Epidemiology and outcome of penetrating injuries in a Western European urban region

[Development of violence-associated penetrating trauma in the Düsseldorf metropolitan region over a 5-year period (GewPen study)]

INTRODUCTION

Penetrating injuries are a rare but recurring emergency situation in the out-of-hospital and in-hospital emergency settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and characteristics of injuries associated with penetrating violence across a German metropolitan region over a 5-year period.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the retrospective study, a database query of the control center of the Düsseldorf rescue service area was used to identify and descriptively analyze all rescue service operations with penetrating violence-associated injuries in the years 2015, 2017, and 2019. For those patients who were transferred to the major trauma center, a further analysis of the in-hospital course was performed.

RESULTS

In the 3 years 2015, 2017 and 2019 a total of 266 patients (age: 33 ± 14 years, male: 79%) could be recorded (2015 vs. 2017 vs. 2019: n = 81 vs. n = 93 vs. n = 92, respectively). The most common age group involved had an age range of 15-34 years. A particularly higher frequency of emergency calls was found for the areas of Old Town, City Center, and one other district (Oberbilk). A high frequency of rescue missions was found in the nights from Saturday to Sunday between 20.00 p.m. and 04.00 a.m. Rescue missions with emergency physicians on board increased over the years (2015 vs. 2019: 27 vs. 42%, p = 0.04). The primary weapons used were knives (56%), broken glass bottles (18%) and broken glasses (6%). Out of all patients 71 (27%, injury severity score 11 ± 14) were admitted to the major trauma center. Among these patients, the proportion of immediate surgical care (2015 vs. 2019: 20% vs. 35%, p < 0.05) and positive alcohol detection increased over the years (2015 vs. 2019: 10% vs. 43%, p < 0.05). The 30-day mortality in the 3 years studied was 1.1% (n = 3).

CONCLUSION

Penetrating injuries associated with violence are relevant but rare rescue missions. Future care strategies should focus on deployment of rescue resources close to the scene of the incident ("old town guard", central station), and prevention strategies should focus on weapon prohibition zones. A control of alcohol consumption should be discussed.

Increased Incidence and Mortality of Civilian Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury in Sweden: A Single-Center Registry-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Penetrating trauma to the head and neck has increased during the past decade in Sweden. The aim of this study was to characterize these injuries and evaluate the outcomes for patients treated at a tertiary trauma center.

METHODS

Swedish trauma registry data were extracted on patients with head and neck injuries admitted to Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden) between 2011 and 2019. Outcome information was extracted from hospital records, with the primary endpoints focusing on the physiological outcome measures and the secondary endpoints on the surgical and radiological outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 1436 patients with penetrating trauma, 329 with penetrating head and neck injuries were identified. Of the 329 patients, 66 (20%) had suffered a gunshot wound (GSW), 240 (73%) a stab wound (SW), and 23 (7%) an injury from other trauma mechanisms (OTMs). The median age for the corresponding 3 groups of patients was 25, 33, and 21 years, respectively. Assault was the primary intent, with 54 patients experiencing GSWs (81.8%) and 158 SWs (65.8%). Patients with GSWs had more severe injuries, worse admission Glasgow coma scale, motor, scores, and a higher intubation rate at the injury site. Most GSW patients underwent major surgery (59.1%) as the initial procedure and were more likely to have intracranial hemorrhage (21.2%). The 30-day mortality was 45.5% (n = 30) for GSWs, 5.4% (n = 13) for SWs, and 0% (n = 0) for OTMs. There was an annual increase in the incidence and mortality for GSWs and SWs.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 2011 and 2019, an increasing annual trend was found in the incidence and mortality from penetrating head and neck trauma in Stockholm, Sweden. GSW patients experienced more severe injuries and intracranial hemorrhage and underwent more surgical interventions compared with patients with SWs and OTMs.

Outcomes and potential for improvement in the prehospital treatment of penetrating chest injuries in a European metropolitan area: A retrospective analysis of 2009 - 2017

BACKGROUND

Trauma is the leading cause of death in patients <45 years living in high-resource settings. However, penetrating chest injuries are still relatively rare in Europe - with an upwards trend. These cases are of particular interest to emergency medical services (EMS) due to available invasive treatment options like chest tube placement or resuscitative thoracotomy. To date, there is no sufficient data from Austria regarding penetrating chest trauma in a metropolitan area, and no reliable source to base decisions regarding further skill proficiency training on.

METHODS

For this retrospective observational study, we screened all trauma emergency responses of the Viennese EMS between 01/2009 and 12/2017 and included all those with a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) score ≥ IV (= potentially life-threatening). Data were derived from EMS mission documentations and hospital files, and for those cases with the injuries leading to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), we assessed the EMS cardiac arrest registry and consulted a forensic physician.

