P532: Reason for admission and outcomes for older patients presenting to a major trauma centre

BackgroundMajor trauma (Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥16) in older people is increasing, but concerns persist that major trauma is not always recognised in older patients on triage. This study compared undertriage of older and younger adult major trauma patients in the major trauma centre (MTC) setting to investigate this concern.MethodsA retrospective review of Trauma Audit and Research Network data was conducted for three MTCs in the UK for 3 months in 2014. Age, ISS, injury mechanism and injured areas were examined for all severely injured patients (ISS ≥16) and appropriate major trauma triage rates measured via the surrogate markers of trauma team activation and the presence of a consultant first attender, as per standards for major trauma care set by National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Deaths, Royal College of Surgeons of England and the British Orthopaedic Association. Trends in older (age ≥65) and younger (ages 18–64) adult major trauma presentation, triage and reception were reviewed.ResultsOf 153 severely injured patients, 46 were aged ≥65. Older patients were significantly less likely to receive the attention of a consultant first attender or trauma team. Similar trends were also seen on subgroup analysis by mechanism of injury or number of injured body areas. Older major trauma patients exhibit a higher mortality, despite a lower median ISS (older patient ISS=20 (IQR 16–25), younger patient ISS=25 (IQR 18–29)).ConclusionOlder major trauma patients are at greater risk of undertriage, even in the MTC environment. Existing hospital trauma triage practices should be further investigated to explain and reduce undertriage of elderly trauma patients.

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Falling down a flight of stairs: The impact of age and intoxication on injury pattern and severity

Trauma ◽

10.1177/1460408617720948 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 169-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hridesh Chatha ◽

Ian Sammy ◽

Michael Hickey ◽

Abdo Sattout ◽

John Hollingsworth

Keyword(s):

Older Patients ◽

Major Trauma ◽

Alcohol Intoxication ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Injury Pattern ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Severe Injuries ◽

Body Regions ◽

Major Trauma Centre ◽

The Impact

Background Falling down a flight of stairs is a common injury mechanism in major trauma patients, but little research has been undertaken into the impact of age and alcohol intoxication on the injury patterns of these patients. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of age and alcohol intoxication on injury pattern and severity in patients who fell down a flight of stairs. Methods This was a retrospective observational study of prospectively collected trauma registry data from a major trauma centre in the United Kingdom comparing older and younger adult patients admitted to the Emergency Department following a fall down a flight of stairs between July 2012 and March 2015. Results Older patients were more likely to suffer injuries to all body regions and sustained more severe injuries to the spine; they were also more likely to suffer polytrauma (23.6% versus 10.6%; p < 0.001). Intoxicated patients were more likely to suffer injuries to the head and neck (42.9% versus 30.5%; p = 0.006) and were significantly younger than sober patients (53 versus 69 years; p < 0.001). Conclusion Older patients who fall down a flight of stairs are significantly different from their younger counterparts, with a different injury pattern and a greater likelihood of polytrauma. In addition, alcohol intoxication also affects injury pattern in people who have fallen down a flight of stairs, increasing the risk of traumatic brain injury. Both age and intoxication should be considered when managing these patients.

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Falls downstairs: The impact on a UK major trauma centre

Trauma ◽

10.1177/14604086211002989 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146040862110029

Author(s):

Joshua Callon ◽

Daniel Thomas ◽

Simon J Mercer

Keyword(s):

Older Patients ◽

Major Trauma ◽

Average Length ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Mechanism Of Injury ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Major Trauma Centre ◽

