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Vadlakonda A, Cho NY, Tran Z, Curry J, Sakowitz S, Balian J, Coaston T, Tillou A, Benharash P. Demystifying the association of center-level operative trauma volume and outcomes of emergency general surgery. Surgery 2024:S0039-6060(24)00210-1. [PMID: 38760230 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2024.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated a positive volume-outcome relationship in emergency general surgery. Some have advocated for the sub-specialization of emergency general surgery independent from trauma. We hypothesized inferior clinical outcomes of emergency general surgery with increasing center-level operative trauma volume, potentially attributable to overall hospital quality. METHODS Adults (≥18 years) undergoing complex emergency general surgery operations (large and small bowel resection, repair of perforated peptic ulcer, lysis of adhesions, laparotomy) were identified in the 2016 to 2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Multivariable risk-adjusted models were developed to evaluate the association of treatment at a high-volume trauma center (reference: low-volume trauma center) with clinical and financial outcomes after emergency general surgery. To evaluate hospital quality, mortality among adult hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction was assessed by hospital trauma volume. RESULTS Of an estimated 785,793 patients undergoing a complex emergency general surgery operation, 223,116 (28.4%) were treated at a high-volume trauma center. Treatment at a high-volume trauma center was linked to 1.19 odds of in-hospital mortality (95% confidence interval 1.12-1.27). Although emergency general surgery volume was associated with decreasing predicted risk of mortality, increasing trauma volume was linked to an incremental rise in the odds of mortality after emergency general surgery. Secondary analysis revealed increased mortality for admissions for acute myocardial infarction with greater trauma volume. CONCLUSION We note increased mortality for emergency general surgery and acute myocardial infarction in patients receiving treatment at high-volume trauma centers, signifying underlying structural factors to broadly affect quality. Thus, decoupling trauma and emergency general surgery services may not meaningfully improve outcomes for emergency general surgery patients. Our findings have implications for the evolving specialty of emergency general surgery, especially for the safety and continued growth of the acute care surgery model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amulya Vadlakonda
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Nam Yong Cho
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Zachary Tran
- Department of Surgery, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA
| | - Joanna Curry
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Sara Sakowitz
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jeffrey Balian
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Troy Coaston
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Areti Tillou
- Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Peyman Benharash
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
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Bednarek-Chałuda M, Żądło A, Antosz N, Clutter P. Polish Perspective: The Influence of National Emergency Severity Index Training on Triage Practitioners' Knowledge. J Emerg Nurs 2024; 50:413-424. [PMID: 38349291 DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the national government initiative Emergency Severity Index version 4.0 validated triage training on triage practitioners' knowledge and accuracy. METHODS This pre/post intervention study evaluated the knowledge of triage practitioners, who constituted 30% of employees trained by the national program, in 74 emergency departments across Poland in 2020. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the triage training. RESULTS No significant differences in triage knowledge were found based on experience, length of ED service, or previous training. Training resulted in increased accuracy (61.3% vs 81.1%) and decreased overtriage and undertriage. Participants significantly reduced errors and improved Emergency Severity Index guideline-based case evaluations, especially for Emergency Severity Index 1-3 cases, with the most notable improvements observed among those without prior triage experience. The training significantly improved interrater reliability. DISCUSSION The Emergency Severity Index pilot training demonstrated a significant improvement in the accuracy of triage practitioners. Emergency Severity Index level 4 has been identified as a challenging area to learn, as well as yielding promising results in the acquisition of knowledge across levels 1 and 2, among less experienced practitioners.
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Suda AJ, Pepke J, Obertacke U, Stadthalter H. No trauma-related diagnosis in emergency trauma room whole-body computer tomography of patients with inconspicuous primary survey. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2024:10.1007/s00068-024-02511-0. [PMID: 38635088 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-024-02511-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Whole-body computer tomographic examinations (WBCT) are essential in diagnosing the severely injured. The structured clinical evaluation in the emergency trauma room, according to ATLS® and guidelines, helps to indicate the correct radiological imaging to avoid overtriage and undertriage. This retrospective, single-center study aimed to evaluate the value of WBCT in patients with an inconspicuous primary survey and whether there is any evidence for this investigation in this group of patients. METHODS This retrospective, single-center study was conducted with patients admitted to a maximum-care hospital and supraregional trauma center in Germany and part of the TraumaNetwork DGU® in southwest Germany between January 2012 and November 2017. Hospital files were used for evaluation, and WBCT was carried out using a 32-row MSCT device from Siemens Healthineers, Volume Zoom, Erlangen, Germany. For evaluation, non-parametric procedures such as the chi-square test, U test, Fisher test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to test for significance (p < 0.05). RESULTS From 3976 patients treated with WBCT, 120 patients (3.02%) showed an inconspicuous primary survey. This examination did not reveal any trauma sequelae in any of this group. Additionally, 198 patients (4.98%) showed minor clinical symptoms in the primary survey, but no morphological trauma sequence could be diagnosed in WBCT diagnostics. Three hundred forty-two patients were not admitted as inpatients after WBCT and discharged to further outpatient treatment because there were no objectifiable reasons for inpatient treatment. Four hundred fifteen patients did not receive WBCT for, e.g., isolated extremity trauma, child, pregnancy, or death. CONCLUSION Not one of the clinically asymptomatic patients had an imageable injury after WBCT diagnostics in this study. WBCT should only be performed in severely injured patients after clinical assessment regardless of "trauma mechanism." According to guidelines and ATLS®, the clinical examination seems to be a safe and reliable method for reasonable and responsible decision-making regarding the realization of WBCT with all well-known risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold J Suda
- AUVA Trauma Center Salzburg, Department for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Dr-Franz-Rehrl-Platz 5, 5010, Salzburg, Austria.
- University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Centre for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 67168, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Julia Pepke
- University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Centre for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 67168, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Udo Obertacke
- University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Centre for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 67168, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Holger Stadthalter
- AUVA Trauma Center Salzburg, Department for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Dr-Franz-Rehrl-Platz 5, 5010, Salzburg, Austria
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Jung S, Yi Y. Incidence of overtriage and undertriage and associated factors: A cross-sectional study using a secondary data analysis. J Adv Nurs 2024; 80:1405-1416. [PMID: 37828736 DOI: 10.1111/jan.15895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving triage accuracy for accurate patient identification and appropriate resource allocation is essential. Little is known about the trend of triage accuracy, and factors associated with mistriage vary from study to study. AIM To identify incidence and risk factors of mistriage, such as overtriage and undertriage. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS The data came from the National Emergency Department Information System database in 2016-2020. All patients 15 years and older visiting emergency departments in Korea were assessed for eligibility, and 20,641,411 emergency patients' data were used. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to confirm the associated factors with overtriage and undertriage compared to expected triage. Demographic characteristics, disease-related signs and triage-related factors were independent variables. RESULTS Expected triage decreased from 96.8% in 2016 to 95.7% in 2020. Overtriage (0.5%-0.7%) and undertriage (2.4%-3.3%) increased. The occupation that performed triage the most (over 85%) was nurses. Associated factors with overtriage were demographic characteristics (40-64 age group, female), disease-related signs (known disease, direct visit) and triage-related factors (regional emergency medical centre). Risk factors to undertriage were disease-related signs (systolic/diastolic blood pressure and pulse rates within normal range). CONCLUSIONS While the acuity degree remained within the recommended range, the accuracy of triage decreased, and there was a gradual increase in mistriaged cases. Nurses have performed most of the triage and played a key role in expected triage. Associated factors with overtriage were demographic characteristics, disease-related signs and triage-related factors and risk factors to undertriage were disease-related signs. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION No patient or public contribution. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION Nurses should be aware of what factors are associated with mistriage and why the factors cause mistriage to improve the triage accuracy because they are responsible for the majority of the triage assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sookyung Jung
- College of Nursing, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Out-Patient Nursing Team, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeojin Yi
- College of Nursing, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Tillmann BW, Nathens AB, Guttman MP, Pequeno P, Scales DC, Pechlivanoglou P, Haas B. The impact of referring hospital resources on interfacility overtriage: A population-based analysis. Injury 2024; 55:111332. [PMID: 38281350 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2024.111332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly half of patients transferred from non-trauma to trauma centres have minor injuries. The transfer of patients with minor injuries to trauma centres is not associated with any known patient benefit and represents an opportunity to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient experience. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between hospital resources and overtriage, with the objective of identifying targets for system-level intervention. METHODS We conducted a population-based cohort study of adults, age ≥ 16, presenting with minor injuries to non-trauma centres in Ontario, Canada (2009-2020). The primary outcome was overtriage, defined as transfer to a trauma centre. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between hospital resources and a patient's likelihood of being overtriaged, adjusting for case-mix. RESULTS amongst 165,302 patients with minor injuries, 15,641 (9.5 %) were transferred to a trauma centre (overtriage). Presence of a CT scanner, surgical support, or intensive care unit had no impact on a patient's likelihood of overtriage. Relative to community hospitals, presentation to a teaching hospital was independently associated with greater odds of overtriage (OR 2.97, 95 % CI: 1.26-7.00). Accounting for case-mix and resources, the median difference in a patient's odds of overtriage varied 3.7-fold across non-trauma centres (MOR 3.76). CONCLUSIONS There is significant variability in overtriage across non-trauma centres, even after adjusting for case-mix and hospital resources. These finding suggests that some centres have developed processes to minimize overtriage independent of available resources. Broad implementation of these processes may represent an opportunity for system-wide quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bourke W Tillmann
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology and Critical Care Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Avery B Nathens
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew P Guttman
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Damon C Scales
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Petros Pechlivanoglou
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Health Economic and Technology Assessment Collaborative, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Barbara Haas
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Webb CT, Burton J, Spalding MC, Werman HA. Validation of Air Medical Prehospital Triage Score in Determining Resource Utilization at Level 1 Trauma Centers. Air Med J 2024; 43:101-105. [PMID: 38490771 DOI: 10.1016/j.amj.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Overtriage (ie, delivering less severely injured patients via helicopter) is costly, raises safety concerns, and reduces efficiency of the trauma system. The Air Medical Prehospital Triage (AMPT) scoring system was developed to determine which trauma patients would gain a survival benefit by air transport. The objective of this study was to evaluate the AMPT scoring system as a method of reducing trauma overtriage when helicopter emergency medical services were used. METHODS A retrospective study of all scene trauma transports delivered by helicopter to 1 of 2 level 1 trauma centers was evaluated for 1) hospital stay less than 1 day and 2) failure to meet 1 of the following criteria for resource utilization: intensive care unit admission, an operative procedure within the first 24 hours, the need for blood products, Injury Severity Score ≥ 16, or death during hospitalization. Helicopter emergency medical services personnel recorded specific criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) field trauma triage guidelines and AMPT that were met by transported trauma patients. RESULTS There were 244 patients in the study population. Eighty-one (33.2%) patients were discharged within 24 hours; 11 (13.5%) of these patients were positive using AMPT scoring, whereas 44 (54.3%) patients met 1 of the CDC criteria. Similarly, 141 (57.8%) patients failed to meet 1 of the level 1 resource criteria; 19 (13.5%) met the AMPT criteria for air medical transport, whereas 84 (59.6%) met 1 of the CDC criteria. Undertriage was 63.5% for AMPT and 20.2% for CDC based on resource utilization criteria. CONCLUSION The AMPT score reduced the number of patients who were inappropriately transported to a trauma center. However, this appeared to be at the expense of undertriage. Future studies should focus on developing a refined air medical-specific triage tool that has both low overtriage rates as well as lower undertriage rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cpt Tyler Webb
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, TX
| | - Josh Burton
- OhioHealth Research Institute, Grant Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | | | - Howard A Werman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
