Juan P. Herrera-Escobar

Computed tomography in hemodynamically unstable severely injured blunt and penetrating trauma patients.

BACKGROUND Dynamic and efficient resuscitation strategies are now being implemented in severely injured hemodynamically unstable (HU) patients as blood products become readily and more immediately available in the trauma room. Our ability to maintain aggressive resuscitation schemes in HU patients allows us to complete diagnostic imaging studies before rushing patients to the operating room (OR). As the criteria for performing computed tomography (CT) scans in HU patients continue to evolve, we decided to compare the outcomes of immediate CT versus direct admission to the OR and/or angio suite in a retrospective study at a government-designated regional Level I trauma center in Cali, Colombia. METHODS During a 2-year period (2012–2013), blunt and penetrating trauma patients (≥15 years) with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 15 who met criteria of hemodynamic instability (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <100 mm Hg and/or heart rate >100 beats/min and/or ≥4 U of packed red blood cells transfused in the trauma bay) were included. Isolated head trauma and patients who experienced a prehospital cardiac arrest were excluded. The main study outcome was mortality. RESULTS We reviewed 171 patients. CT scans were performed in 80 HU patients (47%) immediately upon arrival (CT group); the remaining 91 patients (53%) went directly to the OR (63 laparotomies, 20 thoracotomies) and/or 8 (9%) to the angio suite (OA group). Of the CT group, 43 (54%) were managed nonoperatively, 37 (46%) underwent surgery (15 laparotomies, 3 thoracotomies), and 2 (5%) underwent angiography (CT OA subgroup). None of the mortalities in the CT group occurred in the CT suite or during their intrahospital transfers. CONCLUSION There was no difference in mortality between the CT and OA groups in HU patients. CT scan was attainable in 47% of HU patients and avoided surgery in 54% of the cases. Furthermore, CT scan was helpful in deciding definitive/specific surgical management in 46% scanned HU patients who necessitated surgery after CT. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapy/care management study, level IV.

A severe traumatic juxtahepatic blunt venous injury.

A male involved in a highspeed motorcycle collision was initially managed at a Level II trauma center where he was found to have significant abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and the following vital signs: systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 100, a heart rate (HR) of 110, and a shock index (SI) of 1.1. A Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma and a whole-body computed tomographic scan were performed demonstrating free abdominal fluid and a 10-cm liver laceration involving Segments IV through VIII with active extravasation of contrast from the right hepatic artery (RHA). Patient became hemodynamically unstable, and damage-control resuscitation (DCR), endotracheal intubation for airway control, and interfacility transfer to our Level I trauma center were performed. On arrival to our facility, the patient remained hemodynamically unstable (SBP, 80; HR, 120; and SI, 1.5) and with marked abdominal distention. Lactic acid was 8.97 mmol/L, and an arterial blood gas revealed a blood pH of 7.23 and a base deficit of j11 mmol/L. Two units of packed red blood cells and 2 U of fresh frozen plasma were transfused at theLevel II trauma center before transfer. What Would You Do? A. Selective endovascular embolization of the RHA and transfer after intervention to the intensive care unit for further DCR. B. Immediate exploratory laparotomy. C. Selective endovascular embolization of the RHA followed by an exploratory laparotomy. D. Selective endovascular embolization of the RHA combined with a resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) and the vena cava (REBOC) followed by an exploratory laparotomy. Figure 1. A, Angiogram with active extravasation of contrast from the RHA. B, Angiogram after coil embolization of the RHA. CHALLENGES IN ACUTE CARE SURGERY

