Fatal trauma: the modal distribution of time to death is a function of patient demographics and regional resources

Enhancing Orthopedic Residents Learning: The Role of Briefing, Reverse Operative Teaching, and Debriefing

Introduction

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the briefing, reversed operative teaching, and debriefing methods, aiming to enhance the learning process of orthopedic residents in the operating room.

Materials and Methods

This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted over six months among orthopedic residents. A novel pedagogical model incorporating briefing, reverse operative teaching, and debriefing was implemented and compared to traditional methods. A structured validated questionnaire was used to evaluate the residents' perceptions and satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

A total of 16 orthopedic residents participated in the study, including eight junior and eight senior residents. The majority reported high levels of satisfaction with the new teaching approach. Key benefits included improved engagement, enhanced knowledge retention, and better mastery of surgical procedures. Residents also noted clearer guidance from senior surgeons, increased confidence in asking questions, and more efficient preparation using targeted educational resources. Most participants expressed a desire to adopt this method in their future teaching roles.

Conclusion

The novel teaching method showed promising results and could be beneficial for the training of orthopedic residents.

Optimization of a Lethal, Combat-Relevant Model of Sterile Inflammation in Mice for Drug Candidate Screening

INTRODUCTION

Extensive trauma, commonly seen in wounded military Service Members, often leads to a severe sterile inflammation termed systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which can progress to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and death. MODS is a serious threat to wounded Service Members, historically causing 10% of all deaths in trauma admissions at a forward deployed combat hospital. The importance of this problem will be exacerbated in large-scale combat operations, in which evacuation will be delayed and care of complex injuries at lower echelons of care may be prolonged. The main goal of this study was to optimize an existing mouse model of lethal SIRS/MODS as a therapeutic screening platform for the evaluation of immunomodulatory drugs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice were euthanized, and the bones and muscles were collected and blended into a paste termed tissue-bone matrix (TBX). The TBX at 12.5%-20% relative to body weight of each recipient mouse was implanted into subcutaneous pouches created on the dorsum of anesthetized animals. Mice were observed for clinical scores for up to 48 hours postimplantation and euthanized at the preset point of moribundity. To test effects of anesthetics on TBX-induced mortality, animals received isoflurane or ketamine/xylazine (K/X). In a separate set of studies, mice received TBX followed by intraperitoneal injection with 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg Eritoran or a placebo carrier. All Eritoran studies were performed in a blinded fashion.

RESULTS

We observed that K/X anesthesia significantly increased the lethality of the implanted TBX in comparison to inhaled anesthetics. Although all the mice anesthetized with isoflurane and implanted with 12.5% TBX survived for 24 hours, 60% of mice anesthetized with K/X were moribund by 24 hours postimplantation. To mimic more closely the timing of lethal SIRS/MODS following polytrauma in human patients, we extended observation to 48 hours. We performed TBX dose-response studies and found that as low as 15%, 17.5%, and 20% TBX caused moribundity/mortality in 50%, 80%, and 100% mice, respectively, over a 48-hour time period. With 17.5% TBX, we tested if moribundity/mortality could be rescued by anti-inflammatory drug Eritoran, a toll-like receptor 4 antagonist. Neither 20 mg/kg nor 40 mg/kg doses of Eritoran were found to be effective in this model.

CONCLUSIONS

We optimized a TBX mouse model of SIRS/MODS for the purpose of evaluating novel therapeutic interventions to prevent trauma-related pathophysiologies in wounded Service Members. Negative effects of K/X on lethality of TBX should be further evaluated, particularly in the light of widespread use of ketamine in treatment of pain. By mimicking muscle crush, bone fracture, and necrosis, the TBX model has pleiotropic effects on physiology and immunology that make it uniquely valuable as a screening tool for the evaluation of novel therapeutics against trauma-induced SIRS/MODS.

Can cardiovascular reserve index (CVRI) on arrival to the trauma unit detects massive hemorrhage and predicts developing hemorrhage? observational prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The detection of haemorrhage in trauma casualties may be delayed owing to compensatory mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate whether the cardiovascular reserve index (CVRI) on arrival detects massive haemorrhage and predicts haemorrhage development in trauma casualties.

METHODS

This was an observational prospective cohort study of adult casualties (≥18 years) who were brought to a single level-1 trauma centre, enroled upon arrival and followed until discharge. Vital signs were monitored on arrival, from which the CVRI and shock index were retrospectively calculated (blinded to the caregivers). The outcome measure was the eventual haemorrhage classification group: massive haemorrhage on arrival (MHOA) (defined by massive transfusion on arrival of ≥6 [O+] packed cells units), developing haemorrhage (DH) (defined by a decrease in haemoglobin >1 g/dl in consecutive tests), and no significant haemorrhage noted throughout the hospital stay. The means of each variable on arrival by haemorrhage group were evaluated using the analysis of variance. The authors evaluated the detection of MHOA in the entire population and the prediction of DH in the remainders (given that MHOA had already been detected and treated) by C-statistic predefined strong prediction by area under the curve (AUC) greater than or equal to 0.8, P less than or equal to 0.05.

RESULTS

The study included 71 patients (after exclusion): males, 82%; average age 37.7 years. The leading cause of injuries was road accident (61%). Thirty-nine (54%) patients required hospital admission; distribution by haemorrhage classification: 5 (7%) MHOA, 5 (7%) DH, and 61 (86%) no significant haemorrhage. Detection of MHOA found a strong predictive model by CVRI and most variables (AUC 0.85-1.0). The prediction of DH on arrival showed that only lactate (AUC=0.88) and CVRI (0.82) showed strong predictive model.

CONCLUSIONS

CVRI showed a strong predictive model for detection of MHOA (AUC>0.8) as were most other variables. CVRI also showed a strong predictive model for detection of DH (AUC=0.82), only serum lactate predicted DH (AUC=0.88), while all other variables were not found predictive. CVRI has advantages over lactate in that it is feasible in pre-hospital and mass casualty settings. Moreover, its repeatability enables detection of deteriorating trend. The authors conclude that CVRI may be a useful additional tool in the evaluation of haemorrhage.

Immediate sonography and intervention in blunt chest trauma: A case report

Cardiac tamponade is a leading cause of death in blunt thoracic trauma. Ultrasound improved the recognition of cardiac tamponade and therefore has a vital role in acute critical situations in the Emergency Department and in the Intensive Care Unit. Besides recognition of cardiac tamponade, treatment protocols are important. In trauma patients with hemodynamic stable cardiac tamponade, time should be taken for a proper workup for an explorative sternotomy. In hemodynamic unstable trauma patients, the pericardium should be drained, and fluid resuscitation should be performed followed by emergency sternotomy. In this case report we describe a blunt thoracic trauma victim, a 28-year-old male patient without any medical history. He suffered from the unique combination of a tear in the left atrial appendage and a papillary muscle rupture of the right ventricle because of blunt thoracic trauma. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed massive pericardial effusion with diastolic collapse of the right ventricle in our patient. Due to his hemodynamic situation, the patient was brought into the OR for immediate sternotomy and cardiac repair. The patient made a full recovery, was discharged home, and is back to work. This case report emphasizes the relevance of early recognition and treatment of cardiac tamponade in blunt thoracic trauma victims and suggests a multidisciplinary management strategy.