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Rahman S, Iskandarova A, Horowitz ME, Sanghavi KK, Aziz KT, Durr N, Giladi AM. Assessing Hand Perfusion With Eulerian Video Magnification and Waveform Extraction. J Hand Surg Am 2024; 49:186.e1-186.e9. [PMID: 35963795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2022.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Timely and accurate triage of upper extremity injuries is critical, but current perfusion monitoring technologies have shortcomings. These limitations are especially pronounced in patients with darker skin tones. This pilot study evaluates a Eulerian Video Magnification (EVM) algorithm combined with color channel waveform extraction to enable video-based measurement of hand and finger perfusion. METHODS Videos of 10 volunteer study participants with Fitzpatrick skin types III-VI were taken in a controlled environment during normal perfusion and tourniquet-induced ischemia. Videos were EVM processed, and red/green/blue color channel characteristics were extracted to produce waveforms. These videos were assessed by surgeons with a range of expertise in hand injuries. The videos were randomized and presented in 1 of 3 ways: unprocessed, EVM processed, and EVM with waveform output (EVM+waveform). Survey respondents indicated whether the video showed an ischemic or perfused hand or if they were unable to tell. We used group comparisons to evaluate response accuracy across video types, skin tones, and respondent groups. RESULTS Of the 51 providers to whom the surveys were sent, 25 (49%) completed them. Using the Pearson χ2 test, the frequencies of correct responses were significantly higher in the EVM+waveform category than in the unprocessed or EVM videos. Additionally, the agreement was higher among responses to the EVM+waveform questions than among responses to the unprocessed or EVM processed. The accuracy and agreement from the EVM+waveform group were consistent across all skin pigmentations evaluated. CONCLUSIONS Video-based EVM processing combined with waveform extraction from color channels improved the surgeon's ability to identify tourniquet-induced finger ischemia via video across all skin types tested. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Eulerian Video Magnification with waveform extraction improved the assessment of perfusion in the distal upper extremity and has potential future applications, including triage, postsurgery vascular assessment, and telemedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihab Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Aygul Iskandarova
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Kavya K Sanghavi
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD; MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD
| | - Keith T Aziz
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
| | - Nicholas Durr
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Aviram M Giladi
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
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Zadorozny EV, Lin HHS, Luther J, Wisniewski SR, Cotton BA, Fox EE, Harbrecht BG, Joseph BA, Moore EE, Ostenmayer DG, Patel MB, Schreiber MA, Tatebe LC, Todd SR, Wilson C, Gruen DS, Sperry JL, Martin-Gill C, Brown JB, Guyette FX. Prehospital Time Following Traumatic Injury Is Independently Associated With the Need for In-Hospital Blood and Early Mortality for Specific Injury Types. Air Med J 2024; 43:47-54. [PMID: 38154840 DOI: 10.1016/j.amj.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Treating traumatic hemorrhage is time sensitive. Prehospital care and transport modes (eg, helicopter and ground) may influence in-hospital events. We hypothesized that prehospital time (on-scene time [OST] and total prehospital time [TPT]) and transport mode are associated with same-day transfusion and mortality. Furthermore, we sought to identify regions of anatomic injury that modify the relationship between prehospital time and outcomes in strata corresponding to transport types. METHODS We obtained prehospital, in-hospital, and trauma registry data from an 8-center cohort of adult nonburn trauma patients from 2017 to 2022 directly transported from the scene to the hospital and having an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 9 for the Task Order 1 project of the Linking Investigators in Trauma and Emergency Services research network. We excluded patients missing prehospital times, patients < 18 years of age, patients from interfacility transfers, and recipients of prehospital blood. Our same-day outcomes were in-hospital transfusions within 4 hours and 24-hour mortality. Each outcome was adjusted using multivariable logistic regression for covariates of prehospital phases (OST and TPT), mode of transport (helicopter and ground), age, sex, ISS, Glasgow Coma Scale motor subscale score < 6, and field hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg). We evaluated the association of prehospital time on outcomes for scene missions by transport mode across severe injury patterns defined by Abbreviated Injury Scale > 2 body regions. RESULTS Of 78,198 subjects, 34,504 were eligible for the study with a mean age of 47.6 ± 20.3 years, ISS of 18 ± 11, OST of 15.9 ± 9.5 minutes, and TPT of 48.7 ± 20.3 minutes. Adjusted for injury severity and demographic factors, transport type significantly modified the relationship between prehospital time and outcomes. The association of OST and TPT with the odds of 4-hour transfusion was absent for the ground emergency medical services (GEMS) cohort and present for the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) ambulance cohort, whereas these times were associated with decreased 24-hour mortality for both transport types. When stratifying by injury to most anatomic regions, OST and TPT were associated with a decreased need for 4-hour transfusions in the GEMS cohort. However, OST was associated with increased early transfusion only among patients with severe injuries of the thorax, and this association persisted after adjusting additionally for injury type (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.05; P = .02). The presence of polytrauma supported an association between prehospital time and decreased 24-hour mortality for the GEMS cohort (OST: OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99; P < .01; TPT: OR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-0.99; P = .02), whereas no injuries showed significant association of helicopter prehospital time on mortality after adjustment. CONCLUSION We determined that transport type affects the relationship between prehospital time and hospital outcomes (4-hour transfusion: positive relationship for HEMS and negative for GEMS, 24-hour mortality: negative for both transport types). Furthermore, we identified regions of anatomic injury that modify the relationship between prehospital time and outcomes in strata corresponding to transport types. Of these regions, most notable were severe isolated injuries to the thorax that supported a positive relationship between HEMS OST and 4-hour transfusions and polytrauma that showed a negative relationship between GEMS OST or TPT and 24-hour mortality after adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva V Zadorozny
- Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Hsing-Hua S Lin
- Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - James Luther
- Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Brian A Cotton
- Department of Surgery, University of Houston School of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Erin E Fox
- Department of Surgery, University of Houston School of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Brian G Harbrecht
- Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY
| | - Bellal A Joseph
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona Tucson College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Ernest E Moore
- Department of General Surgery, University of Colorado Denver Health, Denver, CO
| | - Daniel G Ostenmayer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Houston School of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Mayur B Patel
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Leah C Tatebe
- Department of General/Trauma Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX
| | - Samual R Todd
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA
| | - Chad Wilson
- Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | - Jason L Sperry
- Department of General/Trauma Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Christian Martin-Gill
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Joshua B Brown
- Department of General/Trauma Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Francis X Guyette
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
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Wang B, Wöhler A, Greven J, Salzmann RJS, Keller CM, Tertel T, Zhao Q, Mert Ü, Horst K, Lupu L, Huber-Lang M, van Griensven M, Mollnes TE, Schaaf S, Schwab R, Strassburg CP, Schmidt-Wolf IGH, Giebel B, Hildebrand F, Lukacs-Kornek V, Willms AG, Kornek MT. Liquid Biopsy in Organ Damage: small extracellular vesicle chip-based assessment of polytrauma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1279496. [PMID: 38035093 PMCID: PMC10684673 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1279496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite major advances in medicine, blood-borne biomarkers are urgently needed to support decision-making, including polytrauma. Here, we assessed serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential markers of decision-making in polytrauma. Objective Our Liquid Biopsy in Organ Damage (LiBOD) study aimed to differentiate polytrauma with organ injury from polytrauma without organ injury. We analysed of blood-borne small EVs at the individual level using a combination of immunocapture and high-resolution imaging. Methods To this end, we isolated, purified, and characterized small EVs according to the latest Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV) guidelines from human blood collected within 24 h post-trauma and validated our results using a porcine polytrauma model. Results We found that small EVs derived from monocytes CD14+ and CD14+CD61+ were significantly elevated in polytrauma with organ damage. To be precise, our findings revealed that CD9+CD14+ and CD14+CD61+ small EVs exhibited superior performance compared to CD9+CD61+ small EVs in accurately indicating polytrauma with organ damage, reaching a sensitivity and a specificity of 0.81% and 0.97%, respectively. The results in humans were confirmed in an independent porcine model of polytrauma. Conclusion These findings suggest that these specific types of small EVs may serve as valuable, non-invasive, and objective biomarkers for assessing and monitoring the severity of polytrauma and associated organ damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingduo Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Aliona Wöhler
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Johannes Greven
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rebekka J. S. Salzmann
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Cindy M. Keller
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Tertel
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Qun Zhao
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ümit Mert
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klemens Horst
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ludmila Lupu
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Trauma Immunology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Huber-Lang
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Trauma Immunology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martijn van Griensven
- Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Tom Erik Mollnes
- Research Laboratory, Nordland Hospital Bodø, Bodø, Norway
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center of Molecular Inflammation Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sebastian Schaaf
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Robert Schwab
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Christian P. Strassburg
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingo G. H. Schmidt-Wolf
- Department of Integrated Oncology, Center for Integrated Oncology, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Giebel
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Frank Hildebrand
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Veronika Lukacs-Kornek
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Arnulf G. Willms
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, German Armed Forces Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Miroslaw T. Kornek
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital, Koblenz, Germany
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10
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Isgrò S, Giani M, Antolini L, Giudici R, Valsecchi MG, Bellani G, Chiara O, Bassi G, Latronico N, Cabrini L, Fumagalli R, Chieregato A, Sammartano F, Sechi G, Zoli A, Pagliosa A, Palo A, Valoti O, Carlucci M, Benini A, Foti G. Identifying Trauma Patients in Need for Emergency Surgery in the Prehospital Setting: The Prehospital Prediction of In-Hospital Emergency Treatment (PROPHET) Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6660. [PMID: 37892798 PMCID: PMC10607301 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12206660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prehospital field triage often fails to accurately identify the need for emergent surgical or non-surgical procedures, resulting in inefficient resource utilization and increased costs. This study aimed to analyze prehospital factors associated with the need for emergent procedures (such as surgery or interventional angiography) within 6 h of hospital admission. Additionally, our goal was to develop a prehospital triage tool capable of estimating the likelihood of requiring an emergent procedure following hospital admission. We conducted a retrospective observational study, analyzing both prehospital and in-hospital data obtained from the Lombardy Trauma Registry. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of emergency procedures within the first 6 h from admission. Subsequently, we developed and internally validated a triage score composed of factors associated with the probability of requiring an emergency procedure. The study included a total of 3985 patients, among whom 295 (7.4%) required an emergent procedure within 6 h. Age, penetrating injury, downfall, cardiac arrest, poor neurological status, endotracheal intubation, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, shock index, respiratory rate and tachycardia were identified as predictors of requiring an emergency procedure. A triage score generated from these predictors showed a good predictive power (AUC of the ROC curve: 0.81) to identify patients requiring an emergent surgical or non-surgical procedure within 6 h from hospital admission. The proposed triage score might contribute to predicting the need for immediate resource availability in trauma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Isgrò
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.I.); (M.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Marco Giani
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.I.); (M.G.); (A.B.)
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy; (L.A.); (M.G.V.); (R.F.)
| | - Laura Antolini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy; (L.A.); (M.G.V.); (R.F.)
| | - Riccardo Giudici
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Niguarda Hospital, 20162 Milan, Italy; (R.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Maria Grazia Valsecchi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy; (L.A.); (M.G.V.); (R.F.)
| | - Giacomo Bellani
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Santa Chiara Regional Hospital, APSS, 38122 Trento, Italy;
- Centre for Medical Sciences CISMed, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Chiara
- Department of Emergency and Trauma Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, 20162 Milan, Italy;
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20100 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriele Bassi
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Niguarda Hospital, 20162 Milan, Italy; (R.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Nicola Latronico
- Department of Emergency, Spedali Civili University Hospital, 25123 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Luca Cabrini
- General and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Units, Ospedale di Circolo, 21100 Varese, Italy;
- Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Roberto Fumagalli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy; (L.A.); (M.G.V.); (R.F.)
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Niguarda Hospital, 20162 Milan, Italy; (R.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Arturo Chieregato
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Neuro Intensive Care, ASST Niguarda, 20162 Milan, Italy;
| | - Fabrizio Sammartano
- Emergency Department, Emergency and Trauma Surgery, ASST Santi Carlo e Paolo, 20142 Milan, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Sechi
- Regional Agency of Emergency and Urgency (AREU), 20124 Milan, Italy; (G.S.); (A.Z.); (A.P.)
| | - Alberto Zoli
- Regional Agency of Emergency and Urgency (AREU), 20124 Milan, Italy; (G.S.); (A.Z.); (A.P.)
| | - Andrea Pagliosa
- Regional Agency of Emergency and Urgency (AREU), 20124 Milan, Italy; (G.S.); (A.Z.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessandra Palo
- Regional Agency of Emergency and Urgency (AREU), 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Oliviero Valoti
- Regional Agency of Emergency and Urgency (AREU), 24121 Bergamo, Italy;
| | - Michele Carlucci
- General and Emergency Surgery Department, Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Annalisa Benini
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.I.); (M.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Giuseppe Foti
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.I.); (M.G.); (A.B.)
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy; (L.A.); (M.G.V.); (R.F.)
