Objective To observe the variation of mortality and discharge against medical advice in major trauma patients admitted to the ICU and thus to improve the level of trauma care.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on major trauma patients who died or discharged against medical advice in the emergency 1CU from 2003 to 2011.Patients were categorized as the dying,worse,and improved according to their situation at discharge.The dying was included into the death group.Annual variation of mortality and discharge against medical advice were analyzed in these 9 years.These parameters were also compared among three diverse periods (2003-2005,2006-2008 and 2009-2011).Results Ultimately,452 patients were recruited from the 3,343 major trauma patients admitted to the emergency ICU from 2003 to 2011.There were 231 deaths occupying 6.91％ (135 patients died in hospital and 96 patients were dying at discharge) and 221 discharges against medical advance occupying 6.61％ (175 patients deteriorated and 46 patients improved).Within the 9 years,a significant decrease was found in the annual rate of inhospital death,dying at discharge,and total death.Meanwhile,there was an increase in the rate of deterioration at discharge (x2 =15.305,P ＞0.05).However,no significant difference was found in the rate of total death plus deterioration at discharge.During the three periods of 2003 to 2005,2006 to 2008,and 2009 to 2011,number of patients admitted to the emergency ICU was 687,1,143,and 1,513 respectively.Age and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) of the dead,the patients with deterioration at discharge,and the dead plus the patients with deterioration were gradually higher through the three periods; on the contrary,GCS lowered.Total mortality decreased from 11.06％ to 4.63％ (x2 =31.174,P ＜0.01) ; rate of deterioration at discharge increased continuously from 2.77％ to 6.35％ (x2 =12.203,P ＜0.01) ; rate of death plus deterioration at discharge was declined from 13.83％ to 10.97％ (x2 =4.09,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions From 2003 to 2011,the level of severe trauma care in emergent ICU is obviously improved.Ratio of deterioration at discharge increases with more aged patients.Discharge against medical advance interferes with the accurate assessment of trauma care and should be paid more attention.