Pack the chest: Damage control strategy for management in thoracic trauma

BACKGROUND

Damage control surgery aims to control hemorrhage and contamination in the operating room (OR) with definitive management of injuries delayed until normal physiology is restored in the intensive care unit (ICU). There are limited studies evaluating the use of damage control thoracotomy (DCT) in trauma, and the best method of temporary closure is unclear.

METHODS

A retrospective review of trauma patients at two level I trauma centers who underwent a thoracotomy operation was performed. Subjects who underwent a thoracotomy after 24 h, age less than 16, expired in the trauma bay, or in the OR prior to ICU admission were excluded. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables between DCT and definitive thoracotomy (DT) patients.

RESULTS

207 trauma patients underwent thoracotomy, 76 met our inclusion criteria. DCT was performed in 30 patients (39%), 46 (61 %) underwent DT operation. Techniques for temporizing the chest varied from skin closure with suture (8), adhesive dressing (5), towel clamps (2), or negative pressure devices (12). Compared to definitive closure, DCT had more derangements in HR, pH, (110 vs. 95, p = 0.04; 7.05 vs 7.24, p < 0.001), and injury severity score (41 vs 25, p < 0.001), and required more blood transfusions (40 vs 6, p < 0.001). Eleven (36.7 %) DCT patients survived to discharge compared to 38 patients (95.0 %) in the DT group. DCT showed significantly higher differences in cardiac arrest and unplanned returns to the OR rates. No differences were observed in ventilator days, or ICU length of stay.

CONCLUSIONS

DCT is a viable option for management of patients in extremis following thoracic trauma. DCT was associated with higher mortality rates, likely due to differences in injury and physiologic derangement. Despite this, DCT was associated with similar rates of complications, ICU stay, and ventilator days.

Influence of Medical Interpreters on the Healthcare Experiences of Hospitalized Spanish-Speaking Patients

Introduction: The perspective of hospitalized patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in US hospitals interacting with language-discordant healthcare providers remains understudied. Our goal is to examine the inpatient experiences of Spanish-speaking patients and offer suggestions to improve patient satisfaction. Methods: A survey was administered to Spanish-speaking patients using interpreters during their admission to medicine at an urban, academic hospital. Qualitative thematic analysis of responses was conducted. Results: Thirty-six patients completed the survey. Despite limited use of interpreters, the majority of patients rated interpretation services as excellent, reported high level of involvement in care and respect of their opinions, and preferred video remote interpreting and in-person interpreters. Language barrier and cost affected patients' comfort level requesting health care services. The mean patient satisfaction score was 9.64. Patients suggested an increase in bilingual personnel, improved access to interpreters, specifically in-person. Conclusion: Although highly satisfied, patients reported inconsistent use of interpretation services in the inpatient setting and suboptimal access. Hospitals should strive to provide language-concordant care and patient-centered interpretation. Patients' understanding of their health care rights needs better assessment to ease the inpatient experience. Further research is needed to estimate the regard for autonomy by Spanish-speaking patients in their own care.

Implementation of Multimodal Pain Protocol Associated With Opioid Use Reduction in Trauma Patients

INTRODUCTION

Many trauma centers have adopted multimodal pain protocols (MMPPs) to provide safe and effective pain control. The objective was to evaluate the association of a protocol on opioid use in trauma patients and patient-reported pain scores.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of adult trauma patients admitted from 7/1-9/30/2018 to 7/1-9/30/2019 at an urban academic level 1 trauma center. The MMPP consisted of scheduled nonopioid medications implemented on July 1, 2019. Patients were stratified by level of care upon admission, intensive care unit (ICU) or floor, and by injury severity score (ISS) (ISS < 16 or ISS ≥ 16). Pain scores, opioid, and nonopioid analgesic medication use were compared for the hospital stay or first 30 d.

RESULTS

Seven hundred ninety eight patients were included with a mean age of 54 ± 22 y and 511 (64.0%) were men. Demographic and clinical characteristics between those in the pre-MMP (n = 404) and post-MMPP (n = 394) groups were not different. The average pain scores were not different between the two groups (3.7 versus 3.8, P = 0.44), but patients in the post-MMPP group received 36% less morphine milliequivalents (109.6 versus 70; P < 0.0001). The MMPP had the largest effect on patients admitted to the ICU regardless of injury severity. ICU patients with ISS ≥ 16 had the greatest reduction in morphine milliequivalents (174.6 versus 84.4; P < 0.0001). The use of nonopioid analgesics was significantly increased in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A MMPP is associated with a reduction of opioids and increase in nonopioid analgesics with no difference in patient-reported pain scores.