A Review of Cyclist Head Injury, Impact Characteristics and the Implications for Helmet Assessment Methods

Head injuries are common for cyclists involved in collisions. Such collision scenarios result in a range of injuries, with different head impact speeds, angles, locations, or surfaces. A clear understanding of these collision characteristics is vital to design high fidelity test methods for evaluating the performance of helmets. We review literature detailing real-world cyclist collision scenarios and report on these key characteristics. Our review shows that helmeted cyclists have a considerable reduction in skull fracture and focal brain pathologies compared to non-helmeted cyclists, as well as a reduction in all brain pathologies. The considerable reduction in focal head pathologies is likely to be due to helmet standards mandating thresholds of linear acceleration. The less considerable reduction in diffuse brain injuries is likely to be due to the lack of monitoring head rotation in test methods. We performed a novel meta-analysis of the location of 1809 head impacts from ten studies. Most studies showed that the side and front regions are frequently impacted, with one large, contemporary study highlighting a high proportion of occipital impacts. Helmets frequently had impact locations low down near the rim line. The face is not well protected by most conventional bicycle helmets. Several papers determine head impact speed and angle from in-depth reconstructions and computer simulations. They report head impact speeds from 5 to 16 m/s, with a concentration around 5 to 8 m/s and higher speeds when there was another vehicle involved in the collision. Reported angles range from 10° to 80° to the normal, and are concentrated around 30°-50°. Our review also shows that in nearly 80% of the cases, the head impact is reported to be against a flat surface. This review highlights current gaps in data, and calls for more research and data to better inform improvements in testing methods of standards and rating schemes and raise helmet safety.

Treatment management and outcome of polytraumatized patients in a German certified trauma center - comparing standard versus maximum care

German hospitals are classified as basic, standard and maximum care facilities within the German trauma networks. The Municipal Hospital Dessau was upgraded in 2015 as a maximum care provider. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a change in treatment management and outcome of polytraumatized patients has occurred afterwards. The study compared polytraumatized patients, treated in the Dessau Municipal Clinic as a standard care facility (DessauStandard) from 2012-2014 vs. those treated in the Dessau Municipal Clinic as a maximum care facility (DessauMax) from 2016-2017. Data of the German Trauma Register were analysed using the chi-square test, t-test and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.In DessauMax (238 patients; Ø 54 years, SD 22.3; ♂ 160, ♀ 78), the shock room time with 40.7 min (SD 21.4) was shorter than in DessauStandard (206 patients; Ø 56.1 years, SD 22.1; ♂ 133, ♀ 73 ) with 49 min (SD 25.1) (p=0.001). The transfer rate of 1.3% (n=3) to another hospital was lower in DessauMax (p=0.01). DessauStandard had 9 (4%) thromboembolic events and DessauMax 3 (1.3%) (p=0.7). Multiorgan failure was more common in DessauStandard, (16%) than in DessauMax (1.3%; p=0,001). DessauStandard showed a mortality of 13.1% (n=27), and DessauMax 9.2% (n=22) (p=0.22; OR=0.67, 95% CI, 0.37-1.23). The GOS in DessauMax (4.5, SD 1.2) was higher than in DessauStandard (4.1, SD 1.3) (p=0.002).The Dessau Municipal Clinic as a maximum care facility has achieved improved shock room time, fewer complications, lower mortality and an improved outcome.

Observation on the effectiveness and safety of sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution in the early resuscitation of traumatic hemorrhagic shock: a clinical single-center prospective randomized controlled trial

Background

Traumatic hemorrhagic shock (THS) is the main cause of death in trauma patients with high mortality. Rapid control of the source of bleeding and early resuscitation are crucial to clinical treatment. Guidelines recommend isotonic crystal resuscitation when blood products are not immediately available. However, the selection of isotonic crystals has been controversial. Sodium bicarbonate Ringer solutions (BRS), containing sodium bicarbonate, electrolyte levels, and osmotic pressures closer to plasma, are ideal. Therefore, in this study, we will focus on the effects of BRS on the first 6 h of resuscitation, complications, and 7-day survival in patients with THS.

Methods

/design.

This single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial will focus on the efficacy and safety of BRS in early THS resuscitation. A total of 400 adults THS patients will be enrolled in this study. In addition to providing standard care, enrolled patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive resuscitation with BRS (test group) or sodium lactate Ringer’s solution (control group) until successful resuscitation from THS. Lactate clearance at different time points (0.5, 1, 1.5, 3, and 6 h) and shock duration after drug administration will be compared between the two groups as primary end points. Secondary end points will compare coagulation function, temperature, acidosis, inflammatory mediator levels, recurrence of shock, complications, medication use, and 7-day mortality between the two groups. Patients will be followed up until discharge or 7 days after discharge.

Discussion

At present, there are still great differences in the selection of resuscitation fluids, and there is a lack of systematic and detailed studies to compare and observe the effects of various resuscitation fluids on the effectiveness and safety of early resuscitation in THS patients. This trial will provide important clinical data for resuscitation fluid selection and exploration of safe dose of BRS in THS patients.

Trial registration.

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2100045044. Registered on 4 April 2021.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06752-5.

A Novel Therapeutic Approach With Sodium Pyruvate on Vital Signs, Acid–Base, and Metabolic Disturbances in Rats With a Combined Blast and Hemorrhagic Shock

Background

Blast injuries from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are known to cause blast traumatic brain injuries (bTBIs), hemorrhagic shock (HS), organ damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and subsequent free radical production. A pre-citric acid cycle reagent, pyruvate, is suggested to improve mitochondrial ATP production through the activation of the mitochondrial gatekeeper enzyme “pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH).” Our study aimed to investigate the role of physiologic, metabolic, and mitochondrial effects of hypertonic sodium pyruvate resuscitation in rats with a combined blast and HS injury.

Methods

A pre-clinical rat model of combined injury with repetitive 20 PSI blast exposure accompanied with HS and fluid resuscitation (sodium pyruvate as metabolic adjuvant or hypertonic saline as control), followed by transfusion of shed blood was used in this study. Control sham animals (instrumental and time-matched) received anesthesia and cannulation, but neither received any injury nor treatment. The mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded throughout the experiment by a computerized program. Blood collected at T0 (baseline), T60 (after HS), and T180 (end) was analyzed for blood chemistry and mitochondrial PDH enzyme activity.

Results

Sodium pyruvate resuscitation significantly improved the mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), pulse pressure (PP), hemodynamic stability (Shock index), and autonomic response (Kerdo index) after the HS and/or blast injury. Compared with the baseline values, plasma lactate and lactate/pyruvate ratios were significantly increased. In contrast, base excess BE/(HCO3-) was low and the pH was also acidotic <7.3, indicating the sign of metabolic acidosis after blast and HS in all animal groups. Sodium pyruvate infusion significantly corrected these parameters at the end of the experiment. The PDH activity also improved after the sodium pyruvate infusion.

Conclusion

In our rat model of a combined blast and HS injury, hypertonic sodium pyruvate resuscitation was significantly effective in hemodynamic stabilization by correcting the acid–base status and mitochondrial mechanisms via its pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme.

Weather and prehospital predictors of trauma patient mortality in a rural American state

Introduction

In rural settings, factors like weather and location can significantly impact total prehospital time and survival after injury. We sought to determine what prehospital conditions affect mortality and morbidity in severely injured patients.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively evaluated adult trauma patients that were admitted to our level 1 trauma center with Glasgow Coma Score (GCS≤ 9), hypotension (SBP≤ 90 mmHg), or both. Weather and prehospital conditions on patient outcomes were evaluated. Weather data was extracted from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration public database. Prediction models were done using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 442 subjects were captured, Median time on the scene was 15 min  [IQR =10, 20.5], with median time to definitive care 129 min  [IQR= 61, 247]. Hypotension in the field was the greatest predictor of ED mortality (OR=11, P = 0.004), and field hypoxia (OR=3, P = 0.007) was a predictor of in-hospital mortality. Patients with field GCS ≤ 9 had higher odds of ICU admission (OR=2, P = 0.029). Among transfers, increasing prehospital time correlated with ED mortality while injury during warmer weather showed lower odds (OR =0.94, P = 0.019) of mortality. No weather condition predicted mortality for patients that presented directly from the field.

