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This study developed a new method of hypothesis testing of model conformity between truncated spline nonparametric regression influenced by spatial heterogeneity and truncated spline nonparametric regression. This hypothesis test aims to determine the most appropriate model used in the analysis of spatial data. The test statistic for model conformity hypothesis testing was constructed based on the likelihood ratio of the parameter set under H0 whose components consisted of parameters that were not influenced by the geographical factor and the set under the population parameter whose components consisted of parameters influenced by the geographical factor. We have proven the distribution of test statistics V and verified that each of the numerators and denominators in the statistic test V followed a distribution of χ2. Since there was a symmetric and idempotent matrix S, it could be proved that Y~TS  Y~/σ2~χn-lm-12. Matrix Dui,vi was positive semidefinite and contained weighting matrix Wui,vi which had different values in every location; therefore matrix Dui,vi was not idempotent. If Y~TDui,viY~≥0 and Dui,vi was not idempotent and also Y~ was a N0,I distributed random vector, then there were constants k and r; hence Y~TDui,viY~~kχr2; therefore it was concluded that test statistic V followed an F distribution. The modeling is implemented to find factors that influence the unemployment rate in 38 areas in Java in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonparametric geographically weighted regression with truncated spline approach is a new method of statistical science. It is used to solve the problems of regression analysis of spatial data if the regression curve is unknown. This method is the development of nonparametric regression with truncated spline function approach to the analysis of spatial data. Spline truncated approach can be a solution for solving the modeling problem of spatial data analysis if the data pattern between the response and the predictor variables is unknown or regression curve is not known. This study focused on finding the estimators of the model nonparametric geographically weighted regression by maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and then these estimators are investigated the unbiased property. The results showed nonparametric geographically weighted regression with truncated spline approach can be used in spatial data to solve problems regression curve that cannot be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a Web GIS application development framework through an open-source software which aims to provide reliable open data services, required for policymaking in urban land use planning. The geodatabase model is comprehensively developed. It displayed a user interface using QGIS, MapServer, and Pmapper, with open source tools with PHP MapScript programming languages and integrated DB-SQL, to generate a complete digital map service with information on urban land use policy. The results of this Web GIS development can be publicly used with spatial databases suitable for public consumption, and as decision support systems for stakeholders, especially in the policy of urban land use planning. Thus, this application can serve as a model for land-use monitoring systems based upon the principle of information disclosure toward smart city and smart governance.

Introduction: Sarcopenia, or the loss of lean muscle mass, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality as well as poor surgical outcomes. The aim of our study was to utilize computed tomography imaging to obtain the total psoas volume (TPV) as a potential marker of sarcopenia. We then investigated the relationship between TPV and outcomes in surgically managed hip fracture patients, particularly their discharge disposition., Methods: A retrospective review of surgically managed hip fracture patients at a single institution level one American College of Surgeons verified trauma center between 2017 and 2022 was performed. The primary endpoint was patient disposition after hospitalization. TPV was collected via three dimension reconstruction of computed tomography images. Student's t-test was used to assess for association between TPV and demographic variables. Binary logistic regressions were performed to examine variables that could predict patient disposition among the patients., Results: We identified 64 surgically managed hip fracture patients, 57.8% of whom were males, with a median age of 74 (IQR: 62, 88). Black race (244.4 vs. 190.3, P = 0.032) and younger age (252.2 vs. 181.8, P = 0.004) were associated with higher TPV. Male patients with higher TPV had a higher likelihood of being discharged home as opposed to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility (251.3 vs. 191.1, P = 0.02). In multivariable analysis adjusting for sex, race, body mass index, and age, males with a higher TPV were more likely to be discharged home (odds ratio: 1.012; 95% confidence interval: 1.004 1.020; P = 0.028)., Conclusions: Psoas muscle volume can be used to predict which male patients are likely to be discharged home postoperatively after surgically managed traumatic hip fracture., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Annually, nearly 3 million individuals in the US are hospitalized after experiencing a traumatic injury (e.g., serious automobile crash, gunshot wound, stab injury). Many traumatically injured patients experience a trajectory of resilience. However, 20-40 % develop mental health problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression; population estimates exceed 600,000 patients annually. Most trauma centers do not provide direct services to address mental health recovery, but the 2022 American College of Surgeons guidelines have established this as a priority. Cost-effective interventions are needed that meet the needs of patients at each stage of the recovery process while achieving sustainability at the level of implementation. This protocol paper describes a study that rigorously tests the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP), a scalable, sustainable technology-enhanced intervention to support the mental health recovery of patients who have experienced a traumatic injury., Methods: We describe a randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow up of TRRP vs. enhanced usual care with 350 traumatically injured patients, including recruitment and retention procedures, assessment, implementation and fidelity monitoring, and statistical plans., Conclusion: Novel components of our design include integration of technology-based elements, use of a stepped-care model, and implementation in a trauma center that did not previously have a mental health program. Data collected address the impact of TRRP and inform improvements to the model and its implementation in preparation for large-scale testing and implementation initiatives. This body of work is critical to informing the field as it continues to move toward national standards and recommendations., Trial Registration: NCT05497115Clinicaltrials.gov., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The abdominal seat belt sign (SBS) is associated with an increased risk of hollow viscus injury (HVI). Older age is associated with worse outcomes in trauma patients. Thus, older trauma patients ≥65 years of age (OTPs) may be at an increased risk of HVI with abdominal SBS. Therefore, we hypothesized an increased incidence of HVI and mortality for OTPs vs younger trauma patients (YTPs) with abdominal SBS., Study Design: This post hoc analysis of a multi-institutional, prospective, observational study (8/2020-10/2021) included patients > 18 years old with an abdominal SBS who underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging. Older trauma patients were compared to YTPs (18-64 years old) with bivariate analyses., Results: Of the 