RESULTS

We included 480 cases of penetrating chest injuries of NACA IV-VII (83% male, 64% > 30 years old, 74% stab wounds, 16% cuts, 8% gunshot wounds, 56% inflicted by another party, 26% self-inflicted, 18% unknown). In the study period, the incidence rose from 1.4/100,000 to 3.5/100,000 capita, and overall, about one case was treated per week. In the cases with especially severe injury patterns (= NACA V-VII, 43% of total), (tension-)pneumothorax was the most common injury (29%). The highest mortality was seen in injuries to pulmonary vessels (100%) or the heart (94%). Fifty-eight patients (12% of total) deceased, whereas in 15 cases, the forensic physician stated survival could theoretically have been possible. However, only five of these CPR patients received at least unilateral thoracostomy. Regarding all penetrating chest injuries, thoracostomy had only been performed in eight patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe cases of penetrating chest trauma are rare in Vienna and happened about once a week between 2009 and 2017. Both incidence and case load increased over the years, and potentially life-saving invasive procedures were only reluctantly applied. Therefore, a structured educational and skill retention approach aimed at both paramedics and emergency physicians should be implemented.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Retrospective analysis without intervention.

Incidence, demographics and outcomes of patients with penetrating injury: a Japanese nationwide 10-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death among Japanese people younger than 35 years; however, data are limited on the evaluation of characteristics, long-term mortality trend and mortality risk of patients with penetrating injury in Japan. This prevents the development of effective strategies for trauma care in patients with penetrating injury.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study investigated 313 643 patients registered in the Japan Trauma Data Bank (JTDB) dataset between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2018. The inclusion criteria comprised patients with penetrating injuries transferred from the injury site by emergency vehicles. Moreover, the patients registered in the JTDB dataset were included in this study regardless of age and sex. Outcomes measured were nationwide trends of characteristics, in-hospital mortality and in-hospital mortality risk among Japanese patients with penetrating injury. The mortality risk was analysed by hospital admission year, age, Injury Severity Score (ISS) and emergency procedures.

RESULTS

Overall, 7132 patients were included. Median age significantly increased during the 10-year study periods (from 48 to 54 years, p=0.002). Trends for the mechanism of injury did not change; the leading cause of penetrating injury was stab wounds (SW: 76%-82%). Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate significantly decreased (4.0% to 1.7%, p=0.008). However, no significant improvement was observed in the in-hospital mortality trend in all ISS groups with SW and active bleeding. Patients with active bleeding who underwent urgent transcatheter arterial embolization had significantly lower mortality risk (p=0.043, OR=0.12, 95% CI=0.017 to 0.936). Conversely, the surgical procedure for haemostasis did not improve the mortality risk of patients with SW and active bleeding.

CONCLUSION

The severity-adjusted mortality trend in patients with penetrating injuries did not improve. Moreover, patients with active bleeding who underwent urgent surgical procedure for haemostasis had a higher mortality risk.

Introduction of Laparoscopy in an Urban High-Volume Sub-Saharan Trauma Centre

INTRODUCTION

Trauma is a major disease burden in low and middle-income countries like South Africa. Abdominal trauma is one of the leading reasons for emergency surgery. The standard of care for these patients is a laparotomy. In selected trauma patients, laparoscopy has both diagnostic and therapeutic usage. The trauma burden and the number of cases seen in a busy trauma unit make laparoscopy challenging.

AIM

We wanted to describe our journey with laparoscopy in the management of abdominal trauma in a busy urban trauma unit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

METHODS

We reviewed all trauma patients who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) or therapeutic laparoscopy (TL) between 01 January 2017 and 31 October 2020 for blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. The demographic data, indications for laparoscopy, injuries identified, procedures performed, intraoperative laparoscopic complications, conversion to laparotomy, morbidity, and mortality were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 54 patients who had laparoscopy were included in the study. The median age was 29 years (IQR 25-25). Most injuries were penetrating 85.2% (n = 46/54) and 14.8% blunt trauma. Most patients were males, 94.4% (n = 51/54). Indications for laparoscopy included diaphragm evaluation (40.7%), pneumoperitoneum for evaluation of potential bowel injury (16.7%), free fluid with no evidence of solid organ injury (12.9%) and colostomy (5.5%). There were 8 (14.8%) cases converted to laparotomy. There were no missed injuries or mortality in the study group.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopy in selected trauma patients is safe even in a busy trauma unit. It is associated with less morbidity and shortened hospital length of stay.

CT after emergency surgery in penetrating trauma: a seven-year experience in a level I Nordic trauma center

BACKGROUND

Patients with severe penetrating trauma may require emergency surgery on arrival, and postoperative computed tomography (CT) can reveal significant additional injuries.

