care strategies, as older patients present comorbidities and a different physiological response to trauma.
Clinical Improvements: Fewer Complications and Stable Mortality
The analysis of data collected over the last decade shows significant advances in patient safety. There has been a statistically relevant decrease in severe complications such as haemodynamic shock or intracranial hypertension. The use of blood products, such as red blood cell concentrates and fresh plasma, has also decreased, indicating greater efficiency in damage control strategies.
Despite the complexity of cases, mortality in the ICU remains stable at around 12%, a figure that aligns with international standards of similar networks in the UK or Germany. This balance between efficiency and clinical outcomes positions the Spanish system among the most advanced in Europe for severe trauma care.
The leadership of the UCITE of 12 de Octubre is not limited to data management. The team actively participates in scientific production derived from the registry, with publications in high-impact journals such as Medicina Intensiva or Emergencias. Their research addresses everything from the impact of new personal mobility vehicles to mortality prediction using fuzzy logic models.
For residents of the Community of Madrid, this work has a direct impact: 12 de Octubre is the reference hospital for many municipalities in the south and east of the region. Advances in severe trauma management translate into faster and more effective care for patients arriving at their emergency department, often in critical condition.
The RETRAUCI registry is a collaborative effort that integrates researchers from dozens of intensive care units across Spain. Its continuity will allow for ongoing monitoring of trauma evolution and adjusting protocols to new social and mobility realities.
The next step of the project will be to expand the database and delve deeper into the analysis of emerging subgroups, such as accidents involving scooters, to design more specific prevention strategies. Meanwhile, the Hospital 12 de Octubre reaffirms its commitment to excellence in care and being at the forefront of critical medicine, a role that is already a national reference.
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