Delirium severity does not differ between medical and surgical intensive care units after adjusting for medication use

Severe delirium is associated with an increased risk of mortality, institutionalization, and length of stay. Few studies have examined differences in delirium severity between different populations of critically ill patients. The objective of the study was to compare delirium severity and the presence of the four core features between adults in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and medical intensive care unit (MICU) while controlling for variables known to be associated with delirium. This is a secondary analysis of two parallel randomized multi-center trials conducted from March 2009 to January 2015 at 3 Indianapolis hospitals. A total of 474 adults with delirium were included in the analysis. Subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio in random blocks of 4 by a computer program. Patients were randomized to either haloperidol prescribing or de-prescribing regimen vs usual care. Delirium severity was assessed daily or twice-daily using the CAM-ICU-7 beginning after 24 h of ICU admission and until discharge from the hospital, death, or 30 days after enrollment. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, hospital and 30-day mortality, and delirium-related adverse events. These outcomes were compared between SICU and MICU settings for this secondary analysis. Out of 474 patients, 237 were randomized to intervention. At study enrollment, the overall cohort had a mean age of 59 (SD 16) years old, was 54% female, 44% African-American, and 81% were mechanically ventilated upon enrollment. MICU participants were significantly older and severely ill with a higher premorbid cognitive and physical dysfunction burden. In univariate analysis, SICU participants had significantly higher mean total CAM-ICU-7 scores, corresponding to delirium severity, (4.15 (2.20) vs 3.60 (2.32), p = 0.02), and a lower mean RASS score (- 1.79 (1.28) vs - 1.53 (1.27), p < 0.001) compared to MICU participants. Following adjustment for benzodiazepines and opioids, delirium severity did not significantly differ between groups. The presence of Feature 3, altered level of consciousness, was significantly associated with the SICU participants, identifying as Black, premorbid functional impairment, benzodiazepines, opioids, and dexmedetomidine. In this secondary analysis examining differences in delirium severity between MICU and SICU participants, we did not identify a difference between participant populations following adjustment for administered benzodiazepines and opioids. We did identify that an altered level of consciousness, core feature 3 of delirium, was associated with SICU setting, identifying as Black, activities of daily living, benzodiazepines and opioid medications. These results suggest that sedation practice patterns play a bigger role in delirium severity than the underlying physiologic insult, and expression of core features of delirium may vary based on individual factors.Trial registration CT#: NCT00842608.

Patient-Specific Precision Injury Signatures to Optimize Orthopaedic Interventions in Multiply Injured Patients (PRECISE STUDY)

SUMMARY

Optimal timing and procedure selection that define staged treatment strategies can affect outcomes dramatically and remain an area of major debate in the treatment of multiply injured orthopaedic trauma patients. Decisions regarding timing and choice of orthopaedic procedure(s) are currently based on the physiologic condition of the patient, resource availability, and the expected magnitude of the intervention. Surgical decision-making algorithms rarely rely on precision-type data that account for demographics, magnitude of injury, and the physiologic/immunologic response to injury on a patient-specific basis. This study is a multicenter prospective investigation that will work toward developing a precision medicine approach to managing multiply injured patients by incorporating patient-specific indices that quantify (1) mechanical tissue damage volume; (2) cumulative hypoperfusion; (3) immunologic response; and (4) demographics. These indices will formulate a precision injury signature, unique to each patient, which will be explored for correspondence to outcomes and response to surgical interventions. The impact of the timing and magnitude of initial and staged surgical interventions on patient-specific physiologic and immunologic responses will be evaluated and described. The primary goal of the study will be the development of data-driven models that will inform clinical decision-making tools that can be used to predict outcomes and guide intervention decisions.

Caring for Incarcerated Patients: Can it Ever be Equal?