PURPOSE

To determine the utility of postoperative CT performed within 48 h of emergency surgery after penetrating trauma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Trauma registry data were retrieved over a seven-year period at a single level 1 trauma center. All patients aged ≥17 years, admitted with penetrating injury, who underwent urgent surgery and postoperative CT imaging within 48 h, were included. Pre- and intraoperative medical records were compared to CT findings. Age, sex, Injury Severity Score (ISS), New Injury Severity Score (NISS), 30-day mortality, injury mechanism, surgical intervention, and intensive care unit length of stay were extracted.

RESULTS

Out of 1262 patients, 38 fulfilled the study criteria (36 men [94.7%], 2 women [5.3%]; mean age = 31.5 years. Stab wound (SW) was the most common injury mechanism (26/38, 68.4%) followed by gunshot wound (GSW; 10/38, 26.3%). Patients with GSWs were more severely injured than SW victims (median NISS = 34 [range = 3-75]; for GSWs = 34; for SWs = 26; P = 0.045). Out of 38 patients, 20 (52.6%) had additional findings at postoperative CT. Six patients (15.8%) had unidentified or underestimated findings at CT that were severe enough to warrant additional surgery or angiography.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative CT imaging after emergency surgery in penetrating trauma is an important tool in evaluating the injury panorama. Out of 38 patients, 6 (15.8%) had findings at postoperative CT that warranted additional surgical or angiographic intervention.

Advanced interventions in the pre-hospital resuscitation of patients with non-compressible haemorrhage after penetrating injuries

Abstract

Early haemorrhage control and minimizing the time to definitive care have long been the cornerstones of therapy for patients exsanguinating from non-compressible haemorrhage (NCH) after penetrating injuries, as only basic treatment could be provided on scene. However, more recently, advanced on-scene treatments such as the transfusion of blood products, resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) have become available in a small number of pre-hospital critical care teams. Although these advanced techniques are included in the current traumatic cardiac arrest algorithm of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), published in 2021, clear guidance on the practical application of these techniques in the pre-hospital setting is scarce. This paper provides a scoping review on how these advanced techniques can be incorporated into practice for the resuscitation of patients exsanguinating from NCH after penetrating injuries, based on available literature and the collective experience of several helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) across Europe who have introduced these advanced resuscitation interventions into routine practice.

Graphical Abstract

A characterization of trauma laparotomies in a scandinavian setting: an observational study

BACKGROUND

Despite treatment advances, trauma laparotomy continuous to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Most of the literature originates from high volume centers, whereas patient characteristics and outcomes in a Scandinavian setting is not well described. The objective of this study is to characterize treatments and outcomes of patients undergoing trauma laparotomy in a Scandinavian setting and compare this to international reports.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed in the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet (CUHR). All patients undergoing a trauma laparotomy within the first 24 h of admission between January 1st 2019 and December 31st 2020 were included. Collected data included demographics, trauma mechanism, injuries, procedures performed and outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 1713 trauma patients were admitted to CUHR of which 98 patients underwent trauma laparotomy. Penetrating trauma accounted for 16.6% of the trauma population and 66.3% of trauma laparotomies. Median time to surgery after arrival at the trauma center (TC) was 12 min for surgeries performed in the Emergency Department (ED) and 103 min for surgeries performed in the operating room (OR). A total of 14.3% of the procedures were performed in the ED. A damage control strategy (DCS) approach was chosen in 18.4% of cases. Our rate of negative laparotomies was 17.3%. We found a mortality rate of 8.2%. The total median length of stay was 6.1 days.

CONCLUSION

The overall rates, findings, and outcomes of trauma laparotomies in this Danish cohort is comparable to reports from similar Western European trauma systems.

Evaluation of follow-up and long-term outcomes of gunshot and stab wounds in a French civilian population

PURPOSE

The data concerning long-term follow-up and outcomes of penetrating trauma are poorly detailed in the literature. The main objective of our study was to analyze the hospital and extra-hospital follow-up of penetrating trauma victims and to evaluate the late complications and long-term consequences of these traumas.

