John L. Bruce

The design, construction and implementation of a computerised trauma registry in a developing South African metropolitan trauma service

INTRODUCTION The Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service formerly lacked a robust computerised trauma registry. This made surgical audit difficult for the purpose of quality of care improvement and development. We aimed to design, construct and implement a computerised trauma registry within our service. Twelve months following its implementation, we sought to examine and report on the quality of the registry. METHODOLOGY Formal ethical approval to maintain a computerised trauma registry was obtained prior to undertaking any design and development. Appropriate commercial software was sourced to develop this project. The registry was designed as a flat file. A flat file is a plain text or mixed text and binary file which usually contains one record per line or physical record. Thereafter the registry file was launched onto a secure server. This provided the benefits of access security and automated backups. Registry training was provided to clients by the developer. The exercise of data capture was then integrated into the process of service delivery, taking place at the endpoint of patient care (discharge, transfer or death). Twelve months following its implementation, the compliance rates of data entry were measured. RESULTS The developer of this project managed to design, construct and implement an electronic trauma registry into the service. Twelve months following its implementation the data were extracted and audited to assess the quality. A total of 2640 patient entries were captured onto the registry. Compliance rates were in the order of eighty percent and client satisfaction rates were high. A number of deficits were identified. These included the omission of weekend discharges and underreporting of deaths. CONCLUSION The construction and implementation of the computerised trauma registry was the beginning of an endeavour to continue improvements in the quality of care within our service. The registry provided a reliable audit at twelve months post implementation. Deficits and limitations were identified and new strategies have been planned to overcome these problems and integrate the trauma registry into the process of clinical care.

Suture line ulcer after gastric surgery

Abstract 1. 1. Suture line ulcer as a postoperative complication of surgery for peptic ulcer has been recognised fifteen times in fourteen patients; a continuous nonabsorbable seromuscular suture had been used. 2. 2. Undiagnosed, it is a needless cause of pain, dyspepsia, and bleeding. 3. 3. Diagnosis is made by gastroscopy. Alternatively diagnosis is achieved by laparotomy which includes inspection of the suture line. Barium examination is seldom helpful. The acid output is low but not diagnostic. 4. 4. Treatment is by resection of the anastomosis and reconstitution using catgut. 5. 5. The exclusive use of absorbable suture material should abolish this form of recurrent ulcer.

Increased anatomic severity in appendicitis is associated with outcomes in a South African population.

BACKGROUND Severity of emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases has not been standardized until recently. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) proposed an anatomic severity grading system for EGS diseases to facilitate communication and quality comparisons between providers and hospitals. Previous work has demonstrated validity of the system for appendicitis in the United States. To demonstrate generalizability, we aim to externally validate this grading system in South African patients with appendicitis. METHODS Patients with acute appendicitis during 2010 to 2016 were identified at multi-institutional sites within South Africa. Baseline demographics and procedure types were recorded, and AAST grades were assigned based on intraoperative findings. Outcomes included duration of stay, mortality, and Clavien-Dindo complications. Summary statistical univariate and nominal logistic regression analyses were performed to compare AAST grade and outcomes. RESULTS A total of 1,415 patients with a median (interquartile range) age of 19 years (14–28 years) were included (55% men). One hundred percent underwent appendectomy: 63.5% completed via midline laparotomy, 36.5% via limited incision (31.8% via McBurney incision and 4.7% via laparoscopy). Overall, 30-day mortality rate was 1.4% with an overall complication rate of 44%. Most common complications included surgical site infection (n = 147, 10.4%), pneumonia (n = 105, 7.4%), and renal failure (n = 64, 4.5%). Distribution of AAST grade is as follows: Grade 0 (10, 0.7%), Grade 1 (247, 17.4%), Grade 2 (280, 19.8%), Grade 3 (158, 11.3%), Grade 4 (179, 12.6%), and Grade 5 (541, 38.2%). Increased median (interquartile range) AAST grades were recorded in patients with complications, 5 (3–5) compared with those without (2 [1–3], p = 0.001). Duration of stay was increased for patients with higher AAST grades: 4 and 5 (10.6 ± 5.9 days) versus I and II (3.6 ± 4.3 days; p = 0.001). Area under the receiver operating characteristic analysis to predict presence of any complication based on AAST grade was 0.90. CONCLUSION The AAST EGS grading system is valid to predict important clinical outcomes in a South African population with an increased degree of severity on presentation. These results support generalizability of the AAST EGS grading system for appendicitis in a developing nation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic, level II.