BACKGROUND

Incarcerated patients represent one of the most vulnerable populations in the United States healthcare system. Studying disparities in care they receive, however, has been difficult due to a history of abuse at the hands of medical researchers rendering this population excluded from most current medical research. Due to incarceration, these patients are frequently maintained in shackles and under constant guard when receiving healthcare. There is a paucity of literature on the influence these measures exert on healthcare workers and the care they provide. Our study aimed to measure surgical trainee's perception of health inequities and disparities in incarcerated individuals undergoing surgical care.

METHODS

An anonymous cross-sectional survey was administered at our single institution to all general surgery trainees assessing perceptions in delivering care to incarcerated patients within our hospital system. The survey consisted of 10 items, nine of which were yes or no responses, and 1 open-ended text question. Survey results were averaged, and percentages were reported.

RESULTS

Of all current general surgery residents (n = 60), 40 (66%) completed the survey. Almost all respondents (n = 39, 97.5%) have cared for a patient that was incarcerated or in police custody. Most respondents (n = 25, 62.5%) have operated on an incarcerated patient with an armed guard present in the operating room. Similarly, most respondents (n = 26, 65%) have cared for a patient intubated and sedated that was shackled to a bed. The majority of respondents (n = 30, 75%) recalled incidents where a trauma patient was actively questioned by law enforcement during the primary/secondary survey during initial trauma evaluation. At the time of hospital discharge, a quarter (n = 10, 25%) of respondents reported being unable to prescribe all of the medications that a non-imprisoned patient would receive with the same condition. In addition, 18 (45%) respondents felt they were unable to arrange outpatient follow-up with physical or occupational therapy and/or the patient's primary/consulting physician due to patient's incarcerated status. Strikingly, half of respondents (n = 19, 47.5%) believed that the incarcerated patient received substandard care, and the majority of respondents (n = 28, 72%) agreed that the holding areas for incarcerated patients in the emergency room provide substandard patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

The current status of caring for incarcerated patients within our system represents an urgent and needed area for quality improvement. Surgical trainees report difficulty caring for these patients, and they perceive these individuals receive substandard care. Though our cross-sectional study did not assess the origin of this disparity, the challenges trainees face in caring for incarcerated patients, from assessment to diagnosis and treatment, as well as in follow-up signals an area requiring further research and study.

Base Deficit ≥ 6 within 24 h of Injury is a risk factor for fracture nonunion in the polytraumatized patient

BACKGROUND

Polytrauma patients are at risk for fracture nonunion, but the reasons are poorly understood. Increased base deficit (BD) is associated with hypovolemic shock. Although shock delays bone healing in animal models, there have been no clinical studies evaluating the impact of BD on nonunion risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients age ≥ 16 with injury severity score > 16 that presented to an academic Level One trauma center with an operative femur or tibia fracture were reviewed. Clinical notes and radiographs were assessed to determine fracture healing status. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, BD, and number of packed red blood cell transfusions were recorded. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of multiple risk factors associated with nonunion were conducted to investigate the association of BD with nonunion.

RESULTS

The union group was comprised of 243 fractures; there were 36 fractures in the nonunion group. The following predictors were associated with nonunion: smoking (p = 0.009), alcohol use (p < 0.001), open fracture (p < 0.001), and treatment for deep infection at fracture site (p = 0.016). Additionally, worst BD over 24 h ≥ 6 (p = 0.031) was significant for nonunion development. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed worst BD ≥6 over 24 h remained significantly associated with the development of nonunion (odds ratio 3.02, p = 0.011) when adjusting for other risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

A BD ≥ 6 within 24 h of admission was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing lower extremity fracture nonunion in polytrauma patients, even after adjusting for multiple other risk factors. Acute post-traumatic acidosis may have effects on long-term fracture healing.

Preinjury Functional Independence is not Associated with Discharge Location in Older Trauma Patients

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between pre-injury Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL) functional status and discharge to a facility in non-neurologically injured older trauma patients.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 207 patients in the Trauma Medical Home study cohort. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with non-home discharge.

