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BACKGROUND: There is a need for activation criteria that reflect the different factors affecting rural trauma patients. OBJECTIVE: To develop effective activation criteria for a rural trauma center among adults, incorporating variables specific to the geography, mechanisms of injury, and population served. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study conducted from (23 years) January 1, 2000, to July 31, 2023. The data collected patient demographics, injury details, morbidity, and preexisting comorbidity. This research included all adult (≥15 years) true Level I trauma activations defined as an injury severity score > 25 and met the need for trauma intervention criteria. The patients were grouped into adult and elderly categories. The analysis utilized a logistic regression model with the outcome of a true Level I trauma activation. RESULTS: A total of 19,480 patients were included in the sample; 2,858 (14.6%) met the Level I activation criteria. Elderly Level I activation included assault, pedestrian struck, multiple pelvic fractures, traumatic pneumo/hemothorax, mediastinal fracture, sternum fracture, and flail rib fracture. CONCLUSION: Using the findings of the logistic regression model, this center has made more robust activation guidelines adapted to its rural population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) and malnutrition are common in trauma patients and are linked to worse outcomes. This study examined the influence of nutritional status, determined by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), on the incidence of SIH in trauma patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on adult trauma patients admitted to a Level I trauma center from 1 January 2009 to December 31, 2021. Patients were categorized into four groups: SIH, diabetic hyperglycemia (DH), diabetic normoglycemia (DN), and non-diabetic normoglycemia (NDN). Nutritional status was assessed using GNRI: high risk (GNRI < 82), moderate risk (82 ≤ GNRI < 92), low risk (92 ≤ GNRI ≤ 98), and no risk (GNRI > 98). Incidence of SIH and outcomes were analyzed across GNRI groups. Results: SIH was associated with higher mortality across all GNRI groups compared to NDN, with the highest rate (45.7%) in the high-risk group. Mortality decreased as GNRI increased in all glucose groups. NDN patients had the lowest mortality rates across GNRI groups. There was no correlation between GNRI and SIH incidence (p = 0.259). Conclusion: SIH significantly influenced mortality across all nutritional status groups, with the highest impact in malnourished patients. Although malnutrition did not affect SIH incidence, both SIH and poor nutritional status independently contributed to worse trauma outcomes. Targeted management of hyperglycemia and nutritional deficiencies is crucial for improving survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide, with severe cases significantly increasing the risk of complications and long-term mortality. The Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS), based on age, injury severity, and transfusion need, has been validated for predicting mortality in older trauma patients, but its utility in predicting mortality for TBI patients remains unexplored. Methods: This retrospective study included 5543 adult trauma patients with isolated moderate to severe TBI, defined by head Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scores of ≥ 3, from 1998 to 2021. GTOS was calculated with the following formula: age + (Injury Severity Score × 2.5) + 22 (if transfused within 24 h). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) assessed GTOS's ability to predict mortality. The optimal GTOS cutoff value was determined using Youden's index. Mortality rates were compared between high- and low-GTOS groups, separated by the optimal GTOS cutoff value, including a propensity score-matched analysis adjusting for baseline characteristics. Results: Among 5543 patients, mortality was 8.3% (462 deaths). Higher mortality is correlated with male sex, older age, higher GTOS, and comorbidities like hypertension, coronary artery disease, and end-stage renal disease. The optimal GTOS cut-off for mortality prediction was 121.5 (AUC = 0.813). Even when the study population was matched by propensity score, patients with GTOS ≥121.5 had much higher odds of death (odds ratio 2.64, 95% confidence interval 1.93–3.61, p < 0.001) and longer hospital stays (mean 16.7 vs. 12.2 days, p < 0.001) than those with GTOS < 121.5. Conclusions: These findings support the idea that GTOS is a useful tool for risk stratification of in-hospital mortality in isolated moderate to severe TBI patients. However, we encourage further research to refine GTOS for better applicability in TBI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To characterize the epidemiology of simultaneous traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ocular trauma. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, de-identified data from patients admitted with ocular trauma and TBI was extracted from the National Trauma Data Bank (2008-2014) using International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes and E-codes relating to injury circumstances. Mechanisms, types of ocular and head injuries, intention, and demographic distribution were determined. Association of variables was calculated with Student's t and chi-squared tests and logistic regression analysis. Results: Of 316,485 patients admitted with ocular trauma, 184,124 (58.2%) also had TBI. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 41.8 (23) years. Most were males (69.8%). Race/ethnicity distribution was 68.5% white, 13.3% black, and 11.4% Hispanic patients. The mean (SD) Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 12.4 (4.4) and Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 17 (10.6). Frequent injuries were orbital fractures (49.3%) and eye/adnexa contusions (38.3%). Common mechanisms were falls (27.7%) and motor vehicle-occupant (22.6%). Firearm-related trauma (5.2%) had the greatest odds of very severe injury (ISS >24) (odds ratio [OR]: 4.29; p<0.001) and severe TBI (GCS <8) (OR: 5.38; p<0.001). Assault injuries were associated with the greatest odds of mild TBI (OR: 1.36; p<0.001) and self-inflicted injuries with severe TBI (OR: 8.06; p<0.001). Eye/adnexal contusions were most associated with mild TBI (OR: 1.25; p<0.001). Optic nerve/visual pathway injuries had greater odds of severe TBI (OR: 2.91; p<0.001) and mortality (OR: 2.27; p<0.001) than other injuries. Of associated head injuries, the odds of severe TBI were greatest with skull base fractures (OR: 4.07; p<0.001) and mortality with intracerebral hemorrhages (OR: 4.28; p<0.001). Mortality occurred in 5.9% of patients. Conclusion: TBI occurred in nearly two-thirds of ocular trauma admissions. The mortality rate was low with implications for challenging rehabilitation and long-term disability in survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reduce perceived unnecessary resource use, we modified our tiered trauma response. If a patient was not physiologically compromised, surgical registrar attendance was not mandated. We investigated the effect of this change on missed injury, unplanned representation to ED, diagnostic imaging rates and staff satisfaction. Methods: A retrospective case series study assessing the 3‐month period before and after the intervention was conducted. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between ordering of computerised tomography (CT) and ED length of stay (LOS), injury severity (ISS), age, surgical review and admission. A staff survey was conducted to investigate staff perceptions of the practice change. Free text data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: There were 105 patients in the control and 166 in the intervention group and their mean (SD) ISS was the same (ISS [SD] = 4 [±4] [P = 0.608]). A higher proportion of the control group were admitted (56.3% vs 42.2% [P = 0.032]) and they had a shorter ED LOS (274 min [202–456] vs 326 min [225–560], P = 0.044). The rate of missed injury was unchanged. A surgical review resulted in a 26‐fold increase in receipt of a whole‐body CT scan (odds ratio = 26.89, 95% confidence interval = 3.31–218.17). Just over half of survey respondents felt the change was safe (54.4%), and more surgical (90%) than ED staff (69%) reported the change as positive. Conclusion: The removal of the surgical registrar from the initial trauma standby response did not result in any adverse events, reduced admissions, pathology and imaging, but resulted in an increased ED LOS and time to surgical review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prehospital airway management in trauma is a key component of care and is associated with particular risks. Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is the gold standard, while extraglottic airway devices (EGAs) are recommended alternatives. There is limited evidence comparing their effectiveness. In this retrospective analysis from the TraumaRegister DGU®, we compared ETI with EGA in prehospital airway management regarding in-hospital mortality in patients with trauma. Methods: We included cases only from German hospitals with a minimum Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥ 2 and age ≥ 16 years. All patients without prehospital airway protection were excluded. We performed a multivariate logistic regression to adjust with the outcome measure of hospital mortality. Results: We included n = 10,408 cases of whom 92.5% received ETI and 7.5% EGA. The mean injury severity score was higher in the ETI group (28.8 ± 14.2) than in the EGA group (26.3 ± 14.2), and in-hospital mortality was comparable: ETI 33.0%; EGA 30.7% (27.5 to 33.9). After conducting logistic regression, the odds ratio for mortality in the ETI group was 1.091 (0.87 to 1.37). The standardized mortality ratio was 1.04 (1.01 to 1.07) in the ETI group and 1.1 (1.02 to 1.26) in the EGA group. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in mortality rates between the use of ETI or EGA, or the ratio of expected versus observed mortality when using ETI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fracture-Related Infection (FRI) is associated with high medical costs and prolonged healthcare utilization. However, limited data is available on the financial impact. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of FRI on direct hospital costs and healthcare utilization. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study in a level-1 trauma centre in the Netherlands. Patients ≥ 18 years, after open reduction and internal fixation of a long bone fracture between January 1st 2016 and November 1st 2021, were included. Exclusion criteria were Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16, indefinable data on costs or incomplete follow-up. Hospital costs related to fracture treatment were individually calculated based on procedure codes raised with a fixed percentage of overhead expenses, in line with hospital billing policies. Results: In total, 246 patients were included with a median follow-up of 1 year (IQR 0.6–1.8). A total of 45 patients developed FRI, of whom 15 patients had an FRI recurrence. Compared to non-FRI patients, median hospital costs from an FRI patient without and with recurrence, were respectively three (3.1) and seven (7.6) times higher. Compared to non-FRI patients, increased costs in patients with FRI or recurrent FRI are due to respectively a fivefold or even tenfold prolonged length-of-stay, two or seven additional infection-related surgeries, and 21 or 55 days of intravenous antibiotic treatment. Conclusion: Direct healthcare costs of patients with single occurrence of FRI after long bone fracture treatment are three times higher compared to non-FRI patients. In case of FRI-recurrence, the differences in costs might even increase to sevenfold. To put this in perspective, cost of severely injured trauma patients were recently established at approximately 25.000 euros. Compared to non-FRI patients, increased costs in patients with FRI or recurrent FRI are due to respectively a fivefold or even tenfold prolonged length-of-stay, two or seven additional infection-related surgeries and 21 or 55 days of intravenous antibiotic treatment. Not only from patient perspective but also from a financial aspect, it is important to focus on prevention of (recurrent) FRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Coronary artery calcifications detected by computed tomography (CT) provide prognostic relevance for vascular disorders and coronary heart disease, whereas their prognostic relevance in severely injured trauma patients remains unclear. Material and Methods: All consecutive trauma patients requiring emergency tracheal intubation before initial CT at a level-1 trauma center and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) over a 12-year period (2008–2019) were reanalyzed. The Weston score, a semiquantitative method to quantify coronary calcifications, was evaluated as a prognostic variable based upon whole-body trauma CT analysis. Results: Four hundred fifty-eight patients (74.6% male) with a median age of 49 years, median injury severity score of 26 points, 24-h mortality rate of 7.6%, and 30-day mortality rate of 22.1% met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Coronary artery calcification was present in 214 patients (46.7%). After adjustment for confounding factors, the Weston score was an independent predictor for 24-h mortality (hazard ratio, HR 1.19, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.06–1.32, p =.002) and 30-day mortality (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.17, p =.027). In a subanalysis of 357 survivors, the Weston score was significantly associated with ICU length of stay (LOS) (beta weight 0.89, 95% CI 0.3–1.47, p =.003) but not with mechanical ventilation duration (beta weight 0.05, 95% CI -0.2–0.63, p =.304). Conclusion: CT-detected coronary calcification was a significant prognostic factor for 24-h- and 30-day-mortality in severely injured trauma patients requiring tracheal intubation, and influenced ICU LOS in survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: On 22 March 2016, the burn unit (BU) of Queen Astrid Military Hospital assessed a surge in severely injured victims from terror attacks at the national airport and Maalbeek subway station according to the damage control resuscitation (DCR) and damage control surgery (DCS) principles. This study delves into its approach to identify a suitable triage scoring system and to determine if a BU can serve as buffer capacity for mass casualty incidents (MCIs). Methods: The study reviewed retrospectively the origin of explosion, demographic data, sustained injuries, performed surgery, and length of stay of all admitted patients. Trauma scores (Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS)) and triage scores (Revised Trauma Score (RTS), New Trauma Score (NTS), and Trauma Score Injury Severity Score (TRISS)), were compared to burn mortality scores (Osler updated Baux Score and Tobiasen's Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI)). Results: Of the 23 casualties admitted to the BU, the scores calculated on average 3.5 indications for a level 1 trauma center (ISS 4, NISS 6, RTS 0, T-NTS 4). Nevertheless, no deaths occurred during admission or the 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: MCIs create chaos and a high demand for care. Avoiding bottlenecks and adhering to the DCR/DCS principles are necessary to deliver the best care to the largest number of people. This study indicates that a BU can serve as buffer capacity for MCIs. Nevertheless, its integration into the medical resilience plan depends on accurate scoring, comprehensive care availability, and understanding of the DCR/DCS concept. NTS for triage seems the best fit for scoring polytrauma referrals to a BU during MCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of the Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), and the Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS) in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients. Methods: The MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched for studies published from January 2008 to October 2023. Studies assessing the performance of the ISS, TRISS, or GTOS in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients (over 60 years old) and reporting data for the analysis of the pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve (HSROC) were included. Studies that were not conducted in a group of geriatric patients, did not consider mortality as the outcome variable, or had incomplete data were excluded. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Clinical Prediction Rule Checklist was utilized to assess the risk of bias in included studies. STATA 16.0. was used for the AUROC analysis and HSROC analysis. Results: Nineteen studies involving 118,761 geriatric trauma patients were included. The pooled AUROC of the TRISS (AUC = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.77–0.87) was higher than ISS (AUC = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.71–0.79) and GTOS (AUC = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.77–0.83). The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) calculated from HSROC curves also suggested that the TRISS (DOR = 21.5) had a better performance in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients than the ISS (DOR = 6.27) and GTOS (DOR = 4.76). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that the TRISS showed better accuracy and performance in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients than the ISS and GTOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Comparison of access times to CT and surgical/radiological bleeding control between two European military trauma centers. Methods: Retrospective and observational study conducted in two military level 1 trauma centers in Toulon (France) and Koblenz (Germany) between 2013 and 2018. Inclusion of severe trauma patients with ISS > 15 with clinical and biological criteria of bleeding. Results: Inclusion of 607 patients (318 in Toulon and 289 in Koblenz). Mean ISS 30. Median access time to CT significantly lower for Koblenz, 14 vs. 30 min; p < 0.001. Median access time to the emergency bleeding control lower in Toulon 84 min vs. 92 (p = 0.114). No impact on mortality at 24 h 9% in Koblenz and 11% in Toulon. Mortality at 28 days identical 17%. Conclusion: The organizational innovation at the military hospital in Koblenz saves time in the injury assessment. However, it has no impact on the access time to the scanner and on the mortality at 24 and 28 days. This fight against hemorrhage is a management bundle including delays, transfusion, and team training. Clinical trial registration: 2,002,878 v 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early initiation of venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis in adults with blunt solid organ injury (BSOI) has been demonstrated to be safe but this is controversial in adolescents. We hypothesized that adolescent patients with BSOI undergoing non-operative management (NOM) and receiving early VTE chemoprophylaxis (eVTEP) (≤ 48 h) have a decreased rate of VTE and similar rate of failure of NOM, compared to similarly matched adolescents receiving delayed VTE chemoprophylaxis (dVTEP) (> 48 h). Methods: The 2017–2019 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was queried for adolescents (12–17 years of age) with BSOI (liver, kidney, and/or spleen) undergoing NOM. We compared eVTEP versus dVTEP using a 1:1 propensity score model, matching for age, comorbidities, BSOI grade, injury severity score, hypotension on arrival, and need for transfusions. We performed subset analyses in patients with isolated spleen, kidney, and liver injury. Results: From 1022 cases, 417 (40.8%) adolescents received eVTEP. After matching, there was no difference in matched variables (all p > 0.05). Both groups had a similar rate of VTE (dVTEP 0.6% vs. eVTEP 1.7%, p = 0.16), mortality (dVTEP 0.3% vs. eVTEP 0%, p = 0.32), and failure of NOM (eVTEP 6.7% vs. dVTEP 7.3%, p = 0.77). These findings remained