Empirical antimicrobial therapy for probable v. directed therapy for possible ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically injured patients

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has recently been classified as possible or probable. Although direct attributable mortality has been difficult to prove, delay in instituting appropriate therapy has been reported to increase morbidity and mortality. Recent literature suggests that in possible VAP, instituting directed therapy while awaiting microbiological culture does not prejudice outcome compared with best-guess empirical therapy. OBJECTIVES To ascertain outcomes of directed v. empirical therapy in possible and probable VAP, respectively. METHODS Endotracheal aspirates were obtained from patients with suspected VAP. Those considered to have possible VAP were given directed therapy following culture results, whereas patients with more convincing evidence of VAP were classed as having probable VAP and commenced on empirical antimicrobials based on microbiological surveillance. RESULTS Pneumonia was suspected in 106 (36.8%) of 288 patients admitted during January - December 2014. Of these, 13 did not fulfil the criteria for VAP. Of the remaining 93 (32.2%), 31 (33.3%) were considered to have probable and 62 (66.7%) possible VAP. The former were commenced on empirical antimicrobials, with 28 (90.3%) receiving appropriate therapy. Of those with possible VAP, 34 (54.8%) were given directed therapy and in 28 (45.2%) no antimicrobials were prescribed. Of the latter, 24 recovered without antimicrobials and 4 died, 3 from severe traumatic brain injury and 1 due to overwhelming intra-abdominal sepsis. No death was directly attributable to failure to treat VAP. No significant difference in mortality was found between the 34 patients with possible VAP who were commenced on directed therapy and the 31 with probable VAP who were commenced on empirical antimicrobials (p=0.75). CONCLUSIONS Delaying antimicrobial therapy for VAP where clinical doubt exists does not adversely affect outcome. Furthermore, this policy limits the use of antimicrobials in patients with possible VAP following improvement in their clinical condition despite no therapy.

A multi faceted quality improvement programme results in improved outcomes for the selective non-operative management of penetrating abdominal trauma in a developing world trauma centre.

INTRODUCTION The selective non-operative management (SNOM) of penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) is well established in our environment. As a quality-improvement initiative, we aimed to re-evaluate patient outcomes with PAT. This follows the application of new imaging and diagnostic modalities using protocolised management algorithms. METHODOLOGY A prospectively maintained digital registry was retrospectively interrogated and all patients with PAT treated by our service from January 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. RESULTS A total of 325 patients sustained PAT during the fourteen-month study period. This included 238 SWs, 80 GSWs and 7 impalement injuries. 11 patients had eviscerated bowel, and 12 had eviscerated omentum. A total of 123 patients (38%) were selected for a trial of SNOM. This included 103 SWs, 15 GSWs and 5 impalement injuries. Emergency laparotomy was performed on 182 patients (115 SWs, 65 GSWs and 2 impalement injuries) and 21 patients with left sided thoraco-abdominal SWs underwent definitive diagnostic laparoscopy (DL). SNOM was successful in 122 cases (99%) and unsuccessful in one case (1%). In the laparotomy group 161 (88%) patients underwent a therapeutic procedure, in 12 cases (7%) the laparotomy was non-therapeutic and in 9 cases (5%) the laparotomy was negative. In the laparoscopy group (24), two patients required conversion for colonic injuries and one for equipment failure. Seven (33.3%) laparoscopies were therapeutic with the identification and intra-corporeal repair of seven left hemi-diaphragm injuries. CONCLUSION We have improved our results with the SNOM of PAT and have also managed to safely and successfully extend the role of SNOM to abdominal GSWs. We have selectively adopted newer modalities such as laparoscopy to assess stable patients with left thoraco-abdominal SWs and abdominal CT scan for the SNOM of abdominal GSWs.