RESULTS

Average patient age was 67.9 (SD 11.1). Patients were predominantly white (89.4%) and female (52.2%) with a median ISS of 11 (IQR 9-14). The most common mechanism of injury was fall (48.3%), followed by motor vehicle crash (41.1%). Nearly all patients (94.7%) reported independence in activities of daily living prior to hospitalization for injury. Discharge disposition varied, 51.7% of patients were discharged home, 37.7% to subacute rehabilitation, 10.1% to acute rehabilitation and 0.5% to long-term acute care. There was no relationship between pre-injury independence and likelihood of discharge home (P = 0.1331). Age (P < 0.0001), BMI (P = 0.0002), Charlson comorbidity score of 3 or greater (P = 0.0187), being single (P = 0.0077), ISS ≥ 16 (P = 0.0075) and being female with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression over the past two weeks (P = 0.0092) were associated with significantly greater odds of non-home discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-injury Katz ADL is not associated with discharge disposition, though other significantly associated factors were identified. It is imperative that discussions regarding discharge disposition are initiated early during acute hospitalization. Trauma programs could potentially benefit from implementing an inpatient intervention focused on building coping skills for older patients exhibiting symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Polytraumatized patient lower extremity nonunion development: Raw data

In this article we report data collected to evaluate the pathomechanistic effect of acute anaerobic metabolism in the polytraumatized patient and its subsequent effect on fracture nonunion; see “Base Deficit ≥6 within 24 Hours of Injury is a Risk Factor for Fracture Nonunion in the Polytraumatized Patient” (Sardesai et al., 2021) [1]. Data was collected on patients age ≥16 with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >16 that presented between 2013-2018 who sustained a fracture of the tibia or femur distal to the femoral neck. Patients presenting to our institution greater than 24 hours post-injury and those with less than three months follow-up were excluded.

Medical charts were reviewed to collect patient demographic information and known nonunion risk-factors, including smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes. In addition, detailed injury characteristics to quantify injury magnitude including ISS, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, and ICU length of stay were recorded. ISS values were obtained from our institutional trauma database where they are entered by individuals trained in ISS calculations. Associated fracture-related features including fracture location, soft-tissue injury (open vs. closed fracture), vascular injury, and compartment syndrome were recorded. Finally, vital signs, base deficit (BD), and blood transfusions over 24 hours from admission were recorded. We routinely measure BD and less consistently measure serum lactate in trauma patients at the time of presentation or during resuscitation. BD values are automatically produced by our laboratory with any arterial blood gas order, and we recorded BD values from the medical record.

Clinical notes and radiographs were reviewed to confirm fracture union versus nonunion and assess for deep infection at the fracture site. Patients were categorized as having a deep infection if they were treated operatively for the infection prior to fracture healing or classification as a nonunion. Nonunion was defined by failure of progressive healing on sequential radiographs and/or surgical treatment for nonunion repair at least six months post-injury.

Damage Control Thoracotomy: A Systematic Review of Techniques and Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Damage control surgery is the practice of delaying definitive management of traumatic injuries by controlling hemorrhage in the operating room and restoring normal physiology in the intensive care unit prior to definitive therapy. Presently, damage control or "abbreviated" laparotomy is used extensively for abdominal trauma in an unstable patient. The application of a damage control approach in thoracic trauma is less established and there is a paucity of literature supporting or refuting this practice. We aimed to systematically review the current data on damage control thoracotomy (DCT), to identify gaps in the literature and techniques in temporary closure.

METHODS

An electronic literature search of Pubmed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database of Collected Reviews from 1972-2018 was performed using the keywords "thoracic," "damage control," and "thoracotomy." Studies were included if they reported the use of DCT following thoracic trauma and included survival as an outcome.

RESULTS

Of 723 studies, seven met inclusion criteria for a total of a 130 DCT operations. Gauze packing with temporary closure of the skin with suture was the most frequently reported form of closure. The overall survival rate for the seven studies was 67%. Survival rates ranged from 42-77%. Average injury severity score was 30, and 64% of injuries were penetrating in nature. The most common complications included infections (57%; pneumonia, empyema, wound infection, bacteremia), respiratory failure (21%), ARDS (8%), and renal failure (18%).

CONCLUSION

DCT may be associated with improved survival in the critically injured patient population. Delaying definitive operation by temporarily closing the thorax in order to allow time to restore normal physiology may be considered as a strategy in the unstable thoracic trauma patient population. The impact an open chest has on respiratory physiology remains inconclusive as well as best mechanisms of temporary closure. Multi-center studies are required to elucidate these important questions.

Routine Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis May Be Inadequate in the Hypercoagulable State of Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of venous thromboembolism in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients and associate a degree of inflammatory marker elevation to venous thromboembolism development.