METHODS

This work was a retrospective longitudinal monocentric observational study conducted at Laveran Military Hospital, from January 2007 to January 2017. All patients hospitalized for gunshot wound or stab wound management during this period were identified via a retrospective systematic query in the hospital information system using the ICD-10 codes. Epidemiological data, traumatism characteristics, hospital management, follow-up and traumatism consequences (i.e., persistent disability) were analyzed. To improve evaluation of traumatism long-term consequences, extra-hospital follow-up data from general physicians (GP) were collected by phone call. During this interview, 9 closed questions were asked to the GP. The survey evaluated: the date of the last consultation related to injury with the GP, the specific follow-up carried out by the GP, traumatism consequences, and recurrence of traumatism. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate with regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total number of 165 patients were included. Median (Q1, Q3) of hospital follow-up was 28 (4, 66) days. One hundred one patients (61.2%) went to their one-month consultation at hospital. GP follow-up was achieved for 76 patients (55.2%). Median (Q1, Q3) of GP follow-up was 47 (21, 75) months. Twenty-four patients (14.5%) have been totally lost to follow up. The overall follow-up identified 54 patients (32.7%) with long-term consequences, 20 being psychiatric disorders and 30 organic injuries. Organic consequences were mainly peripheral nerve damages (n = 20; 12.1%). Most of the psychiatric consequences were diagnosed during GP follow-up (n = 14; 70%). Seventeen cases (10.3%) of recurrence were found and late mortality occurred in 4 patients (2.4%). High injury severity score, older age and gunshot wound were significantly linked to long-term consequences. Data collection and analysis were carried out in accordance with MR004 reference methodology.

CONCLUSION

This study showed a high rate of long-term consequences among patients managed for penetrating injury. If all organic lesions are diagnosed during hospital follow-up and jointly managed by hospital and extra-hospital physicians, most socio-psychiatric consequences were detected and followed by extra-hospital workers. However, for half of the patients, the extra-hospital follow-up could not be assessed. Thus, these consequences are very probably underestimated. It appears imperative to strengthen the compliance and adherence of these patients to the care network. Awareness and involvement of medical, paramedical teams and GP role seems essential to screen and manage these consequences.

Incidence, Demographics, and Outcomes of Penetrating Trauma in Sweden During the Past Decade

Trauma injury is the sixth leading cause of death worldwide, and interpersonal violence is one of the major contributors in particular regarding injuries to the head and neck. The incidence, demographics, and outcomes of penetrating trauma reaching hospitals in Sweden are not known. We report the largest, nationwide epidemiological study of penetrating injuries in Sweden, using the Swedish Trauma Registry (SweTrau). A multi-center retrospective descriptive study of 4,776 patients was conducted with penetrating injuries in Sweden, between 2012 and 2018. Due to the increase in coverage of the SweTrau registry during the same period, we chose to analyze the average number of cases for the time intervals 2013-2015 and 2016-2018 and compare those trends to the reports of the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) as well. A total of 663 patients had Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 15 at admission and were included in the study. Three hundred and sixty-eight (55.5%) were stab wounds (SW), 245 (37.0%) gunshot wounds (GSW), and 50 (7.5%) other traumas. A majority of the cases involved injuries to the head, neck, and face. SW increased from 145 during 2013-2015 to 184 during the second period of 2016-2018. The increase was greater for GSW from 92 to 141 during the same respective periods. This trend of increase over time was also seen in head, neck, and face injuries. The 30-day mortality was unaffected (48-47%) in GSW and trended toward lower in SW (24-21%) when comparing 2013-2015 with 2016-2018. Patients with head trauma had 45% mortality compared to 18% for non-head trauma patients. Head trauma also resulted in worse outcomes, only 13% had Glasgow outcome score (GOS) 5 compared to 27% in non-head trauma. The increasing number of cases of both SW and GSW corresponded well with reports from Brå although further studies also are needed to address deaths outside of hospitals and not registered at the SweTrau. The majority of cases had injuries to the head, neck, and face and were associated with higher mortality and poor outcomes. Further studies are needed to understand the contributing factors to these worse outcomes in Sweden and whether more targeted trauma care of these patients can improve outcomes.

Gunshot and stab wounds in France: descriptive study from a national trauma registry

PURPOSE

Severe trauma is a major problem worldwide. In France, blunt trauma (BT) is predominant and few studies are available on penetrating trauma (PT). The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of severe gunshot (GSW) and stab wounds (SW) in patients who were treated in French trauma centers.

METHODS

Retrospective study on prospectively collected data in a national trauma registry. All adult (> 15 years) trauma patients primarily admitted in 1 of the 17 trauma centers members of the Traumabase between January 2015 to December 2018 were included. Data from patients who had a PT were compared with those who had suffered a BT over the same period. Due to the known differences between GSW and SW, sub-group analyses on data from GSW, SW and BT were also performed.

RESULTS

8128 patients were included. Twelve percent of the study group had a PT. The main mechanism of PT was SW (68.1%). Five hundred and eighty patients with PT (59.4%) required surgery within the first 24 h. Severe hemorrhage was more frequent in penetrating traumas (11.2% vs. 7.8% p < 0.001). Hospital mortality following PT was 8.9% vs 11% for blunt trauma (p = 0.047). Among PT the mortality after GSW was ten times higher than after SW (23.8% vs 2%).

CONCLUSION

This work is the largest study to date that has specifically focused on GSW and SW in France, and will help improving knowledge in managing such patients in our country.

