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Background Single-center comparative effectiveness studies evaluating outcomes that can occur posthospitalization may become biased if outcomes diagnosed at other facilities are not ascertained. Administrative datasets that link patients' records across facilities may improve outcome ascertainment. Objective To determine whether use of linked administrative data significantly augments thromboembolic outcome ascertainment. Research design Retrospective cohort study. Subjects Patients with an acute isolated calf deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosed at 1 Californian center during 2010-2013. Measures Proximal DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE) within 180 days. We ascertained outcomes from linked California hospitalization, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery data and compared this information to outcomes previously identified from review of the center's medical records. Results Among 384 patients with an isolated calf DVT, 333 could be linked to longitudinal administrative data records. Ten patients had a possible proximal DVT or PE (4 more clearly so) from administrative data; all were unknown from medical record review. Eleven patients with known outcomes from medical record review had no outcome from administrative data. The adjusted odds ratio of proximal DVT or PE with therapeutic anticoagulation attenuated from 0.33 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12-0.87] using only medical record review to 0.64 (95% CI, 0.29-1.40) using both medical record review and possible outcomes from administrative data. Restricting the outcome to diagnoses clearly involving proximal DVT or PE, the adjusted odds ratio was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.19-1.10). Conclusions Use of linked hospital administrative data augmented detection of outcomes but imperfect linkage, nonspecific diagnoses, and documentation/coding errors introduced uncertainty regarding the accuracy of outcome ascertainment.

Screening for blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) in asymptomatic high-risk patients has become routine. To date, the length of this asymptomatic period has not been defined. Determining the time to stroke could impact therapy including earlier initiation of antithrombotics in multiply injured patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the time to stroke in patients with a BCVI-related stroke. We hypothesized that the majority of patients suffer stroke between 24 hours and 72 hours after injury.Patients with a BCVI-related stroke from January 2007 to January 2017 from 37 trauma centers were reviewed.During the 10-year study, 492 patients had a BCVI-related stroke; the majority were men (61%), with a median age of 39 years and ISS of 29. Stroke was present at admission in 182 patients (37%) and occurred during an Interventional Radiology procedure in six patients. In the remaining 304 patients, stroke was identified a median of 48 hours after admission: 53 hours in the 144 patients identified by neurologic symptoms and 42 hours in the 160 patients without a neurologic examination and an incidental stroke identified on imaging. Of those patients with neurologic symptoms, 88 (61%) had a stroke within 72 hours, whereas 56 had a stroke after 72 hours; there was a sequential decline in stroke occurrence over the first week. Of the 304 patients who had a stroke after admission, 64 patients (22%) were being treated with antithrombotics when the stroke occurred.The majority of patients suffer BCVI-related stroke in the first 72 hours after injury. Time to stroke can help inform clinicians about initiation of treatment in the multiply injured patient.Prognostic/Epidemiologic, level III.

Background Although thoracic trauma is common, little is known about which factors lead to poor functional outcomes. We sought to determine which characteristics of chest wall injury predict postrecovery pulmonary symptoms or health-related quality of life. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial involving patients with chest wall injuries at a Level I trauma center between December 2007 and July 2012. We evaluated the overall severity of the chest wall injury-characterized primarily by the number of fractured ribs-and rib fracture location (upper, middle, and lower; anterior, lateral, and posterior) as predictors of patient-reported outcomes 60 days after injury: dyspnea burden (0-40), Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MMRC) (0-4), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and normalized Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36) scores. Results Of 189 evaluable subjects, the mean (SD) number of fractured ribs was 5 (4). The number of fractured ribs was not associated with dyspnea burden, MMRC, or SGRQ scores. After adjustment for confounders, each additional fractured rib was associated with worse SF-36 Physical Functioning and Bodily Pain scores (-0.6 units [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.1 to 0.0] and -0.8 units [95% CI, -1.3 to -0.2], respectively). Lower rib fractures were associated with worse dyspnea burden (3.4 units; 95% CI, 1.0-5.9), MMRC score (0.4 units; 95% CI, 0.0-0.8), and SF-36 Physical Functioning, Role-Physical, Role-Emotional, and Physical Component Summary scores (-4 units [95% CI, -8 to 0], -5 units [95% CI, -8 to -1], -4 units [95% CI, -8 to 0], and -4 units [95% CI, -7 to -1], respectively). Conclusion The overall anatomic severity of chest wall injuries does not predict worse dyspnea symptoms 60 days after injury, but it does predict increased patient perceptions of pain and physical function limitations. Lower rib fractures predict both persistent respiratory symptoms and perception of decreased overall health. Level of evidence Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level III.