DESIGN

An observational study that identified patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 between March 12, 2020, and March 31, 2020. Data reported are those available through May 6, 2020.

SETTING

A multicenter study including three Indianapolis area academic hospitals.

PATIENTS

Two-hundred forty consecutive patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were admitted to one of three hospitals. One-hundred nine critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients admitted to the ICU were included in the analysis.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients received routine subcutaneous chemical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The primary outcome of this study was to determine the frequency of venous thromboembolism and the degree of inflammatory and coagulation marker elevation associated with venous thromboembolism development. Descriptive statistics outlined the frequency of venous thromboembolism at any time during severe coronavirus disease 2019. Clinical course and laboratory metrics were compared between patients that developed venous thromboembolism and patients that did not develop venous thromboembolism. Hypercoagulable thromboelastography was defined as two or more hypercoagulable parameters.

MAIN RESULTS

One-hundred nine patients developed severe coronavirus disease 2019 requiring ICU care. The mean (± SD) age was 61 ± 16 years and 57% were male. Seventy-five patients (69%) were discharged home, 7 patients (6%) remain in the hospital, and 27 patients (25%) died. Venous thromboembolism was diagnosed in 31 patients (28%) 8 ± 7 days after hospital admission, including two patients diagnosed with venous thromboembolism at presentation to the hospital. Elevated admission D-dimer and peak D-dimer were associated with venous thromboembolism development (p < 0.05). D-dimer greater than 2,600 ng/mL predicted venous thromboembolism with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.760 (95% CI, 0.661-0.858; p < 0.0001), sensitivity of 89.7%, and specificity of 59.5%. Twelve patients (11%) had thromboelastography performed and 58% of these patients had a hypercoagulable study. The calculated coagulation index was hypercoagulable in 50% of patients with thromboelastography.

CONCLUSIONS

These data show that coronavirus disease 2019 results in a hypercoagulable state. Routine chemical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis may be inadequate in preventing venous thromboembolism in severe coronavirus disease 2019.

A trauma medical home, evaluating collaborative care for the older injured patient: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

It is estimated that 55 million adults will be 65 years and older in the USA by 2020. These older adults are at increased risk for injury and their recovery is multi-faceted. A collaborative care model may improve psychological and functional outcomes of the non-neurologically impaired older trauma patient and reduce health care costs.

Methods

This is a randomized controlled trial of 430 patients aged 50 and older who have suffered a non-neurologic injury and are admitted to a level one trauma center in Indianapolis, IN, or Madison, WI. Participants will be assigned to either the Trauma Medical Home (TMH) intervention or usual care. The TMH intervention is a collaborative care model that includes validated protocols addressing the multi-faceted needs of this population, with the help of care coordination software and a mobile office concept. The primary outcome is self-reported physical recovery at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include self-reported psychological recovery, acute health care utilization, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention at 6 and 12 months. The TMH collaborative care model will be delivered by a registered nurse care coordinator. The assessments will be completed by trained blinded research assistants.

Discussion

The proposed study will evaluate a collaborative care model to help maximize psychological and functional recovery for non-neurologically injured older patients at four level one trauma centers in the Midwest.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials. NCT03108820. Registered on 11 April 2017.

Protocol Version 6: Study # 1612690852. April 12, 2019.

Sponsor: Indiana University. Human subjects and IRB contact information: irb@iu.edu

Prospectively registered in the WHO ICTRP on 4 June 2017.

A Comparison of Scoring Systems for Predicting Short- and Long-term Survival After Trauma in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

Early identification of geriatric patients at high risk for mortality is important to guide clinical care, medical decision making, palliative discussions, quality assurance, and research. We sought to identify injured older adults at highest risk for 30-day mortality using an empirically derived scoring system from available data and to compare it with current prognostic scoring systems.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of injured adults ≥ 65 years transported by 44 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to 49 emergency departments in Oregon and Washington from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011, with follow-up through December 31, 2012. We matched data from EMS to Medicare, inpatient, trauma registries, and vital statistics. Using a primary outcome of 30-day mortality, we empirically derived a new risk score using binary recursive partitioning and compared it to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), modified frailty index, geriatric trauma outcome score (GTOS), GTOS II, and Injury Severity Score (ISS).