Conclusion

Among severely injured patients being injured during cold weather was associated with higher in-hospital mortality among trauma transfer patients. Prehospital hypotension, hypoxia, and GCS≤9 are also independent predictors of mortality. Future analysis will explore factors impacting transport and field time in order to improve outcomes.

Factors Associated With Increased Mortality in Severe Abdominopelvic Injury

BACKGROUND

Associated injuries are thought to increase mortality in patients with severe abdominopelvic trauma. This study aimed to identify clinical factors contributing to increased mortality in patients with severe abdominopelvic trauma, with the hypothesis that a greater number of concomitant injuries would result in increased mortality.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database of patients ≥ 18 years with severe abdominopelvic trauma defined as having an abdominal Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) ≥ 3 with pelvic fractures and/or iliac vessel injury (2015-2017). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality based on concomitant body region injuries. Secondary outcomes included mortality at 6 h, 6 to 24 h, and after 24 h based on concomitant injuries, procedures performed, and transfusion requirements.

RESULTS

A total of 185,257 patients were included in this study. Survivors had more severely injured body regions than non-survivors (4 vs. 3, P < 0.001). Among those who died within 6 h, 28.5% of patients required a thoracic procedure and 43% required laparotomy compared to 6.3% and 22.1% among those who died after 24 h (P < 0.001). Head AIS ≥ 3 was the only body region that significantly contributed to overall mortality (OR 1.26, P < 0.001) along with laparotomy (OR 3.02, P < 0.001), neurosurgical procedures (2.82, P < 0.001) and thoracic procedures (2.28, P < 0.001). Non-survivors who died in < 6 h and 6-24 h had greater pRBC requirements than those who died after 24 h (15.5 and 19.5 vs. 8 units, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Increased number of body regions injured does not contribute to greater mortality. Uncontrolled noncompressible torso hemorrhage rather than the burden of concomitant injuries is the major contributor to the high mortality associated with severe abdominopelvic injury.

Diffusion Tensor Orientation as a Microstructural MRI Marker of Mossy Fiber Sprouting After TBI in Rats

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics are highly sensitive to microstructural brain alterations and are potentially useful imaging biomarkers for underlying neuropathologic changes after experimental and human traumatic brain injury (TBI). As potential imaging biomarkers require direct correlation with neuropathologic alterations for validation and interpretation, this study systematically examined neuropathologic abnormalities underlying alterations in DTI metrics in the hippocampus and cortex following controlled cortical impact (CCI) in rats. Ex vivo DTI metrics were directly compared with a comprehensive histologic battery for neurodegeneration, microgliosis, astrocytosis, and mossy fiber sprouting by Timm histochemistry at carefully matched locations immediately, 48 hours, and 4 weeks after injury. DTI abnormalities corresponded to spatially overlapping but temporally distinct neuropathologic alterations representing an aggregate measure of dynamic tissue damage and reorganization. Prominent DTI alterations of were observed for both the immediate and acute intervals after injury and associated with neurodegeneration and inflammation. In the chronic period, diffusion tensor orientation in the hilus of the dentate gyrus became prominently abnormal and was identified as a reliable structural biomarker for mossy fiber sprouting after CCI in rats, suggesting potential application as a biomarker to follow secondary progression in experimental and human TBI.

Combined head and abdominal blunt trauma in the hemodynamically unstable patient: What takes priority?

BACKGROUND

The management of hypotensive patients with severe combined head and abdominal trauma is challenging, regarding the need, timing, and sequence of craniotomy or laparotomy. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether rare situations requiring craniotomy prior to laparotomy can be identified on admission with simple clinical parameters. We hypothesized that hypotension is rarely associated with the need of a combined procedure, especially in patients with mildly depressed consciousness.

METHODS

National Trauma Data Bank study, including adult blunt trauma patients with combined severe head (Abbreviated Injury Scale score, ≥ 3) and abdominal injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale score, ≥ 3). Data collection included demographic and clinical characteristics, laparotomy, and craniotomy within 24 hours of admission, types of intracranial pathologies, survival, and hospital stay. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine factors predictive for the need of both operative procedures.

RESULTS

Of 25,585 patients with severe combined head and abdominal trauma, 8,744 (34.2%) needed only laparotomy, 534 (2.1%) only craniotomy, and 394 (1.5%) required both procedures within 24 hours of admission. In the subgroup of 4,667 hypotensive patients, 2,421 (51.9%) underwent only laparotomy, 54 (1.2%) only craniotomy, and 79 (1.7%) both procedures within 24 hours of admission. Only 5 (0.7%) of 711 hypotensive patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score above 8 who required a laparotomy also needed a craniotomy. Among clinical parameters available on patient's arrival, GCS score of 7 to 8 was independently associated with the highest need for craniotomy in hypotensive patients requiring laparotomy (odds ratio, 7.94; p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

The need for craniotomy in patients with severe combined head and abdominal injury requiring exploratory laparotomy is very low. In hypotensive patients requiring laparotomy, GCS score of 7 to 8 was an independent predictor of the need for craniotomy. In hemodynamically unstable patients with a GCS score greater than 8, it may be safer to proceed with a laparotomy first and address the head with a computed tomography scan at a later stage.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, Level IV.

Bleeding to death in a big city: An analysis of all trauma deaths from hemorrhage in a metropolitan area during 1 year

BACKGROUND

Hemorrhage is the most common cause of potentially preventable trauma deaths, but no studies have focused on all civilian traumatic deaths from hemorrhage, so we describe a year of these deaths from a large county to identify opportunities for preventing hemorrhagic deaths.

METHODS

All trauma-related deaths in Harris County, Texas, in 2014 underwent examination by the medical examiner; patients were excluded if hemorrhage was not their primary reason for death. Deaths were then categorized as preventable/potentially preventable hemorrhage (PPH) or nonpreventable hemorrhage. These categories were compared across mechanism of injury, death location, and anatomic locations of hemorrhage to determine significant differences.

RESULTS

A total of 1,848 deaths were reviewed, and 305 were from uncontrolled hemorrhage. One hundred thirty-seven (44.9%) of these deaths were PPH. Of these PPH, 49 (35.8%) occurred prehospital and an additional 28 (20.4%) died within 1 hour of arriving at an acute care setting. Of the 83 PPH who arrived at a hospital, 21 (25.3%) died at a center not designated as level 1. Isolated truncal bleeding was the source of hemorrhage in 102 (74.5%) of the PPH. Of those who died with truncal PPH, the distribution was 22 chest (21.6%), 39 chest and abdomen (38.2%), 16 abdomen (15.7%), and 25 all other combinations (24.5%). When patients who died within 1 hour of arrival to a hospital were combined with the 168 deaths that occurred prehospital, 223 (74.3%) of 300 deaths occurred before spending 1 hour in a hospital and 77 (34.5%) of 223 of these deaths were PPH.