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11
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Reppucci ML, Cooper E, Nolan MM, Lyttle BD, Gallagher LT, Jujare S, Stevens J, Moulton SL, Bensard DD, Acker SN. Use of prehospital reverse shock index times Glasgow Coma Scale to identify children who require the most immediate trauma care. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2023; 95:347-353. [PMID: 36899455 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0000000000003903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Appropriate prehospital trauma triage ensures transport of children to facilities that provide specialized trauma care. There are currently no objective and generalizable scoring tool for emergency medical services to facilitate such decisions. An abnormal reverse shock index times Glasgow Coma Scale (rSIG), which is calculated using readily available parameters, has been shown to be associated with severely injured children. This study sought to determine if rSIG could be used in the prehospital setting to identify injured children who require the highest levels of care. METHODS Patients (1-18 years old) transferred from the scene to a level 1 pediatric trauma center from 2010 to 2020 with complete prehospital and emergency department vital signs, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were included. Reverse shock index times GCS was calculated as previously described ((systolic blood pressure/heart rate) × GCS), and the following cutoffs were used: ≤13.1, ≤16.5, and ≤20.1 for 1- to 6-, 7- to 12-, and 13- to 18-year-old patients, respectively. Trauma activation level and clinical outcomes upon arrival to the pediatric trauma center were collected. RESULTS There were 247 patients included in the analysis; 66.0% (163) had an abnormal prehospital rSIG. Patients with an abnormal rSIG had a higher rate of highest-level trauma activation compared with those with a normal rSIG (38.7% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.013). Patients with an abnormal prehospital rSIG also had higher rates of intubation (28.8% vs. 9.52%, p < 0.001), intracranial pressure monitor (9.20 vs. 1.19%, p = 0.032), need for blood (19.6% vs. 8.33%, p = 0.034), laparotomy (7.98% vs. 1.19%, p = 0.039), and intensive care unit admission (54.6% vs. 40.5%, p = 0.049). CONCLUSION Reverse shock index times GCS may assist emergency medical service providers in early identification and triage of severely injured children. An abnormal rSIG in the emergency department is associated with higher rates of intubation, need for blood transfusion, intracranial pressure monitoring, laparotomy, and intensive care unit admission. Use of this metric may help to speed the identification, care, and treatment of any injured child. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level IV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L Reppucci
- From the Department of Surgery (M.L.R.), The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York; Children's Hospital Center for Research in Outcomes for Children's Surgery (E.C.), Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; Pediatric Surgery (M.M.N., B.D.L., L.T.G., S.J., S.L.M., D.D.B., S.N.A.), Children's Hospital Colorado; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (B.D.L., L.T.G., S.L.M., D.D.B., S.N.A.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Surgery (J.S.), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana; and Pediatric Surgery, Denver Health (D.D.B.), Denver, Colorado
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12
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Stojek L, Bieler D, Neubert A, Ahnert T, Imach S. The potential of point-of-care diagnostics to optimise prehospital trauma triage: a systematic review of literature. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2023; 49:1727-1739. [PMID: 36703080 PMCID: PMC10449679 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-023-02226-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In the prehospital care of potentially seriously injured patients resource allocation adapted to injury severity (triage) is a challenging. Insufficiently specified triage algorithms lead to the unnecessary activation of a trauma team (over-triage), resulting in ineffective consumption of economic and human resources. A prehospital trauma triage algorithm must reliably identify a patient bleeding or suffering from significant brain injuries. By supplementing the prehospital triage algorithm with in-hospital established point-of-care (POC) tools the sensitivity of the prehospital triage is potentially increased. Possible POC tools are lactate measurement and sonography of the thorax, the abdomen and the vena cava, the sonographic intracranial pressure measurement and the capnometry in the spontaneously breathing patient. The aim of this review was to assess the potential and to determine diagnostic cut-off values of selected instrument-based POC tools and the integration of these findings into a modified ABCDE based triage algorithm. METHODS A systemic search on MEDLINE via PubMed, LIVIVO and Embase was performed for patients in an acute setting on the topic of preclinical use of the selected POC tools to identify critical cranial and peripheral bleeding and the recognition of cerebral trauma sequelae. For the determination of the final cut-off values the selected papers were assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for determining the risk of bias and according to various quality criteria to subsequently be classified as suitable or unsuitable. PROSPERO Registration: CRD 42022339193. RESULTS 267 papers were identified as potentially relevant and processed in full text form. 61 papers were selected for the final evaluation, of which 13 papers were decisive for determining the cut-off values. Findings illustrate that a preclinical use of point-of-care diagnostic is possible. These adjuncts can provide additional information about the expected long-term clinical course of patients. Clinical outcomes like mortality, need of emergency surgery, intensive care unit stay etc. were taken into account and a hypothetic cut-off value for trauma team activation could be determined for each adjunct. The cut-off values are as follows: end-expiratory CO2: < 30 mm/hg; sonography thorax + abdomen: abnormality detected; lactate measurement: > 2 mmol/L; optic nerve diameter in sonography: > 4.7 mm. DISCUSSION A preliminary version of a modified triage algorithm with hypothetic cut-off values for a trauma team activation was created. However, further studies should be conducted to optimize the final cut-off values in the future. Furthermore, studies need to evaluate the practical application of the modified algorithm in terms of feasibility (e.g. duration of application, technique, etc.) and the effects of the new algorithm on over-triage. Limiting factors are the restriction with the search and the heterogeneity between the studies (e.g. varying measurement devices, techniques etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Stojek
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dan Bieler
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Burn Medicine, German Armed Forces Central Hospital Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Faculty University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anne Neubert
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Faculty University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- TraumaEvidence @ German Society of Traumatology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Ahnert
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany
- Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Christoph 3, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sebastian Imach
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany.
- Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Christoph 3, Cologne, Germany.
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13
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Werner Z, O'Connor L, Wasef K, Abdelhalim A, Al-Omar O. Pediatric renal trauma at a level 1 trauma center in a rural state: A 10-year institutional review and protocol implementation. J Pediatr Urol 2023:S1477-5131(23)00142-0. [PMID: 37156709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2023.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Unintentional injury is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children. There is no consensus on the ideal, discrete management of pediatric renal trauma (PRT). Therefore, management protocols tend to be institution-specific. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to characterize PRT at a rural level-1 trauma center and subsequently develop a standardized protocol. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of PRT at a rural level 1 trauma center between 2009 and 2019 was conducted. Injuries were characterized regarding renal trauma grade, associated multi-organ involvement and the need for intervention. The benefit of patient transfer from regional hospitals and length and cost of stay were evaluated. RESULTS Of 250 patients admitted with renal trauma diagnosis 50 patients <18 years were analyzed. Of those, the majority (32/50, 64%) had low-grade (grade I-III) injuries. Conservative management was successful in all low-grade injuries. Of 18 high-grade PRT, 10 (55.6%) required intervention, one prior to transfer. Among patients with low-grade trauma, 23/32 (72%) were transferred from an outside facility. A total of 13 (26%) patients with isolated low-grade renal trauma were transferred from regional hospitals. All isolated, transferred low-grade renal trauma had diagnostic imaging before transfer and none required invasive intervention. Interventional management of renal injury was associated with a longer median LOS [7 (IQR = 4-16.5) vs 4 (IQR = 2-6) days for conservative management, p = 0.019)] and an increased median total cost of $57,986 vs. $18,042 for conservative management (p = 0.002). DISCUSSION The majority of PRT, particularly low-grade, can be managed conservatively. A significant proportion of children with low-grade trauma are unnecessarily transferred to higher level centers. Review of pediatric renal trauma at our institution over a decade has allowed us to develop an institutional protocol which we believe allows for safe and effective patient monitoring. CONCLUSION Isolated, low-grade PRT can be managed conservatively at regional hospitals without needing transfer to a level 1 trauma center. Children with high-grade injuries should be closely monitored and are more likely to need invasive intervention. Development of a PRT protocol will help to safely triage this population and identify those who may benefit from transfer to a tertiary care center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Werner
- Department of Urology, West Virginia University, Suite 1400 Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
| | - Luke O'Connor
- Department of Urology, West Virginia University, Suite 1400 Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Kareem Wasef
- Department of Urology, West Virginia University, Suite 1400 Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Ahmed Abdelhalim
- Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt
| | - Osama Al-Omar
- Department of Urology, West Virginia University, Suite 1400 Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
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14
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Wohlgemut JM, Marsden MER, Stoner RS, Pisirir E, Kyrimi E, Grier G, Christian M, Hurst T, Marsh W, Tai NRM, Perkins ZB. Diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination to identify life- and limb-threatening injuries in trauma patients. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2023; 31:18. [PMID: 37029436 PMCID: PMC10082501 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-023-01083-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Timely and accurate identification of life- and limb-threatening injuries (LLTIs) is a fundamental objective of trauma care that directly informs triage and treatment decisions. However, the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination to detect LLTIs is largely unknown, due to the risk of contamination from in-hospital diagnostics in existing studies. Our aim was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of initial clinical examination for detecting life- and limb-threatening injuries (LLTIs). Secondary aims were to identify factors associated with missed injury and overdiagnosis, and determine the impact of clinician uncertainty on diagnostic accuracy. METHODS Retrospective diagnostic accuracy study of consecutive adult (≥ 16 years) patients examined at the scene of injury by experienced trauma clinicians, and admitted to a Major Trauma Center between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2020. Diagnoses of LLTIs made on contemporaneous clinical records were compared to hospital coded diagnoses. Diagnostic performance measures were calculated overall, and based on clinician uncertainty. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors affecting missed injury and overdiagnosis. RESULTS Among 947 trauma patients, 821 were male (86.7%), median age was 31 years (range 16-89), 569 suffered blunt mechanisms (60.1%), and 522 (55.1%) sustained LLTIs. Overall, clinical examination had a moderate ability to detect LLTIs, which varied by body region: head (sensitivity 69.7%, positive predictive value (PPV) 59.1%), chest (sensitivity 58.7%, PPV 53.3%), abdomen (sensitivity 51.9%, PPV 30.7%), pelvis (sensitivity 23.5%, PPV 50.0%), and long bone fracture (sensitivity 69.9%, PPV 74.3%). Clinical examination poorly detected life-threatening thoracic (sensitivity 48.1%, PPV 13.0%) and abdominal (sensitivity 43.6%, PPV 20.0%) bleeding. Missed injury was more common in patients with polytrauma (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.62-2.07) or shock (systolic blood pressure OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.988-0.998). Overdiagnosis was more common in shock (OR 0.991, 95% CI 0.986-0.995) or when clinicians were uncertain (OR 6.42, 95% CI 4.63-8.99). Uncertainty improved sensitivity but reduced PPV, impeding diagnostic precision. CONCLUSIONS Clinical examination performed by experienced trauma clinicians has only a moderate ability to detect LLTIs. Clinicians must appreciate the limitations of clinical examination, and the impact of uncertainty, when making clinical decisions in trauma. This study provides impetus for diagnostic adjuncts and decision support systems in trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Wohlgemut
- Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- Ward 12D, Trauma Service, Royal London Hospital, Barts NHS Health Trust, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK.