Utility of enteric contrast material in abdominal penetrating trauma: A narrative review

Penetrating trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. With the possibility of conservative management for hemodynamically stable trauma patient, computed tomography (CT) has become an important tool in diagnosis and management of penetrating trauma. There have been multiple studies examining the utility and lack of perceived benefit of using enteric contrast material in the initial CT evaluation. We provide a narrative review of the surgical and radiological literature, offer our own protocol for how to approach the imaging of patients with suspected bowel injury following penetrating traumatic injury and discuss the potential of using enteric contrast material.

Changes in traumatic mechanisms of injury in Southern California related to COVID-19: Penetrating trauma as a second pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a statewide stay-at-home (SAH) order in California beginning March 19, 2020, forcing large-scale behavioral changes and taking an emotional and economic toll. The effects of SAH orders on the trauma population remain unknown. We hypothesized an increase in rates of penetrating trauma, gunshot wounds, suicide attempts, and domestic violence in the Southern California trauma population after the SAH order.

METHODS

A multicenter retrospective analysis of all trauma patients presenting to 11 American College of Surgeons levels I and II trauma centers spanning seven counties in California was performed. Demographic data, injury characteristics, clinical data, and outcomes were collected. Patients were divided into three groups based on injury date: before SAH from January 1, 2020, to March 18, 2020 (PRE), after SAH from March 19, 2020, to June 30, 2020 (POST), and a historical control from March 19, 2019, to June 30, 2019 (CONTROL). POST was compared with both PRE and CONTROL in two separate analyses.

RESULTS

Across all periods, 20,448 trauma patients were identified (CONTROL, 7,707; PRE, 6,022; POST, 6,719). POST had a significantly increased rate of penetrating trauma (13.0% vs. 10.3%, p < 0.001 and 13.0% vs. 9.9%, p < 0.001) and gunshot wounds (4.5% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.002 and 4.5% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.025) compared with PRE and CONTROL, respectively. POST had a suicide attempt rate of 1.9% and a domestic violence rate of 0.7%, which were similar to PRE (p = 0.478, p = 0.514) and CONTROL (p = 0.160, p = 0.618).

CONCLUSION

This multicenter Southern California study demonstrated an increased rate of penetrating trauma and gunshot wounds after the COVID-19 SAH orders but no difference in attempted suicide or domestic violence rates. These findings may provide useful information regarding resource utilization and a target for societal intervention during the current or future pandemic(s).

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Epidemiological, level IV.

Epidemiology and characteristics of firearm injuries in a French level I trauma centre, 2009-2019

BACKGROUND

Firearm injuries (FI) are an increasing problem in Europe but there have been few European epidemiological studies on civilian FI, particularly in France. This study investigated the epidemiology of FI at a French level I trauma centre.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all patients admitted to our centre with an FI between January 2009 and December 2019. We investigated the epidemiological trends of FI during the study period, and characterised the FI.

RESULTS

A total of 162 patients were victims of FI. Prevalence was 0.11% and the mean annual incidence was 10.4 per 100 000 habs. A significant increase has been observed over the last 10 years, from 5 cases in 2009 (3.1%) to 30 in 2019 (18.5%). Of the 162 victims, 85 (52.5%) died as a direct result of the FI: 72 suicides (88.9%) and 9 victims of urban violence (11.1%) (armed public environment disorder). 95.3% of the patients died before reaching at the hospital. There were 95 cases (58.7%) of suicide and 33 cases (20.4%) of urban violence. The head was shot in 87 cases (48.9%), the thorax in 32 cases (18.5%) and the lower limbs in 24 cases (13.5%). A total of 106 surgeries were performed on 54 patients (33.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified 162 cases of FI with a mean annual incidence of 10.4 per 100 000 habs. A significant increase in FI was observed over the last 10 years. 52.2% of patients died, and the main context was suicide or attempted suicide.

Penetrating thoracic injuries: a retrospective analysis from a French military trauma centre

BACKGROUND

Penetrating thoracic injuries (PTIs) is a medicosurgical challenge for civilian and military trauma teams. In civilian European practice, PTIs are most likely due to stab wounds and mostly require a simple chest tube drainage. On the battlefield, combat casualties suffer severe injuries, caused by high-lethality wounding agents.The aim of this study was to analyse and compare the demographics, injury patterns, surgical management and clinical outcomes of civilian and military patients with PTIs.

METHODS

All patients with PTIs admitted to a Level I Trauma Centre in France or to Role-2 facilities in war theatres between 1 January 2004 and 31 May 2016 were included. Combat casualties' data were analysed from Role-2 medical charts. The hospital manages military casualties evacuated from war theatres who had already received primary surgical care, but also civilian patients issued from the Paris area. During the study period, French soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan, in West Africa and in the Sahelo-Saharan band since 2013.