CONCLUSION

In a well-developed, urban trauma system, 34.5% of patients died from PPH in the prehospital setting or within an hour of hospitalization. Earlier, more effective prehospital resuscitation and truncal hemorrhage control strategies are needed to decrease deaths from PPH.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/Care management, level IV.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: A Novel Strategy in Trauma and Sepsis

Trauma remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all age groups in the United States. Hemorrhagic shock and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are major causes of preventable death in trauma. Initial treatment involves fluid resuscitation to improve the intravascular volume. Although crystalloids may provide volume expansion, they do not have any pro-survival properties. Furthermore, aggressive fluid resuscitation can provoke a severe inflammatory response and worsen clinical outcomes. Due to logistical constraints, however, definitive resuscitation with blood products is often not feasible in the prehospital setting-highlighting the importance of adjunctive therapies. In recent years, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have shown promise as pharmacologic agents for use in both trauma and sepsis. In this review, we discuss the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and pharmacologic agents that inhibit them (HDACis). We also highlight the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of HDACis in hemorrhagic shock, TBI, polytrauma, and sepsis. With further investigation and translation, HDACis have the potential to be a high-impact adjunctive therapy to traditional resuscitation.

The Effect of Trauma Care on the Temporal Distribution of Homicide Mortality in Jefferson County, Alabama

The distribution of time from acute traumatic injury to death has three peaks: immediate (less than or equal to one hour), early (6 to 24 hours), and late (days to weeks). It has been suggested that coordinated trauma care dampens the late peak; however, this research may be more reflective of unintentional than intentional deaths. This study examines whether a coordinated trauma system (TS) alters the temporal distribution for assault-related deaths. Data were obtained from homicides examined by the Jefferson County Coroner's/Medical Examiner's Office from 1987 to 2008. Homicides were categorized—based on year of death—as occurring in the presence of no TS, during TS implementation, in the early years of the TS, or in a mature TS. The temporal distribution of homicide mortality was compared among TS categories using a χ2 test. A Cox Markov multistate model was used to estimate proportional changes in the temporal distribution of death adjusted for assault mechanism. With a TS, after adjusting for assault mechanism, a lower proportion of homicide victims survived through the first hour (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 1.03) and from one to six hours (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.96). Additionally, the presence of a TS was associated with a proportional decrease in deaths after 24 hours ( P = 0.0005). These results suggest that a trauma system is effective in preventing late homicide deaths; however, other means of preventing death (such as violence prevention programs) are needed to decrease the burden of immediate homicide-related deaths.

Potential survivability of prehospital injury deaths in New Zealand: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Acknowledging a notable gap in available evidence, this study aimed to assess the survivability of prehospital injury deaths in New Zealand.

METHODS

A cross-sectional review of prehospital injury death postmortems (PM) undertaken during 2009-2012. Deaths without physical injuries (eg, drownings, suffocations, poisonings), where there was an incomplete body, or insufficient information in the PM, were excluded. Documented injuries were scored using the AIS and an ISS derived. Cases were classified as survivable (ISS <25), potentially survivable (ISS 25-49) and non-survivable (ISS >49).

RESULTS

Of the 1796 cases able to be ISS scored, 11% (n=193) had injuries classified as survivable, 28% (n=501) potentially survivable and 61% (n=1102) non-survivable. There were significant differences in survivability by age (p=0.017) and intent (p<0.0001). No difference in survivability was observed by sex, ethnicity, day of week, seasonality or distance to advanced-level hospital care. 'Non-survivable' injuries occurred more commonly among those with multiple injuries, transport-related injuries and aged 15-29 year. The majority of 'survivable' cases were deceased when found. Among those alive when found, around half had received either emergency medical services (EMS) or bystander care. One in five survivable cases were classified as having delays in receiving care.

DISCUSSION

In New Zealand, the majority of injured people who die before reaching hospital do so from non-survivable injuries. More than one third have either survivable or potentially survivable injuries, suggesting an increased need for appropriate bystander first aid, timeliness of EMS care and access to advanced-level hospital care.

Distribution of Trauma Deaths in a Province of Korea: Is "Trimodal" Distribution Relevant Today?

PURPOSE

This study was designed to provide a basis for building a master plan for a regional trauma system by analyzing the distribution of trauma deaths in the most populous province in Korea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated the time distribution to death for trauma patients who died between January and December 2017. The time distribution to death was categorized into four groups (within a day, within a week, within a month, and over a month). Additionally, the distribution of deaths within 24 hours was further analyzed. We also reviewed the distribution of deaths according to the cause of death and mechanism of injury.

RESULTS

Of the 1546 trauma deaths, 328 cases were included in the final study population. Patients who died within a day were the most prevalent (40.9%). Of those who died within a day, the cases within an hour accounted for 40.3% of the highest proportion. The majority of trauma deaths within 4 hours were caused by traffic-related accidents (60.4%). The deaths caused by bleeding and central nervous system injuries accounted for most (70.1%) of the early deaths, whereas multi-organ dysfunction syndrome/sepsis had the highest ratio (69.7%) in the late deaths. Statistically significant differences were found in time distribution according to the mechanism of injury and cause of death (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The distribution of overall timing of death was shown to follow a bimodal pattern rather than a trimodal model in Korea. Based on our findings, a suitable and modified trauma system must be developed.

The contemporary timing of trauma deaths

BACKGROUND

The distribution of trauma deaths was classically described as trimodal. With advances in both technology and trauma systems, this was reevaluated and found to be bimodal in the early 2000s. Over the last decade there have been continued improvements in trauma and intensive care unit (ICU) care, related to damage control techniques and evidence based ICU pathways. A better understanding of the distribution of trauma deaths may be used to improve trauma systems. This study aimed to evaluate the contemporary distribution of trauma deaths after the widespread implementation of modern trauma and critical care principles.

METHODS

This study included patients entered in the NTDB from 2008 to 2014. For dead patients, hospital length of stay was equated to time until death. Additional data was collected to include demographics, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, and Abbreviated Injury Scale score. Histograms were plotted to demonstrate peaks in deaths. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Gehan-Breslow generalized Wilcoxon tests.

RESULTS

4,185,009 patients were analyzed. Thirty-four percent of all deaths occurred within the first 24 hours of admission. The factors most associated with death in the first 24 hours were severe abdominal trauma (73%), penetrating trauma (55%), and severe extremity trauma (58%). Among patients with penetrating trauma and an abdominal Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 4 or higher, 83% of deaths occurred within 24 hours. When plotted, the distribution of deaths was seen to fall rapidly after the first 24 hours and continued to be flat for 30 days in all subgroups analyzed.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the distribution of trauma deaths no longer appears to be trimodal. This may reflect advances in trauma and ICU care, and the widespread adaption of damage control principles. Early deaths, however, remains a significant challenge, specifically from non-compressible abdominal hemorrhage and extremity trauma. Primary prevention and early hemorrhage control must continue to be a focus of research and trauma systems.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Epidemiologic, level IV.

Traumatic brain injury may worsen clinical outcomes after prolonged partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in severe hemorrhagic shock model

BACKGROUND

The use of partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (pREBOA) in combined hemorrhagic shock (HS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) has not been well studied. We hypothesized that the use of pREBOA in the setting of TBI would be associated with worse clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Female Yorkshire swine were randomized to the following groups: HS-TBI, HS-TBI-pREBOA, and HS-pREBOA (n = 5/cohort). Animals in the HS-TBI group were left in shock for a total of 2 hours, whereas animals assigned to pREBOA groups were treated with supraceliac pREBOA deployment (60 minutes) 1 hour into the shock period. All animals were then resuscitated, and physiologic parameters were monitored for 6 hours. Further fluid resuscitation and vasopressors were administered as needed. At the end of the observation period, brain hemispheric swelling (%) and lesion size (mm) were assessed.