true in all subset analyses of isolated solid organ injury (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: The rate of VTE with adolescent BSOI is exceedingly rare. Early VTE chemoprophylaxis in adolescent BSOI does not increase the rate of failing NOM. However, unlike adult trauma patients, adolescent patients with BSOI receiving eVTEP had a similar rate of VTE and death, compared to adolescents receiving dVTEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This pilot study aimed to determine the capacity of automated infrared pupillometry (AIP) alone and in combination with transcranial doppler (TCD) on admission to rule out need for intense neuroAQ2 critical care (INCC) in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: In this observational pilot study clinicians performed AIP and TCD measurements on admission in blunt TBI patients with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) < 9 and/or motor score < 6. A Neurological Pupil index (NPi) < 3, Pulsatility Index (PI) > 1,4 or diastolic blood flow velocity (dV) of < 20 cm/s were used to rule out the need for INCC (exceeding the tier 0 Seattle Consensus Conference). The primary outcome was the negative likelihood ratio (nLR) of NPi < 3 alone or in combination with TCD to detect need for INCC. Results: A total of 69 TBI patients were included from May 2019 to September 2020. Of those, 52/69 (75%) median age was 45 [28–67], median prehospital GCS of 7 [5–8], median Injury Severity Scale of 13.0 [6.5–25.5], median Marshall Score of 4 [3–5], the median Glasgow Outcome Scale at discharge was 3 [1–5]. NPi < 3 was an independent predictor of INCC. NPi demonstrated a nLR of 0,6 (95%CI 0.4–0.9; AUROC, 0.65, 95% CI 0.51–0.79), a combination of NPi and TCD showed a nLR of 0.6 (95% CI 0.4–1.0; AUROC 0.67 95% CI 0.52–0.83) to predict INCC. Conclusion: This pilot study suggests a possible useful contribution of NPi to determine the need for INCC in severe blunt TBI patients on admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This systematic review aimed to describe the outcomes of the most severely injured polytrauma patients and identify the consistent Injury Severity Score based definition of utilised for their definition. This could provide a global standard for trauma system benchmarking. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was applied to this review. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, CINAHL, CENTRAL from inception until July 2022. Case reports were excluded. Studies in all languages that reported the outcomes of adult and paediatric patients with an ISS 40 and above were included. Abstracts were screened by two authors and ties adjudicated by the senior author. Results: 7500 abstracts were screened after excluding 13 duplicates. 56 Full texts were reviewed and 37 were excluded. Reported ISS groups varied widely between the years 1986 and 2022. ISS groups reported ranged from 40–75 up to 51–75. Mortality varied between 27 and 100%. The numbers of patients in the highest ISS group ranged between 15 and 1451. Conclusions: There are very few critically injured patients reported during the last 48 years. The most critically injured polytrauma patients still have at least a 50% risk of death. There is no consistent inclusion and exclusion criteria for this high-risk cohort. The current approach to reporting is not suitable for monitoring the epidemiology and outcomes of the critically injured polytrauma patients. Level of evidence: Level 4—systematic review of level 4 studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Angioembolisation (AE) and/or pre-peritoneal pelvic packing (PPP) may be necessary for patients with complex pelvic fractures who are haemodynamically unstable. However, it remains unclear whether AE or PPP should be performed as an initial intervention and ongoing debates exist. This meta-analysis aimed to compare AE versus PPP in haemodynamically unstable patients with acute pelvic fractures. The primary outcomes of interest were to compare in-hospital mortality rate and number of blood units transfused. Secondary outcomes included evaluating differences in the time from diagnosis to treatment, as well as the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital. Methods: All clinically relevant studies comparing AE versus PPP in patients with complex pelvic fractures and haemodynamic instability were accessed. The 2020 PRISMA guidelines were followed. In September 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Embase, without constraint. Results: Data from 320 patients were collected (AE: 174; PPP: 146). The mean age on admission was 47.4 ± 7.2 years. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) on admission was 43.5 + 5.4 points. Baseline comparability was observed in ISS (P = 0.5, Table 3) and mean age (P = 0.7, Table 3). No difference was reported in mortality rate (P = 0.2) or rate of blood units transfused (P = 0.3). AE had a longer mean time to the procedure of 44.6 min compared to PPP (P = 0.04). The mean length of ICU and hospital stay were similar in both groups. Conclusion: Despite the longer mean time from admission to the procedure, no significant differences were found between AE and PPP in terms of in-hospital mortality, blood units transfused, or length of ICU, and hospital stay. These findings should be interpreted considering the limitations of the present study. High-quality comparative research is strongly warranted. Level of evidence: Level IV, meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Determine if anterior internal versus supra-acetabular external fixation of unstable pelvic fractures is associated with care needs or discharge. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at two tertiary trauma referral centers. Adults with unstable pelvis fractures (AO/OTA 61B/61C) who received operative fixation of the anterior and posterior pelvic ring by two orthopedic trauma surgeons from October 2020 to November 2022 were included. The primary outcome was discharge destination. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) or ventilator days, length of stay, and hospital charges. Results: Eighty-three eligible patients were 38.6% female, with a mean age of 47.2 ± 20.3 years and BMI 28.1 ± 6.4 kg/m2. Fifty-nine patients (71.1%) received anterior pelvis internal fixation and 24 (28.9%) received external fixation. External fixation was associated with weight-bearing restrictions (91.7% versus 49.2%, p = 0.01). No differences in demographic, functional status, insurance type, fracture classification, or injury severity measures were observed by treatment. Internal versus external anterior pelvic fixation was not associated with discharge to home (49.2% versus 29.2%, p = 0.10), median ICU days (3.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 7.8 versus 5.5 [IQR 4.3], p = 0.14, ventilator days (0 [IQR 6.0] versus 0 [IQR 2.8], p = 0.51), length of stay (13.0 [IQR 13.0] versus 17.5 (IQR 20.5), p = 0.38), or total hospital charges (US dollars 180,311 [IQR 219,061.75] versus 243,622 [IQR 187,111], p = 0.14). Conclusions: Anterior internal versus supra-acetabular external fixation of unstable pelvis fractures was not significantly associated with discharge destination, critical care, hospital length of stay, or hospital charges. This sample may be underpowered to detect differences between groups. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare outcomes between geriatric and non-geriatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) transferred to trauma center and effects of anticoagulants/antiplatelets (AC/AP) and reversal therapy. A retrospective review of 1,118 patients with TBI transferred from acute care facilities to level 1 trauma center compared in groups: geriatric versus non-geriatric, geriatric with AC/AP therapy versus without, and geriatric AC/AP with AC/AP reversal therapy versus without. Patients with TBI constituted 54.4% of trauma transfers. Mean transfer time was 3.9 h. Propensity matched by Injury Severity Score and Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) head geriatric compared to non-geriatric patients had more AC/AP use (53.9% vs 8.8%), repeat head computed tomography (93.7% vs 86.1%), intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (57.4% vs 45.7%) and mortality (9.8% vs 3.2%), all p < 0.004. Patients on AC/AP versus without had more ICU admissions (69.1% vs 51.8%, p < 0.001). Patients with AC/AP reversals compared to without reversals had more AIS head 5 (32.0% vs 13.1%), brain surgeries (17.8% vs 3.5%) and ICU admissions (84.8% vs 57.1%), all p < 0.001. TBI constituted half of trauma transfers and 10% required surgery. Based on higher ICU admissions, mortality, and prevalence of AC/AP therapy requiring reversal, geriatric patients with TBI on anticoagulants/antiplatelets should be considered for direct trauma center admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Conventional rapid thrombelastography (rTEG) cannot differentiate fibrinolysis shutdown from hypofibrinolysis, as both of these patient populations have low fibrinolytic activity. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) TEG can identify depletion of fibrinolytic inhibitors, and its use in combination with rTEG has the potential to differentiate all 3 pathologic fibrinolytic phenotypes after trauma. We hypothesize tPA-TEG and rTEG in combination can further stratify fibrinolysis phenotypes postinjury to better stratify risk for mortality. STUDY DESIGN: Adult trauma patients (981) with both rTEG and tPA-TEG performed less than 2 hours postinjury were included. rTEG lysis at 30 minutes after maximum amplitude (LY30) was used to initially define fibrinolysis phenotypes (hyperfibrinolysis >3%, physiologic 0.9% to 3%, and shutdown <0.9%), with Youden Index then used to define pathologic extremes of tPA-TEG LY30 (tPA sensitive [depletion of fibrinolytic inhibitors] vs resistant) resulting in 9 groups that were assessed for risk of death. RESULTS: The median New Injury Severity Score was 22, 21% were female, 45% had penetrating injury, and overall mortality was 13%. The tPA-TEG LY30 inflection point for increased mortality was >35.5% (tPA sensitive, odds ratio mortality 9.2, p < 0.001) and <0.3% (tPA resistance, odds ratio mortality 6.3, p = 0.04). Of the 9 potential fibrinolytic phenotypes, 5 were associated with increased mortality. Overall, the 9 phenotypes provided a significantly better prediction of mortality than rTEG or tPA-TEG alone (areas under the operating characteristics curves = 0.80 vs 0.63 and 0.75, respectively, p < 0.0001). These could be condensed to 3 pathologic phenotypes (true hyperfibrinolysis, early fibrinolysis shutdown, and hypofibrinolysis). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of rTEG and tPA-TEG increases the ability to predict mortality and suggests patient-specific strategies for improved outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide are substantial public health concerns among military service members, yet the nature of their relationships is not well understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that AUD moderates the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and suicidal ideation. Methods: This secondary analysis uses data collected at baseline for a randomized clinical trial. The sample consists of 160 active‐duty service members from three service branches (Army, Air Force, and Navy). All participants met diagnostic criteria for PTSD and were not engaged in evidence‐based PTSD treatment at the time of enrollment. Zero‐inflated Poisson generalized linear regression models were used to test the associations of PTSD and AUD symptom severity with the presence and severity of suicidal ideation. Results: Findings suggest that AUD symptom severity moderates (i.e., amplifies) the relationship between PTSD symptoms and severity of suicidal ideation among military personnel with untreated PTSD. Among service members with mild or absent AUD, we found no significant association between PTSD symptoms and the severity of suicidal ideation. However, when AUD severity was average (i.e., sample mean) or high (mean + 1SD), PTSD symptoms were significantly positively associated with the severity of suicidal ideation. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of assessing AUD and PTSD as a part of suicide risk evaluations of veterans. The results also provide strong support for the maintenance and further development in the military health system of treatment programs that simultaneously address AUD and PTSD comorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complications arising during non-operative management (NOM) of blunt hepatic and/or splenic trauma, particularly in cases of severe injury, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for the initial detection of complications during NOM. Although many institutions advocate routine in-hospital follow-up scans to improve success rates, others recommend a more selective approach. The use of follow-up CT remains a subject of ongoing debate, with no validated guidelines available regarding the timing, effectiveness, or intervals of follow-up imaging. Objective: We aimed to identify the clinical parameters for the early detection of complications in patients with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injury undergoing NOM. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with blunt hepatic and/or splenic trauma treated at Songklanagarind Hospital, a level 1 trauma center, from 2013 to 2022. We assessed all patients indicated for non-operative management and examined their clinical parameters and complications. Results: Of 542 patients with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries, 315 (58%) were managed non-operatively. High-grade hepatic injuries were significantly associated with complications, as determined through a multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for factors such as contrast blush findings, age, sex, and injury severity score (ISS) (adjusted OR = 7.69, 95% CI 1.59–37.13; p = 0.011). Among the patients with complications (n = 27), 17 (63%) successfully underwent non-operative management. Notably, eight patients presented with clinical symptoms prior to the diagnosis of complications, while only two patients had no clinical symptoms before the diagnosis. Tachycardia, abdominal pain, decreased hematocrit levels, and fever were significant indicators of complications (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Routine CT to detect complications may not be necessary in patients with asymptomatic low-grade blunt hepatic injuries. By contrast, in those with isolated blunt hepatic injuries that are managed non-operatively, high-grade injuries, the presence of a contrast blush on initial imaging, and the patient's age may warrant consideration for routine follow-up CT scans. Clinical symptoms and laboratory observations during NOM, such as tachycardia, abdominal pain, decreased hematocrit levels, and fever, are significantly associated with complications. These symptoms necessitate further management, regardless of the initial injury severity, in patients with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries undergoing NOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The treatment of trauma patients requires significant hospital resources. Numerous protocols exist to triage the injured patient and determine the level of care they may require. The purpose of this work is to describe an institutional trauma nurse screening procedure and to evaluate its effectiveness in triaging injured patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a large, tertiary trauma center from January to June 2021. Patients were assessed by trauma nurse clinicians (TNC) utilizing a standardized screening process to determine suitability for trauma activation. If the patient did not meet activation criteria, they were sent to the main Emergency Department for evaluation and treatment. Patients could be activated later by the emergency physician. The primary variables of interest were number of activations after initial "rule out," injury severity score (ISS) for patients who were activated, mechanism of injury, and disposition. Results: A total of 1874 TNC screenings were performed. Of these, 1449 (77%) patients did not meet trauma activation criteria. Only 41 (2.8%) patients initially ruled out were later activated by the emergency physician and admitted for treatment of injuries. The average ISS of all activated patients was 9 ± 6. Thirty-six patients had an ISS ≤ 15, four between 16 and 25, and only one patient had an ISS > 25. Twenty-seven patients were admitted to the ward, five went to step-down units, and five required intensive care unit admission. Four patients required operative intervention for their injuries. Conclusion: These results suggest that nursing screening protocols can be safe, effective tools for triage of trauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Scores are widely used for the assessment of injury severity and therapy guidance in severely injured patients. They differ vastly regarding complexity, applicability, and prognostic accuracy. The objective of this study was to compare well-established with more recently developed trauma scores as well as intensive care unit (ICU) scores. Methods: Retrospective analysis of severely injured patients treated at a level I trauma centre from 2010 to 2015. Inclusion criteria: Age ≥ 18 years, Injury Severity Score ≥ 16 and ICU treatment. Primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Several scores (ISS, APACHE II, RTS, Marshall Score, SOFA, NISS, RISC II, EAC and PTGS) were assessed to determine their predictive quality for mortality. Statistical analysis included correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Results: 444 patients were included. 71.8% were males, mean age was 51 ± 20.26 years. 97.4% sustained a blunt trauma. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) revealed RISC II (0.92) as strongest predictor regarding mortality, followed by APACHE II (0.81), Marshall score (0.69), SOFA (0.70), RTS (0.66), NISS (0.62), PTGS (0.61) and EAC (0.60). ISS did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: RISC II provided the strongest predictive capability for mortality. In comparison, more simple scores focusing on injury pattern (ISS, NISS), physiological abnormalities (RTS, EAC), or a combination of both (PTGS) only provided inferior mortality prediction. Established ICU scores like APACHE II, SOFA and Marshall score were proven to be helpful tools in severely injured trauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This prospective cohort study aimed to compare the predictive accuracy of outcome (survival/death) among trauma patients using various prognostic scores. Methods: Over 3 months, 240 trauma patients in a tertiary care hospital were assessed for demographic details, trauma characteristics, vital signs, Glasgow coma scale, arterial blood gas values, and lab markers. Injury severity score (ISS), revised trauma score (RTS), trauma and injury severity score (TRISS), and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) were applied at admission, 24 hours, and 48 hours post-admission. Results: Road traffic accidents (55.83%) were the primary cause of trauma, followed by falls (33.75%) and violence (10.41%). The all-cause mortality rate was 23.33%, with 34.16% requiring ICU admission. Head injuries (65.83%) were both the most frequent injury site and cause of mortality. Conclusion: Analysis indicated that APACHE II outperformed other scores in predicting outcomes, with ISS following closely. The study concludes that trauma severity correlates with ICU admission and mortality, emphasizing APACHE II as a superior predictor, particularly for traumatic brain injuries leading to ICU admission and mortality. Clinical significance: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by addressing the gap in comparing prognostic abilities among scoring systems for trauma patients. The unexpected superiority of APACHE II suggests its potential as a valuable tool in predicting outcomes in this specific patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overuse injuries, which have a high prevalence in sport, are suggested to result in different affective responses in comparison to traumatic injuries. Affects may also reciprocally act as risk factors for overuse injury. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between overuse injury and affects within a longitudinal follow‐up design. Competitive athletes (N = 149) of various sports and levels of competition completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse injury questionnaire (OSTRC‐O) once a week over 10 consecutive weeks. Bivariate unconditional latent curve model analyses with structured residuals were performed to evaluate the associations within and across weeks between OSTRC‐O severity score and affects. Results indicated that OSTRC‐O severity score and positive affects (PA) had a statistically significant negative within‐week relation (r = −24.51, 95% CI = [−33.9, −15.1], p < 0.001). Higher scores of overuse injury were significantly related to lower levels of PA across weeks (ß = −0.02, 95% CI = [−0.04, −0.001], p = 0.044), while the reciprocal effect of PA on overuse injury was not significant (ß = −0.13, 95% CI = [−0.52, 0.26], p = 0.51). No statistically significant association was observed between OSTRC‐O severity score and negative affects, neither within nor across weeks. Our findings suggest that overuse injury may have adverse psychological consequences on the long run through lessened PA and address the need for providing sustainable psychological support focusing upon such PA when working with athletes experiencing overuse injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We developed a new tool to assess the severity of osteoporotic vertebral fracture using radiographs of the spine. Our technique can be used in patient care by helping to stratify patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures into appropriate treatment pathways. It can also be used for research purposes. Purpose: The aim of our study was to propose a semi-quantitative (SQ) grading scheme for osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs. Methods: On AP radiographs, the vertebrae are divided into right and left halves, which are graded (A) vertical rectangle, (B) square, (C) traverse rectangle, and (D) trapezoid; whole vertebrae are graded (E) transverse band or (F) bow-tie. Type A and B were compared with normal and Genant SQ grade 1 OVF, Type C and D with grade 2 OVF, and Type E and F with grade 3 OVF. Spine AP radiographs and lateral radiographs of 50 females were assessed by AP radiographs SQ grading. After training, an experienced board-certified radiologist and a radiology trainee assessed the 50 AP radiographs. Results: The height-to-width ratio of the half vertebrae varied 1.32–1.48. On lateral radiographs, 84 vertebrae of the 50 patients had OVFs (38 grade 1, 24 grade 2, and 22 grade 3). On AP radiographs, the radiologist correctly assigned 84.2%, 91.7%, and 77.2% and the trainee correctly assigned 68.4%, 79.2%, and 81.8% of grade 1, 2, and 3 OVFs, respectively. Compared with lateral radiographs, the radiologist had a weighted Kappa of 0.944 including normal vertebrae and 0.883 not including normal vertebrae, while the corresponding Kappa values for the trainee were 0.891 and 0.830, respectively. Conclusion: We propose a new semi-quantitative grading system for vertebral fracture severity assessment on AP spine radiographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver, spleen, and kidneys are the commonest injured solid organs in blunt and penetrating trauma. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Organ Injury Scale (OIS) is the most widely accepted system for categorizing traumatic injuries. Grading systems allow clear communication of findings between clinical teams and assign a measurable severity of injury, which directly correlates with morbidity and mortality. The 2018 revised AAST OIS emphasizes reliance on CT for accurate grading; in particular regarding vascular injuries. Dual-Energy CT (DECT) has emerged as a promising tool with multiple clinical applications already demonstrated. In this review article, we summarize the basic principles of CT attenuation to refresh the minds of our readers and we scrutinize DECT's technology as opposed to conventional Single-Energy CT (SECT). This is followed by outlining the benefits of various DECT postprocessing techniques, which authors of this article refer to as the 3Ms (Mapping of Iodine, Material decomposition, and Monoenergetic virtual imaging), in aiding radiologists to confidently assign an OIS as well as problem solve complex injury patterns. In addition, a thorough discussion of changes to the revised AAST OIS focusing on definitions of key terms used in reporting injuries is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently gained popularity as a simple, inexpensive, and highly accurate inflammatory marker. When the differential count of leukocytes is checked following it is characterized by leukocytosis with an increase in neutrophil count and a decline in lymphocyte counts. This study was conducted to assess whether alteration in the differential count of leukocytes following envenomation has the ability to diagnose and predict the severity and prognosis in children and to derive a cutoff value for the same. Subjects and Methods: This prospective observational study was done in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital from July 2019 to June 2020. From the complete blood count of patients done at admission, NLR1 was calculated. All patients were treated as per the national snake bite treatment protocol. The amount of antisnake venom(ASV) given, duration of hospital stay, and ICU stay were correlated with NLR1 values. Results: An NLR value of 3.35 can predict envenomation with 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Similarly, an NLR value of 6.72 can predict the need for more than 10 ASV vials with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 97%, and an NLR value of 6.72 can predict the occurrence of major complications with a sensitivity of 89.3% and specificity of 94%. Conclusions: NLR can differentiate poisonous snake bites from nonpoisonous bites and can also predict the severity of the envenomation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) provide rapid and specialized care to critically ill or injured patients. Norwegian HEMS in Central Norway serves an important role in pre-hospital emergency medical care. To grade the severity of patients, HEMS uses the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' (NACA) severity score. The objective of this study was to describe the short- and long term mortality overall and in each NACA-group for patients transported by HEMS Trondheim using linkage of HEMS and hospital data. Methods: The study used a retrospective cohort design, aligning with the STROBE recommendations. Patient data from Trondheim HEMS between 01.01.2017 and 31.12.2019 was linked to mortality data from a hospital database and analyzed. Kaplan Meier plots and cumulative mortality rates were calculated for each NACA group at day one, day 30, and one year and three years after the incident. Results: Trondheim HEMS responded to 2224 alarms in the included time period, with 1431 patients meeting inclusion criteria for the study. Overall mortality rates at respective time points were 10.1% at day one, 13.4% at 30 days, 18.5% at one year, and 22.3% at three years. The one-year cumulative mortality rates for each NACA group were as follows: 0% for NACA 1 and 2, 2.9% for NACA 3, 10.1% for NACA 4, 24.7% for NACA 5 and 49.5% for NACA 6. Statistical analysis with a global log-rank test indicated a significant difference in survival outcomes among the groups (p < 2⋅10− 16). Conclusion: Among patients transported by Trondheim HEMS, we observed an incremental rise in mortality rates with increasing NACA scores. The study further suggests that a one-year follow-up may be sufficient for future investigations into HEMS outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Scapular fractures (SFs) have historically been associated with severe trauma and multiple injuries. Recent studies have demonstrated improved outcomes. However, SFs have never been studied from a strictly rural or Australian perspective. Objective: The study's objective was to assess whether associations still exist between a fractured scapula and trauma scores, mortality rates, and other commonly associated injuries in a regional Australian trauma centre. Design: The study design examined prospectively collected data from a regional hospital between the years 2012 to 2021 presenting to the emergency department with traumatic SFs. Primary outcomes of interest were mortality rate, method of injury, ISS scores, and associated injuries. Findings: One hundred and five patients had a SF. The median age was 49 with 93 (89%) being male. Most fractures were located in the body of the scapula (80%). The primary mechanism of injury was motorbike accidents (36%), falls (24%), and motor vehicle accidents (22%). Two patients died from their injuries (1.9%). Thirty‐four percent demonstrated mild trauma scores, with 36% moderate, 28% severe, and 1.9% critical. Commonly observed associated injuries included chest wall fractures, vertebral fractures, thoracic injuries, brain injury, and abdominal trauma. Discussion: A minority of SFs were associated with severe or critical trauma, and overall, patients who sustained a SF had a low mortality rate. These findings suggest that patients from regional areas have similar outcomes to those from more urban centres in other parts of the world. Conclusion: Given these results, a re‐examination of whether SFs are a reliable marker of severe trauma should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the Netherlands, approximately 70% of severely injured patients (ISS ≥ 16) are transported directly to a Level I trauma center. This study compared the time needed to return to normal vital parameters and normal acid–base status in severely injured patients and some in-hospital processes in Level I versus Level II trauma centers. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all adult severely injured patients or adult trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit between 2015 and 2020 in a Dutch trauma region. The primary endpoint was time until normal vital parameters and acid–base status. Secondary endpoints were complication rate, hospital length of stay, emergency department length of stay, and time until a computed tomography (CT) scan. Results: A total of 2345 patients were included. Patients admitted to a Level I trauma center had a significantly higher rate of normalization of vital parameters over time (HR 1.51). There was no significant difference in normalization rate of the acid–base status over time (HR 1.10). In Level I trauma centers, time spent at the emergency department and time until the CT scan was significantly shorter (respectively, β − 38 min and β − 77 min), and the complication rate was significantly lower (OR 0.35). Conclusion: Severely injured patients admitted to a Level I trauma center require less time to normalize their vital functions. Level I centers are better equipped, resulting in better in-hospital processes with shorter time at the emergency department and shorter time until a CT scan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Interventions performed within the first hour after trauma increase survival rates. Literature showed that measuring times can optimize the trauma resuscitation process as time awareness potentially reduces acute care time. This study examined the effect of a digital clock placement on trauma resuscitation times in an academic level-1 trauma center. Methods: A prospective observational pre–post cohort analysis was conducted for six months before and after implementing a visible clock in the trauma resuscitation room, indicating the time passed since starting the in-hospital resuscitation process. Trauma patients (age ≥ 16) presented during weekdays between 9.00 AM and 9.00 PM were included. Time until diagnostics (X-Ray, FAST, or CT scan), time until therapeutic intervention, and total resuscitation time were measured manually with a stopwatch by a researcher in the trauma resuscitation room. Patient characteristics and information regarding trauma- and injury type were collected. Times before and after clock implementation were compared. Results: In total, 100 patients were included, 50 patients in each cohort. The median total resuscitation time (including CT scan) was 40.3 min (IQR 23.3) in the cohort without a clock compared to 44.3 (IQR 26.1) minutes in the cohort with a clock. The mean time until the first diagnostic and until the CT scan was 8.3 min (SD 3.1) and 25.5 min (SD 7.1) without a clock compared to 8.6 min (SD 6.5) and 26.6 min (SD 11.5) with a clock. Severely injured patients (Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16) showed a median resuscitation time in the cohort without a clock (n = 9) of 54.6 min (IQR 50.5) compared to 46.0 min (IQR 21.6) in the cohort with a clock (n = 8). Conclusion: This study found no significant reduction in trauma resuscitation time after clock placement. Nonetheless, the data represent a heterogeneous population, not excluding specific patient categories for whom literature has shown that a short time is essential, such as severely injured patients, might benefit from the presence of a trauma clock. Future research is recommended into resuscitation times of specific patient categories and practices to investigate time awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood trauma is a pivotal risk factor for adolescent depression. While the association between childhood trauma and depression is well-established, the mediating role of self-concept has not been acknowledged. Specifically, limited attention has been paid to how childhood maltreatment impacts adolescent depression through physical and social self-concept, both in clinical and community samples. This study aims to investigate how distinct and cumulative childhood trauma affects adolescent depression, as well as the potential mediating role of self-concept in their relationships. Methods: We recruited 227 depressed adolescents (dataset 1, 45 males, age = 15.34 ± 1.96) and 574 community adolescents (dataset 2, 107 males, age = 16.79 ± 0.65). Each participant was assessed on five subtypes of childhood trauma severity, cumulative trauma index, physical and social self-concept, and depression. Mediation models were tested separately in the clinical and community samples. Results: Clinically depressed adolescents experienced a higher level of trauma severity, a greater number of trauma subtypes, and had lower levels of physical and social self-concept compared to community adolescents. Analyses on childhood trauma severity and cumulative trauma index jointly indicated that physical and social self-concept played mediation roles in the relationships between childhood trauma experiences and depression. Moreover, the mediating effects of self-concept were stronger in depressed adolescents when compared to community samples. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that physical and social self-concept play mediating roles in the pathway linking childhood trauma and adolescent depression, particularly in clinically depressed individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of illness severity in the prehospital setting is essential for guiding appropriate medical interventions. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) score is a validated tool commonly used for this purpose. However, the potential benefits of using bitemporal documentation of NACA scores to capture the dynamic changes in emergency situations remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential benefit of bitemporal NACA score documentation in the prehospital setting, specifically in assessing the dynamic changes of emergencies and facilitating quality improvement through enhanced documentation practices. Methods: In this retrospective study, data from prehospital emergency patients were analyzed who received care from the physician response unit between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2021. Patient demographics, NACA scores, indications for emergency care, and changes in NACA scores were extracted from medical records. Statistical analyses were performed to examine the associations between NACA scores, emergency categories, indications, and changes in NACA scores. Results: The study included 4005 patients, predominantly categorized as NACA III (33.7% at initial assessment, 41.8% at subsequent assessment) and NACA IV (31.6% at initial assessment, 22.4% at subsequent assessment). There was a significant improvement in NACA scores during the provision of prehospital care (p < 0.01). Notably, prehospital emergencies attributed to internal medical, neurological, traumatic, and paediatric causes demonstrated significant improvements in NACA scores (p < 0.01). Gender-specific differences were also observed. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the bitemporal documentation of NACA scores can be advantageous in the prehospital setting and may have implications for research, practice, and policy. Key message: 1) The NACA score is a validated tool used to categorize illness severity in the prehospital setting. However, the utility of bitemporal NACA score documentation and its impact on understanding the dynamic changes of emergencies remained unknown. 2) This study adds evidence regarding the benefit of bitemporal NACA score documentation in the prehospital setting. It demonstrates that bitemporal assessment provides valuable information on the dynamic changes of emergencies, facilitating a better understanding of the effectiveness of prehospital interventions. 3) The findings of this study may have implications for research, practice, and policy in prehospital emergency care. The use of bitemporal NACA score documentation can enhance the monitoring of treatment effectiveness in the prehospital setting. This study may encourage further research into the implementation and standardization of bitemporal assessment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe shoulder-related injury rates (IRs), types, severity, mechanisms, and risk factors in youth ice hockey players during games and practices. Design: Secondary analysis of data from a 5-year prospective cohort study, Safe-to-Play (2013-2018). Setting: Canadian youth ice hockey. Participants: Overall, 6584 player-seasons (representing 4417 individual players) participated. During this period, 118 shoulder-related games and 12 practice injuries were reported. Assessment of Risk Factors: An exploratory multivariable mixed-effects Poisson regression model examined the risk factors of body checking policy, weight, biological sex, history of injury in the past 12 months, and level of play. Main Outcome Measures: Injury surveillance data were collected from 2013 to 2018. Injury rates with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression. Results: The shoulder IR was 0.35 injuries/1000 game-hours (95% CI, 0.24-0.49). Two-thirds of game injuries (n = 80, 70%) resulted in.8 days of time-loss, and more than one-third (n = 44, 39%) resulted in >8 days of time-loss. An 83% lower rate of shoulder injury was associated with policy prohibiting body checking compared with leagues allowing body checking (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09-0.33). A higher shoulder IR was observed for those who reported any injury in the last 12-months compared with those with no history (IRR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.33-3.01). Conclusions: Most shoulder injuries resulted in more than 1 week of time-loss. Risk factors for shoulder injury included participation in a body-checking league and recent history of injury. Further study of prevention strategies specific to the shoulder may merit further consideration in ice hockey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Injuries to humans caused by wild animals, particularly bears, are rarely mentioned in the literature. Such injuries are frequent in Siberia, which is a territory surrounded by dense forests inhabited by brown