Trauma registries. Current status and future prospects

The implementation of a pilot femur fracture registry at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital: an analysis of data quality and barriers to collaborative capacity-building

BACKGROUND

Trauma registries are essential for injury surveillance and recognition of the burden of musculoskeletal injury in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The purpose of this study was to pilot a femur fracture registry at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to assess data quality and determine the barriers to research partnering in LMICs.

METHODS

All patients admitted to KATH with a fracture of the femur, or Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) class 31, 32, 33, were entered into a locally designed, electronic femur fracture database. Patients' characteristics and data quality were assessed by using descriptive statistics. Orthopedic trauma research barriers and opportunities were identified from key informants at the research site and supporting site.

RESULTS

Ninety-six femur fracture patients were enrolled into the registry over a 5-week period. The majority of patients resided in the Ashanti region surrounding the hospital (78 %). Most participants were involved in a road traffic crash (58 %) and physiologically stable with a Cape Triage Score of yellow upon admission (84 %). AO class 32 femur fractures represented the majority of femur fractures (78 %). Median times from injury to admission, admission to surgery, and surgery to discharge were 0, 5, and 10 days, respectively. Data quality analysis showed that data collected at admission had higher rates of completion in the database relative to data collected at various follow-up time points.

CONCLUSIONS

Data and data quality analyses highlighted characteristics of femur fracture patients presenting to KATH as well as the technological, administrative support, and hospital systems-based challenges of longitudinal data collection in LMICs.

Standardizing data collection in severe trauma: call for linking up

Standardization of data collection in severely injured trauma patients in order to find the best performance and practice has been an issue for more than 20 years. The incidence of trauma has decreased and outcomes have improved over the past decades. Trauma still remains an important public health problem, however, and is listed by the World Health Organization as a leading cause of death and disability. Ringdal and colleagues prove the feasibility on a basic level in their prospective, intercontinental study showing the results of the Utstein Trauma Template. In-depth analysis is currently only partially possible. The future of standardizing data collection in trauma looks bright. However, bridging and cross-linking is necessary to a great extent in the future.

What is the potential of trauma registry data to be used for road traffic injury surveillance and informing road safety policy?

INTRODUCTION

Information from hospital trauma registries is increasingly being used to support injury surveillance efforts. This research examines the potential of using trauma registry data for road traffic injury surveillance for different types of road users in terms of both the information collected and how representative trauma data are compared to two population-based road traffic injury data collections.

METHODS

The three data collections were assessed against recommended variables to be collected for injury surveillance purposes and the representativeness of the distribution of road traffic-related injury data from the trauma registry was compared to hospital admission and road traffic authority data collections.

RESULTS

Data from the trauma registry was largely not representative of the distribution of age groups or activities compared to the two population-based collections, but was representative for gender for some road user groups to at least one population-based data collection.

CONCLUSIONS

Trauma data could be used to supplement information from population-based data collections to inform road safety efforts.

IMPACT ON INDUSTRY

Road safety policy makers should be aware of the potential and the limitations of using trauma registry data for road traffic injury surveillance.

A comparison of major trauma patients transported to trauma centres vs. non-trauma centres in metropolitan Perth

INTRODUCTION

Some major trauma patients in metropolitan Perth (area 5000 km(2)) are initially transported to a secondary hospital (non-trauma centre), rather than directly to a tertiary hospital (trauma centre). They are subsequently transferred to a tertiary hospital. We compared outcomes from these different systems of care.

METHODS

Major trauma (Injury Severity Score, ISS>15) data from the Trauma Registries, 1 July 1997-30 June 2006. Two groups were studied: group 1 (metropolitan major trauma transported directly to a tertiary hospital) and group 2 (metropolitan major trauma transported initially to a secondary hospital and then to a tertiary hospital). The primary endpoint was death.

RESULTS

Group 1 (n = 2005) and group 2 (n = 1078) mean age (43.9 ± 24.3 yrs vs. 39.1 ± 24.3 yrs, p < 0.0001) both with a median ISS = 24 (p = 0.084). Group 2 had significantly more head/neck injuries (p < 0.0001) and significantly less thoracic, abdominal and pelvis/extremities injuries (p < 0.0001). There were also a significantly greater total number of regions injured in group 1 vs. group 2 (p < 0.0001). Mean times to definitive care were 59 min vs. 4.5h, respectively (p < 0.0001). After adjusting for age, ISS, RTS, total regions injured and time, the OR for death in group 2 was 0.99 (95% CI 0.58-1.68).

CONCLUSION

There is an equivalent risk of major trauma death in these two systems of care. In our metropolitan area, we were unable to demonstrate a mortality benefit associated with time.

The Utstein template for uniform reporting of data following major trauma: a joint revision by SCANTEM, TARN, DGU-TR and RITG

BACKGROUND

In 1999, an Utstein Template for Uniform Reporting of Data following Major Trauma was published. Few papers have since been published based on that template, reflecting a lack of international consensus on its feasibility and use. The aim of the present revision was to further develop the Utstein Template, particularly with a major reduction in the number of core data variables and the addition of more precise definitions of data variables. In addition, we wanted to define a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria that will facilitate uniform comparison of trauma cases.

METHODS

Over a ten-month period, selected experts from major European trauma registries and organisations carried out an Utstein consensus process based on a modified nominal group technique.