RESULTS

Mortality was highest in the HS-TBI-pREBOA group (40% [2/5] vs. 0% [0/5] in the other groups, p = 0.1). Severity of shock was greatest in the HS-TBI-pREBOA group, as defined by peak lactate levels and pH nadir (p < 0.05). Fluid resuscitation and norepinephrine requirements were significantly higher in the HS-TBI-pREBOA group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were noted in brain hemispheric swelling and lesion size between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Prolonged application of pREBOA in the setting of TBI does not contribute to early worsening of brain lesion size and edema. However, the addition of TBI to HS-pREBOA may worsen the severity of shock. Providers should be aware of the potential physiologic sequelae induced by TBI.

Changes in the temporal distribution of in-hospital mortality in severely injured patients-An analysis of the TraumaRegister DGU

Background

The temporal distribution of trauma mortality has been classically described as a trimodal pattern with an immediate, early and late peak. In modern health care systems this time distribution has changed.

Methods

Data from the TraumaRegister DGU was analysed retrospectively. Between 2002 and 2015, all registered in-hospital deaths with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16 were evaluated considering time of death, trauma mechanism, injured body area, age distribution, rates of sepsis and multiple organ failure. Pre-hospital and post-discharge trauma deaths were not considered.

Results

78 310 severely injured patients were registered, non-survivors constituted 14 816, representing an in-hospital mortality rate of 18.9%. Mean ISS of non-survivors was 36.0±16.0, 66.7% were male, mean age was 59.5±23.5. Within the first hour after admission to hospital, 10.8% of deaths occurred, after 6 hours the percentage increased to 25.5%, after 12 hours 40.0%, after 24 hours 53.2% and within the first 48 hours 61.9%. Mortality showed a constant temporal decrease. Severe head injury (defined by Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS-Head≥3) was found in 76.4% of non-survivors. Patients with an isolated head injury showed a more distinct decrease in survival rate, which was accentuated in the first days after admission. The correlation of age and time of death showed a proportional increase with age (55-74a). The rate of sepsis and multiple organ failure among non-survivors was 11.5% and 70.1%, respectively.

Conclusion

In a modern trauma care system, the mortality distribution of severely injured patients has changed its pattern, where especially the third peak is no longer detectable.

Clostridium Difficile-Associated Infection in Trauma Patients: Development of the Clostridium Difficile Influencing Factors (CDIF) Score

CONTEXT

Clostridium difficile-associated infection (CDAI) can result in longer hospitalization, increased morbidity, and higher mortality rates for surgical patients. The impact on trauma patients is unknown, however.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of CDAI on trauma patients and develop a scoring system to predict CDAI in that population.

METHODS

Records of all trauma patients admitted to a Level I Trauma Center from 2001 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Presence of CDAI was defined as evidence of positive toxin or polymerase chain reaction. Patients with CDAI were matched to patients without CDAI using propensity score matching on a ratio of 1:3.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome was inhospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and need for mechanical ventilation. A decision-tree analysis was performed to develop a predicting model for CDAI in the study population.

RESULTS

During the study period, 11,016 patients were identified. Of these, 50 patients with CDAI were matched to 150 patients without CDAI. There were no differences in admission characteristics and demographics. Patients in whom CDAI developed had significantly higher mortality (12% vs 4%, p < 0.01), need for mechanical ventilation (57% vs 23%, p < 0.01), and mean hospital length of stay (15.3 [standard deviation 1.4]) days vs 2.1 [0.6] days, p < 0.0).

CONCLUSION

In trauma patients, CDAI results in significant morbidity and mortality. The C difficile influencing factor score is a useful tool in identifying patients at increased risk of CDAI.

Differences in Aortic Diameter Measurements with Intravascular Ultrasound and Computed Tomography After Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injury

BACKGROUND

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been recommended as an adjunct to thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) as computed tomography (CT) in injured patients may inaccurately determine the true aortic diameter. We hypothesize that CT and IVUS offer discordant measurements of aortic diameter in trauma patients and that each modality may result in different graft size estimates for TEVAR.

METHODS

Patients treated by TEVAR for blunt aortic injury from June 2011 to 2016 were reviewed. Cases where IVUS was not used and those without complete CT and IVUS images were excluded. Three-dimensional reconstructions were used to derive centerline diameters of the aorta, proximal and distal to the injury. IVUS diameters were taken from the flow lumen, not including the aortic wall itself. Measurements were made by an investigator blinded to the graft implanted. Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients with concordant diameter (group 1) with patients with discordant diameters (group 2).

RESULTS

A total of 24 blunt thoracic aortic injuries were repaired with TEVAR during the study period; complete data were available for 16. The mean age of the patients was 43 (±18), and 12 of the patients were men. The median time from injury to CT was 2.5 hr (0.9-8.5) and to TEVAR was 18 (3-48) hr. Stent graft diameter for implantation based on CT and IVUS imaging was the same in 5 cases (group 1). In 11 cases, the graft diameter for implantation based on IVUS was differently sized compared with that determined by CT (group 2). Ten diameters were 1 size larger, and 1 diameter was 1 size smaller by IVUS. There were no significant differences in the mean lowest systolic blood pressure (98 vs. 92, P = 0.53), median fluid resuscitation in the first 24 hr (4.9 vs. 5.0 L, P = 0.97), or median 24-hr transfusion requirements (130 vs. 1311 mL, P = 0.11) between the groups 1 and 2, respectively. In group 2, the graft size chosen for surgery correlated more with measurements obtained from the CT than from IVUS (9 vs. 2).

CONCLUSIONS

The TEVAR has become the standard therapy for blunt aortic injury, despite a dearth of long-term outcome data. The preoperative CT frequently underestimates aortic diameter compared with intraoperative IVUS. The implications of placing thoracic endografts and whether excessive oversizing results in long-term aortic dilation need to be the focus of long-term studies in these relatively young patients.

Belted driver fatalities: Time of death and risk by injury severity

PURPOSE

This is a descriptive study of the fatality risk by injury severity and time of death for lap-shoulder-belted drivers without ejection in modern vehicles. It also determined the body region for severe injuries experienced by belted drivers using the most recent federal crash data.

METHODS

1997-2015 NASS-CDS data were evaluated for fatally injured lap-shoulder-belted drivers without ejection in light vehicles of 1997+ model year (MY). The severity of injuries sustained by belted drivers was assessed by the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) and individual injuries by Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and body region. The change in fatality risk with MAIS was fit with a Logist function. Time of death was determined using the variable DEATH, which is reported hourly in unequal intervals up to 24 h and then daily up to 30 days after the crash. The fraction (f) and cumulative fraction (F) of the deaths are reported for each time period up to 30 days. A power or logarithmic curve was fit to the data using the trendline functions in Excel.

RESULTS

The NASS-CDS sample included 20,610,000 belted drivers with 37,974 fatalities from 1997 to 2015. The fraction of driver deaths increased with maximum injury severity (MAIS). For example, 17.4% of drivers died within 30 days with MAIS 4 injury. Virtually all drivers (99.7%) died with MAIS 6 injury. The change in fatality risk with injury severity was r = [1 + exp^{(10.159 - 2.088MAIS)}]^-1, R² = 0.950. Overall, there were 19,772 driver deaths with MAIS 4-6 injury and 13,059 with MAIS 0-3 injury. In addition, 44.7% of driver deaths occurred within 1.5 h of the crash, 56.7% within 2.5 h, and 64.6% within 4.5 h after the crash. The cumulative fraction of the deaths (F) up to 30 days was fit with a logarithmic function. It was F = 0.0739ln(t) + 0.5302, R² = 0.976, for deaths after 3.5 h. There were 19,772 driver deaths with 52,130 AIS 4+ injuries. On average, the driver experienced 2.64 AIS 4+ injuries most commonly to the head (44.5%) and thorax (38.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk for belted driver deaths exponentially increased with MAIS. A majority of deaths occurred within 2.5 h of the crash. On average, fatally injured drivers experienced 2.64 AIS 4+ injuries, primarily to the head and thorax.