| | - Max E R Marsden
- Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Ward 12D, Trauma Service, Royal London Hospital, Barts NHS Health Trust, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK
- Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma, Royal Centre of Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rebecca S Stoner
- Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Ward 12D, Trauma Service, Royal London Hospital, Barts NHS Health Trust, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK
| | - Erhan Pisirir
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Evangelia Kyrimi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Gareth Grier
- London's Air Ambulance, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Michael Christian
- London's Air Ambulance, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Thomas Hurst
- London's Air Ambulance, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - William Marsh
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Nigel R M Tai
- Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Ward 12D, Trauma Service, Royal London Hospital, Barts NHS Health Trust, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK
- Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma, Royal Centre of Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK
| | - Zane B Perkins
- Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Ward 12D, Trauma Service, Royal London Hospital, Barts NHS Health Trust, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK
- London's Air Ambulance, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
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15
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Matthews L, Kelly E, Fleming A, Byerly S, Fischer P, Molyneaux I, Kerwin A, Howley I. An Analysis of Injured Patients Treated at Level 1 Trauma Centers Versus Other Centers: A Scoping Review. J Surg Res 2023; 284:70-93. [PMID: 36549038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.11.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Trauma systems continue to evolve to create the best outcomes possible for patients who have undergone traumatic injury. OBJECTIVE This review aims to evaluate the existing research on outcomes based on field triage to a Level 1 trauma center (L1TC) compared to other levels of hospitals and nontrauma centers. METHODS A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Database. Studies analyzing measures of morbidity, mortality, and cost after receiving care at L1TCs compared to lower-level trauma centers and nontrauma centers in the United States and Canada were included. Three independent reviewers reviewed abstracts, and two independent reviewers conducted full-text review and quality assessment of the included articles. RESULTS Twelve thousand five hundred fourteen unique articles were identified using the literature search. 61 relevant studies were included in this scoping review. 95.2% of included studies were national or regional studies, and 96.8% were registry-based studies. 72.6% of included studies adjusted their results to account for injury severity. The findings from receiving trauma care at L1TCs vary depending on severity of injury, type of injury sustained, and patient characteristics. Existing literature suffers from limitations inherent to large de-identified databases, making record linkage between hospitals impossible. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review shows that the survival benefit of L1TC care is largest for patients with the most severe injuries. This scoping review demonstrates that further research using high-quality data is needed to elucidate more about how to structure trauma systems to improve outcomes for patients with different severities of injuries and in different types of facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynley Matthews
- College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
| | - Emma Kelly
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrew Fleming
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Saskya Byerly
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Peter Fischer
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Ian Molyneaux
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrew Kerwin
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Isaac Howley
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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16
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Mitra B, Law A, Mathew J, Crabtree A, Mertin H, Underhill A, Noonan M, Hunter P, Smit DV. Telehealth consultation before inter-hospital transfer after falls in a subacute hospital (the PREVENT-2 study). Emerg Med Australas 2023; 35:306-311. [PMID: 36358005 DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.14130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inter-hospital transfers are increasingly common due to the regionalisation of healthcare, but are associated with patient discomfort, high costs and adverse events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a trauma outreach service for preventing inter-hospital transfers to a major trauma centre. METHODS This was an observational pre- and post-intervention study over a 12-month period from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021. Eligible patients sustained a fall at Caulfield Hospital, a subacute care hospital specialising in community services, rehabilitation, geriatric medicine and aged mental health. The intervention was delivery of site-specific education at Caulfield Hospital and a trauma outreach service by specialist trauma clinicians at The Alfred Hospital who provided remote assessment, assisted with clinical management decisions and advised on appropriateness of transfer. RESULTS The present study included 160 patients in the pre-intervention phase and 203 after the intervention. The primary outcome of transfer occurred in 19 (11.9%) patients in the pre-intervention phase and 4 (2.0%) in the post-intervention phase (P < 0.001). In the subgroup of patients without pelvis or long bone fractures, pre-intervention transfer occurred for 17 (10.9%) patients and post-intervention transfer occurred for 4 (2.0%) patients (P < 0.001). CT imaging was performed for 54 (33.8%) patients in the pre-intervention and 45 (22.2%) patients in the post-intervention group (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS Telehealth consultation with a trauma specialist was associated with significant reduction of inter-hospital transfers, and significant reduction of CT imaging. This supports continuation of the service with scope for expansion and evaluation of patient-centred outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswadev Mitra
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amelia Law
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joseph Mathew
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Trauma Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amelia Crabtree
- Health of Older People Unit, Caulfield Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helen Mertin
- Health of Older People Unit, Caulfield Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Underhill
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Noonan
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Trauma Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Hunter
- Health of Older People Unit, Caulfield Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - De Villiers Smit
- Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Bennett N, Mansour M, Farooqi A, DeLaroche AM. Resource Utilization for Pediatric Patients Discharged After Interhospital Transfer. Pediatr Emerg Care 2023; 39:148-153. [PMID: 35510721 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transfers to a pediatric emergency department (ED) with subsequent discharge home should be optimized. Transfers to a pediatric ED (PED) from community and academic general EDs are compared with a focus upon subsequent resource utilization with the PED to identify patterns of resource and education needs within general EDs. METHODS Patients younger than 21 years transferred to a PED from general EDs over a 1-year period and discharged home were retrospectively reviewed. The referring institutions were categorized as academic or community. Demographic and clinical variables reflecting PED care were abstracted and referrals from the academic and community institutions were compared. RESULTS Among 5675 interfacility transfers, 1603 (28.2%) were discharged home from the PED. Most patients were transferred from a community ED (n = 1081, 67.4%). Laboratory testing, ancillary studies, and medication administration did not differ between patients transferred from an academic or community ED. Patients from a community ED were more likely to have a procedure performed (44% vs 39%, P = 0.04). Patients from a community ED were also more likely to have high resource utilization in the PED (61% vs 55%, P = 0.03). DISCUSSION Most children transferred to a PED from a general ED required few resources in the PED before discharge home. The pattern of care delivered in the PED differed by the designation of the transferring ED providing insight into the differential educational and resource needs of general EDs in caring for pediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Bennett
- From the Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan
| | | | - Ahmad Farooqi
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | - Amy M DeLaroche
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
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18
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Lupton JR, Davis-O'Reilly C, Jungbauer RM, Newgard CD, Fallat ME, Brown JB, Mann NC, Jurkovich GJ, Bulger E, Gestring ML, Lerner EB, Chou R, Totten AM. Under-Triage and Over-Triage Using the Field Triage Guidelines for Injured Patients: A Systematic Review. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2023; 27:38-45. [PMID: 35191799 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2022.2043963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Field Triage Guidelines (FTG) are used across North America to identify seriously injured patients for transport to appropriate level trauma centers, with a goal of under-triaging no more than 5% and over-triaging between 25% and 35%. Our objective was to systematically review the literature on under-triage and over-triage rates of the FTG. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of the FTG performance. Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases were searched for studies published between January 2011 and February 2021. Two investigators dual-reviewed eligibility of abstracts and full-text. We included studies evaluating under- or over-triage of patients using the FTG in the prehospital setting. We excluded studies not reporting an outcome of under- or over-triage, studies evaluating other triage tools, or studies of triage not in the prehospital setting. Two investigators independently assessed the risk of bias for each included article. The primary accuracy measures to assess the FTG were under-triage, defined as seriously injured patients transported to non-trauma hospitals (1-sensitivity), and over-triage, defined as non-injured patients transported to trauma hospitals (1-specificity). Due to heterogeneity, results were synthesized qualitatively. RESULTS We screened 2,418 abstracts, reviewed 315 full-text publications, and identified 17 studies that evaluated the accuracy of the FTG. Among eight studies evaluating the entire FTG (steps 1-4), under-triage rates ranged from 1.6% to 72.0% and were higher for older (≥55 or ≥65 years) adults (20.1-72.0%) and pediatric (<15 years) patients (15.9-34.8%) compared to all ages (1.6-33.8%). Over-triage rates ranged from 9.9% to 87.4% and were higher for all ages (12.2-87.4%) compared to older (≥55 or ≥65 years) adults (9.9-48.2%) and pediatric (<15 years) patients (28.0-33.6%). Under-triage was lower in studies strictly applying the FTG retrospectively (1.6-34.8%) compared to as-practiced (10.5-72.0%), while over-triage was higher retrospectively (64.2-87.4%) compared to as-practiced (9.9-48.2%). CONCLUSIONS Evidence suggests that under-triage, while improved if the FTG is strictly applied, remains above targets, with higher rates of under-triage in both children and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Lupton
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Cynthia Davis-O'Reilly
- Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rebecca M Jungbauer
- Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Craig D Newgard
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Mary E Fallat
- Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Joshua B Brown
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - N Clay Mann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Eileen Bulger
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mark L Gestring
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - E Brooke Lerner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Roger Chou
- Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Annette M Totten
- Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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19
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Zitek T, Pagano K, Mechanic OJ, Farcy DA. Assessment of Trauma Team Activation Fees by US Region and Hospital Ownership. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2252520. [PMID: 36692878 PMCID: PMC10408274 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.52520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Trauma centers must be readily equipped to handle a variety of life-threatening injuries and consequently may charge a fee for the activation of their trauma team. Regional and hospital-related variations in trauma activation fees across the US have not been formally assessed. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the variability of trauma activation fees from trauma centers across the US and examine whether certain hospital characteristics are associated with higher activation fees. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used data from the American College of Surgeons website to identify all trauma centers in the US that were listed as verified from inception of the verification database through March 4, 2022 (N = 546). Five military hospitals were excluded, and trauma activation fees could not be found for 18 trauma centers; the remaining 523 hospitals were included in the analysis. Each hospital's publicly available chargemaster (a comprehensive list of a hospital's products, procedures, and services) was searched to obtain its trauma activation fees. Two levels of trauma activation fees were recorded: tier 1 (full activation) and tier 2 (partial activation). Hospital-specific data were obtained from the American Hospital Association website. All data were collected between January 2 and March 11, 2022. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess potential associations between hospital characteristics (type of control [for profit, government, church, or other nonprofit], hospital system [owner], number of staffed beds, and academic vs nonacademic status) and trauma activation fees. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Median and mean trauma activation fees nationally and stratified by location, hospital system, and other hospital characteristics. RESULTS Of 523 trauma centers included in the analysis, most were located in the Midwest (180 centers) and West (129 centers). There were 176 adult level I trauma centers and 200 adult level II trauma centers; 69 centers had for-profit status, and 415 were academic. Overall, the median (IQR) tier 1 trauma activation fee was $9500 ($5601-$17 805), and the mean (SD) tier 1 trauma activation fee was $13 349 ($11 034); these fees ranged from $1000 to $61 734. Median (IQR) trauma activation fees were highest in the West ($18 099 [$10 741-$$27 607]), especially in California, where the median (IQR) activation fee was $24 057 ($15 979-$33 618). Trauma activation fees were also higher at for-profit hospitals, most of which were owned by the HCA Healthcare system, which had 43 trauma centers and a median (IQR) tier 1 trauma activation fee of $29 999 ($20 196-$37 589). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, trauma activation fees varied widely among hospitals in the US. Regional variation in these fees was substantial, with hospitals in the West charging substantially more than those in other locations. In addition, for-profit hospitals charged more than other types of hospitals. These findings suggest that some patients with serious traumatic injuries will incur disproportionately high trauma activation fees depending on the trauma center to which they are brought. Therefore, standardization of trauma activation fees is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Zitek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, Miami
| | - Kristina Pagano
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, Miami
| | - Oren J. Mechanic
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, Miami
| | - David A. Farcy
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, Miami
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20
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Reynolds T, Koganti D. Is your face worth it? The cost of transfer for isolated facial fractures: A commentary on "Isolated facial fractures transferred for higher level of care". Am J Surg 2023; 225:26-27. [PMID: 36273941 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Reynolds
- Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Deepika Koganti
- Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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21
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Lupton JR, Davis‐O'Reilly C, Jungbauer RM, Newgard CD, Fallat ME, Brown JB, Mann NC, Jurkovich GJ, Bulger E, Gestring ML, Lerner EB, Chou R, Totten AM. Mechanism of injury and special considerations as predictive of serious injury: A systematic review. Acad Emerg Med 2022; 29:1106-1117. [PMID: 35319149 PMCID: PMC9545392 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's field triage guidelines (FTG) are routinely used by emergency medical services personnel for triaging injured patients. The most recent (2011) FTG contains physiologic, anatomic, mechanism, and special consideration steps. Our objective was to systematically review the criteria in the mechanism and special consideration steps that might be predictive of serious injury or need for a trauma center. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of the predictive utility of mechanism and special consideration criteria for predicting serious injury. A research librarian searched in Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases for studies published between January 2011 and February 2021. Eligible studies were identified using a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were excluded if they lacked an outcome for serious injury, such as measures of resource use, injury severity scores, mortality, or composite measures using a combination of outcomes. Given the heterogeneity in populations, measures, and outcomes, results were synthesized qualitatively focusing on positive likelihood ratios (LR+) whenever these could be calculated from presented data or adjusted odds ratios (aOR). RESULTS We reviewed 2418 abstracts and 315 full-text publications and identified 42 relevant studies. The factors most predictive of serious injury across multiple studies were death in the same vehicle (LR+ 2.2-7.4), ejection (aOR 3.2-266.2), extrication (LR+ 1.1-6.6), lack of seat belt use (aOR 4.4-11.3), high speeds (aOR 2.0-2.9), concerning crash variables identified by vehicle telemetry systems (LR+ 4.7-22.2), falls from height (LR+ 2.4-5.9), and axial load or diving (aOR 2.5-17.6). Minor or inconsistent predictors of serious injury were vehicle intrusion (LR+ 0.8-7.2), cardiopulmonary or neurologic comorbidities (LR+ 0.8-3.1), older age (LR+ 0.6-6.8), or anticoagulant use (LR+ 1.1-1.8). CONCLUSIONS Select mechanism and special consideration criteria contribute positively to appropriate field triage of potentially injured patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R. Lupton