Effectiveness of Instructional Interventions for Hemorrhage Control Readiness for Laypersons in the Public Access and Tourniquet Training Study (PATTS): A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Several national initiatives have emerged to empower laypersons to act as immediate responders to reduce preventable deaths from uncontrolled bleeding. Point-of-care instructional interventions have been developed in response to the scalability challenges associated with in-person training. However, to our knowledge, their effectiveness for hemorrhage control has not been established. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of different instructional point-of-care interventions and in-person training for hemorrhage control compared with no intervention and assess skill retention 3 to 9 months after hemorrhage control training. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized clinical trial of 465 laypersons was conducted at a professional sports stadium in Massachusetts with capacity for 66 000 people and assessed correct tourniquet application by using different point-of-care interventions (audio kits and flashcards) and a Bleeding Control Basic (B-Con) course. Non-B-Con arms received B-Con training after initial testing (conducted from April 2017 to August 2017). Retesting for 303 participants (65%) was performed 3 to 9 months after training (October 2017 to January 2018) to evaluate B-Con retention. A logistic regression for demographic associations was performed for retention testing. Interventions Participants were randomized into 4 arms: instructional flashcards, audio kits with embedded flashcards, B-Con, and control. All participants received B-Con training to later assess retention. Main Outcomes and Measures Correct tourniquet application in a simulated scenario. Results Of the 465 participants, 189 (40.7%) were women and the mean (SD) age was 46.3 (16.1) years. For correct tourniquet application, B-Con (88% correct application [n = 122]; P < .001) was superior to control (n = 104 [16%]) while instructional flashcards (n = 117 [19.6%]) and audio kit (n = 122 [23%]) groups were not. More than half of participants in point-of-care arms did not use the educational prompts as intended. Of 303 participants (65%) who were assessed 3 to 9 months after undergoing B-Con training, 165 (54.5%) could correctly apply a tourniquet. Over this period, there was no further skill decay in the adjusted model that treated time as either linear (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% CI, 0.95-1.03) or quadratic (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00-1.00). The only demographic that was associated with correct application at retention was age; adults aged 18 to 35 years (n = 58; OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.21-4.72) and aged 35 to 55 years (n = 107; OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.04-3.02) were more likely to be efficacious than those older than 55 years (n = 138). Conclusions and Relevance In-person hemorrhage control training for laypersons is currently the most efficacious means of enabling bystanders to act to control hemorrhage. Laypersons can successfully perform tourniquet application after undergoing a 1-hour course. However, only 54.5% retain this skill after 3 to 9 months, suggesting that investigating refresher training or improved point-of-care instructions is critical. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03479112

Routine inclusion of long-term functional and patient-reported outcomes into trauma registries: The FORTE project

BACKGROUND The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) recently recommended inclusion of postdischarge health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) metrics to benchmark the quality of trauma care. Currently, these measures are not routinely collected at most trauma centers. We sought to determine the feasibility and value of adding such long-term outcome measures to trauma registries. METHODS As part of the FORTE (Functional Outcomes and Recovery after Trauma Emergencies) project, we included patients with an Injury Severity Score of 9 or greater, admitted to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, who were identified retrospectively using the institutional trauma registry and contacted 6 or 12 months after injury to participate in a telephone survey evaluating HRQoL (Short Form 12 [SF-12]), PROs (Trauma Quality of Life), posttraumatic stress disorder, return to work, residential status, and health care utilization. RESULTS Data were collected for 171 of 394 eligible patients: 85/189 (45%) at 6 months and 86/205 (42%) at 12 months; 25%/29% (6/12 months) patients could not be contacted, 15%/16% (6/12 months) declined to participate, and 15%/13% (6/12 months) were interested in participating at another time but were not reached again. Approximately 20% patients screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder, and half had not yet returned to work. There were significant reductions in SF-12 physical composite scores relative to population norms (mean, 50 [SD, 10]) at 6 months (mean, 44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 41–47) and 12 months (45; 95% CI, 42–47); no difference was noted in the SF-12 mental composite scores (6 months: 51 [95% CI, 48–54]; 12 months: 50 [95% CI, 46–53]). CONCLUSIONS Trauma patients reported considerable impairment 6 and 12 months after injury. Routine collection of PROs and HRQoL provides important data regarding trauma outcomes beyond mortality and will enable the development of quality improvement metrics that better reflect patients’ postinjury experiences. Improved and alternate methods for collection of these data need to be developed to enhance response rates before widespread adoption across trauma centers in the United States. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic/epidemiologic, level II; Therapeutic, level III.

Could resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta improve survival among severely injured patients with post-intubation hypotension?