bears. In the last 4 months alone (September–December 2023), four bear attacks on humans were registered in Khakassia, Russia. This article presents a clinical case of rehabilitating a patient after a bear attack, who suffered multiple fragmentary fractures of the facial skeleton with displaced bone fragments, subcutaneous emphysema of the soft tissues of the face, damage to the parietal and right occipital regions and paranasal sinus hemorrhage on the left side. The nature of the injuries was enhanced by trauma to the upper extremity caused by the patient defending himself against the animal. In addition to the damage to his face, the bear tried to open his cranium, as evidenced by four furrows caused by its canines, including two each on the frontal and occipital bones of the skull. The patient's complex treatment included both maxillofacial and reconstructive surgeries, and outpatient treatment involved the formation of normotrophic scars using a neodymium laser and injections of a heterogeneous composition consisting of microparticles of "crosslinked" collagen of animal origin placed in a gel identical to the natural extracellular matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluates the association between ICUC trauma and short-form Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (Quick DASH) scores among patients who underwent surgery for distal radius fractures. Methods: This research gathered patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from patients registered in the ICUC database at a single trauma center. The study involved 76 adult patients who underwent surgical treatment for distal radius fractures before 2023. These patients received a volar locking plate for their distal radius fracture. The research utilized two different PROs to evaluate the patients' conditions. The ICUC trauma score measures functional impairment and pain through two 5-point scale questions, allowing patients to self-assess these aspects. The Quick DASH, comprising 11 questions, was used to evaluate symptoms and functionality of the upper extremity. Results: For patients aged 55.9 ± 15.3 years and 4.6 ± 3.9 years post-op follow-up, the ICUC trauma score was 0.70 ± 0.95, and Quick DASH was 6.07 ± 10.35. A strong correlation between ICUC and Quick DASH was identified (r = 0.71, P < 0.01). The interaction between the ICUC trauma score and age at the surgery to Quick DASH revealed a significant unstandardized partial regression coefficient of 0.19 (95% confidence interval 0.08–0.31; P < 0.01). Conclusion: This study demonstrated a strong correlation between the ICUC trauma score and the Quick DASH among patients, especially the elderly. It was noted that an elevation in the ICUC trauma score is linked to a more marked increase in the Quick DASH score, particularly in older patients. Given its simplicity and efficacy, the ICUC trauma score may be a viable alternative to the Quick DASH for assessing the patient's clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Colorectal injuries following traumas are significant causes of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive effect of trauma scoring systems on mortality and morbidity in patients with post-traumatic colon injury. Methods: The records of 145 patients with colon trauma treated at Seyhan State Hospital between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Injury Seriousness Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS), and Colon Injury Score (CIS) scores were calculated for all patients. The predictive effects of scoring systems on primary outcomes of surgical treatment, complication rates, mortality, and anastomotic leaks were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 36.1 (SD ± 16.6), and the female/male ratio was 37/108. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 12 (8.2%) patients, and complications were observed in 57 (39.3%) patients. Seven (4.7%) patients died. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the increase in CIS and anastomotic leakage, morbidity, and mortality. Increases in ISS and decreases in RTS and TRISS were associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but these relationships were not statistically significant. Conclusion: A significant relationship was observed between the increase in CIS and anastomotic leakage, morbidity, and mortality. The study suggests the need for a specific scoring system for evaluating the prognostic status in colon traumas, as ISS, RTS, and TRISS scores were not found to be significantly predictive of outcomes in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Physiology-driven resuscitation has become the standard of care in severely injured patients. This has resulted in a decrease in acute deaths by hemorrhagic shock. With increased survival from hemorrhage, focus shifts towards death later during hospital stay. This population based cohort study investigated the association of initial physiology derangement correction and (late) mortality. Methods: Consecutive polytrauma patients aged > 15 years with deranged physiology who were admitted to a level-1 trauma center intensive care unit (ICU) from 2015 to 2021, and requiring surgical intervention < 24 h were included. Patients who acutely (< 48 h) died were excluded. Demographics, treatment, and outcome parameters were analyzed. Physiology was monitored by serial base deficits (BD) during the first 48 h. Correction of physiology was defined as BD return to normal values. Area under the curve (AUC) of BD in time was used as measurement for the correction of physiological derangement and related to mortality 3–6 days (early), and > 7 days (late). Results: Two hundred thirty-five patients were included with a median age of 44 years (70% male), and Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 33. Mortality rate was 16% (71% due to traumatic brain injury (TBI)). Median time to death was 11 (6–17) days; 71% died > 7 days after injury. There was no difference between the single base deficit measurements in the emergency department(ED), operating room (OR), nor ICU between patients who died and those who did not. However, patients who later died were more acidotic at 24 and 48 h after arrival, and had a higher AUC of BD in time. This was independent of time and cause of death. Conclusion: Early physiological restoration based on serial BD measurements in the first 48 h after injury decreases late mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction: measuring the severity of traumatic injuries is crucial for predicting clinical outcomes. Whereas the Injury Severity Score (ISS) has limitations in assigning scores to injuries at the same site, the New Injury Severity Score (NISS) corrects for this problem by taking into account the three most severe injuries regardless of the region of the body. This study seeks to comprehend the clinical and epidemiological profile of trauma patients while comparing the effectiveness of scales for predicting mortality. Methods: a descriptive, observational and retrospective study using records of patients who underwent thoracotomy at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro between 2000 and 2019. Demographic data, mechanisms of injury, affected organs, length of stay and mortality were analyzed. Injury severity was assessed using the ISS and NISS, and statistical analyses were conducted using MedCalc and SigmaPlot. Results: 101 patients were assessed, on average 29.6 years old, 86.13% of whom were men. The average duration of hospitalization was 10.9 days and the mortality rate was 28.7%. The ROC curve analysis revealed a sensitivity of 68.97%, specificity of 80.56% and area under the curve of 0.837 for the ISS, and 58.62%, 94.44% and 0.855 for the NISS, respectively. The Youden index was 0.49 for the ISS and 0.53 for the NISS. Conclusion: the study demonstrated comparable efficacy of NISS and ISS in predicting mortality. These findings hold significance in the hospital setting. Professionals must be familiar with these scales to utilize them competently for each patient.

This work details the process of developing the updated field triage guideline, the supporting evidence, and the final version of the 2021 National Guideline for the Field Triage of Injured Patients.

Objective Multiple trauma is associated with a remarkable risk of in-hospital complications, which harm healthcare services and patients. This study aimed to assess the incidence of posttrauma complications, their relationship with poor outcomes, and the effect of the Injury Severity Score (ISS) on their occurrence. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a pair of trauma centers, between January 2020 and December 2022. All hospitalized adult patients with multiple trauma were included in this study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors related to posttrauma complications. Results Among 727 multiple trauma patients, 90 (12.4%) developed in-hospital complications. The most frequent complications were pneumonia (4.8%), atelectasis (3.7%), and superficial surgical site infection (2.5%). According to multivariable logistic regression, ISS, the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the length of stay in the hospital, and mortality were significantly associated with complications. The complication rate increased by 17% with every single-unit increase in ISS (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.38). Per every 1-day increase in the ICU or hospital stay, the complication rate increased by 65% (adjusted OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.00–2.73) and 20% (adjusted OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.03–1.41), respectively. Posttrauma complications were also significantly more common in patients with mortality (adjusted OR, 163.30; 95% CI, 3.04–8,779.32). In multiple trauma patients with a higher ISS, the frequency, severity, and number of complications were significantly increased. Conclusion In-hospital complications in multiple trauma patients are frequent and associated with poor outcomes and mortality. ISS is an important factor associated with posttrauma complications.