RESULTS

52 civilian and 17 military patients were included. Main mechanisms of injury were stab wounds for civilian patients, and gunshot wounds and explosive fragments for military casualties. Military patients suffered more severe injuries and needed more thoracotomies. In total, 29 (33%) patients were unstable or in cardiac arrest on admission. Thoracic surgery was performed in 38 (55%) patients (25 thoracotomies and 13 thoracoscopies). Intrahospital mortality was 18.8%.

CONCLUSION

War PTIs are associated with extrathoracic injuries and higher mortality than PTIs in the French civilian area. In order to reduce the mortality of PTIs in combat, our study highlights the need to improve tactical en route care with transfusion capabilities and the deployment of forward surgical units closer to the combatants. In the civilian area, our results indicated that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a reliable diagnostic and therapeutic technique for haemodynamically stable patients.

Risk of 90-day readmission in patients after firearm injury hospitalization: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

National conversation has justifiably been concerned with firearm-related deaths and much less attention has been paid to the consequences of surviving a firearm injury. We assessed the risk of hospital readmission, length of stay (LOS) during hospitalization, and costs within 90-days after surviving an index firearm injury and compared these data with pedestrians and occupants involved in motor vehicle crash (MVC).

METHODS

Nationwide Readmission Database, a nationally representative readmission database from 2013 and 2014 was used to create a retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was time-to-first all-cause readmission within 90-days after discharge from the index hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were LOS and hospitalization costs at index events and at 90-days.

RESULTS

There were 3,334 (10.5%), 3,818 (10.6%) and 24,672 (9.4%) firearm injury, pedestrian, and occupant MVC readmissions within 90-days. The risk of 90-day readmission among firearm was 20% (HR=1.20, 95%CI=1.09-1.32) and 34% (HR=1.34, 95%CI=1.26-1.44) greater than patients admitted after pedestrian and occupant MVC. The primary causes of firearm readmission were surgical complications, intestinal disorders and open wounds. The mean total costs were lower among patients after firearm injury versus occupant MVC hospitalizations ($9,357 versus $11,032, p=0.028) but mean total LOS was greater (4.48 versus 4.38 days, p=0.003). Medicaid-insured patients had longer LOS at a total lower cost during index hospitalization after firearm injury as compared to MVC occupant injury. Increased LOS and lower costs of 90-day readmissions among firearm patients versus occupant MVC were irrespective of insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients surviving a firearm injury have a substantial risk of subsequent hospitalizations, higher than pedestrian or occupant MVC injuries. Medicaid is disproportionately burdened by the costs of treatment of firearm injury.

Risk of 90-day readmission in patients after firearm injury hospitalization: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study

Background:

National conversation has justifiably been concerned with firearm-related deaths and much less attention has been paid to the consequences of surviving a firearm injury. We assessed the risk of hospital readmission, length of stay (LOS) during hospitalization, and costs within 90-days after surviving an index firearm injury and compared these data with pedestrians and occupants involved in motor vehicle crash (MVC).

Methods:

Nationwide Readmission Database, a nationally representative readmission database from 2013 and 2014 was used to create a retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was time-to-first all-cause readmission within 90-days after discharge from the index hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were LOS and hospitalization costs at index events and at 90-days.

Results:

There were 3,334 (10.5%), 3,818 (10.6%) and 24,672 (9.4%) firearm injury, pedestrian, and occupant MVC readmissions within 90-days. The risk of 90-day readmission among firearm was 20% (HR=1.20, 95%CI=1.09-1.32) and 34% (HR=1.34, 95%CI=1.26-1.44) greater than patients admitted after pedestrian and occupant MVC. The primary causes of firearm readmission were surgical complications, intestinal disorders and open wounds. The mean total costs were lower among patients after firearm injury versus occupant MVC hospitalizations ($9,357 versus $11,032, p=0.028) but mean total LOS was greater (4.48 versus 4.38 days, p=0.003). Medicaid-insured patients had longer LOS at a total lower cost during index hospitalization after firearm injury as compared to MVC occupant injury. Increased LOS and lower costs of 90-day readmissions among firearm patients versus occupant MVC were irrespective of insurance.

Conclusions:

The patients surviving a firearm injury have a substantial risk of subsequent hospitalizations, higher than pedestrian or occupant MVC injuries. Medicaid is disproportionately burdened by the costs of treatment of firearm injury.

Epidemiology of firearm injuries in a Scandinavian trauma center

Background

There is a concern that civilian gunshot injuries in Europe are increasing but there is a lack of contemporary studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current epidemiology and outcome of firearm injuries.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of all patients (n = 235) treated for firearm injuries admitted to a Scandinavian trauma center between 2005 and 2016. Local and national trauma registries were used for data collection.