RESULTS

There were 4,849 patients, of whom 234 (4.8%) died within 30 days and 1,040 (21.5%) died within 1 year. The derived score, the geriatric trauma risk indicator (GTRI; emergent airway or CCI ≥ 2), had 87.2% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] = 83.0% to 91.5%) and 30.6% specificity (95% CI = 29.3% to 31.9%) for 30-day mortality (area under the receiving operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.589, 95% CI = 0.566 to 0.611). AUROC values for other scoring systems ranged from 0.592 to 0.678. When the sensitivity for each existing score was held at 90%, specificity values ranged from 7.5% (ISS) to 30.6% (GTRI).

CONCLUSIONS

Older, injured adults transported by EMS to a large variety of trauma and nontrauma hospitals were more likely to die within 30 days if they required emergent airway management or had a higher comorbidity burden. When compared to other risk measures and holding sensitivity constant near 90%, the GTRI had higher specificity, despite a lower AUROC. Using GTOS II or the GTRI may better identify high-risk older adults than traditional scores, such as ISS, but identification of an ideal prognostic tool remains elusive.

Opportunities to Create New General Surgery Residency Programs to Alleviate the Shortage of General Surgeons

PURPOSE

To estimate the capacity for supporting new general surgery residency programs among U.S. hospitals that currently do not have such programs.

METHOD

The authors compiled 2011 American Hospital Association data regarding the characteristics of hospitals with and without a general surgery residency program and 2012 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education data regarding existing general surgery residencies. They performed an ordinary least squares regression to model the number of residents who could be trained at existing programs on the basis of residency program-level variables. They identified candidate hospitals on the basis of a priori defined criteria for new general surgery residency programs and an out-of-sample prediction of resident capacity among the candidate hospitals.

RESULTS

The authors found that 153 hospitals in 39 states could support a general surgery residency program. The characteristics of these hospitals closely resembled the characteristics of hospitals with existing programs. They identified 435 new residency positions: 40 hospitals could support 2 residents per year, 99 hospitals could support 3 residents, 12 hospitals could support 4 residents, and 2 hospitals could support 5 residents. Accounting for progressive specialization, new residency programs could add 287 additional general surgeons to the workforce annually (after an initial five- to seven-year lead time).

CONCLUSIONS

By creating new general surgery residency programs, hospitals could increase the number of general surgeons entering the workforce each year by 25%. A challenge to achieving this growth remains finding new funding mechanisms within and outside Medicare. Such changes are needed to mitigate projected workforce shortages.

Racial and ethnic disparities in discharge to rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury

OBJECT

Disparities in access to inpatient rehabilitation services after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been identified, but less well described is the likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation for Hispanic or black patients compared with non-Hispanic white patients. The authors investigate racial disparities in discharge destination (inpatient rehabilitation vs skilled nursing facility vs home health vs home) following TBI by using a nationwide database and methods to address racial differences in prehospital characteristics.

METHODS

Analysis of discharge destination for adults with moderate to severe TBI was performed using National Trauma Data Bank data for the years 2007–2010. The authors performed propensity score weighting followed by ordered logistic regression in their analytical sample and in a subgroup analysis of older adults with Medicare. Likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation based on race/ethnicity accounting for prehospital and in-hospital variables was determined.

RESULTS

The authors identified 299,205 TBI incidents: 232,392 non-Hispanic white, 29,611 Hispanic, and 37,202 black. Propensity weighting resulted in covariate balance among racial groups. Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.68–0.75) and black (adjusted OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.97) populations were less likely to be discharged to a higher level of rehabilitation than were non-Hispanic whites. The subgroup analysis indicated that Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71–0.86) and black (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.94) populations were still less likely to receive a higher level of rehabilitation, despite uniform insurance coverage (Medicare).

CONCLUSIONS

Adult Hispanic and black patients with TBI are significantly less likely to receive intensive rehabilitation than their non-Hispanic white counterparts; notably, this difference persists in the Medicare population (age ≥ 65 years), indicating that uniform insurance coverage alone does not account for the disparity. Given that insurance coverage and a wide range of prehospital characteristics do not eliminate racial disparities in discharge destination, it is crucial that additional unmeasured patient, physician, and institutional factors be explored to eliminate them.