Abstract Background Little is known about the performance of severity indices for indicating intensive care and predicting mortality in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of trauma patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of severity indices to predict trauma patients’ ICU admission and mortality. Methods A retrospective cohort study which analyzed the electronic medical records of trauma patients aged ≥ 18 years, treated at a hospital in Brazil, between 2014 and 2017. Physiological [Revised Trauma Score (RTS), New Trauma Score (NTS) and modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (mREMS)], anatomical [Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS)] and mixed indices [Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), New Trauma and Injury Severity Score (NTRISS), Base-deficit Injury Severity Score (BISS) and Base-deficit and New Injury Severity Score (BNISS)] were compared in analyzing the outcomes (ICU admission and mortality) using the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics Curves (AUC–ROC). Results From the 747 trauma patients analyzed (52.5% female; mean age 51.5 years; 36.1% falls), 106 (14.2%) were admitted to the ICU and 6 (0.8%) died in the unit. The ISS (AUC 0.919) and NISS (AUC 0.916) had better predictive capacity for ICU admission of trauma patients. The NISS (AUC 0.949), TRISS (AUC 0.909), NTRISS (AUC 0.967), BISS (AUC 0.902) and BNISS (AUC 0.976) showed excellent performance in predicting ICU mortality. Conclusions Anatomical indices showed excellent predictive ability for admission of trauma patients to the ICU. The NISS and the mixed indices had the best performances regarding mortality in the ICU.

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Background: According to the reports, the road traffic injuries (RTI) mortality rate in Iran as a middle-income country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) decreased in past decades but is higher than the global level and remained a health problem. Objectives: This study aimed to report the characteristics of registered patients injured by different trauma mechanisms in Yazd City, Iran. Methods: In this study, the patients were registered from September 28, 2016, to December 31, 2022, at Shahid Rahnamoon Hospital, affiliated with the National Trauma Registry of Iran (NTRI) for its first phase. Inclusion criteria were hospital length of stay (LOS) of more than 24 hours, death due to injury in the hospital, or transfer from other hospitals' intensive care units (ICU). Age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), systolic blood pressure (SBP), cause of injury, LOS, injury severity score (ISS), and in-hospital mortality were assessed. Results: Among 3960 participants, 2307 (58.2%) patients were injured due to RTI as the most common cause of injury. Also, 949 (23.9%) and 359 (9.1%) of the participants experienced fall and stab/cut injuries, respectively. Men were affected more than women in all injury causes (p<0.001). In those with RTI, multiple trauma (55.3%) was the most prevalent event, and then extremities (23.5%) were the most body regions injured (p<0.001). Also, in people who fell, trauma to the extremities (35.4%) was higher than in other regions (p<0.001). According to the adjusted logistic regression model, being ≥65 years old has a 1.9 times higher chance of ICU admission compared to being<18 years old. Also, having ISS≥9, having GCS≤12, and having trauma to the head/neck/face, abdomen, spine and multiple trauma had a statistically significant association with the chance of ICU admission with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 3.89 (2.49-6.08), 22.26 (10.54-47.02), 2.55 (1.33-4.88), and 4.40 (3.00-6.47), respectively. Conclusion: Data from the first phase of the only trauma registry center in Yazd province showed that RTI was the most common cause of injury, which was more prevalent among men. People aged 18 to 64 were significantly more affected by all injury causes. After multiple trauma, RTIs and fall injuries were mainly involved in the head and extremities. People must be warned against the potential risks and complications of trauma, especially RTI, more than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational injuries (OI) are a - significant source of social and economic costs. They can cause prolonged absences from work, loss of limb, and worker disability, among other negative consequences. In light of this, the present study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with OI in trauma centers affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among patients admitted to the trauma ward of four teaching hospitals in Mashhad during 2019-2020. Patients' data was collected in a checklist and trauma severity was assessed based on injury severity score. The Epworth questionnaire was completed for patients. Data was analyzed by SPSS 20.0. Results: Out of a total of 13660 patients who were referred to the emergency department of four hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 683 (5.15%) individuals suffered occupational trauma and entered the study. The mean (±SD) age and work experience of the participants were 34 (±10) and 10 (±9) respectively. Most of the participants were in the age group of 20-40 years. the most common mechanism of trauma was falling (p=0.00) and the most injury frequency was among manual working (p=0.01). There was not a significant association between trauma severity and demographic characteristics. Those who had falling or electric accidents had more severe trauma compared to other injured patients. (p=0.00). Conclusion: In general, the most burden of occupational accidents and in fact, the most serious injuries were related to men and manual workers. Also, most of the injuries happened through falls and cuts. The results of this study showed the need for serious policies to reduce occupational injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic injury is a leading cause of death and disability among US workers. Severe injuries are less subject to systematic ascertainment bias related to factors such as reporting barriers, inpatient admission criteria, and workers' compensation coverage. A state‐based occupational health indicator (OHI #22) was initiated in 2012 to track work‐related severe traumatic injury hospitalizations. After 2015, OHI #22 was reformulated to account for the transition from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) to ICD‐10‐CM. This study describes rates and trends in OHI #22, alongside corresponding metrics for all work‐related hospitalizations. Methods: Seventeen states used hospital discharge data to calculate estimates for calendar years 2012–2019. State‐panel fixed‐effects regression was used to model linear trends in annual work‐related hospitalization rates, OHI #22 rates, and the proportion of work‐related hospitalizations resulting from severe injuries. Models included calendar year and pre‐ to post‐ICD‐10‐CM transition. Results: Work‐related hospitalization rates showed a decreasing monotonic trend, with no significant change associated with the ICD‐10‐CM transition. In contrast, OHI #22 rates showed a monotonic increasing trend from 2012 to 2014, then a significant 50% drop, returning to a near‐monotonic increasing trend from 2016 to 2019. On average, OHI #22 accounted for 12.9% of work‐related hospitalizations before the ICD‐10‐CM transition, versus 9.1% post‐transition. Conclusions: Although hospital discharge data suggest decreasing work‐related hospitalizations over time, work‐related severe traumatic injury hospitalizations are apparently increasing. OHI #22 contributes meaningfully to state occupational health surveillance efforts by reducing the impact of factors that differentially obscure minor injuries; however, OHI #22 trend estimates must account for the ICD‐10‐CM transition‐associated structural break in 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the performance of severity indices for indicating intensive care and predicting mortality in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of trauma patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of severity indices to predict trauma patients' ICU admission and mortality. Methods: A retrospective cohort study which analyzed the electronic medical records of trauma patients aged ≥ 18 years, treated at a hospital in Brazil, between 2014 and 2017. Physiological [Revised Trauma Score (RTS), New Trauma Score (NTS) and modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (mREMS)], anatomical [Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS)] and mixed indices [Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), New Trauma and Injury Severity Score (NTRISS), Base-deficit Injury Severity Score (BISS) and Base-deficit and New Injury Severity Score (BNISS)] were compared in analyzing the outcomes (ICU admission and mortality) using the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics Curves (AUC–ROC). Results: From the 747 trauma patients analyzed (52.5% female; mean age 51.5 years; 36.1% falls), 106 (14.2%) were admitted to the ICU and 6 (0.8%) died in the unit. The ISS (AUC 0.919) and NISS (AUC 0.916) had better predictive capacity for ICU admission of trauma patients. The NISS (AUC 0.949), TRISS (AUC 0.909), NTRISS (AUC 0.967), BISS (AUC 0.902) and BNISS (AUC 0.976) showed excellent performance in predicting ICU mortality. Conclusions: Anatomical indices showed excellent predictive ability for admission of trauma patients to the ICU. The NISS and the mixed indices had the best performances regarding mortality in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]