An audit of penetrating neck injuries in a South African trauma service.

INTRODUCTION This study reviews and validates the practice of selective non-operative management (SNOM) of penetrating neck injury (PNI) in a South African trauma service and reviews the impact new imaging modalities have had on the management of this injury. METHODOLOGY This study was performed within the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, in the city of Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. A prospectively maintained trauma registry was retrospectively interrogated. All patients with PNI treated over a 46-month period were included within the study. RESULTS A total of 510 patients were included in the study. There were 452 stab wounds (SW) and 58 gunshot wounds (GSW). A total of 202 (40%) patients sustained isolated PNI, the remaining 308 (60%) patients sustained trauma to at least one additional anatomical region. An airway injury was identified in 29 (6%) patients; a pharyngo-oesophageal injury in 41 (8%) patients and a vascular injury in 86 (17%) patients. Associated injuries included three penetrating cardiac injuries (PCI) and 146 patients with haemo-pneumothoraces. Of the total cohort, 387 patients (76%) underwent CT Angiography (CTA), of which 70 (18%) demonstrated a vascular injury. Formal catheter directed angiogram (CDA) was performed on 16 patients with positive CTA but confirmed injury in only half of these patients. Of 212 patients (42%) who underwent water-soluble contrast swallow (WS-swallow), an injury was demonstrated in 29 (14%) cases. A total of 401 (79%) patients were successfully managed conservatively for PNI and 109 (21%) surgically or by endovascular intervention. Only five (1.2%) patients failed a trial of SNOM and required surgery. The in-hospital mortality rate was 2%. No deaths could be attributed to a failure of SNOM. CONCLUSION SNOM of PNI is a safe and appropriate management strategy. The conservative management of isolated pharyngeal injuries is well supported by our findings but the role of conservative treatment of oesophageal injuries needs to be further defined. The SNOM of small non-destructive upper airway injuries seems to be a safe strategy, while destructive airway injuries require formal repair. Imaging merely for proximity, is associated with a low yield. CTA has a significant false positive rate and good clinical assessment remains the cornerstone of management.

Penetrating cardiac injuries and the evolving management algorithm in the current era

BACKGROUND Penetrating cardiac injuries carry a significant mortality, especially if operative intervention is delayed because of diagnostic difficulties. METHODS AND MATERIALS We reviewed our experience of 134 consecutive cases over a 6 year period. For the initial 5 years, the diagnosis was based on clinical grounds only. During the final year of study, focused ultrasound focused abdominal sonar for trauma (FAST) and subxiphoid pericardial window were introduced. RESULTS Ninety-six per cent (128/134) were males and the overall mean age was 27 y. Eighty-four per cent (112/134) sustained isolated cardiac injury and the remaining sixteen per cent (22/134) had concurrent injuries elsewhere. A total of 10 FASTs were performed and the sensitivity was 20%. Fifteen subxiphoid pericardial window were performed (8 had diagnostic uncertainty, 2 with double jeopardy, and 5 with delayed tamponade) and had a sensitivity of 100%. The survival rate for the 109 patients from the pre-adjunct period was 83% and 88% for the 25 patients in the post-adjunct period, which was not statistically significant (P value = 0.765). There was no significant difference in the complication rate, mean intensive care unit stay, or mean total hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS Penetrating cardiac injuries are highly lethal. A high index of suspicion, coupled with early operative intervention remains the key in securing the survival of these patients.