754 patients included in this study from nine level-1 trauma centers, there were 110 (14.6%) OTPs and 644 (85.4%) YTPs. Older trauma patients were older (mean 75.3 vs 35.8 years old, P < .01) and had a higher mean Injury Severity Score (10.8 vs 9.0, P = .02). However, YTPs had an increased abdominal abbreviated-injury scale score (2.01 vs 1.63, P = .02). On CT imaging, OTPs less commonly had intraabdominal free fluid (21.7% vs 11.9%, P = .02) despite a similar rate of abdominal soft tissue contusion ( P > .05). Older trauma patients also had a statistically similar rate of HVI vs YTPs (5.5% vs 9.8%, P = .15). Despite this, OTPs had increased mortality (5.5% vs 1.1%, P < .01) and length of stay (LOS) (5.9 vs 4.9 days P < .01)., Conclusion: Despite a similar rate of HVI, OTPs with an abdominal SBS had an increased rate of mortality and LOS. This suggests the need for heightened vigilance when caring for OTPs with abdominal SBS., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Rib fractures are one of the most common traumatic injuries and may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Despite growing evidence, technological advances and increasing acceptance, surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) remains not uniformly considered in trauma centers. Indications, contraindications, appropriate timing, surgical approaches and utilized implants are part of an ongoing debate. The present position paper, which is endorsed by the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), and supported by the Chest Wall Injury Society, aims to provide a review of the literature investigating the use of SSRF in rib fracture management to develop graded position statements, providing an updated guide and reference for SSRF., Methods: This position paper was developed according to the WSES methodology. A steering committee performed the literature review and drafted the position paper. An international panel of experts then critically revised the manuscript and discussed it in detail, to develop a consensus on the position statements., Results: A total of 287 studies (systematic reviews, randomized clinical trial, prospective and retrospective comparative studies, case series, original articles) have been selected from an initial pool of 9928 studies. Thirty-nine graded position statements were put forward to address eight crucial aspects of SSRF: surgical indications, contraindications, optimal timing of surgery, preoperative imaging evaluation, rib fracture sites for surgical fixation, management of concurrent thoracic injuries, surgical approach, stabilization methods and material selection., Conclusion: This consensus document addresses the key focus questions on surgical treatment of rib fractures. The expert recommendations clarify current evidences on SSRF indications, timing, operative planning, approaches and techniques, with the aim to guide clinicians in optimizing the management of rib fractures, to improve patient outcomes and direct future research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Surgery is the definitive treatment for colonic volvulus despite initial decompression therapy. In general surgery, African Americans were found to have higher risks of mortality and morbidities. However, racial disparity in colectomy outcomes for volvulus among African Americans had not been explored. This study examined the 30-day outcomes for African Americans following colectomy for volvulus., Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) targeted colectomy database from 2012 to 2022 was used. Only patients with volvulus as the primary indication for colectomy were selected. A 1:1 propensity score matching was applied to African Americans and Caucasians to match sex, age, baseline characteristics, preoperative preparation, indication for surgery (if emergent), and operative approaches. Thirty-day postoperative outcomes were examined., Results: There were 1027 and 7451 African Americans and Caucasians who underwent colectomy for volvulus, respectively. All African Americans were 1:1 propensity-score matched to their Caucasian counterparts. African Americans and Caucasians had a comparable mortality rate (7.21% vs 7.89%, P = 0.62). While African Americans had a higher risk of pulmonary complications (16.85% vs 13.53%, P = 0.04), other surgical complications were all comparable between African Americans and Caucasians. However, African Americans had a longer time from admission to operation (2.70 ± 3.99 vs 2.17 ± 3.36 days, P < 0.01) and a longer length of stay (LOS; 12.81 ± 10.28 vs 10.50 ± 7.72 days, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: African Americans were found to have higher risks of pulmonary complications, delayed operation, and extended LOS. These disparities raise concerns and warrant further investigation into their underlying causes. Effective targeted interventions may be necessary to address these issues., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) frequently necessitates emergency surgical intervention. The impact of frailty and age on operative outcomes is uncertain. This study evaluated postoperative outcomes of SBO surgery based on patient's age and frailty and explore the optimal timing to operation in elderly and/or frail patients., Methods: Patients who underwent SBO surgery were identified in American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database 2005 to 2021. Patients aged ≥65 years were defined as elderly. Patients with 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index≥2 were defined as frail. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 30-day postoperative outcomes between elderly frail versus nonfrail patients, as well as between nonfrail young versus elderly patients., Results: There were 49,344 patients who had SBO surgery, with 7,089 (14.37%) patients classified as elderly frail, 17,821 (36.12%) as elderly nonfrail, and 21,849 (44.28%) as young nonfrail. Elderly frail patients had higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.541; p < 0.01) and postoperative complications compared with their elderly nonfrail counterparts; these patients also had longer wait until definitive operation ( p < 0.01). Among nonfrail patients, when compared with young patients, the elderly had higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.388; p < 0.01) and complications, and longer time to operation ( p < 0.01). In elderly nonfrail patients, a higher mortality was observed when surgery was postponed after 2 days. Mortality risk for frail elderly patients is heightened from their already higher baseline when surgery is delayed after 4 days., Conclusion: When SBO surgery is postponed for more than 2 days, elderly nonfrail patients have an increased mortality risk. Consequently, upon admission, these patients should be placed under a nasogastric tube and undergo an initial gastrograffin challenge. If there is no contrast in colon, they should be operated on within 2 days. Conversely, elderly frail patients with SBO have a higher mortality risk when surgery is delayed beyond 4 days. Thus, following the same scheme, they should be operated on before 4 days if gastrograffin challenge fails., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used as an adjunct in traumatic hemorrhage management. Outside of trauma, TXA has been used to limit blood loss across multiple surgical fields. TXA has also been found to have an immune-modulating effect, reducing postoperative infection rates. However, the relationship between TXA and infection rates in trauma patients is unclear., Methods: We performed a single-institution retrospective cohort analysis of 364 trauma patients who underwent massive transfusion protocol activation at a level-one trauma level center over a 7-y period. Patients were placed into two groups based on TXA administration (No TXA and TXA). Minors, patients on anticoagulants, pregnant patients, and