Results

Mean age was 31.3 years (SD ± 12.9; range 16–88 years); 93.6% males; mean ISS was 14.3 (SD ± 15.9); 31.9% (75/235) had ISS > 15. There was a significant increase in penetrating trauma (P < 0.001) and firearm injuries (P < 0.001) over the years. The most common anatomical location of firearm injury was the lower extremity, (n = 138/235; 38%), followed by the abdomen (n = 69;19%), upper extremity (n = 53;15%), chest (n = 50; 14%), and head and neck (n = 50; 14%). Ninety patients (38.3%) had more than one anatomic injury location. There were in total 360 firearm injuries and 168 major surgical procedures were performed. 53% (n = 125) of patients underwent at least one surgical procedure. The most common procedures were fracture surgery 42% (n = 70/168), followed by laparotomy 30%% (n = 51), chest tube 17% (n = 29), and thoracotomy 11% (n = 18). Forty-one patients (17%) had at least one major vascular injury (n = 54). The most common vascular injury was lower extremity vessel injuries, 26/54 (48%), followed by vessels in chest and abdomen. There was a significant increase in vascular injuries during the study period (P < 0.006). The 30-day mortality was 12.8% (n = 30); 24 patients died within 24 h mainly due to injuries to the chest and the head and neck region.

Conclusions

Firearm injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality and are an important medical and public health problem. In a Scandinavian trauma center there has been an increase of firearm injuries in recent years. The lower extremities followed by the abdomen are the dominating injured regions and there has been an increase in associated vascular injuries.

Differences in Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Penetrating Injuries in the USA and the Netherlands: A Multi-institutional Comparison

INTRODUCTION

The incidence and nature of penetrating injuries differ between countries. The aim of this study was to analyze characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with penetrating injuries treated at urban Level-1 trauma centers in the USA (USTC) and the Netherlands (NLTC).

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, 1331 adult patients (470 from five NLTC and 861 from three USTC) with truncal penetrating injuries admitted between July 2011 and December 2014 were included. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Outcome comparisons were adjusted for differences in population characteristics in multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

In USTC, gunshot wound injuries (36.1 vs. 17.4%, p < 0.001) and assaults were more frequent (91.2 vs. 77.7%, p < 0.001). ISS was higher in USTC, but the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was comparable. In-hospital mortality was similar (5.0 vs. 3.6% in NLTC, p = 0.25). The adjusted odds ratio for mortality in USTC compared to NLTC was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.35-2.54). Hospital stay length of stay was shorter in USTC (difference 0.17 days, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.05, p = 0.005), ICU admission rate was comparable (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.71-1.31, p = 0.80), and ICU length of stay was longer in USTC (difference of 0.39 days, 95% CI 0.18-0.60, p < 0.0001). More USTC patients were discharged to home (86.9 vs. 80.6%, p < 0.001). Readmission rates were similar (5.6 vs. 3.8%, p = 0.17).

CONCLUSION

Despite the higher incidence of penetrating trauma, particularly firearm-related injuries, and higher hospital volumes in the USTC compared to the NLTC, the in-hospital mortality was similar. In this study, outcome of care was not significantly influenced by differences in incidence of firearm-related injuries.

The First Aid and Hospital Treatment of Gunshot and Blast Injuries

BACKGROUND

When gunshot and blast injuries affect only a single person, first aid can always be delivered in conformity with the relevant guidelines. In contrast, when there is a dynamic casualty situation affecting many persons, such as after a terrorist attack, treatment may need to be focused on immediately life-threatening complications.

METHODS

This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in Medline and on the authors' clinical experience.

RESULTS

In a mass-casualty event, all initial measures are directed toward the survival of the greatest possible number of patients, in accordance with the concept of "tactical abbreviated surgical care." Typical complications such as airway obstruction, tension pneumothorax, and hemorrhage must be treated within the first 10 minutes. Patients with bleeding into body cavities or from the trunk must be given priority in transport; hemorrhage from the limbs can be adequately stabilized with a tourniquet. In-hospital care must often be oriented to the principles of "damage control surgery," with the highest priority assigned to the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as hemodynamic instability, penetrating wounds, or overt coagulopathy. The main considerations in initial surgical stabilization are control of bleeding, control of contamination and lavage, avoidance of further consequences of injury, and prevention of ischemia. Depending on the resources available, a transition can be made afterward to individualized treatment.

CONCLUSION

In mass-casualty events and special casualty situations, mortality can be lowered by treating immediately life-threatening complications as rapidly as possible. This includes the early identification of patients with lifethreatening hemorrhage. Advance preparation for the management of a masscasualty event is advisable so that the outcome can be as favorable as possible for all of the injured in special or tactical casualty situations.