Background The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) has developed a new grading system for uniform description of anatomic severity of emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases, ranging from Grade I (mild) to Grade V (severe). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of AAST grades for acute colonic diverticulitis with patient outcomes. A secondary purpose was to propose an EGS quality improvement program using risk-adjusted center outcomes, similar to National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and Trauma Quality Improvement Program methodologies. Methods This was a retrospective study of 1,105 patients (one death) from 13 centers. At each center, two reviewers (blinded to each other's assignments) assigned AAST grades. Interrater reliability was measured using κ coefficient. Relationship between AAST grade and clinical events (complications, intensive care unit use, surgical intervention, and 30-day readmission) as well as length of stay was measured using regression analyses to control for age, comorbidities, and physiologic status at the time of admission. Final model was also used to calculate observed-to-expected (O-E) ratios for adverse outcomes (death, complications, readmissions) for each center. Results Median age was 54 years, 52% were males, 43% were minorities, and 22% required a surgical intervention. Almost two thirds had Grade I or II disease. There was a high level of agreement for grades between reviewers (κ = 0.81). Adverse events increased from 13% for Grade I, to 18% for Grade II, 28% for Grade III, 44% for Grade IV, and 50% for Grade V. Regression analysis showed that higher disease grades were independently associated with all clinical events and length of stay, after adjusting for age, comorbidities, and physiology. O-E ratios showed statistically insignificant variations in risk of death, complications, or readmissions. Conclusion AAST grades for acute colonic diverticulitis are independently associated with clinical outcomes and resource use. EGS quality improvement program methodology that incorporates AAST grade, age, comorbidities, and physiologic status may be used for measuring quality of EGS care. High-quality EGS registries are essential for developing meaningful quality metrics. Level of evidence Prognostic study, level V.

Importance Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) isolated to the calf veins (distal to the popliteal vein) is frequently detected with duplex ultrasonography and may result in proximal thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE). Objective To evaluate whether therapeutic anticoagulation is associated with a decreased risk for proximal DVT or PE after diagnosis of an isolated calf DVT. Design, Setting, and Participants All adult patients with ultrasonographic detection of an isolated calf DVT from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2013, at the Vascular Laboratory of the University of California, Davis, Medical Center were included. Patients already receiving therapeutic anticoagulation and those with a chronic calf DVT, a contraindication to anticoagulation, prior venous thromboembolism within 180 days, or diagnosis of a PE suspected at the time of calf DVT diagnosis were excluded. Data were analyzed from August 18, 2015, to February 14, 2016. Exposures Intention to administer therapeutic anticoagulation. Main Outcomes and Measures Proximal DVT or PE within 180 days of the diagnosis of the isolated calf DVT. Results From 14 056 lower-extremity venous duplex studies, we identified 697 patients with an isolated calf DVT and excluded 313 of these. The remaining 384 patients were available for analysis (222 men [57.8%]; 162 women [42.2%]; mean [SD] age, 60 [16] years). The calf DVT involved an axial vein (anterior tibial, posterior tibial, or peroneal) in 243 patients (63.2%) and a muscular branch (soleus or gastrocnemius) in 215 (56.0%). Physicians attempted to administer therapeutic anticoagulation in 243 patients (63.3%), leaving 141 control participants. Proximal DVT occurred in 7 controls (5.0%) and 4 anticoagulation recipients (1.6%); PE, in 6 controls (4.3%) and 4 anticoagulation recipients (1.6%). Therapeutic anticoagulation was associated with a decreased risk for proximal DVT or PE at 180 days (odds ratio [OR], 0.34; 95% CI, 0.14-0.83) but an increased risk for bleeding (OR, 4.35; 95% CI, 1.27-14.9), findings that persisted after adjustment for confounding factors (ORs, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.12-0.87] and 4.87 [95% CI, 1.37-17.3], respectively) and sensitivity analyses. Conclusions and Relevance Rates of proximal DVT or PE are low after isolated calf DVT. Therapeutic anticoagulation is associated with a reduction of these outcomes but an increase in bleeding.