those who died upon arrival or were hospitalized for less than 1 d were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analysis with propensity score matching were used to evaluate the association between TXA and infection rates., Results: Sixty-one patients (16.8%) received TXA, and 303 patients (83.2%) did not. TXA was associated with an increased risk of infection on univariate analysis (P = 0.007). However, on multivariate analysis after propensity score matching, TXA was not associated with infection (P = 0.975) while total hospital days and total ventilator days were associated with an increased risk of infection (P = 0.012, P = 0.014)., Conclusions: Our study found no association between TXA and infection rates among our patient cohort. While TXA remains an important adjunct in trauma resuscitation, we did not find an association between TXA and infection in trauma patients., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Advances in medical technology have widened the gaps and exposed disparities in medical treatments. The prevalence of surgical stabilization for rib fractures is rising despite its controversial indications for this treatment modality. In situations of equipoise, surgeons may find themselves choosing patients for surgery, revealing potential implicit biases. We hypothesize that there exists an inequity in surgical stabilization for rib fractures performed based on race., Methods: Data were obtained from the American College of Surgeons 2013-2021 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database. Study participants were divided into race groups according to Trauma Quality Improvement Program data registry. To assess the association between race and surgical stabilization for rib fractures, a Poisson regression model was used. Potential confounding adjusted include race, age, sex, highest abbreviated injury severity score in each region, flail chest, sternum fracture, pneumothorax, hemothorax, pulmonary contusion, and comorbidities., Result: Black patients were more often treated at a level 1 trauma center (74%) (P < .001). Flail chest was most common in White (3.2%) and American Indian (3.4%) patients compared with other races (P = .012). After adjusting for potential confounding in the Poisson regression analyses, Black patients were 26% less likely to undergo surgical stabilization for rib fractures (adjusted incident rate ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.74 [0.64-0.85], P < .001) and Asian were 40% less likely to undergo surgical stabilization for rib fractures (adjusted incident rate ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.60 [0.43-0.81], P = .001) than White patients., Conclusion: There is a disparity in the delivery of surgical stabilization for rib fractures in patients with rib fractures. Black and Asian patients undergo surgical stabilization for rib fractures at a significantly lower rate than their White counterparts. This discrepancy in the delivery of care is concerning and requires further study., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Babak Sarani is a consultant for Belmont and Medtronic and speaker and consultant for Accumed and Haemonetics. The other authors have indicated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Penetrating traumatic aortic injury (PTAI) is increasing in prevalence given the rise in firearm violence in the United States and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These injuries often result in hemorrhagic shock, with patients presenting in extremis or pulseless, traditionally requiring open approaches for repair. A rare but potentially devastating complication of firearm-related PTAI is bullet embolization. This case report describes the successful resuscitation and endovascular treatment of a patient with a firearm-induced PTAI complicated by acute limb ischemia secondary to bullet arterial embolization to the common femoral artery requiring arteriotomy for bullet removal., Competing Interests: None., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Vascular Surgery.)

Endovascular stents are predominantly utilized for intra-arterial interventions; however, their application in managing venous injuries, especially traumatic ones, lacks comprehensive guidelines and long-term outcome studies. This case report discusses the innovative deployment of an infrarenal inferior vena cava stent for a traumatic inferior vena cava injury after a gunshot wound in a polytrauma patient. This case aims to enhance the existing evidence on the feasibility and potential outcomes of endovascular stenting in traumatic venous injuries., Competing Interests: None., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Over the last two decades, the acute management of rib fractures has changed significantly. In 2021, the Chest Wall injury Society (CWIS) began recognizing centers that epitomize their mission as CWIS Collaborative Centers. The primary aim of this study was to determine the resources, surgical expertise, access to care, and institutional support that are present among centers., Methods: A survey was performed including all CWIS Collaborative Centers evaluating the resources available at their hospital for the treatment of patients with chest wall injury. Data about each chest wall injury center care process, availability of resources, institutional support, research support, and educational offerings were recorded., Results: Data were collected from 20 trauma centers resulting in an 80% response rate. These trauma centers were made up of 5 international and 15 US-based trauma centers. Eighty percent (16 of 20) have dedicated care team members for the evaluation and management of rib fractures. Twenty-five percent (5 of 20) have a dedicated rib fracture service with a separate call schedule. Staffing for chest wall injury clinics consists of a multidisciplinary team: with attending surgeons in all clinics, 80% (8 of 10) with advanced practice providers and 70% (7 of 10) with care coordinators. Forty percent (8 of 20) of centers have dedicated rib fracture research support, and 35% (7 of 20) have surgical stabilization of rib fracture (SSRF)-related grants. Forty percent (8 of 20) of centers have marketing support, and 30% (8 of 20) have a web page support to bring awareness to their center. At these trauma centers, a median of 4 (1-9) surgeons perform SSRFs. In the majority of trauma centers, the trauma surgeons perform SSRF., Conclusion: Considerable similarities and differences exist within these CWIS collaborative centers. These differences in resources are hypothesis generating in determining the optimal chest wall injury center. These findings may generate several patient care and team process questions to optimize patient care, patient experience, provider satisfaction, research productivity, education, and outreach., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level V., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The advancement of seat belts have been essential to reducing morbidity and mortality related to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). The "seat belt sign" (SBS) is an important physical exam finding that has guided management for decades. This study, comprising a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis, asses the current literature for the likelihood of the SBS relating to intra-abdominal injury and surgical intervention., Methods: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched from their beginnings through August 4, 2023 for eligible studies. Outcomes included the prevalence of intra-abdominal injury and need for surgical intervention. Cochrane's Risk of Bias (RoB) tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were applied to assess risk of bias and study quality; Q-statistics and I 2 values were used to assess for heterogeneity., Results: The search yielded nine observational studies involving 3050 