- Department of Emergency MedicineOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Cynthia Davis‐O'Reilly
- Pacific Northwest Evidence‐based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical EpidemiologyOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Rebecca M. Jungbauer
- Pacific Northwest Evidence‐based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical EpidemiologyOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Craig D. Newgard
- Department of Emergency MedicineOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Mary E. Fallat
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Louisville School of MedicineLouisvilleKentuckyUSA
| | - Joshua B. Brown
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - N. Clay Mann
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | | | - Eileen Bulger
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Mark L. Gestring
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - E. Brooke Lerner
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNew YorkUSA
| | - Roger Chou
- Pacific Northwest Evidence‐based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical EpidemiologyOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Annette M. Totten
- Pacific Northwest Evidence‐based Practice Center, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical EpidemiologyOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
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22
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Evans CS, Hart K, Self WH, Nikpay S, Thompson CM, Ward MJ. Burn related injuries: a nationwide analysis of adult inter-facility transfers over a six-year period in the United States. BMC Emerg Med 2022; 22:147. [PMID: 35974305 PMCID: PMC9380358 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-022-00705-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background US emergency department (ED) visits for burns and factors associated with inter-facility transfer are unknown and described in this manuscript. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of burn-related injuries from 2009–2014 using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), the largest sample of all-payer datasets. We included all ED visits by adults with a burn related ICD-9 code and used a weighted multivariable logistic regression model to predict transfer adjusting for covariates. Results Between 2009–2014, 3,047,701 (0.4%) ED visits were for burn related injuries. A total of 108,583 (3.6%) burn visits resulted in inter-facility transfers occurred during the study period, representing approximately 18,097 inter-facility transfers per year. Burns with greater than 10% total body surface area (TBSA) resulted in a 10-fold increase in the probability of transfer, compared to burn visits with less than 10% TBSA burns. In the multivariable model, male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.4, 95% CI 2.3–2.6) was associated with increased odds of transfer. Older adults were more likely to be transferred compared to all other age groups. Odds of transfer were increased for Medicare and self-pay patients (vs. private pay) but there was a significant interaction of sex and payer and the effect of insurance varied by sex. Conclusions In a national sample of ED visits, burn visits were more than twice as likely to have an inter-facility transfer compared to the general ED patient population. Substantial sex differences exist in U.S. EDs that impact the location of care for patients with burn injuries and warrants further investigation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12873-022-00705-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Evans
- Information Services, ECU Health, Greenville, NC, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Kimberly Hart
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Wesley H Self
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sayeh Nikpay
- Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Michael J Ward
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. .,VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 1313 21st Ave South; Oxford House 312, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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23
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Hartka T, Glass G, Chernyavskiy P. Evaluation of mechanism of injury criteria for field triage of occupants involved in motor vehicle collisions. TRAFFIC INJURY PREVENTION 2022; 23:S143-S148. [PMID: 35877985 PMCID: PMC9839571 DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2022.2092101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The mechanism of injury (MOI) criteria assist in determining which patients are at high risk of severe injury and would benefit from direct transport to a trauma center. The goal of this study was to determine whether the prognostic performance of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) MOI criteria for motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) has changed during the decade since the guidelines were approved. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the performance of these criteria for different age groups and evaluate potential criteria that are not currently in the guidelines. METHODS Data were obtained from NASS and Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS) for 2000-2009 and 2010-2019. Cases missing injury severity were excluded, and all other missing data were imputed. The outcome of interest was Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥16. The area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from 1,000 bootstrapped samples using national case weights. The AUROC for the existing CDC MOI criteria were compared between the 2 decades. The performance of the criteria was also assessed for different age groups based on accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Potential new criteria were then evaluated when added to the current CDC MOI criteria. RESULTS There were 150,683 (weighted 73,423,189) cases identified for analysis. There was a small but statistically significant improvement in the AUROC of the MOI criteria in the later decade (2010-2019; AUROC = 0.77, 95% CI [0.76-0.78]) compared to the earlier decade (2000-2009; AUROC = 0.75, 95% CI [0.74-0.76]). The accuracy and specificity did not vary with age, but the sensitivity dropped significantly for older adults (0-18 years: 0.62, 19-54 years: 0.59, ≥55 years: 0.37, and ≥65 years: 0.36). The addition of entrapment improved the sensitivity of the existing criteria and was the only potential new criterion to maintain a sensitivity above 0.95. CONCLUSIONS The MOI criteria for MVCs in the current CDC guidelines still perform well even as vehicle design has changed. However, the sensitivity of these criteria for older adults is much lower than for younger occupants. The addition of entrapment improved sensitivity while maintaining high specificity and could be considered as a potential modification to current MOI criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hartka
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - George Glass
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Pavel Chernyavskiy
- Department of Public Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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24
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Hagebusch P, Faul P, Ruckes C, Störmann P, Marzi I, Hoffmann R, Schweigkofler U, Gramlich Y. The predictive value of serum lactate to forecast injury severity in trauma-patients increases taking age into account. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2022:10.1007/s00068-022-02046-2. [PMID: 35852548 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-022-02046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two-tier trauma team activation (TTA)-protocols often fail to safely identify severely injured patients. A possible amendment to existing triage scores could be the measurement of serum lactate. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of the combination of serum lactate and age to predict severe injuries (ISS > 15). METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a single level one trauma center in a 20 months study-period and analyzed every trauma team activation (TTA) due to the mechanism of injury (MOI). Primary endpoint was the correlation between serum lactate (and age) and ISS and mortality. The validity of lactate (LAC) and lactate contingent on age (LAC + AGE) were assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. We used a logistic regression model to predict the probability of an ISS > 15. RESULTS During the study period we included 325 patients, 75 met exclusion criteria. Mean age was 43 years (Min.: 11, Max.: 90, SD: 18.7) with a mean ISS of 8.4 (SD: 8.99). LAC showed a sensitivity of 0.82 with a specificity of 0.62 with an optimal cutoff at 1.72 mmol/l to predict an ISS > 15. The AUC of the ROC for LAC was 0.764 (95% CI: 0.67-0.85). The LAC + AGE model provided a significantly improved predictive value compared to LAC (0.765 vs. 0.828, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The serum lactate concentration is able to predict injury severity. The prognostic value improves significantly taking the patients age into consideration. The combination of serum lactate and age could be a suitable Ad-on to existing two-tier triage protocols to minimize undertriage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV, retrospective cohort study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Hagebusch
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt Am Main gGmbH, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Philipp Faul
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt Am Main gGmbH, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Ruckes
- Interdisciplinary Center Clinical Trials (IZKS), University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Philipp Störmann
- Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital of the Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ingo Marzi
- Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital of the Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Reinhard Hoffmann
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt Am Main gGmbH, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Uwe Schweigkofler
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt Am Main gGmbH, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yves Gramlich
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt Am Main gGmbH, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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25
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Morris R, Karam BS, Zolfaghari EJ, Chen B, Kirsh T, Tourani R, Milia DJ, Napolitano L, de Moya M, Conterato M, Aliferis C, Ma S, Tignanelli C. Need for Emergent Intervention within 6 Hours: A Novel Prediction Model for Hospital Trauma Triage. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2022; 26:556-565. [PMID: 34313534 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2021.1958961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Objective: A tiered trauma team activation system allocates resources proportional to patients' needs based upon injury burden. Previous trauma hospital-triage models are limited to predicting Injury Severity Score which is based on > 10% all-cause in-hospital mortality, rather than need for emergent intervention within 6 hours (NEI-6). Our aim was to develop a novel prediction model for hospital-triage that utilizes criteria available to the EMS provider to predict NEI-6 and the need for a trauma team activation.Methods: A regional trauma quality collaborative was used to identify all trauma patients ≥ 16 years from the American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma verified Level 1 and 2 trauma centers. Logistic regression and random forest were used to construct two predictive models for NEI-6 based on clinically relevant variables. Restricted cubic splines were used to model nonlinear predictors. The accuracy of the prediction model was assessed in terms of discrimination.Results: Using data from 12,624 patients for the training dataset (62.6% male; median age 61 years; median ISS 9) and 9,445 patients for the validation dataset (62.6% male; median age 59 years; median ISS 9), the following significant predictors were selected for the prediction models: age, gender, field GCS, vital signs, intentionality, and mechanism of injury. The final boosted tree model showed an AUC of 0.85 in the validation cohort for predicting NEI-6.Conclusions: The NEI-6 trauma triage prediction model used prehospital metrics to predict need for highest level of trauma activation. Prehospital prediction of major trauma may reduce undertriage mortality and improve resource utilization.
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26
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Lokerman RD, Waalwijk JF, van der Sluijs R, Houwert RM, Leenen LPH, van Heijl M. Evaluating pre-hospital triage and decision-making in patients who died within 30 days post-trauma: A multi-site, multi-center, cohort study. Injury 2022; 53:1699-1706. [PMID: 35317915 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2022.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Evaluating pre-hospital triage and decision-making in patients who died post-trauma is crucial to decrease undertriage and improve future patients' chances of survival. A study that has adequately investigated this is currently lacking. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate pre-hospital triage and decision-making in patients who died within 30 days post-trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS A multi-site, multi-center, cohort study was conducted. Trauma patients who were transported from the scene of injury to a trauma center by ambulance and died within 30 days post-trauma, were included. The main outcome was undertriage, defined as erroneously transporting a severely injured patient (Injury Severity Score ≥ 16) to a lower-level trauma center. RESULTS Between January 2015 and December 2017, 2116 patients were included, of whom 765 (36.2%) were severely injured. A total of 103 of these patients (13.5%) were undertriaged. Undertriaged patients were often elderly with a severe head and/or thoracic injury as a result of a minor fall (< 2 m). A majority of the undertriaged patients were triaged without assistance of a specialized physician (100 [97.1%]), did not meet field triage criteria for level-I trauma care (81 [78.6%]), and could have been transported to the nearest level-I trauma center within 45 min (93 [90.3%]). CONCLUSION Approximately 14% of the severely injured patients who died within 30 days were undertriaged and could have benefited from treatment at a level-I trauma center (i.e., specialized trauma care). Improvement of pre-hospital triage is needed to potentially increase future patients' chances of survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin D Lokerman
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Job F Waalwijk
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Rogier van der Sluijs
- Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Roderick M Houwert
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Trauma Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luke P H Leenen
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Trauma Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark van Heijl
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Trauma Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht/Zeist/Doorn, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Evans LL, Jensen AR, Meert KL, VanBuren JM, Richards R, Alvey JS, Carcillo JA, McQuillen PS, Mourani PM, Nance ML, Holubkov R, Pollack MM, Burd RS. All body region injuries are not equal: Differences in pediatric discharge functional status based on Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) body regions and severity scores. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:739-746. [PMID: 35090715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Functional outcomes have been proposed for assessing quality of pediatric trauma care. Outcomes assessments often rely on Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) severity scores to adjust for injury characteristics, but the relationship between AIS severity and functional impairment is unknown. This study's primary aim was to quantify functional impairment associated with increasing AIS severity scores within body regions. The secondary aim was to assess differences in impairment between body regions based on AIS severity. METHODS Children with serious (AIS≥ 3) isolated body region injuries enrolled in a multicenter prospective study were analyzed. The primary outcome was functional status at discharge measured using the Functional Status Scale (FSS). Discharge FSS was compared (1) within each body region across increasing AIS severity scores, and (2) between body regions for injuries with matching AIS scores. RESULTS The study included 266 children, with 16% having abnormal FSS at discharge. Worse FSS was associated with increasing AIS severity only for spine injuries. Abnormal FSS was observed in a greater proportion of head injury patients with a severely impaired initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (GCS< 9) compared to those with a higher GCS score (43% versus 9%; p < 0.01). Patients with AIS 3 extremity and severe head injuries had a higher proportion of abnormal FSS at discharge than AIS 3 abdomen or non-severe head injuries. CONCLUSIONS AIS severity does not account for variability in discharge functional impairment within or between body regions. Benchmarking based on functional status assessment requires clinical factors in addition to AIS severity for appropriate risk adjustment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 (Prognostic and Epidemiological).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Evans
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, 744 52nd Street, 4th Floor OPC2, Oakland CA 94609, United States
| | - Aaron R Jensen
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, 744 52nd Street, 4th Floor OPC2, Oakland CA 94609, United States.