Timing of mortality in pediatric trauma patients: A National Trauma Data Bank analysis

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The classic "trimodal" distribution of death has been described in adult patients, but the timing of mortality in injured children is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to define the temporal distribution of mortality in pediatric trauma patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of patients with mortality from the National Trauma Data Bank (2007-2014) was analyzed. Categorical comparison of 'dead on arrival', 'death in the emergency department', and early (≤24h) or late (>24h) inpatient death was performed. Secondary analyses included mortality by pediatric age, predictors of early mortality, and late complication rates.

RESULTS

Children (N=5463 deaths) had earlier temporal distribution of death compared to adults (n=104,225 deaths), with 51% of children dead on arrival or in ED compared to 44% of adults (p<0.001). For patients surviving ED resuscitation, children and adolescents had a shorter median time to death than adults (1.2 d and 0.8 days versus 1.6 days, p<0.001). Older age, penetrating mechanism, bradycardia, hypotension, tube thoracostomy, and thoracotomy were associated with early mortality in children.

CONCLUSIONS

Injured children have higher incidence of early mortality compared to adults. This suggests that injury prevention efforts and strategies for improving early resuscitation have potential to improve mortality after pediatric injury.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III: Retrospective cohort study.

Lactate as an Early Predictor for Early Massive Transfusion in Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Study

Objective

Transfusion is a key treatment for patients with hemorrhage. Early massive transfusion (EMT) is defined as transfusion of 10 or more units of red blood cells (RBC) within the first 6 hours. We attempted to determine whether metabolic markers can be used as predictors for EMT.

Method

We retrospectively reviewed outcomes in 71 patients who visited the emergency department within 12 hours after trauma and received at least 1 unit of RBC within 24 hours between January 2008 and June 2010.

Results

Of the 71 patients, 54 were male and 17 were female; their mean age was 50.3±17.7 years. Of these, 15 required EMT and 56 did not; these patients received 17.7±13.1 and 2.8±2.3 units of RBCs, respectively. There were significant differences between EMT and non-EMT groups in injury severity score (ISS; p=0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP; p=0.010), base deficit (p=0.003), and lactate concentration (p=0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that SBP <90 mmHg (odds ratio [OR] 11.71, 95% CI 1.83-74.77, p=0.009), ISS ≥25 (OR 23.39, 95% CI 1.87-293.23, p=0.015), and lactate ≥3.5 mmol/L (OR 6.99, 95% CI 1.10-44.33, p=0.039) were significant predictors of EMT. The area under the curve for ≥3.5 mmol/L lactate was 0.79 (p=0.001), with a sensitivity of 76.7% and a specificity of 67.8%. The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with lactate ≥3.5 mmol/L than in those with lactate <3.5 mmol/L (p=0.002).

Conclusion

Lactate concentration is an important predictor of the need for EMT and should be considered in the initial phase of trauma resuscitation to prepare for massive transfusion.

What are the differences in injury patterns of young and elderly traffic accident fatalities considering death on scene and death in hospital?

Older traffic participants have higher risks of injury than the population up to 65 years in case of comparable road traffic accidents and further, higher mortality rates at comparable injury severities. Rib fractures as risk factors are currently discussed. However, death on scene is associated with hardly survivable injuries and might not be a matter of neither rib fractures nor age. As 60% of traffic accident fatalities are estimated to die on scene, they are not captured in hospital-based trauma registries and injury patterns remain unknown. Our database comprises 309 road traffic fatalities, autopsied at the Institute of Legal Medicine Munich in 2004 and 2005. Injuries are coded according to Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS© 2005 update 2008 [1]. Data used for this analysis are age, sex, site of death, site of accident, traffic participation mode, measures of injury severity, and rib fractures. The injury patterns of elderly, aged 65+ years, are compared to the younger ones divided by their site of death. Elderly with death on scene more often show serious thorax injuries and pelvic fractures than the younger. Some hints point towards older fatalities showing less frequently serious abdominal injuries. In hospital, elderly fatalities show lower Injury Severity Scores (ISSs) compared to the younger. The number of rib fractures is significantly higher for the elderly but is not the reason for death. Results show that young and old fatalities have different injury patterns and reveal first hints towards the need to analyze death on scene more in-depth.

Trends in 1029 trauma deaths at a level 1 trauma center: Impact of a bleeding control bundle of care

BACKGROUND

Over the last decade the age of trauma patients and injury mortality has increased. At the same time, many centers have implemented multiple interventions focused on improved hemorrhage control, effectively resulting in a bleeding control bundle of care. The objective of our study was to analyze the temporal distribution of trauma-related deaths, the factors that characterize that distribution and how those factors have changed over time at our urban level 1 trauma center.

METHODS

Records at an urban Level 1 trauma center were reviewed. Two time periods (2005-2006 and 2012-2013) were included in the analysis. Mortality rates were directly adjusted for age, gender and mechanism of injury. The Mann-Whitney and chi square tests were used to compare variables between periods, with significance set at 0.05.

RESULTS

7080 patients (498 deaths) were examined in 2005-2006, while 8767 patients (531 deaths) were reviewed in 2012-2013. The median age increased 6 years, with a similar increase in those who died. In patients that died, no differences by gender, race or ethnicity were observed. Fall-related deaths are now the leading cause of death. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhage accounted for >91% of all deaths. TBI (61%) and multiple organ failure or sepsis (6.2%) deaths were unchanged, while deaths associated with hemorrhage decreased from 36% to 25% (p<0.01). Across time periods, 26% of all deaths occurred within one hour of hospital arrival, while 59% occurred within 24h. Unadjusted mortality dropped from 7.0% to 6.1 (p=0.01) and in-hospital mortality dropped from 6.0% to 5.0% (p<0.01). Adjusted mortality dropped 24% from 7.6% (95% CI: 6.9-8.2) to 5.8% (95% CI: 5.3-6.3) and in-hospital mortality decreased 30% from 6.6% (95% CI: 6.0-7.2) to 4.7 (95% CI: 4.2-5.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Over the same time frame of this study, increases in trauma death across the globe have been reported. This single-site study demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality, attributable to decreased hemorrhagic death. It is possible that efforts focused on hemorrhage control interventions (a bleeding control bundle) resulted in this reduction. These changing factors provide guidance on future prevention and intervention efforts.

Mortality Patterns in Patients with Multiple Trauma: A Systematic Review of Autopsy Studies

PURPOSE

A high percentage (50%-60%) of trauma patients die due to their injuries prior to arrival at the hospital. Studies on preclinical mortality including post-mortem examinations are rare. In this review, we summarized the literature focusing on clinical and preclinical mortality and studies included post-mortem examinations.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed/Medline database for relevant medical literature in English or German language published within the last four decades (1980-2015). The following MeSH search terms were used in different combinations: "multiple trauma", "epidemiology", "mortality ", "cause of death", and "autopsy". References from available studies were searched as well.

RESULTS

Marked differences in demographic parameters and injury severity between studies were identified. Moreover, the incidence of penetrating injuries has shown a wide range (between 4% and 38%). Both unimodal and bimodal concepts of trauma mortality have been favored. Studies have shown a wide variation in time intervals used to analyze the distribution of death. Thus, it is difficult to say which distribution is correct.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified variable results indicating bimodal or unimodal death distribution. Further more stundardized studies in this field are needed. We would like to encourage investigators to choose the inclusion criteria more critically and to consider factors affecting the pattern of mortality.