patients, 1937 (63.5%) of which had a positive SBS. The pooled prevalence of any intra-abdominal injury was 0.42, (95% CI 0.28-0.58, I 2  = 96%) The presence of a SBS was significantly associated with increased odds of intra-abdominal injury (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.12-11.6, P = 0.03; I 2  = 89%), and an increased likelihood of surgical intervention (OR 7.34, 95% CI 2.03-26.54, P < 0.001; I 2  = 29%). The measurement for any intra-abdominal injury was associated with high heterogeneity, I 2  = 89%., Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that the presence of a SBS was associated with a statistically significant higher likelihood of intra-abdominal injury and need for surgical intervention. The study had high heterogeneity, likely due to the technological advancements over the course of this study, including seat belt design and diagnostic imaging sensitivity. Further studies with more recent data are needed to confirm these results., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors do not have a financial interest or relationship to disclose regarding this research project., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients who undergo exploratory laparotomy (EL) in an emergent setting are at higher risk for surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to the elective setting. Packaged Food and Drug Administration-approved 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) irrigation solution reduces SSI rates in nonemergency settings. We hypothesize that the use of 0.05% CHG irrigation solution prior to closure of emergent EL incisions will be associated with lower rates of superficial SSI and allows for increased rates of primary skin closure., Methods: A retrospective observational study of all emergent EL whose subcutaneous tissue were irrigated with 0.05% CHG solution to achieve primary wound closure from March 2021 to June 2022 were performed. Patients with active soft-tissue infection of the abdominal wall were excluded. Our primary outcome is rate of primary skin closure following laparotomy. Descriptive statistics, including t-test and chi-square test, were used to compare groups as appropriate. A P value <0.05 was statistically significant., Results: Sixty-six patients with a median age of 51 y (18-92 y) underwent emergent EL. Primary wound closure is achieved in 98.5% of patients (65/66). Bedside removal of some staples and conversion to wet-to-dry packing changes was required in 27.3% of patients (18/66). We found that most of these were due to fat necrosis. We report no cases of fascial dehiscence., Conclusions: In patients undergoing EL, intraoperative irrigation of the subcutaneous tissue with 0.05% CHG solution is a viable option for primary skin closure. Further studies are needed to prospectively evaluate our findings., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Penetrating trauma occurs less frequently in females than in males. Studies on penetrating injuries are conducted in predominantly male populations. We aim to elucidate the demographics and outcomes of penetrating trauma specifically in females to mitigate disparities of care in females., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of hospitalized adult trauma patients suffering penetrating trauma from 2015 to 2021 was performed in an urban American College of Surgeon-verified level 1 trauma center. Patients were stratified by sex (females or males) and mechanism of injury (gun-related versus nongun-related). The primary outcome was mortality, and secondary outcomes included incidence of blood transfusion, incidence of surgical/interventional radiology (IR) interventions, hospital length of stay (LOS), and complications. Descriptive statistics were employed with a significance defined as P value <0.05. A multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the impact of sex on mortality, surgical/IR interventions, and hospital LOS., Results: Females with penetrating injury had lower Injury Severity Score (1 versus 4, P < 0.05) than males, but had similar mortality rates (4% versus 6%, P = 0.06). In multivariable logistic analysis adjusting for age and Injury Severity Score, while females experience 33% fewer OR/IR intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in mortality rates, hospital LOS, and complication rates between males and females., Conclusions: Despite receiving fewer surgical/IR intervention, females with penetrating injuries have similar outcomes to their male counterparts. Further study is needed to study this discrepancy., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rib fractures are a common injury in blunt trauma and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) have led to better patient outcomes for those with highly unstable complex rib fractures, as well as those with less severe injuries. This result has been due in part to the expansion of indications for repair, as well as the development of new hardware systems to address a variety of fracture patterns and injuries. This joint advancement of operator techniques, outcomes research, and industry development has brought SSRF to the forefront of rib fracture management and challenged non-operative paradigms. The future of repair is now shifting focus, as surgeons develop minimally invasive approaches and challenge manufacturers to develop new systems, instruments, and materials to address increasingly complex fracture patterns. These expansions promise to make SSRF an increasingly effective form of management for traumatic rib fractures.

Background: Medical learners may use YouTube® videos to prepare for procedures. Videos are convenient and readily available, but without any uploading standards, their accuracy and quality for education are uncertain. We assessed the quality of emergency cricothyrotomy videos on YouTube through an expert panel of surgeons with objective quality metrics., Methods: A YouTube® search for "emergency cricothyrotomy" was performed and results were filtered to remove animations and lectures. The 4 most-viewed videos were sent to a panel of trauma surgeons for evaluation. An educational quality (EQ) score was generated for each video based on its ability to explain the procedure indications, orient the viewer to the patient, provide accurate narration, provide clear views of procedure, identify relevant instrumentation and anatomy, and explain critical maneuvers. Reviewers were also asked if safety concerns were present and encouraged to give feedback in a free-response field., Results: Four surgical attendings completed the survey. The median EQ score was 6 on a 7-point scale (95% CI [6, 6]). All but one of the individual parameters had a median EQ score of 6 (95% CI: indications [3, 7], orientation [5, 7], narration [6, 7], clarity [6, 7], instruments [6, 7], anatomy [6, 6], critical maneuvers [5, 6]). Safety received a lower EQ score (5.5, 95% CI [2, 6])., Conclusions: The most-viewed cricothyrotomy videos were rated positively by surgical attendings. Still, it is necessary to know if medical learners can distinguish high from low quality videos. If not, this suggests a need for surgical societies to create high-quality videos that can be reliably and efficiently accessed on YouTube®., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: High-quality CT can exclude hollow viscus injury (HVI) in patients with abdominal seatbelt sign (SBS) but performs poorly at identifying HVI. Delay in diagnosis of HVI has significant consequences necessitating timely identification., Study Design: This multicenter, prospective observational study conducted at 9 trauma centers between August 2020 and October 2021 included adult trauma patients with abdominal SBS who underwent abdominal CT before surgery. HVI was determined intraoperatively and physiologic, examination, laboratory, and imaging findings were collected. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator- and probit regression-selected predictor variables and coefficients were used to assign integer points for the HVI score. Validation was performed by comparing the area under receiver operating curves (AUROC)., Results: Analysis included 473 in the development set and 203 in the validation set. The HVI score includes initial systolic blood pressure <110 mmHg, abdominal tenderness, guarding, and select abdominal CT findings. The derivation set has an AUROC of 0.96, and the validation set has an AUROC of 0.91. The HVI score ranges from 0 to 17 with score 0 to 5 having an HVI risk of 0.03% to 5.36%, 6 to 9 having a risk of 10.65% to 44.1%, and 10 to 17 having a risk of 58.59% to 99.72%., Conclusions: This multicenter study developed and validated a novel HVI score incorporating readily available physiologic, examination, and CT findings to risk stratify patients with an abdominal SBS. The HVI score can be used to guide decisions regarding management of a patient with an abdominal SBS and suspected HVI., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rib fractures are common injuries which can be associated with acute pain and chronic disability. While most rib fractures ultimately go on to achieve bony union, a subset of patients may go on to develop non-union. Management of these nonunited rib fractures can be challenging and variability in management exists., Methods: The Chest Wall Injury Society's Publication Committee convened to develop recommendations for use of surgical stabilization of nonunited rib fractures (SSNURF) to treat traumatic rib fracture nonunions. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database were searched for pertinent studies. Using a process of iterative consensus, all committee members voted to accept or reject the recommendation., Results: No identified studies compared SSNURF to alternative therapy and the overall quality of the body of evidence was rated as low. Risk of bias was identified in all studies. Despite these limitations, there is lower-quality evidence suggesting that SSNURF may be beneficial for decreasing pain, reducing opiate use, and improving patient reported outcomes among patients with symptomatic rib nonunion. However, these benefits should be balanced against risk of symptomatic hardware failure and infection., Conclusion: This guideline document summarizes the current CWIS recommendations regarding use of SSNURF for management of rib nonunion., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Existing study findings on firearms-related injury patterns are largely skewed towards males, who comprise the majority of this injury population. Given the paucity of existing data for females with these injuries, we aimed to elucidate the demographics, injury patterns, and outcomes of firearms-related injury in females compared with males in the USA., Materials and Methods: A 7-year (2013-2019) retrospective review of the National Trauma Database was conducted to identify all adult patients who suffered firearms-related injuries. Patients who were males were matched (1:1, caliper 0.2) to patients who were females by demographics, comorbidities, injury patterns and severity, and payment method, to compare differences in mortality and several other post-injury outcomes., Results: There were 196 696 patients admitted after firearms-related injury during the study period. Of these patients, 23 379 (11.9%) were females, 23 378 of whom were successfully matched to a male counterpart. After matching, females had a lower rate of in-hospital mortality (18.6% vs. 20.0%, p<0.001), deep vein thrombosis (1.2% vs. 1.5%, p=0.014), and had a lower incidence of drug or alcohol withdrawal syndrome (0.2% vs. 0.5%, p<0.001) compared with males., Conclusion: Female victims of firearms-related injuries experience lower rates of mortality and complications compared with males. Further studies are needed to elucidate the cause of these differences., Level of Evidence: Level III., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Early tracheostomy (ET) is associated with a lower incidence of pneumonia (PNA) and mechanical ventilation duration (MVD) in hospitalized patients with trauma. The purpose of this study is to determine if ET also benefits older adults compared to the younger cohort., Methods: Adult hospitalized trauma patients who received a tracheostomy as registered in The American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program from 2013 to 2019 were analyzed. Patients with tracheostomy prior to admission were excluded. Patients were stratified into 2 cohorts consisting of those aged ≥65 and those aged <65. These cohorts were analyzed separately to compare the outcomes of ET (<5 d; ET) versus late tracheostomy (LT) (≥5 d; LT). The primary outcome was MVD. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay (HLOS), and PNA. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with significance defined as P value < 0.05., Results: In patients aged <65, ET was performed within a median of 2.3 d (interquartile range, 0.47-3.8) after intubation and a median of 9.9 d (interquartile range, 7.5-13) in the LT group. The ET group's Injury Severity Score was significantly lower with fewer comorbidities. There were no differences in injury severity or comorbidities when comparing the groups. ET was associated with lower MVD (d), PNA, and HLOS on univariate and multivariate analyses in both age cohorts, although the degree of benefit was higher in the less than 65 y cohort [ET versus LT MVD: 5.08 (4.78-5.37), P < 0.001; PNA: 1.45 (1.36-1.54), P < 0.001; HLOS: 5.48 (4.93-6.04), P < 0.001]. Mortality did not differ based on time to tracheostomy., Conclusions: ET is associated with lower MVD, PNA, and HLOS in hospitalized patients with trauma regardless of age. Age should not factor into timing for tracheostomy placement., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) among patients with chronic and heavy alcohol consumption can range from mild to severe and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Currently, treating AWS with benzodiazepines is the standard of care, but phenobarbital has also been hypothesized to be an effective first-line treatment due to its pharmacological properties and mechanism of action. We conducted a meta-analysis to review relevant literature and compare the clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed with AWS in ED and ICU settings., Methods: We performed a literature search in in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from inception to June 30, 2022. Randomized trials and observational (prospective or retrospective) studies were eligible if they included adult patients who presented in the ED and were treated in the ED and/or the intensive care unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of AWS. The primary outcome was the rate of intubation among patients who received phenobarbital, compared with benzodiazepines. Secondary outcomes such as rates of seizures, hospital, and ICU length of stay (LOS), also were included. The PROSPERO registration is CRD42022318862., Results: We included twelve studies (1934 patients) in our analysis. Of the 1934 patients in these studies, 765 (41.7%) were treated with phenobarbital and 1169 (58.3%) were treated with other modalities for alcohol withdrawal. Treating AWS patients with phenobarbital did not affect their risk for intubation, as the risk for intubation was similar between the phenobarbital and the control group (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.36-1.38, P = 0.31). In addition, patients who were treated with phenobarbital were found to have similar rates of seizures (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.29-1.89) and length of stay in the hospital (Standardized Mean Difference -0.02, 95% CI -0.26, 0.21) or the ICU (SMD -0.02, 95% CI -0.21, 0.25) when compared with patients receiving benzodiazepines., Conclusions: Management of patients with AWS with phenobarbital is associated with similar rates of intubation, length of stay in the ICU, or length of stay in the hospital as treatment with benzodiazepines. However, due to the inclusion of mostly observational studies and a significant level of heterogeneity among the studies assessed in this review, additional trials with strong methodology are needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors do not have a financial interest or relationship to disclose regarding this research project., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) and surgical stabilization of sternal fractures (SSSF) involves open reduction and internal fixation of fractures with an implantable titanium plate to restore and maintain anatomic alignment. The presence of this foreign, non-absorbable material presents an opportunity for infection. Although surgical site infection (SSI) and implant infection rates after SSRF and SSSF are low, they present a challenging clinical entity. Methods: The Surgical Infection Society's Therapeutics and Guidelines Committee and Chest Wall Injury Society's Publication Committee convened to develop recommendations for management of SSIs or implant-related infections after SSRF or SSSF. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane database were searched for pertinent studies. Using a process of iterative consensus, all committee members voted to accept or reject each recommendation. Results: For patients undergoing SSRF or SSSF who develop an SSI or an implant-related infection, there is insufficient evidence to suggest a single optimal management strategy. For patients with an SSI, systemic antibiotic therapy, local wound debridement, and vacuum-assisted closure have been used in isolation or combination. For patients with an implant-related infection, initial implant removal with or without systemic antibiotic therapy, systemic antibiotic therapy with local wound drainage, and systemic antibiotic therapy with local antibiotic therapy have been documented. For patients who do not undergo initial implant removal, 68% ultimately require implant removal to achieve source control. Conclusions: Insufficient evidence precludes the ability to recommend guidelines for the treatment of SSI or implant-related infection following SSRF or SSSF. Further studies should be performed to identify the optimal management strategy in this population.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a prothrombotic state; leading to multiple sequelae. We sought to detect whether thromboelastography (TEG) parameters would be able to detect thromboembolic events in patients hospitalized with COVID-19., Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter case-control study of the Collaborative Research to Understand the Sequelae of Harm in COVID (CRUSH COVID) registry of 8 tertiary care level hospitals in the United States (US). This registry contains adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized between March 2020 and September 2020., Results: A total of 277 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were analyzed to determine whether conventional coagulation TEG parameters were associated with venous thromboembolic (VTE) and thrombotic events during hospitalization. A clotting index (CI) >3 was present in 45.8% of the population, consistent with a hypercoagulable state. Eighty-three percent of the patients had clot lysis at 30 min (LY30)  =  0, consistent with fibrinolysis shutdown, with a median of 0.1%. We did not find TEG parameters (LY30 area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC]  =  0.55, 95% CI: 0.44-0.65, P value  =  .32; alpha angle [α] AUC  =  0.58, 95% CI: 0.47-0.69, P value  =  .17; K time AUC  =  0.58, 95% CI: 0.46-0.69, P value  =  .67; maximum amplitude (MA) AUC  =  0.54, 95% CI: 0.44-0.64, P value  =  .47; reaction time [R time] AUC  =  0.53, 95% CI: 0.42-0.65, P value  =  .70) to be a good discriminator for VTE. We also did not find TEG parameters (LY30 AUC  =  0.51, 95% CI: 0.42-0.60, P value  =  .84; R time AUC  =  0.57, 95%CI: 0.48-0.67, P value .07; α AUC  =  0.59, 95%CI: 0.51-0.68, P value  =  .02; K time AUC  =  0.62, 95% CI: 0.53-0.70, P value  =  .07; MA AUC  =  0.65, 95% CI: 0.57-0.74, P value < .01) to be a good discriminator for thrombotic events., Conclusions: In this retrospective multicenter cohort study, TEG in COVID-19 hospitalized patients may indicate a hypercoagulable state, however, its use in detecting VTE or thrombotic events is limited in this population.

Background: Traumatic duodenal injury is a rare, potentially devastating condition with challenging management decisions. Contemporary literature on operative management of duodenal injury is lacking. The purpose of this study is to assess optimal management strategies based on outcomes of patients with traumatic duodenal injury at a single trauma center., Methods: A retrospective study of patients with traumatic duodenal injury from 2013-2020 at a level 1 trauma center was performed. Patient demographics, grade of injury as noted on CT scan or intraoperatively, surgical procedure(s) performed, and resultant outcomes were extracted., Results: After excluding one patient due to death on arrival, 23 patients met inclusion criteria. Injuries consisted of grade 1 (n = 7), grade 2 (n = 2), grade 3 (n = 12), and grade 5 (n = 2); there were no grade 4 injuries. Patients were predominantly male (83%) with a median age of 30 years old. Nineteen patients (82%) underwent surgery. Four of nine patients (44%) with grade 1/2 injuries had hematomas and were managed non-operatively. The remaining five patients (56%) with grade 1/2 injuries underwent operation, which included primary repair (n = 3), duodenal exclusion (n = 1), and periduodenal drainage (n = 1). Of 12 patients with grade 3 injury, 6 underwent primary repair and 6 underwent resection. Three patients who underwent primary repair and one who underwent resection developed a duodenal leak. All patients with grade 5 injury (n = 2) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy., Conclusion: Grade 1 and 2 duodenal hematomas can be managed non-operatively, while lacerations require operative repair. Outcomes may be better following resection in patients with grade 3 injury.

Background: Psychiatric illnesses affect outcomes in trauma. Studies have examined the relationship between depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental disorders with trauma, yet few have examined attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder has been suggested to increase the risk of injury, but severity and outcomes of the injury are not frequently studied. The relationship of additional psychiatric disorders in patients with ADHD to traumatic injury was also examined in this study., Methods: A 5-year retrospective analysis was performed using the trauma registry of an urban ACS verified level 1 trauma center. Patients with ADHD were separated into ADHD Only and ADHD+ (having additional psychiatric comorbidities) and compared to a matched population of non-ADHD patients and patients with non-ADHD psychiatric disorders to analyze their demographics and outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data as appropriate., Results: Seventy-three patients with ADHD were identified, with over half having additional psychiatric comorbidities (58.9%). The majority of ADHD patients were White (54.8%) vs Black (61.6%) at admission. At admission non-ADHD patients had significantly fewer psychiatric comorbidities (11%) compared to ADHD patients (58.9%). ADHD with psychiatric comorbidities patients had significantly higher ISS and longer hospital LOS. However, GCS and ICU LOS were not different between the two groups., Conclusions: Patients with ADHD were significantly more likely to have psychiatric comorbidities and experience worse outcomes compared to patients without ADHD.