Current literature shows the association of post-intubation hypotension and increased odds of mortality in critically ill non-trauma and trauma populations. However, there is a lack of research on potential interventions that can prevent or ameliorate the consequences of endotracheal intubation and thus improve the prognosis of trauma patients with post-intubation hypotension. This review paper hypothesizes that the deployment of REBOA among trauma patients with PIH, by its physiologic effects, will reduce the odds of mortality in this population. The objective of this paper is to review the current literature on REBOA and post-intubation hypotension, and, furthermore, to provide a rational hypothesis on the potential role of REBOA in severely injured patients with post-intubation hypotension.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta deployed by acute care surgeons in patients with morbidly adherent placenta: a feasible solution for two lives in peril

Morbidly adherent placenta (MAP), which includes accreta, increta, and percreta, is a condition characterized by the invasion of the uterine wall by placental tissue. The condition is associated with higher odds of massive post-partum hemorrhage. Several interventions have been developed to improve hemorrhage-related outcomes in these patients; however, there is no evidence to prefer any intervention over another. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an endovascular intervention that may be useful and effective to reduce hemorrhage and transfusions in MAP patients. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize the evidence for REBOA in patients with MAP. We posit that acute care surgeons can perform REBOA for patients with MAP.

A multicenter study of post-traumatic stress disorder after injury: Mechanism matters more than injury severity

Background: Traumatic injury is strongly associated with long‐term mental health disorders, but the risk factors for developing these disorders are poorly understood. We report on a multi‐institutional collaboration to collect long‐term patient‐centered outcomes after trauma, including screening for post‐traumatic stress disorder. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for the development of post‐traumatic stress disorder after traumatic injury. Methods: Adult trauma patients (aged 18–64) with moderate to severe injuries (Injury Severity Score ≥ 9) admitted to 3 level I trauma centers were screened between 6 and 12 months after injury for post‐traumatic stress disorder. Patients were divided by mechanism: fall, road traffic injury, and intentional injury. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between baseline patient and injury‐related characteristics and the development of post‐traumatic stress disorder for the overall cohort and by mechanism of injury. Results: A total of 450 patients completed the screen. Overall 32% screened positive for post‐traumatic stress disorder, but this differed significantly by mechanism, with the lowest being after a fall (25%) and highest after intentional injury (60%). Injury severity was not associated with post‐traumatic stress disorder for any group, but lower educational level was associated with post‐traumatic stress disorder within all the groups. Only 21% of patients who screened positive for post‐traumatic stress disorder were receiving treatment at the time of the survey. Conclusion: Post‐traumatic stress disorder is common after traumatic injury, and the prevalence varies significantly by injury mechanism but is not associated with injury severity. Only a small proportion of patients who screen positive for post‐traumatic stress disorder are currently receiving treatment.

Can they stop the bleed? Evaluation of tourniquet application by individuals with varying levels of prior self-reported training

BACKGROUND Application of extremity tourniquets is a central tenet of multiple national initiatives to empower laypersons to provide hemorrhage control (HC). However, the efficacy of the general population who self-report prior first-aid (FA) or HC training on individuals ability to control bleeding with a tourniquet remains unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of laypeople with self-reported prior FA or HC training to control bleeding with a tourniquet. STUDY DESIGN Employees of a stadium were assessed via simulation in their ability to apply a Combat Application Tourniquet. As a subgroup analysis of a larger study, participants who self-reported: 1) No prior training, 2) FA training only or 2) FA + HC training were compared. Logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, education, willingness-to-assist, and comfort level in HC was performed. RESULTS 317 participants were included. Compared to participants with no prior training (14.4%,n = 16/111), those with FA training only (25.2%,n = 35/139) had a 2.12-higher odds (95%CI:1.07-4.18) of correct tourniquet application while those with FA + HC (35.8%,n = 24/67) had a 3.50-higher odds (95%CI:1.59-7.72) of correct application. Participants with prior FA + HC were more willing-to-assist and comfortable performing HC than those without prior training (p < 0.05). However, reporting being very willing-to-assist [OR0.83,95%CI:0.43-1.60] or very comfortable [OR1.11,95%CI:0.55-2.25] was not associated with correct tourniquet application. CONCLUSION Self-reported prior FA + HC training, while associated with increased likelihood to correctly apply a tourniquet, results in only 1/3 of individuals correctly performing the skill. As work continues in empowering and training laypeople to act as immediate responders, these findings highlight the importance of effective layperson education techniques.