Time-based trauma-related mortality patterns in a newly created trauma system

BACKGROUND

Data on time-based trauma mortality (TTM) patterns in developing countries are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to analyze the TTM in a newly established trauma center.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of all trauma-related mortality between 2010 and 2012 was conducted in Qatar. Based on the time of injury, deceased cases were categorized into immediate (pre-hospital), early (first 24 h), and late (>24 h) groups. TTM was analyzed and compared.

RESULTS

A total of 4,966 trauma patients were admitted to the trauma center over 3 years; of them, 333 trauma-related deaths (6.8 %) were documented and reviewed. The death pattern peaked immediately post-trauma (n = 142), followed by 96 deaths within the first 24 h, 19 deaths within the time period >24 to 48 h, 50 deaths within the 3rd and 7th day (second peak), and 26 deaths after the 1st week. The majority of the deceased were males, with a mean age of 36 ± 17 years. Motor vehicle crashes (43.5 %) were the commonest mechanism of injury. At presentation, median injury severity score (ISS) was 32 (range 9-75). Bleeding, abdominal, and pelvic injuries were higher in the early group, whereas head injuries were observed more in the late mortality group. Co-morbidities and in-hospital complications were predominantly encountered in the late group. Head injury (odds ratio [OR] 3.760; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.311-10.797) was an independent predictor for late death, whereas the need for blood transfusion was a predictor for early death (OR 3.233; 95 % CI 1.125-9.345).

CONCLUSION

The distribution of mortality shows a bimodal pattern. The high rate of death at the scene highlights the importance of pre-hospital care and the need for injury prevention programs.

Is computerized tomography of trauma patients associated with a transfer delay to a regional trauma centre?

Objective:

Many trauma patients undergo advanced diagnostic imaging before being transferred to a regional trauma centre, but this step can delay definitive care. This study compared the length-of-stay at the primary hospital between patients who underwent CT scans and those who did not.

Methods:

This was a medical record review of all consecutive trauma cases transferred to a regional trauma centre servicing 2.2 million people during a 2-year period. Two trained abstractors, blind to each other's results, collected data independently.

Results:

Of 249 cases, 79 (31%) underwent a CT scan before being transferred. There was no significant difference in the Injury Severity Score between the 2 groups (p = 0.16), yet the CT group remained at the primary hospital approximately 90 minutes longer before transfer (p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion:

A significant proportion of trauma patients transferred to a regional trauma centre undergo CT scanning at the primary hospital. These patients experience an increased length-of-stay of 90 minutes, on average, before transfer. This appears to be a common practice that does not appear to contribute to definitive trauma management.

Prospective registry of severe polytrauma. Analysis of 1200 patients

INTRODUCTION

Polytrauma continues to be one of the main causes of death in the population between 10-40 years of age, and causes severe discapability in surviving patients. The aim of this study is to perform an analysis of the quality of care of the polytrauma patient using an epidemiological study.

METHOD

Prospective registry of all polytrauma patients treated at our hospital over 16 years of age, admitted to the critical care area or dead before admission.

RESULTS

From March 2006 to August 2014, we registered 1200 polytrauma patients. The majority were men (75%) with a median age of 45. The mean ISS was 20,9±15,8 and the most common mechanism of injury was blunt trauma (94% cases), The global mortality rate was 9.8% (117 cases), and neurological death was the most frequent cause (45.3%), followed by hypovolemic shock (29,1%). In 17 cases (14,5% of deaths) mortality was considered evitable or potentially evitable, A total of 327 patients (27.3%) needed emergency surgery and 106 patients (8,8%) needed emergency treatment using interventional radiology. 18,5% of patients (222) presented an inadverted injury, with a total of 318 inadverted injuries.

CONCLUSION

Trauma care at our centre is adequate. A prospective registry of the global care of polytrauma patients is necessary to evaluate the quality of care and improve results.

Detailed description of all deaths in both the shock and traumatic brain injury hypertonic saline trials of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium

OBJECTIVE

To identify causes and timing of mortality in trauma patients to determine targets for future studies.

BACKGROUND

In trials conducted by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium in patients with traumatic hypovolemic shock (shock) or traumatic brain injury (TBI), hypertonic saline failed to improve survival. Selecting appropriate candidates is challenging.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients enrolled in multicenter, randomized trials performed from 2006 to 2009. Inclusion criteria were as follows: injured patients, age 15 years or more with hypovolemic shock [systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤ 70 mm Hg or SBP 71-90 mm Hg with heart rate ≥ 108) or severe TBI [Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) ≤ 8]. Initial fluid administered was 250 mL of either 7.5% saline with 6% dextran 70, 7.5% saline or 0.9% saline.

RESULTS

A total of 2061 subjects were enrolled (809 shock, 1252 TBI) and 571 (27.7%) died. Survivors were younger than nonsurvivors [30 (interquartile range 23) vs 42 (34)] and had a higher GCS, though similar hemodynamics. Most deaths occurred despite ongoing resuscitation. Forty-six percent of deaths in the TBI cohort were within 24 hours, compared with 82% in the shock cohort and 72% in the cohort with both shock and TBI. Median time to death was 29 hours in the TBI cohort, 2 hours in the shock cohort, and 4 hours in patients with both. Sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction accounted for 2% of deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Most deaths from trauma with shock or TBI occur within 24 hours from hypovolemic shock or TBI. Novel resuscitation strategies should focus on early deaths, though prevention may have a greater impact.

A novel trauma model: naturally occurring canine trauma

In human trauma patients, most deaths result from hemorrhage and brain injury, whereas late deaths, although rare, are the result of multiple organ failure and sepsis. A variety of experimental animal models have been developed to investigate the pathophysiology of traumatic injury and evaluate novel interventions. Similar to other experimental models, these trauma models cannot recapitulate conditions of naturally occurring trauma, and therefore therapeutic interventions based on these models are often ineffective. Pet dogs with naturally occurring traumatic injury represent a promising translational model for human trauma that could be used to assess novel therapies. The purpose of this article was to review the naturally occurring canine trauma literature to highlight the similarities between canine and human trauma. The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Veterinary Committee on Trauma has initiated the establishment of a national network of veterinary trauma centers to enhance uniform delivery of care to canine trauma patients. In addition, the Spontaneous Trauma in Animals Team, a multidisciplinary, multicenter group of researchers has created a clinical research infrastructure for carrying out large-scale clinical trials in canine trauma patients. Moving forward, these national resources can be utilized to facilitate multicenter prospective studies of canine trauma to evaluate therapies and interventions that have shown promise in experimental animal models, thus closing the critical gap in the translation of knowledge from experimental models to humans and increasing the likelihood of success in phases 1 and 2 human clinical trials.

Traumatic brain injury related hospitalization and mortality in California

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to describe the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population and causes and identify factors associated with TBI hospitalizations and mortality in California.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of 61,188 patients with TBI from the California Hospital Discharge Data 2001 to 2009. We used descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses in SAS version 9.3.

RESULTS

TBI-related hospitalizations decreased by 14% and mortality increased by 19% from 2001 to 2009. The highest percentages of TBI hospitalizations were due to other causes (38.4%), falls (31.2%), being of age ≥75 years old (37.2%), being a males (58.9%), and being of Medicare patients (44%). TBIs due to falls were found in those age ≤4 years old (53.5%), ≥75 years old (44.0%), and females (37.2%). TBIs due to assaults were more frequent in Blacks (29.0%). TBIs due to motor vehicle accidents were more frequent in 15-19 and 20-24 age groups (48.7% and 48.6%, resp.) and among Hispanics (27.8%). Higher odds of mortality were found among motor vehicle accident category (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14-1.41); males (AOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.27-1.46); and the ≥75-year-old group (AOR: 6.4, 95% CI: 4.9-8.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a decrease in TBI-related hospitalizations but an increase in TBI-related mortality during the study period. The majority of TBI-related hospitalizations was due to other causes and falls and was more frequent in the older, male, and Medicare populations. The higher likelihood of TBI-related mortalities was found among elderly male ≥75 years old who had motor vehicle accidents. Our data can inform practitioners, prevention planners, educators, service sectors, and policy makers who aim to reduce the burden of TBI in the community. Implications for interventions are discussed.