Background: Multiple techniques describe the management of the open abdomen (OA) and restoration of abdominal wall integrity after damage-control laparotomy (DCL). It is unclear which operative technique provides the best method of achieving primary myofascial closure at the index hospitalization., Methods: A writing group from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature regarding OA management strategies in the adult population after DCL. The group sought to understand if fascial traction techniques or techniques to reduce visceral edema improved the outcomes in these patients. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was utilized, meta-analyses were performed, and an evidence profile was generated., Results: Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, the use of fascial traction techniques was associated with improved primary myofascial closure during the index admission (relative risk, 0.32) and fewer hernias (relative risk, 0.11.) The use of fascial traction techniques did not increase the risk of enterocutaneous fistula formation nor mortality. Techniques to reduce visceral edema may improve the rate of closure; however, these studies were very limited and suffered significant heterogeneity., Conclusion: We conditionally recommend the use of a fascial traction system over routine care when treating a patient with an OA after DCL. This recommendation is based on the benefit of improved primary myofascial closure without worsening mortality or enterocutaneous fistula formation. We are unable to make any recommendations regarding techniques to reduce visceral edema., Level of Evidence: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; Level IV., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Abdominal seat belt sign (SBS) has historically entailed admission and observation because of the diagnostic limitations of computed tomography (CT) imaging and high rates of hollow viscus injury (HVI). Recent single-institution, observational studies have questioned the utility of this practice., Objective: To evaluate whether a negative CT scan can safely predict the absence of HVI in the setting of an abdominal SBS., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in 9 level I trauma centers between August 2020 and October 2021 and included adult trauma patients with abdominal SBS., Exposures: Inclusion in the study required abdominal CT as part of the initial trauma evaluation and before any surgical intervention, if performed. Results of CT scans were considered positive if they revealed any of the following: abdominal wall soft tissue contusion, free fluid, bowel wall thickening, mesenteric stranding, mesenteric hematoma, bowel dilation, pneumatosis, or pneumoperitoneum., Main Outcomes and Measures: Presence of HVI diagnosed at the time of operative intervention., Results: A total of 754 patients with abdominal SBS had an HVI prevalence of 9.2% (n = 69), with only 1 patient with HVI (0.1%) having a negative CT (ie, none of the 8 a priori CT findings). On bivariate analysis comparing patients with and without HVI, there were significant associations between each of the individual CT scan findings and the presence of HVI. The strongest association was found with the presence of free fluid, with a more than 40-fold increase in the likelihood of HVI (odds ratio [OR], 42.68; 95% CI, 20.48-88.94; P < .001). The presence of free fluid also served as the most effective binary classifier for presence of HVI (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve [AUC], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.91). There was also an association between a negative CT scan and the absence of HVI (OR, 41.09; 95% CI, 9.01-727.69; P < .001; AUC, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.66-0.70)., Conclusions and Relevance: The prevalence of HVI among patients with an abdominal SBS and negative findings on CT is extremely low, if not zero. The practice of admitting and observing all patients with abdominal SBS should be reconsidered when a high-quality CT scan is negative, which may lead to significant resource and cost savings.

Background: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures is recommended in patients with flail chest or multiple displaced rib fractures with physiologic compromise. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) and surgical stabilization of sternal fractures (SSSF) involve open reduction and internal fixation of fractures with a plate construct to restore anatomic alignment. Most plate constructs are composed of titanium and presence of this foreign, non-absorbable material presents opportunity for implant infection. Although implant infection rates after SSRF and SSSF are low, they present a challenging clinical entity often requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy, debridement, and potentially implant removal. Methods: The Surgical Infection Society's Therapeutics and Guidelines Committee and Chest Wall Injury Society's Publication Committee convened to develop recommendations for antibiotic use during and after surgical stabilization of traumatic rib and sternal fractures. Clinical scenarios included patients with concomitant infectious processes (sepsis, pneumonia, empyema, cellulitis) or sources of contamination (open chest, gross contamination) incurred as a result of their trauma and present at the time of their surgical stabilization. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for pertinent studies. Using a process of iterative consensus, all committee members voted to accept or reject each recommendation. Results: For patients undergoing SSRF or SSSF in the absence of pre-existing infectious process, there is insufficient evidence to suggest existing peri-operative guidelines or recommendations are inadequate. For patients undergoing SSRF or SSSF in the presence of sepsis, pneumonia, or an empyema, there is insufficient evidence to provide recommendations on duration and choice of antibiotic. This decision may be informed by existing guidelines for the concomitant infection. For patients undergoing SSRF or SSSF with an open or contaminated chest there is insufficient evidence to provide specific antibiotic recommendations. Conclusions: This guideline document summarizes the current Surgical Infection Society and Chest Wall Injury Society recommendations regarding antibiotic use during and after surgical stabilization of traumatic rib or sternal fractures. Limited evidence exists in the chest wall surgical stabilization literature and further studies should be performed to delineate risk of implant infection among patients undergoing SSSRF or SSSF with concomitant infectious processes.

Background: Falls are the leading cause of traumatic injury in older adults. Multidisciplinary approaches between trauma surgeons and primary care providers can powerfully advocate for fall prevention. This study explores current fall prevention practices and barriers to falls screening and prevention in the primary care setting and proposes pertinent recommendations to address the deficiencies., Methods: A questionnaire was adapted from a previous survey study to explore the beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practice regarding falls by primary care providers. The questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to primary care providers at a tertiary urban medical center., Results: The survey achieved a response rate of 58%. All respondents agreed that older adult patients should be assessed for fall risks and that evidence-based fall prevention programs can reduce the risk of falls. However, 43% of respondents did not agree that they had the expertise to perform fall risk assessments, and similarly 43% did not agree they have the time to perform fall risk assessments in the office. Furthermore, although 52% of respondents were aware of the Medicare reimbursement for fall risk screening, only 24% had billed for fall risk screening and only 5% agreed that they were adequately reimbursed., Conclusion: Several barriers to performing fall prevention care in the primary care setting were identified: unfamiliarity with resources, perceived lack of time, and perceived insufficient reimbursement. We implemented a set of interventions which include an educational series and workflow optimization to overcome barriers identified., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traumatic hemothorax poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges both acutely and chronically. A working group of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma convened to formulate a practice management guideline for traumatic hemothorax., Methods: We formulated four questions: whether tube thoracostomy vs observation be performed, should pigtail catheter versus thoracostomy tube be placed to drain hemothorax, should thrombolytic therapy be attempted versus immediate thoracoscopic assisted drainage (VATS) in retained hemothorax (rHTX), and should early VATS (≤4 days) versus late VATS (>4 days) be performed? A systematic review was undertaken from articles identified in multiple databases., Results: A total of 6391 articles were identified, 14 were selected for guideline construction. Most articles were retrospective with very low-quality evidence. We performed meta-analysis for some of the outcomes for three of the questions., Conclusions: For traumatic hemothorax we conditionally recommend pigtail catheters, in hemodynamically stable patients. In patients with rHTX, we conditionally recommend VATS rather than attempting thrombolytic therapy and recommend that it should be performed early (≤4 days)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any conflict of interest or funding to disclose., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Falling is the most common cause of trauma in the geriatric population. To identify patients that were at-risk for falling, we implemented a provider-directed fall prevention screening initiative in the ambulatory setting of a large tertiary care referral center. We used three clinician-directed questions from the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Death and Injuries toolkit. Our goal was to intervene on patients who were screened as at-risk for falling by referring them to our physical therapy program and evaluating its effects to these patients., Methods: Patients 55 years or older who live in the community were screened from June 2017 to June 2018. Patients who answered yes to any of the three questions were identified as at-risk for falling, and referred to the Fall Prevention Initiative Physical Therapy Program (FPIPTP). The FPIPTP is a program that establishes a quantifiable fall risk using the Time Up and Go (TUG) test, which then initiates PT treatments, designed to prevent future falls by improving, gait, balance, and fitness. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine significance (p < 0.05)., Results: We identified 112 patients with a median age of 76.5 years (IQR, 68-82 years) to be at-risk for falling. The initial median TUG score in this group of patients is 15.85 seconds (12-20.33 seconds), which is consistent with a high fall-risk (time >12 seconds). After completing the FPIPTP, the median TUG score significantly improved to 12 seconds (9-15 seconds, p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: We conclude that a provider can use the three specific questions from the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Death and Injuries toolkit to identify patients (≥55 years) that are at-risk for falling. Additionally, the FPIPTP is able to significantly improve the TUG score in this group. We will need to confirm this conclusion with a larger population study., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV.