| | - Kathleen L Meert
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - John M VanBuren
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States
| | - Rachel Richards
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States
| | - Jessica S Alvey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States
| | - Joseph A Carcillo
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Patrick S McQuillen
- Department of Pediatrics, Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Peter M Mourani
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Michael L Nance
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Richard Holubkov
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States
| | - Murray M Pollack
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's National Health System and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC 20010, United States
| | - Randall S Burd
- Division of Trauma and Burn Surgery, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, United States
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Hashmi ZG, Gelbard RB. Final destination: Impact of triage decisions on patient mortality. Am J Surg 2022; 224:826-827. [DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Benchmarking performance in emergency medical services for improving trauma care: A data driven approach. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.100882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Neeki MM, Serrano J, Dong F, Chan MH, Fernandez D, Neeki AS, Vara R, Wong DT, Borger R, Tran L. Variation in Trauma Team Response Fees in United States Trauma Centers: An Additional Undisclosed Variable Cost in Trauma Care. Cureus 2022; 14:e21776. [PMID: 35251846 PMCID: PMC8890606 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Pollard D, Fuller G, Goodacre S, van Rein EAJ, Waalwijk JF, van Heijl M. An economic evaluation of triage tools for patients with suspected severe injuries in England. BMC Emerg Med 2022; 22:4. [PMID: 35016621 PMCID: PMC8753918 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-021-00557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many health care systems triage injured patients to major trauma centres (MTCs) or local hospitals by using triage tools and paramedic judgement. Triage tools are typically assessed by whether patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16 go to an MTC and whether patients with an ISS < 16 are sent to their local hospital. There is a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity of triage tools, with the optimal balance being unknown. We conducted an economic evaluation of major trauma triage tools to identify which tool would be considered cost-effective by UK decision makers. METHODS A patient-level, probabilistic, mathematical model of a UK major trauma system was developed. Patients with an ISS ≥ 16 who were only treated at local hospitals had worse outcomes compared to being treated in an MTC. Nine empirically derived triage tools, from a previous study, were examined so we assessed triage tools with realistic trade-offs between triage tool sensitivity and specificity. Lifetime costs, lifetime quality adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for each tool and compared to maximum acceptable ICERs (MAICERs) in England. RESULTS Four tools had ICERs within the normal range of MAICERs used by English decision makers (£20,000 to £30,000 per QALY gained). A low sensitivity (28.4%) and high specificity (88.6%) would be cost-effective at the lower end of this range while higher sensitivity (87.5%) and lower specificity (62.8%) was cost-effective towards the upper end of this range. These results were sensitive to the cost of MTC admissions and whether MTCs had a benefit for patients with an ISS between 9 and 15. CONCLUSIONS The cost-effective triage tool depends on the English decision maker's MAICER for this health problem. In the usual range of MAICERs, cost-effective prehospital trauma triage involves clinically suboptimal sensitivity, with a proportion of seriously injured patients (at least 10%) being initially transported to local hospitals. High sensitivity trauma triage requires development of more accurate decision rules; research to establish if patients with an ISS between 9 and 15 benefit from MTCs; or, inefficient use of health care resources to manage patients with less serious injuries at MTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pollard
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Gordon Fuller
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Steve Goodacre
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Eveline A J van Rein
- Department of Traumatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Job F Waalwijk
- Department of Traumatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mark van Heijl
- Department of Traumatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Hansen J, Rasmussen LS, Steinmetz J. Prehospital triage of trauma patients before and after implementation of a regional triage guideline. Injury 2022; 53:54-60. [PMID: 34711398 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Severely injured trauma patients have a considerable mortality rate. One way to reduce the mortality is to ensure optimal triage. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has since 1986 made guidelines for the triage of trauma patients. These guidelines formed the basis, when the capital region of Denmark implemented a regional trauma triage guideline on February 15th 2016. It is uncertain how the implementation of the regional trauma triage guideline has influenced the triage of trauma patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in admission pattern of trauma patients in the entire region after the implementation of the regional trauma triage guideline. We hypothesized that there would be a reduction in the proportion of trauma patients admitted to the trauma center after the implementation of the regional trauma triage guideline. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this observational cohort study with one-year follow-up, we used a national patient registry in Denmark. We identified trauma patients three years before and three years after the implementation of a new regional trauma triage guideline. The primary outcome was the proportion of trauma patients triaged to the regional trauma center. Secondary outcomes were: 30-day and one-year mortality, overtriage, and undertriage. RESULTS We found a significant reduction in the proportion of trauma patients triaged to the trauma center from 2115/5951 (35.5%) to 1970/5857 (33.6%), after the implementation of the regional trauma triage guideline, the difference being 1.9% (95% CI: 0.19 to 3.6%); P = 0.03. Further, a significant reduction of overtriage from 15.4% to 9.5% (difference 5.9% with 95% CI of 3.8 to 7.9%) was found. No significant changes in undertriage, 30-day or one-year mortality were found (1.07% vs 0.97%, 4.3% vs 4.5%, and 15.7% vs 16.6% respectively). CONCLUSION A significant decrease in the proportion of trauma patients admitted to the trauma center was found after implementation of a new regional trauma triage guideline. A reduction was seen in overtriage, but no changes were found in undertriage and both short-term and long-term mortality remained unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Hansen
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Centre, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, Section 6011, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.
| | - Lars Simon Rasmussen
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Centre, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, Section 6011, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob Steinmetz
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Centre, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, Section 6011, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark; The Danish Air Ambulance, Aarhus, Denmark
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Secondary overtriage in a pediatric level one trauma center. J Pediatr Surg 2021; 56:2337-2341. [PMID: 33972088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.03.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have explored under- and overtriage, and the means by which to optimize these rates. Few have examined secondary overtriage (SO), or the unnecessary transfer of minimally injured patients to higher level trauma centers. We sought to determine the incidence and impact of SO in our pediatric level one trauma center. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of all trauma activations at our institution from 2015 through 2017. SO was defined as transferred patients who required neither PICU admission nor an operation, with ISS ≤ 9 and LOS ≤ 24 h. We compared SO patients against all trauma activation transfers, and against similar non-transferred patients. RESULTS We identified 1789 trauma activations, including 766 (42.8%) transfers. Of the transfers, 335 (43.7%) met criteria for SO. Compared to other transfers, SO patients had a shorter mean travel distance (52.9 v 58.1 mi; p = 0.02). Compared to similar patients transported from the trauma scene, SO patients were more likely to be admitted (52.2% v 29.2%; p < 0.001), with longer inpatient stay and greater hospital charges. CONCLUSIONS SO represents an underrecognized burden to trauma centers which could be minimized to improve resource allocation. Future research should evaluate trauma activation criteria for transferred pediatric patients.
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Elevated serum lactate levels and age are associated with an increased risk for severe injury in trauma team activation due to trauma mechanism. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2021; 48:2717-2723. [PMID: 34734311 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-021-01811-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The identification of risk factors for severe injury is crucial in trauma triage and trauma team activation (TTA) depends on a sufficient triage. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not elevated serum lactate levels and age are risk factors for severe injury in TTA due to trauma mechanism. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a single level one trauma center between September 2019 and May 2021 and analysed every TTA due to trauma mechanism. Primary endpoint of interest was the association of serum lactate as well as age with injury severity assessed by the injury severity score (ISS). RESULTS During the study period, we included 250 patients. Mean age was 43.3 years (Min.: 11, Max.: 90, SD: 18.7) and the initial lactate level was 1.7 mmol/L (SD: 0.95) with a mean ISS of 8.4 (SD: 8.99). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for age > 65 being associated with an ISS > 16 is 9.7 (p < 0.001; 95% CI 4.01-25.58) and for lactate > 2.2 mmol/L being associated with an ISS > 16 is 6.29 (p < 0.001; 95% CI 2.93-13.48). A lactate level of > 4 mmol/L results in a 36-fold higher risk of severe injury with an ISS > 16 (OR 36.06; 95% CI 4-324.29). CONCLUSION This study identifies age (> 65) and lactate (> 2.2 mmol/L) as independent risk factors for severe injury in a TTA due to trauma mechanism. Existing triage protocols might benefit from congruous amendments.
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Bryant MK, Portelli Tremont JN, Patel Z, Cook N, Udekwu P, Reid T, Maine RG, Moore SM. "Low initial pre-hospital end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts inferior clinical outcomes in trauma patients". Injury 2021; 52:2502-2507. [PMID: 34289938 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Current guidelines continue to lead to under- and over-triage of injured patients in the pre-hospital setting. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) has been correlated with mortality and hemorrhagic shock in trauma patients. This study examines the correlation between ETCO2 and in-hospital outcomes among non-intubated patients in the pre-hospital setting. METHODS We retrospectively studied a cohort of non-intubated adult trauma patients with initial pre-hospital side-stream capnography-obtained ETCO2 presenting via ground transport from a single North Carolina EMS agency to a level one trauma center from January 2018 to December 2018. Using the Liu method, the optimal threshold for low ETCO2 was ≤ 28.5 mmHg. RESULTS Initial pre-hospital ETCO2 was recorded for 324 (22.0%) of 1473 patients with EMS data. Patients with low ETCO2 (N = 98, 30.3% of cohort) were older (median 58y vs 45y), but mechanisms of injury and scene vital signs were similar (p>0.05) between low and normal/high ETCO2 cohorts. Median injury severity score (ISS) did not differ significantly between the low and normal/high ETCO2 groups (5 vs 8, p=0.48). Compared to normal/high ETCO2, low ETCO2 correlated with increased unadjusted odds of mortality (OR 5.06), in-hospital complications (OR 2.06), and blood transfusion requirement (OR 3.05), p<0.05. Low ETCO2 was associated with 7.25 odds of mortality (95% CI 2.19,23.97, p=0.001) and 3.94 odds of blood transfusion (95% CI 1.32-11.78) after adjusting for age, ISS, and scene GCS. All but one of the massive transfusion patients (N = 8/9) had a low pre-hospital ETCO2. CONCLUSIONS Low initial pre-hospital ETCO2 associates with poor clinical outcomes despite similar ISS and mechanisms of injury. ETCO2 is a potentially useful pre-hospital point-of-care tool to aid triage of trauma patients as it may identify hemorrhaging patients and predict mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate Bryant
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Jaclyn N Portelli Tremont
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Zachary Patel
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Nicole Cook
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Pascal Udekwu
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Trista Reid
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Rebecca G Maine
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, 3024 New Bern Ave, Andrews Center, Suite 302, Seattle 27610, WA, USA.
| | - Scott M Moore
- Department of General Surgery & Trauma, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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Pontell M, Mount D, Steinberg JP, Mackay D, Golinko M, Drolet BC. Interfacility Transfers for Isolated Craniomaxillofacial Trauma: Perspectives of the Facial Trauma Surgeon. Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr 2021; 14:201-208. [PMID: 34471476 PMCID: PMC8385630 DOI: 10.1177/1943387520962276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Secondary overtriage is a burden to the medical system. Unnecessary transfers overload trauma centers, occupy emergency transfer resources, and delay definitive patient care. Craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma, especially in isolation, is a frequent culprit. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess the perspectives of facial trauma surgeons regarding the interfacility transfer of patients with isolated CMF trauma. METHODS A 31-item survey was developed using Likert-type scale and open-ended response systems. Internal consistency testing among facial trauma surgeons yielded a Cronbach's α calculation of .75. The survey was distributed anonymously to the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the North American Division of AO Craniomaxillofacial, and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Statistical significance in response plurality was determined by nonoverlapping 99.9% confidence intervals (P < .001). Sum totals were reported as means with standard deviations and z scores with P values of less than .05 considered significant. RESULTS The survey yielded 196 responses. Seventy-seven percent of respondents did not believe that most isolated CMF transfers required emergency surgery and roughly half (49%) thought that most emergency transfers were unnecessary. Fifty-four percent of respondents agreed that most patients transferred could have been referred for outpatient management and 87% thought that transfer guidelines could help decrease unnecessary transfers. Twenty-seven percent of respondents had no pre-transfer communication with the referring facility. Perspectives on the transfer of specific fracture patterns and their presentations were also collected. CONCLUSION Most facial trauma surgeons in this study believe that emergent transfer for isolated CMF trauma is frequently unnecessary. Such injuries rarely require emergent surgery and can frequently be managed in the outpatient setting without activating emergency transfer services. The fracture-specific data collected are a representation of the national, multidisciplinary opinion of facial trauma surgeons and correlate with previously published data on which specific types of facial fractures are most often transferred unnecessarily. The results of this study can serve as the foundation for interfacility transfer guidelines, which may provide a valuable resource in triaging transfers and decreasing associated health-care costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Pontell
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Delora Mount
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jordan P. Steinberg
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Donald Mackay
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Michael Golinko
- Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Division of Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery, Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brian C. Drolet
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Department of Medical Bioinformatics, Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Diaz J, Rooney A, Calvo RY, Benham DA, Carr M, Badiee J, Sise CB, Sise MJ, Bansal V, Martin MJ. Isolated Intracranial Hemorrhage in Elderly Patients With Pre-Injury Anticoagulation: Is Full Trauma Team Activation Necessary? J Surg Res 2021; 268:491-497. [PMID: 34438190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a highly morbid injury, particularly among elderly patients on preinjury anticoagulants (AC). Many trauma centers initiate full trauma team activation (FTTA) for these high-risk patients. We sought to determine if FTTA was superior compared with those who were evaluated as a trauma consultation (CON). METHODS Patients aged ≥55 on preinjury AC who presented from January 2015 to December 2019 with blunt isolated head injury (non-head AIS ≤2) and confirmed ICH were identified. CON patients and FTTA patients were matched by age and head AIS. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess patient and injury characteristics with mortality and survivor discharge disposition. REASULTS There were 45 CON patients and 45 FTTA patients. Mean age was 80 years in both groups. Fall was the most common mechanism (98% CON vs. 92% FTTA). Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was lower in FTTA (14 vs. 15, p<0.01). CON had a significantly longer time from arrival to CT scan (1.3 vs. 0.4 hrs, p<0.01). Hospital days were similar (CON: 3.9 vs. FTTA: 3.7 days). However, CON had increased ventilator use (p=0.03). Lower admission GCS was the only factor associated with increased risk of death. Among survivors, only head AIS increased the risk of discharge to a level of care higher than that of preinjury (p=0.01). CONCLUSION There was no difference in mortality or adverse discharge disposition between FTTA and CON, although FTTA was associated with a more rapid evaluation and diagnosis. Any alteration in GCS was strongly associated with mortality and should prompt evaluation by FTTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Diaz
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | | | - Richard Y Calvo
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - Derek A Benham
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - Matthew Carr
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - Jayraan Badiee
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - C Beth Sise
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - Michael J Sise
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
| | - Vishal Bansal
- Trauma Service, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California
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Nishijima DK, Yang Z, Newgard CD. Cost-effectiveness of field trauma triage among injured children transported by emergency medical services. Am J Emerg Med 2021; 50:492-500. [PMID: 34536721 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A pediatric field triage strategy that meets the national policy benchmark of ≥95% sensitivity would likely improve health outcomes but increase heath care costs. Our objective was to compare the cost-effectiveness of current pediatric field triage practices to an alternative field triage strategy that meets the national policy benchmark of ≥95% sensitivity. STUDY DESIGN We developed a decision-analysis Markov model to compare the outcomes and costs of the two strategies. We used a prospectively collected cohort of 3507 (probability weighted, unweighted n = 2832) injured children transported by 44 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to 28 trauma and non-trauma centers in the Northwestern United States from 1/1/2011 to 12/31/2011 to derive the alternative field triage strategy and to populate model probability and cost inputs for both strategies. We compared the two strategies by calculating quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and health care costs over a time horizon from the time of injury until death. We set an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio threshold of less than $100,000 per QALY for the alternative field triage to be a cost-effective strategy. RESULTS Current pediatric field triage practices had a sensitivity of 87.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.9 to 95.0%) and a specificity of 82.3% (95% CI 81.0 to 83.5%) and the alternative field triage strategy had a sensitivity of 97.3% (95% CI 82.6 to 99.6%) and a specificity of 46.1% (95% CI 43.8 to 48.4%). The alternative field triage strategy would cost $476,396 per QALY gained compared to current pediatric field triage practices and thus would not be a cost-effective strategy. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated similar findings. CONCLUSION Current field triage practices do not meet national policy benchmarks for sensitivity. However, an alternative field triage strategy that meets the national policy benchmark of ≥95% sensitivity is not a cost-effective strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Nishijima
- Department of Emergency Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States of America.