Initiation and Termination of Massive Transfusion Protocols: Current Strategies and Future Prospects

The advent of massive transfusion protocols (MTP) has had a significant positive impact on hemorrhaging trauma patient morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, societal MTP guidelines and individual MTPs at academic institutions continue to circulate opposing recommendations on topics critical to MTPs. This narrative review discusses up-to-date information on 2 such topics, the initiation and termination of an MTP. The discussion for each begins with a review of the recommendations and supporting literature presented by MTP guidelines from 3 prominent societies, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American College of Surgeons, and the task force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the main components within those recommendations. Societal recommendations on MTP initiation in hemorrhaging trauma patients emphasize the use of retrospectively validated massive transfusion (MT) prediction score, specifically, the Assessment of Blood Consumption and Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage scores. Validation studies have shown that both scoring systems perform similarly. Both scores reliably identify patients that will not require an MT, while simultaneously overpredicting MT requirements. However, each scoring system has its unique advantages and disadvantages, and this review discusses how specific aspects of each scoring system can affect widespread applicability and statistical performance. In addition, we discuss the often overlooked topic of initiating MT in nontrauma patients and the specific tools physicians have to guide the MT initiation decision in this unique setting. Despite the serious complications that can arise with transfusion of large volumes of blood products, there is considerably less research pertinent to the topic of MTP termination. Societal recommendations on MTP termination emphasize applying clinical reasoning to identify patients who have bleeding source control and are adequately resuscitated. This review, however, focuses primarily on the recommendations presented by the Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma's MTP guidelines that call for prompt termination of the algorithm-guided model of resuscitation and rapidly transitioning into a resuscitation model guided by laboratory test results. We also discuss the evidence in support of laboratory result-guided resuscitation and how recent literature on viscoelastic hemostatic assays, although limited, highlights the potential to achieve additional benefits from this method of resuscitation.

Effect of team training on efficiency of trauma care in a Chinese hospital

Objective

Multidisciplinary trauma teams are the standard of care in the USA, but staffing differences and lack of advanced trauma life support training hinder replication of this system in Chinese hospitals. We investigated the effect of simulation team training on initial trauma care.

Methods

Over 15 months, we compared grade I trauma patients cared for by the trained team and those cared for using traditional practice on times from emergency room arrival to tests/procedures. Propensity-score analysis was performed to improve between-group comparisons.

Results

During the study, 144 grade I trauma patients were treated. Trained team patients showed shorter times from emergency room arrival to initiation of hemostasis (31.0 [13.5–58.5] vs. 113.5 [77–150.50] min), blood routine report (8 [5–10.25] vs. 13 [10–21] min), other blood tests (21 [14.75–25.75] vs. 31 [25–37] min), computed tomography scan (29.5 [20.25–65] vs. 58.5 [30.25–71.25] min) and tranexamic acid administration (31 [13–65] vs. 90 [65–200] min). Similar results were obtained for the propensity-score matched cohort.

Conclusion

Simulation team training could help reduce time to blood routine reports, scans and hemostasis. Assessment of available resources and development of targeted team training could improve care in resource-limited hospitals.

Early crisis nontechnical skill teaching in residency leads to long-term skill retention and improved performance during crises: A prospective, nonrandomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Medical error is common in crises, and the majority of observed errors are nontechnical in nature. The long-term impact of teaching crisis nontechnical skills to residents has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of simulation-based teaching of crisis nontechnical skills compared to controls one year after initial teaching.

METHODS

This was a prospective study using both historical controls and a before-and-after methodology to evaluate the effect of a high-fidelity simulation curriculum that used crisis resource management principles to teach nontechnical skills. Postgraduate year 2 and 3 residents were invited to take part in a prospective training course over 2 years. The primary outcome was leader performance evaluated by expert raters using the previously validated 7-point Ottawa Global Rating Scale.

RESULTS

Overall, 23 residents performed 30 simulations over the 2 years with the intervention group of 7 residents being assessed in both years. After adjustment, the postgraduate year 3 intervention group who received training the previous year had significantly higher overall performance scores than all postgraduate year 2 scores (1.09 95% confidence interval 0.70-1.47, P < .001) and the historical postgraduate year 3 cohort who received no prior training (1.20, 95% confidence interval 0.37-2.03, P = .005). There was no decay of skills noted over the course of the study.

CONCLUSION

Postgraduate year 3 residents who had prior training had significantly improved crisis performance compared to historical postgraduate year 3 controls and untrained postgraduate year 2 residents. There were no significant differences between the crisis performance of postgraduate year 2 residents and the untrained postgraduate year 3 controls. This confirms the beneficial effect and long-term retention after crisis nontechnical skill training.