RESULTS

The expert panel concluded that a New Injury Severity Score > 15 should be used as a single inclusion criterion, and five exclusion criteria were also selected. Thirty-five precisely defined core data variables were agreed upon, with further division into core data for Predictive models, System Characteristic Descriptors and for Process Mapping.

CONCLUSION

Through a structured consensus process, the Utstein Template for Uniform Reporting of Data following Major Trauma has been revised. This revision will enhance national and international comparisons of trauma systems, and will form the basis for improved prediction models in trauma care.

History and development of trauma registry: lessons from developed to developing countries

BACKGROUND

A trauma registry is an integral component of modern comprehensive trauma care systems. Trauma registries have not been established in most developing countries, and where they exist are often rudimentary and incomplete. This review describes the role of trauma registries in the care of the injured, and discusses how lessons from developed countries can be applied toward their design and implementation in developing countries.

METHODS

A detailed review of English-language articles on trauma registry was performed using MEDLINE and CINAHL. In addition, relevant articles from non-indexed journals were identified with Google Scholar.

RESULTS

The history and development of trauma registries and their role in modern trauma care are discussed. Drawing from past and current experience, guidelines for the design and implementation of trauma registries are given, with emphasis on technical and logistic factors peculiar to developing countries.

CONCLUSION

Improvement in trauma care depends on the establishment of functioning trauma care systems, of which a trauma registry is a crucial component. Hospitals and governments in developing countries should be encouraged to establish trauma registries using proven cost-effective strategies.

Evaluation of disability and handicap following injury

Disability and handicap outcome measures are fundamental components of trauma system evaluation. These outcomes are described for survivors of major trauma, attended by the HEMS, London system. Together with measures of injury severity, three functional instruments (Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and return to pre-injury work status (RTW)) were used to measure outcome in 201 trauma patients. By 12 months post injury 84.1% of cases were independent in Motor FIM, 88.1% in Cognitive FIM, 79.1% had good outcomes in GOS (grades 4 and 5) and 69.2% had returned to work. The functional measures showed a statistically significant relationship with minor and major and trauma (ISS < 16 and > or = 16): FIM (motor p < 0.002; cognitive p < 0.0003), GOS (p < 0.002) and RTW (p < 0.002). Division according to severity of principal injury confirmed the greatest disability and handicap resulted from the severest injuries (AIS 4-5): 68.9% achieved independence in Motor FIM, 73% in Cognitive FIM and only 40% returned to work. When grouped according to body region of principal injury, neurological injury, particularly severe injury (AIS 4-5) to head and spinal cord regions showed the poorest outcomes. FIM, GOS and RTW are recommended as standard indicators of disability and handicap for trauma registries and outcome studies.

Is penetrating injury on the increase in south-western Sydney?

BACKGROUND

Few Australian studies describe the epidemiology of penetrating trauma. This study describes the incidence and demographic features of penetrating injuries with emphasis on trends and severity analysis.

METHODS

Case analysis was performed utilizing data from the Liverpool Hospital Trauma Registry (1989-94), NSW Department of Health Hospital Separations (1991-93), and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (1991-93) with reference to the Liverpool and Fairfield Local Government Areas (LGA).

RESULTS

The Trauma Registry revealed 251 of penetrating trauma. The median age was 26 years (interquartile range 21-33). Ninety-one per cent of the victims were male. Fourteen per cent of patients had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15. Sixty-five per cent of cases were stab injuries and 20% gunshot injuries with the abdomen being the most commonly injured site. Twenty-one per cent of patients underwent laparotomy, 1.6% thoracotomy and 1.2% thoracotomy and laparatomy. There were 10 (4%) deaths. Trends in incidence of penetrating trauma and violent crime involving weapons were analysed. Static trends were observed for the annual incidence of penetrating trauma from the Liverpool Hospital Trauma Registry. Separations for penetrating trauma from Liverpool and Fairfield hospitals showed a slightly increasing trend. Violent crimes involving weapons in the Liverpool and Fairfield LGA showed a static trend. Nevertheless, separations for penetrating trauma and rates of violent crimes involving weapons were higher in south-western Sydney than metropolitan Sydney or NSW. Eight per cent of the LGA population are Vietnamese but this study identified 16% of victims as being Vietnamese.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found no significant increase in penetrating trauma or violent crime predisposing to penetrating injury in south-western Sydney.

Trauma audit and quality improvement

Audit is the evaluation of patient care. The care of the injured patient commences at the accident scene and involves prehospital triage and management, emergency hospital assessment and resuscitation, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, operative surgery, intensive care unit management, acute hospital care and rehabilitation. Audit assesses the delivery of trauma care and clinical management and through identification of inadequacies facilitates the introduction of appropriate improvements. Both the American National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council and the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council have recommended the establishment of an audit process to evaluate the quality of trauma management and to obtain quality assurance. They have advised that this process would be assisted by the development of regional trauma registries and a uniform approach to the grading of injuries. Reduction in the preventable death rate, frequency of complications and duration of hospitalization has followed audits as a result of changes in the organization and quality of trauma care. In the United States, for example, the preventable death rate after injury was reduced from 35 to 15% in Orange County, California and from 14 to 3% in San Diego County, California. Studies from Great Britain. The Netherlands, Canada, Australia and elsewhere have further supported the view that trauma audit modifies practice leading to reductions in mortality and morbidity.

Clinical research databases--a historical review

The increasing importance of computer-stored databases for clinical research prompted a historical review of their evolution over the past three decades. The special problems associated with the computer processing of clinical research data were reviewed, and the various types of clinical research registers and databases were described.