Civilian cerebral gunshot wounds: a South African experience

Cerebral gunshot wounds represent one of the most lethal forms of traumatic brain injury, but there is a paucity of literature on the topic, especially from the developing world. We reviewed our experience and describe the spectrum and outcome of civilian cerebral gunshot wounds in a major metropolitan trauma centre in South Africa.

The role of computed tomography angiography in the detection of aerodigestive tract injury following penetrating neck injury

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to audit our experience with computed tomography angiography (CTA) for the detection of aerodigestive tract injury (ADTI) following penetrating neck injury (PNI) and to assess the significance of deep surgical emphysema on CTA. METHODS A prospectively maintained trauma registry at the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa was retrospectively interrogated. The data of all patients with PNI investigated with CTA over a 4-y period were reviewed. All findings of deep surgical emphysema were correlated to an aggregate standard of reference for ADTI as demonstrated by results from clinical examination, surgical neck exploration, endoscopy or contrasted swallow to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of this finding. RESULTS A total of 383 patients underwent a CTA for PNI. A total of 94 vascular injuries were identified on 78 positive CTA studies. The sensitivity and specificity of CTA in detecting a vascular injury were 94.4% and 96.7%. Of the 383 patients investigated a total of 38 patients were diagnosed with digestive tract injury (DTI), and all of these patients were found to have deep surgical emphysema on CTA, except for one patient with a clinically insignificant oral cavity injury. Another 126 patients also had deep surgical emphysema on CTA but no DTI. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of deep surgical emphysema for the diagnosis of confirmed DTI in PNI were therefore 97.4%, 63.5%, 22.7%, and 99.5%, respectively. The sensitivity and NPV were, however, 100% when clinically insignificant injuries were excluded. Including patients with confirmed airway injuries and excluding all patients with pneumothoraces yielded a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 94.1%, 71.9%, 30.0%, and 98.9%, respectively, for the identification of ADTI. When excluding surgically irrelevant injuries, the sensitivity and NPV were again both 100%. CONCLUSIONS CTA for PNI has a high sensitivity and specificity for demonstrating vascular injury. The absence of deep surgical emphysema in the deep cervical fascial planes virtually excludes surgically significant ADTI. The presence of deep surgical emphysema is nonspecific but warrants further investigation.

The incidence, spectrum and outcomes of traumatic bladder injuries within the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the incidence, spectrum and outcomes of traumatic bladder injury in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and to identify the current optimal investigation and management of patients with traumatic bladder injuries. METHODS The Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service (PMTS) trauma registry was interrogated retrospectively for all traumatic bladder injuries between 1 January 2012 and 31 October 2014. RESULTS Of 8129 patients treated by the PMTS over the study period, 58 patients (0.7% or 6.5 cases per 1,000,000 population per year) had bladder injuries, 65% caused by penetrating trauma and 35% by blunt trauma. The majority (60%) were intraperitoneal bladder ruptures (IBRs), followed by 22% extraperitoneal bladder ruptures (EBRs). There was a high rate of associated injury, with blunt trauma being associated with pelvic fracture and penetrating trauma being associated with rectum and small intestine injuries. The mortality rate was 5%. Most bladder injuries were diagnosed at surgery or by computed tomography (CT) scan. All IBRs were managed operatively, as well as 38% of EBRs; the remaining EBRs were managed by catheter drainage and observation. In the majority of operative repairs, the bladder was closed in two layers, and was drained with only a urethral catheter. Most patients (91%) were managed definitively by the surgeons on the trauma service. CONCLUSION Traumatic bladder rupture caused by blunt or penetrating trauma is rare and mortality is due to associated injuries. CT scan is the investigative modality of choice. In our environment IBR is more common than EBR and requires operative management. Most EBRs can be managed non-operatively, and then require routine follow-up cystography. Simple traumatic bladder injuries can be managed definitively by trauma surgeons. A dedicated urological surgeon should be consulted for complex injuries.