Cause of death and time of death distribution of trauma patients in a Level I trauma centre in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

The classical trimodal distribution of trauma deaths describes three peaks of deaths following trauma: immediate, early and late deaths. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether further maturation of the trauma centre and the improvement of survival have had an effect on the time of death distribution and resulted in a shift in causes of death.

METHODS

All trauma patients from 1999 to 2010 who died after arrival in the emergency room and prior to discharge from the hospital were included. Deaths caused by drowning, poisoning and overdose were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 16,421 trauma patients were admitted to our hospital. 772 (4.7 %) patients died, of which 720 were included in this study. The trauma mechanism was predominantly blunt (94.7 %). 530 patients (73.6 %) had Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥25. The most frequent causes of death were central nervous system (CNS) injury (59.9 %), exsanguinations (12.9 %) and pneumonia/respiratory insufficiency (8.5 %). The first peak of death was seen in the first hour after arrival at the emergency department; subsequently, a rapid decline was observed and no further peaks were seen. Over the years, we observed a general decrease in deaths due to exsanguination (p = 0.035) and a general increase in deaths due to CNS injury (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

The temporal distribution of trauma deaths in our hospital changed as maturation of the trauma centre occurred. There is one peak of trauma deaths in the first hour after admission, followed by a rapid decline; no trimodal distribution was observed. Over time, there was a decrease in exsanguinations and an increase of deaths due to CNS injury.

Timing and causes of death after injuries

Currently, long-term outcomes are significant because health care system changes will likely lead to a single payment for each occurrence of care, including readmissions-the "bundled payment" system. Therefore, it is essential to understand the outcomes of trauma patients discharged alive from trauma centers. This article reviews the current knowledge base on the timing and causes of deaths after trauma. The trimodal mortality model (immediate deaths, early deaths, and late deaths) is utilized as the early research describing trimodal distribution is discussed. Also covered is the successive work as trauma systems matured, showing a shift toward a bimodal distribution with a decline in late deaths. Finally, studies of long-term outcomes are highlighted. Deaths occurring within minutes or a few hours of injury are largely unchanged, which underscores the enormity of injuries to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Late deaths caused by multiple organ failure and sepsis have declined considerably, however. Also, the causes of death in this patient population remain constant. Lastly, a considerable number of deaths after discharge may be due to nontraumatic causes.

The distribution of survival times after injury

INTRODUCTION

The distribution of survival times after injury has been described as "trimodal," but several studies have not confirmed this. The purpose of this study was to clarify the distribution of survival times after injury.

METHODS

We defined survival time (t(s)) as the interval between injury time and declared death time. We constructed histograms for t(s) ≤ 150 min from the 2004-2007 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS, for traffic crashes) and National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS, for homicides). We estimated statistical models in which death times known only within intervals were treated as interval-censored. For confirmation, we also obtained EMS response times (t(r)), prehospital times (t(p)), and hospital times (t(h)) for decedents in the 2008 National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) with t(s) = t(p) + t(h) ≤ 150. We approximated times until circulatory arrest (t(x)) as t(r) for patients pulseless at the injury scene, t(p) for other patients pulseless at hospital admission, and t(s) for the rest; for any declared t(s), we calculated mean t(x)/t(s). We used this ratio to estimate t(x) for hospital deaths in FARS or NVDRS and provide independent support for using interval-censored methods.

RESULTS

FARS and NVDRS deaths were most frequent in the first few minutes. Both showed a second peak at 35-40 min after injury, corresponding to peaks in hospital deaths. Third peaks were not present. Estimated t(x) in FARS and NVDRS did not show second peaks and were similar to estimates treating some death times as interval-censored.

CONCLUSIONS

Increases in frequency of survival times at 35-40 min are primarily artifacts created because declaration of death in hospitals is delayed until completing resuscitative attempts. By avoiding these artifacts, interval censoring methods are useful for analysis of injury survival times.

[Epidemiological profile of late mortality in severe polytraumatisms]

OBJECTIVE

A study is made of the epidemiology, chronogramand causes of late mortality in traumatized patients.

DESIGN

A prospective, observational cohort study of adult trauma patients was carried out.

SETTINGS

Province of Guipúzcoa (Basque Country, Spain). Intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital.

PATIENTS

Patients with severe trauma (Injury Severity Score > 15), admitted to the ICU from January 1995 to December 2009, with late death (> 7 days).

VARIABLES

Epidemiological, laboratory test, hemodynamic and transfusional data were collected. Severity scores: Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and ISS.

RESULTS

Patients: 2003; ISS: 24.3±14.2. Total deaths: 405 (20%). Late mortality (>7 days): 102 (25.2%) patients, 9 years older and with a lower (18 points) ISS score than the patients who died early (48 hours). Most frequent injuries: AIS-Head-Cervical spine ≥ 4 (52%); AIS-Abdomen ≥ 4 (19.6%); AIS-Chest ≥ 4 (11.7%); AIS-Extremities ≥ 4 (4.9%). Causes of death: 1) brain death (14.7%); 2) multiorgan failure (67.6%), in two injury contexts: a) severe brain trauma in the vegetative state and high spinal cord injuries with tetraplegia (35.3%); and b) non-neurological injuries (32.3%) with a high prevalence of hypovolemic shock, multiple transfusion and coagulopathy; 3) miscellaneous (10.7%): post-resuscitation anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, pulmonary embolism and massive stroke; 4) non-evaluable (7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Age, severity and type of injuries have an influence upon the time distribution and causality of late mortality. Brain death remains predominant, with multiorgan failure as the most frequent cause. This knowledge should contribute to the identification of problems, and to better organization of the structural and educational resources, thereby reducing the likely factors leading to death from trauma.

Comparison of mortality associated with sepsis in the burn, trauma, and general intensive care unit patient: a systematic review of the literature

The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to determine the association of sepsis with mortality in the severely injured adult patient by means of a comparative analysis of sepsis in burn and trauma injury with other critically ill populations. The MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, and ProQuest databases were searched. The following keywords and MeSH headings were used: "sepsis," septicemia," "septic shock," "epidemiology," "burns," "thermal injury," "trauma," "wounds and injuries," "critical care," "intensive care," "outcomes," and "mortality." Included studies were clinical studies of adult burn, trauma, and critically ill patients that reported survival data for sepsis. Thirty-eight articles were reviewed (9 burn, 11 trauma, 18 general critical care). The age of burn (<45 years) and trauma (34-49 years) groups was lower than the general critical care (57-64 years) population. Sepsis prevalence varied with trauma-injured patients experiencing fewer episodes (2.4%-16.9%) contrasted with burn patients (8%-42.5%) and critical care patients (19%-38%). Survival differed with trauma patients experiencing a lower rate of mortality associated with sepsis (7%-36.9%) compared with the burn (28%-65%) and critical care (21%-53%) groups. This study is the first to compare sepsis outcomes in three distinct patient populations: burn, trauma, and general critical care. Trauma patients tend to have relatively low sepsis-associated mortality; burn patients and the older critical care population have higher prevalence of sepsis with worse outcomes. Great variability of criteria to identify septic patients among studies compromises population comparisons.