Implementing Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta in a Rural Level II Trauma Center.

This study's purpose is to develop a low-cost implementation of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in a rural level-2 trauma center. Literature and training to this point have involved urban level-1 trauma centers. This study examines the effectiveness of an in-house training program on trauma patient outcomes by comparing data from a matched historical control group of pre-REBOA patients (n = 32) to the REBOA intervention group (n = 17). The REBOA group had a similar ED to OR LOS (1.45 vs 1.79 hrs, P = .346) and similar ED LOS (1.36 vs 2.21 hrs, P = .01) as the historical control group. Although the REBOA group had a higher transfusion volume (6235.06 vs 2268.75 milliliters, P = .005), survival bias could be a factor. Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta is considered a safe and affordable option for level-2 trauma centers without increasing complications or delaying time to the operating room.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr Creel serves as the medical director for Airlife Georgia, an air medical service providing prehospital care. Neither he nor Mrs Mantooth have any other conflicts of interest or financial considerations to disclose.