| | - Zhuo Yang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Craig D Newgard
- Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
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Hasler RM, Rauer T, Pape HC, Zwahlen M. Inter-hospital transfer of polytrauma and severe traumatic brain injury patients: Retrospective nationwide cohort study using data from the Swiss Trauma Register. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253504. [PMID: 34143842 PMCID: PMC8213144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Polytrauma and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients are among the most vulnerable patients in trauma care and exhibit increased morbidity and mortality. Timely care is essential for their outcome. Severe TBI with initially high scores on the Glasgow Coma (GCS) scores is difficult to recognise on scene and referral to a Major Trauma Center (MTC) might be delayed. Therefore, we examined current referral practice, injury patterns and mortality in these patients. Materials and methods Retrospective, nationwide cohort study with Swiss Trauma Register (STR) data between 01/012015 and 31/12/2018. STR includes patients ≥16 years with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15 and/or an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) for head >2. We performed Cox proportional hazard models with injury type as the primary outcome and mortality as the dependent variable. Secondary outcomes were inter-hospital transfer and age. Results 9,595 patients were included. Mortality was 12%. 2,800 patients suffered from isolated TBI. 69% were men. Median age was 61 years and median ISS 21. Two thirds of TBI patients had a GCS of 13–15 on admission to the Emergency Department (ED). 26% of patients were secondarily transferred to an MTC. Patients with isolated TBI and those aged ≥65 years were transferred more often. Crude analysis showed a significantly elevated hazard for death of 1.48 (95%CI 1.28–1.70) for polytrauma patients with severe TBI and a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.82 (95%CI 1.58–2.09) for isolated severe TBI, compared to polytrauma patients without TBI. Patients directly admitted to the MTC had a significantly elevated HR for death of 1.63 (95%CI 1.40–1.89), compared to those with secondary transfer. Conclusions A high initial GCS does not exclude the presence of severe TBI and triage to an MTC should be seriously considered for elderly TBI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Hasler
- Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), Bern University, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Thomas Rauer
- Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Marcel Zwahlen
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), Bern University, Bern, Switzerland
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Deeb AP, Phelos HM, Peitzman AB, Billiar TR, Sperry JL, Brown JB. Making the call in the field: Validating emergency medical services identification of anatomic trauma triage criteria. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2021; 90:967-972. [PMID: 34016920 PMCID: PMC8243859 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0000000000003168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The National Field Triage Guidelines were created to inform triage decisions by emergency medical services (EMS) providers and include eight anatomic injuries that prompt transportation to a Level I/II trauma center. It is unclear how accurately EMS providers recognize these injuries. Our objective was to compare EMS-identified anatomic triage criteria with International Classification of Diseases-10th revision (ICD-10) coding of these criteria, as well as their association with trauma center need (TCN). METHODS Scene patients 16 years and older in the NTDB during 2017 were included. National Field Triage Guidelines anatomic criteria were classified based on EMS documentation and ICD-10 diagnosis codes. The primary outcome was TCN, a composite of Injury Severity Score greater than 15, intensive care unit admission, urgent surgery, or emergency department death. Prevalence of anatomic criteria and their association with TCN was compared in EMS-identified versus ICD-10-coded criteria. Diagnostic performance to predict TCN was compared. RESULTS There were 669,795 patients analyzed. The ICD-10 coding demonstrated a greater prevalence of injury detection. Emergency medical service-identified versus ICD-10-coded anatomic criteria were less sensitive (31% vs. 59%), but more specific (91% vs. 73%) and accurate (71% vs. 68%) for predicting TCN. Emergency medical service providers demonstrated a marked reduction in false positives (9% vs. 27%) but higher rates of false negatives (69% vs. 42%) in predicting TCN from anatomic criteria. Odds of TCN were significantly greater for EMS-identified criteria (adjusted odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 4.46-4.58) versus ICD-10 coding (adjusted odds ratio 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 3.71-3.79). Of EMS-identified injuries, penetrating injury, flail chest, and two or more proximal long bone fractures were associated with greater TCN than ICD-10 coding. CONCLUSION When evaluating the anatomic criteria, EMS demonstrate greater specificity and accuracy in predicting TCN, as well as reduced false positives compared with ICD-10 coding. Emergency medical services identification is less sensitive for anatomic criteria; however, EMS identify the most clinically significant injuries. Further study is warranted to identify the most clinically important anatomic triage criteria to improve our triage protocols. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Care management, Level IV; Prognostic, Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew-Paul Deeb
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Heather M. Phelos
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Andrew B. Peitzman
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Timothy R. Billiar
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Jason L. Sperry
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Joshua B. Brown
- Division of Trauma and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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Morris RS, Karam BS, Murphy PB, Jenkins P, Milia DJ, Hemmila MR, Haines KL, Puzio TJ, de Moya MA, Tignanelli CJ. Field-Triage, Hospital-Triage and Triage-Assessment: A Literature Review of the Current Phases of Adult Trauma Triage. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2021; 90:e138-e145. [PMID: 33605709 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0000000000003125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Despite major improvements in the United States trauma system over the past two decades, prehospital trauma triage is a significant challenge. Undertriage is associated with increased mortality, and overtriage results in significant resource overuse. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma benchmarks for undertriage and overtriage are not being met. Many barriers to appropriate field triage exist, including lack of a formal definition for major trauma, absence of a simple and widely applicable triage mode, and emergency medical service adherence to triage protocols. Modern trauma triage systems should ideally be based on the need for intervention rather than injury severity. Future studies should focus on identifying the ideal definition for major trauma and creating triage models that can be easily deployed. This narrative review article presents challenges and potential solutions for prehospital trauma triage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel S Morris
- From the Department of Surgery (R.M., B.S.K., P.M., D.M., M.d.M.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Department of Surgery (P.J.), Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Surgery (M.H.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Surgery (K.H.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Surgery (T.P.), University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas; Department of Surgery (C.T.), and Institute for Health Informatics (C.T.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and Department of Surgery (C.T.), North Memorial Health Hospital, Robbinsdale, Minnesota
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Waalwijk JF, Lokerman RD, van der Sluijs R, Fiddelers AAA, Leenen LPH, van Heijl M, Poeze M. Priority accuracy by dispatch centers and Emergency Medical Services professionals in trauma patients: a cohort study. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2021; 48:1111-1120. [PMID: 34019106 PMCID: PMC9001562 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-021-01685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Priority-setting by dispatch centers and Emergency Medical Services professionals has a major impact on pre-hospital triage and times of trauma patients. Patients requiring specialized care benefit from expedited transport to higher-level trauma centers, while transportation of these patients to lower-level trauma centers is associated with higher mortality rates. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of priority-setting by dispatch centers and Emergency Medical Services professionals. Methods This observational study included trauma patients transported from the scene of injury to a trauma center. Priority-setting was evaluated in terms of the proportion of patients requiring specialized trauma care assigned with the highest priority (i.e., sensitivity), undertriage, and overtriage. Patients in need of specialized care were defined by a composite resource-based endpoint. An Injury Severity Score ≥ 16 served as a secondary reference standard. Results Between January 2015 and December 2017, records of 114,459 trauma patients were collected, of which 3327 (2.9%) patients were in need of specialized care according to the primary reference standard. Dispatch centers and Emergency Medical Services professionals assigned 83.8% and 74.5% of these patients with the highest priority, respectively. Undertriage rates ranged between 22.7 and 65.5% in the different prioritization subgroups. There were differences between dispatch and transport priorities in 17.7% of the patients. Conclusion The majority of patients that required specialized care were assigned with the highest priority by the dispatch centers and Emergency Medical Services professionals. Highly accurate priority criteria could improve the quality of pre-hospital triage. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00068-021-01685-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Job F Waalwijk
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Network Acute Care Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Robin D Lokerman
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Audrey A A Fiddelers
- Network Acute Care Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Luke P H Leenen
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark van Heijl
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Surgery, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht/Zeist/Doorn, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Poeze
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Network Acute Care Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Perea LL, Morgan ME, Bradburn EH, Bresz KE, Rogers AT, Gaines BA, Cook AD, Rogers FB. An Evaluation of Pediatric Secondary Overtriage in the Pennsylvania Trauma System. J Surg Res 2021; 264:368-374. [PMID: 33848835 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We sought to determine the secondary overtriage rate of pediatric trauma patients admitted to pediatric trauma centers. We hypothesized that pediatric secondary overtriage (POT) would constitute a large percentage of admissions to PTC. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database was retrospectively queried from 2003 to 2017 for pediatric (age ≤ 18 y) trauma patients transferred to accredited pediatric trauma centers in Pennsylvania (n = 6). Patients were stratified based on discharge within (early) and beyond (late) 24 h following admission. POT was defined as patients transferred to a PTC with an early discharge. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model controlling for demographic and injury severity covariates were utilized to determine the adjusted impact of injury patterns on early discharge. RESULTS A total of 37,653 patients met inclusion criteria. For transfers, POT compromised 18,752 (49.8%) patients. Compared to POT, non-POT were more severely injured (ISS: 10 versus 6;P < 0.001) and spent less time in the ED (Min: 181 versus 207;P < 0.001). In adjusted analysis, concussion, closed skull vault fractures, supracondylar humerus fractures, and consults to neurosurgery were associated with increased odds of POT. Overall, femur fracture, child abuse evaluation, and consults to plastic surgery, orthopedics, and ophthalmology were all associated with a decreased risk of being POT. CONCLUSIONS POT comprises 49.8% of PTC transfer admissions in Pennsylvania's trauma system. Improving community resources for management of pediatric concussion and mild TBI could result in decreased rates of POT to PTCs. Developing better inter-facility transfer guidelines and increased education of adult TC and nontrauma center hospitals is needed to decrease POT. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic study, level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey L Perea
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
| | - Madison E Morgan
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Eric H Bradburn
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Kellie E Bresz
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Amelia T Rogers
- Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Barbara A Gaines
- Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Alan D Cook
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, UT Health East Texas, Tyler, Texas
| | - Frederick B Rogers
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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Porgo TV, Moore L, Assy C, Neveu X, Gonthier C, Berthelot S, Gabbe BJ, Cameron PA, Bernard F, Turgeon AF. Development and Validation of a Hospital Indicator of Activity-Based Costs for Injury Admissions. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2021; 24:530-538. [PMID: 33840431 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a hospital indicator of resource use for injury admissions. METHODS We focused on resource use for acute injury care and therefore adopted a hospital perspective. We included patients ≥16 years old with an Injury Severity Score >9 admitted to any of the 57 trauma centers of an inclusive Canadian trauma system from 2014 to 2018. We extracted data from the trauma registry and hospital financial reports and estimated resource use with activity-based costing. We developed risk-adjustment models by trauma center designation level (I/II and III/IV) for the whole sample, traumatic brain injuries, thoraco-abdominal injuries, orthopedic injuries, and patients ≥65 years old. Candidate variables were selected using bootstrap resampling. We performed benchmarking by comparing the adjusted mean cost in each center, obtained using shrinkage estimates, to the provincial mean. RESULTS We included 38 713 patients. The models explained between 12% and 36% (optimism-corrected r2) of the variation in resource use. In the whole sample and in all subgroups, we identified centers with higher- or lower-than-expected resource use across level I/II and III/IV centers. CONCLUSIONS We propose an algorithm to produce the indicator using data routinely collected in trauma registries to prompt targeted exploration of potential areas for improvement in resource use for injury admissions. The r2 of our models suggest that between 64% and 88% of the variation in resource use for injury care is dictated by factors other than patient baseline risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teegwendé V Porgo
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Lynne Moore
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
| | - Coralie Assy
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Xavier Neveu
- Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Catherine Gonthier
- Unité d'évaluation en traumatologie et en soins critiques, Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), Québec, Canada
| | - Simon Berthelot
- Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Belinda J Gabbe
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter A Cameron
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Francis Bernard
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexis F Turgeon
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé (Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit), Traumatologie - Urgence - Soins intensifs (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus), Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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Abback PS, Brouns K, Moyer JD, Holleville M, Hego C, Jeantrelle C, Bout H, Rennuit I, Foucrier A, Codorniu A, Jurcisin I, Paugam-Burtz C, Gauss T. ISS is not an appropriate tool to estimate overtriage. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2021; 48:1061-1068. [PMID: 33725158 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-021-01637-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this work is to study a cohort of patients of ISS < 15 admitted to a TC, and to determine the number of patients that ultimately benefited from the skills and resources specific of a level 1 trauma center. METHODS Retrospective study from a prospective cohort of patients admitted to TC (Beaujon Hospital, APHP) for suspected severe trauma from January 2011 to December 2017. The main outcome criterion was the use of surgery or interventional radiology within the first 24 h after admission of patients with ISS < 15. The secondary outcomes were stratified into severe (mortality, resuscitation care, length of stay in intensive care units) and non-severe criteria (mild head injury, hospital discharge or transfer within 24 h). RESULTS Of 3035 patients admitted during the study period, 1409 with an ISS < 15 were included, corresponding to a theoretical overtriage rate of 46.4%. Among these, 611 patients (43.4%) underwent emergency intervention within the first 24 h (586 surgical interventions, 19 direct transfers to the operating theater and 6 acts of interventional radiology), 238 (16.9%) of patients presented with severe and 531 (38%) with non-severe outcome criteria. CONCLUSION This work demonstrates that in a cohort of patients classified as ISS < 15 admitted to a TC, a considerable amount of TC-specific resources are required, and patients present with severe outcome criteria despite being classified as overtriaged. These results suggest that triage of trauma patients should be based on resource use and clinical outcome rather than anatomic criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paër-Sélim Abback
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France.