Background: Use of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has increased. Despite compelling small studies, many centers still struggle with determining criteria for intervention. We investigated the benefit of SSRF in our patients compared with nonoperative (NonOp) National Trauma Databank (NTDB) controls, specifically in the older population., Study Design: We performed a retrospective comparison of trauma patients with ≥3 and >5 rib fractures, who underwent SSRF at a tertiary care level I trauma center, with nonoperatively managed NTDB controls from equivalent level I centers between 2007 and 2014. The main outcomes measures included mortality, pneumonia, length of stay (LOS), ICU LOS, ventilator use, and tracheostomy rates., Results: Overall, SSRF patients were older, had a higher percentage of respiratory disease, and higher Injury Severity Scores (ISS). Despite more respiratory disease in SSRF patients vs NonOp (p < 0.0001), there was no difference in ventilator usage. Results of SSRF included decreases in mortality (12%, p = 0.008) and pneumonia (13%, p < 0.001) compared with NonOp on propensity score matching. On subgroup analysis of patients 65 years of age or older, ISS was higher in the SSRF group. Mortality was significantly lower for SSRF vs NonOp, even with higher frequency of respiratory disease within the group (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Patients who underwent SSRF at our institution had improved outcomes despite a higher percentage of respiratory disease, compared with patients who were managed nonoperatively nationwide. Mortality rates improved for patients aged 65 and older, suggesting that this patient population may benefit more from SSRF., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the best-known and most commonly performed bariatric procedures. However, this procedure carries infrequent but serious long-term complications, which may require revisional procedures. This study reports the indications and outcomes of gastric bypass reversal that have not been described well in the literature., Methods: A multicenter retrospective study of 50 patients who underwent reversal of RYGB conducted between 2006 and 2015 was reviewed to describe the usual indications and outcomes of gastric bypass reversal surgeries., Results: Of 50 patients, 7 (14 %) were males and 43 (86 %) were females. The mean age of the patient population was 40.4 ± 11.6 years (range 19-66). Reasons for reversal included anastomotic ulcers (n = 27), anastomotic complications (n = 9), malnutrition (n = 2), and functional disorder (n = 12). The mean BMI before the reversal was 29 ± 9.4 kg/m(2) (range 16-60). The mean time between the primary procedure and reversal was 60 ± 65.5 months (range 2-300). Fourteen of the reversals were done via laparotomy. Mean hospital stay was 8.4 ± 7.3 days (range 3-34 days). There was no peri-operative death 30 days after reversal. Following gastric bypass reversal, 92.6 % (n = 25) of the patient population had resolution from ulcers, 77.8 % (n = 7) of the patient population had resolution from anatomic complications, 100 % (n = 2) of the patient population had resolution from malnutrition, and 66.7 % (n = 8) of the patient population had resolution from functional disorders., Conclusions: Gastric bypass reversal is a reasonable and safe treatment for complications arising from the GBP surgery. A laparoscopic approach is feasible in select patients.

Over 200 000 weight loss procedures are performed annually in the United States. Physicians must therefore be cognizant of the unique array of complications associated with these procedures. We describe a case of jejunojejunal intussusception in a gastric bypass patient who presented with acute liver failure (ALF) due to acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity. Our patient is a 29 year-old female who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery seven years prior. She was evaluated in the emergency department for confusion. Her family reported a 3-wk history of progressive abdominal pain and vomiting, for which she had ingested 40 acetaminophen/oxycodone tablets over the past 2 d. Physical examination showed icteric sclerae, a distended abdomen, and grade I encephalopathy. She fulfilled the criteria for ALF and was listed for liver transplantation. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a jejunojejunal intussusception. She underwent emergent exploratory laparotomy and resection of the infarcted intussusceptum and the previous jejunojejunostomy. She had rapid clinical improvement, with decreasing liver enzymes and improved hepatic synthetic function. She had complete resolution of coagulopathy and encephalopathy, and was removed from the liver transplant list. She was discharged home 20 d after hospitalization with normal liver tests. This case demonstrates that acute abdominal catastrophes can potentiate liver injury in the setting of acetaminophen toxicity. Encephalopathy may obscure history and physical exam findings. This case also exemplifies the pitfalls in the management of the bariatric surgery patient and the importance of multispecialty collaboration in patients presenting with organ failure.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are birth defects that can be disabling or lethal and are second in their prevalence after cardiac defects among major human congenital malformations. Spina bifida is a NTD where the spinal cord is dysplastic, and the overlying spinal column is absent. At present, the molecular mechanisms underlying the spinal bifida development are largely unknown. In this study, we present a Fkbp8 mouse mutant that has an isolated and completely penetrant spina bifida, which is folate- and inositol-resistant. Fkbp8 mutants are not embryo lethal, but they display striking features of human spina bifida, including a dysplastic spinal cord, open neural canal and disability. The loss of Fkbp8 leads to increased apoptosis in the posterior neural tube, demonstrating that in vivo FKBP8 inhibits cell death. Gene expression analysis of Fkbp8 mutants revealed a perturbation of expression of neural tube patterning genes, suggesting that endogenous FKBP8 activity establishes dorso-ventral patterning of the neural tube. These studies demonstrate that Fkbp8 is not important for embryo survival, but is essential for spinal neural tube patterning, and to block apoptosis, in the developing neural tube. The mutant Fkbp8 allele is a new experimental model which will be useful in dissecting the pathogenesis of spinal NTDs, and enhance our understanding of the etiology of human NTDs.