| | - Kelly Brouns
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Robert-Debré University Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Denis Moyer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Holleville
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Camille Hego
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Jeantrelle
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Bout
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Rennuit
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Foucrier
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Codorniu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Igor Jurcisin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Paugam-Burtz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Tobias Gauss
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Beaujon Hospital, DMU Parabol, AP-HP.Nord, Paris, France
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Evaluation der Aufnahmekriterien von Patienten nach Verkehrsunfall in den Schockraum. Notf Rett Med 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10049-020-00695-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Die aktuelle S3-Leitlinie Polytrauma/Schwerverletzten-Behandlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie (DGU) empfiehlt bei einem Pkw-Unfall mit einer Geschwindigkeitsveränderung von delta >30 km/h die Versorgung in einem Schockraum ohne Berücksichtigung der Verletzungen des Patienten. Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen, ob Patienten, die ausschließlich aufgrund dieses Kriteriums über einen Schockraum aufgenommen wurden, relevante Verletzungen aufwiesen, die intensivmedizinische Behandlungen oder (Not‑)Operationen benötigten.
Methode
Nach einem Pkw-Unfall wurden Patienten ohne spezifische Verletzung, bei denen ausschließlich eine Geschwindigkeitsveränderung von delta >30 km/h vorlag (Empfehlungsgrad B der S3-Leitlinie), der Studiengruppe, Patienten mit Verletzungen gem. Empfehlungsgrad A der Leitlinie der Vergleichsgruppe zugeordnet. Ein schockraumrelevantes Trauma wurde als Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥16, operative Versorgung innerhalb 24 h, intensivmedizinische Überwachung >24 h, Versterben während des Krankenhausaufenthalts sowie DGU-Basiskollektiv (MAIS3+ oder MAIS2 mit Intensivverweildauer >24 h bzw. Versterben während des Krankenhausaufenthalts) definiert.
Ergebnisse
Der Vergleich zeigte einen hochsignifikanten Unterschied in Bezug auf den mittleren ISS (p ≤ 0,001), ein schockraumrelevantes Trauma (ISS ≥16; p ≤ 0,001), eine intensivmedizinische Versorgung >24 h (p ≤ 0,001), Operation innerhalb von 24 h nach Krankenhausaufnahme (p ≤ 0,001), Letalität (p ≤ 0,001) sowie DGU-Basiskollektiv (p ≤ 0,001). Anhand dieser Ergebnisse konnte gezeigt werden, dass innerhalb der Studiengruppe (Geschwindigkeitsveränderung von delta >30 km/h; Empfehlungsgrad B der S3-Leitlinie) lediglich ein Patient eine Traumafolge aufwies, die eine intensivmedizinische Behandlung >24 h oder eine Operation nötig machte. Studien- und Vergleichsgruppen waren in Bezug auf das mittlere Alter (p = 1,778), das männliche Geschlecht (p = 0,1728) sowie die durchschnittliche Unfallgeschwindigkeit (p = 0,4606) vergleichbar.
Diskussion
Ein alleiniges Vorliegen eines Pkw-Unfalls mit einer Geschwindigkeitsveränderung von delta >30 km/h kann nicht als adäquater Prädiktor für ein schockraumrelevantes Trauma gesehen werden. Weitere Studien könnten durch eine Leitlinienanpassung eine weiterhin sichere und hochwertige Patientenversorgung bei Reduktion von personellen und finanziellen Belastungen ermöglichen.
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Beeharry MW, Moqeem K. The London Major Trauma Network System: A Literature Review. Cureus 2020; 12:e12000. [PMID: 33324530 PMCID: PMC7732139 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.12000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and is a major global public health problem. The provision of trauma care has been substandard in England and Wales prior to the implementation of an inclusive major trauma network system in London in 2010 and subsequently across the rest of England two years later. The implementation of the London trauma system has brought about improvements to the delivery of trauma care by decreasing the overall morbidity and mortality significantly. This framework encompasses the collaboration of emergency services, designated Major Trauma Centres (MTCs), Trauma Units (TUs) and community providers which have been optimized with the expertise and resources to provide the best outcomes for major trauma patients. Specific triage protocols, consultant-led trauma service and on-the-spot access to radiology services and operating theatres have played a pivotal role in the improvement of trauma care. In spite of several strengths, however, the London major trauma network system is by no means without its limitations. The emergence of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created major barriers to the smooth running of trauma services by exhausting resources due to infection control measures, reduced theatre space and re-deployment of medical staffs. In addition, the cancellation of elective surgeries has impacted directly on the training of surgical trainees by leaving them with significantly reduced surgical exposure. As a results of this ever changing surgical landscape, a need to urgently review these traditional surgical training methods with a view to modernize the curriculum. Although the London trauma system has evolved significantly since its implementation, its limitations should be recognized and addressed to enhance performance and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Komal Moqeem
- Internal Medicine, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, GBR
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Tan JCL, Ang PH, Chong SL, Lee KP, Ong GYK, Zakaria NDB, Pek JH. Differences in Utilisation of the General and Paediatric Emergency Departments by Paediatric Patients. ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, SINGAPORE 2020; 49:948-954. [PMID: 33463652 DOI: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2020327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Paediatric patients presenting to the general emergency departments (EDs) differ from those presenting to paediatric EDs. General EDs vary in preparedness to manage paediatric patients, which may affect delivery of emergency care with varying clinical outcomes. We aimed to elucidate the differences in utilisation patterns of paediatric and general EDs by paediatric patients. METHODS This study was conducted in a public healthcare cluster in Singapore consisting of 4 hospitals. A retrospective review of the medical records of paediatric patients, defined as age younger than 16 years old, who attended the EDs from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018, was performed. Data were collected using a standardised form and analysed. RESULTS Of the 704,582 attendances, 686,546 (97.4%) were seen at the paediatric ED. General EDs saw greater number of paediatric patients in the emergent (P1) category (921 [5.1%] versus 14,829 [2.2%]; P<0.01) and those with trauma-related presentations (6,669 [37.0%] vs 108,822 [15.9%]; P<0.01). The mortality of paediatric patients was low overall but significantly higher in general EDs (39 [0.2%] vs 32 [0.005%]; P<0.01). Seizure, asthma/bronchitis/bronchiolitis, allergic reaction, cardiac arrest and burns were the top 5 diagnoses that accounted for 517 (56.1%) of all emergent (P1) cases seen at general EDs. CONCLUSION General EDs need to build their capabilities and enhance their preparedness according to the paediatric population they serve so that optimal paediatric emergency care can be delivered, especially for critically ill patients who are most in need of life-saving and timely treatment.
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Edwards KH, FitzGerald G, Franklin RC, Edwards MT. Measuring More than Mortality: A scoping review of air ambulance outcome measures in a combined Institutes of Medicine and Donabedian quality framework. Australas Emerg Care 2020; 24:147-159. [PMID: 33246773 DOI: 10.1016/j.auec.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Measuring the performance of air ambulance services are complex and dynamic due to the variability and interconnectedness of emergency systems. The aim of this study is to review the range and nature of air ambulance outcome measures published in peer review articles and construct a quality framework based on the results. A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify outcome measures that evaluate the quality of air ambulance services. Combined frameworks from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and Dr. Avedia Donabedian were used to create a dashboard structure for a framework of air ambulance outcome measures. METHODS A literature search strategy was undertaken, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines and included eight databases over the period 2001-2019. Qualitative content analysis was conducted in 4-phases: 1) table summary of selected article outcome measures, 2) content analysis themes, codes of outcome measures and independent variables 3) narrative description of main themes 4) visual dashboard diagram of service priorities and quality strategies, based on the findings. RESULTS Thirty-four articles were screened by full text and eighteen met the selection criteria. Twenty codes emerged and were grouped to form eight consistent outcome themes; asset/ team type, access to definitive interventions, prehospital factors, mortality, morbidity, responsiveness of service, accessibility of service and patient disposition. CONCLUSIONS A quality framework consisting of eight outcome measures was created, it also identified seven gaps which ordinarily require performance evaluation; patient comfort and satisfaction reporting, cultural awareness training, safety alarms in place to identify volume stress, optimal coordination of resources, cost of service analysis, comprehensive patient journey time and an adaptive referral system analysis. The measures in the framework provide a broad perspective of air ambulance performance we believe will help decision-making and planning to improve patients experience and outcomes.
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Newgard CD, Lin A, Caughey AB, Eckstrom E, Bulger EM, Staudenmayer K, Maughan B, Malveau S, Griffiths D, McConnell KJ. The Cost of a Fall Among Older Adults Requiring Emergency Services. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 69:389-398. [PMID: 33047305 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE The cost of a fall among older adults requiring emergency services is unclear, especially beyond the acute care period. We evaluated medical expenditures (costs) to 1 year among community-dwelling older adults who fell and required ambulance transport, including acute versus post-acute periods, the primary drivers of cost, and comparison to baseline expenditures. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING Forty-four emergency medical services agencies transporting to 51 emergency department in seven northwest counties from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011, with follow-up through December 31, 2012. PARTICIPANTS We included 2,494 community-dwelling adults, 65 years and older, transported by ambulance after a fall with continuous fee-for-service Medicare coverage. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was total Medicare expenditures to 1 year (2019 U.S. dollars), with separation by acute versus post-acute periods and by cost category. We included 48 variables in a standardized risk-adjustment model to generate adjusted cost estimates. RESULTS The median age was 83 years, with 74% female, and 41.9% requiring admission during the index visit. The median total cost of a fall to 1 year was $26,143 (interquartile range (IQR) = $9,634-$68,086), including acute care median $1,957 (IQR = $1,298-$12,924) and post-acute median $20,560 (IQR = $5,673-$58,074). Baseline costs for the previous year were median $8,642 (IQR = $479-$10,948). Costs increased across all categories except outpatient, with the largest increase for inpatient costs (baseline median $0 vs postfall median $9,477). In multivariable analysis, the following were associated with higher costs: high baseline costs, older age, comorbidities, extremity fractures (lower extremity, pelvis, and humerus), noninjury diagnoses, and surgical interventions. Compared with baseline, costs increased for 74.6% of patients, with a median increase of $12,682 (IQR = -$185 to $51,189). CONCLUSION Older adults who fall and require emergency services have increased healthcare expenditures compared with baseline, particularly during the post-acute period. Comorbidities, noninjury medical conditions, fracture type, and surgical interventions were independently associated with increased costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig D Newgard
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Amber Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Aaron B Caughey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Elizabeth Eckstrom
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Eileen M Bulger
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kristan Staudenmayer
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Brandon Maughan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Susan Malveau
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Denise Griffiths
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - K John McConnell
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Health Systems Effectiveness, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
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