The Impact

Introduction Major trauma centres are increasingly managing a significant injury burden in older patients, with falling downstairs being a prevalent mechanism of injury. Literature evaluating the impact of falls on stairs upon UK trauma networks is limited. Gaining a greater understanding of this may allow for more effective planning of services and improvements in training and education. This study evaluates the impact of falls downstairs on a UK major trauma centre. Methods A single centre retrospective service evaluation of local major trauma data over a 3-year period from 01/01/2017 to 31/12/2019. Included were patients who activated a trauma call whose mechanism of injury recorded at the time of admission was a fall downstairs. We excluded patients less than 16 years of age. Results There were 4480 major trauma patients who presented in the study period and of these, 860 (19.2%) sustained injuries following a fall downstairs. The most common age group presenting was 70–79 years; younger patients (<60 years) made up 43.3% with the majority (56.7%) being older. All but one patient were managed by a consultant-led trauma team, 6.4% of patients were admitted to critical care and 1% received an urgent operation. The overall mortality rate was 8.5%. Older patients made up 85% of those who died and had nearly four times longer average length of stay than younger patients (9.69 v 2.49 days). Conclusion Falls downstairs place a significant burden on the major trauma centre. There is a stark contrast in the use of hospital resources and outcomes between older and younger patients.

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Laparotomy for Abdominal Stab Wound With Combined Omental and Organ Evisceration: 10-Year Experience From a Major Trauma Centre in South Africa

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/00031348211031855 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000313482110318

Author(s):

Victor Kong ◽

Cynthia Cheung ◽

Nigel Rajaretnam ◽

Rohit Sarvepalli ◽

William Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Small Bowel ◽

Large Bowel ◽

Major Trauma ◽

Stab Wound ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Major Trauma Centre ◽

The Mean ◽

Overall Mortality

Introduction Combined omental and organ evisceration following anterior abdominal stab wound (SW) is uncommon and there is a paucity of literature describing the management and spectrum of injuries encountered at laparotomy. Methods A retrospective study was undertaken on all patients who presented with anterior abdominal SW involving combined omental and organ evisceration who underwent laparotomy over a 10-year period from January 2008 to January 2018 at a major trauma centre in South Africa. Results A total of 61 patients were eligible for inclusion and all underwent laparotomy: 87% male, mean age: 29 years. Ninety-two percent (56/61) had a positive laparotomy whilst 8% (5/61) underwent a negative procedure. Of the 56 positive laparotomies, 91% (51/56) were considered therapeutic and 9% (5/56) were non-therapeutic. In addition to omental evisceration, 59% (36/61) had eviscerated small bowel, 28% (17/61) had eviscerated colon and 13% (8/61) had eviscerated stomach. A total of 92 organ injuries were identified. The most commonly injured organs were small bowel, large bowel and stomach. The overall complication rate was 11%. Twelve percent (7/61) required intensive care unit admission. The mean length of hospital stay was 9 days. The overall mortality rate for all 61 patients was 2%. Conclusions The presence of combined omental and organ evisceration following abdominal SW mandates laparotomy. The small bowel, large bowel and stomach were the most commonly injured organs in this setting.

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592 Surgical Management of Open Tibia Fractures at A Major Trauma Centre: A Review of Cases Over A One-Year Period

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab134.153 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

A Khajuria

Keyword(s):

Soft Tissue ◽

Surgical Management ◽

Open Fracture ◽

Major Trauma ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Soft Tissue Coverage ◽

Internal Stabilization ◽

Major Trauma Centre ◽

Tibia Fractures ◽

One Year

Abstract Introduction The BOAST/BAPRAS updated the open fracture guidelines in December 2017 to replace BOAST 4 Open fracture guidelines; the changes gave clearer recommendations for timing of surgery and recommendations for reducing infection rates. Method Our work retrospectively evaluates the surgical management of open tibia fractures at a Major Trauma Centre (MTC), over a one-year period in light of key standards (13,14 and 15 of the standards for open fractures). Results The vast majority of cases (93%) had definitive internal stabilization only when immediate soft tissue coverage was achievable. 90% of cases were not managed as ‘clean cases’ following the initial debridement. 50% of cases underwent definitive closure within 72 hours. The reasons for definitive closure beyond 72hours were: patients medically unwell (20%), multiple wound debridement’s (33%) and no medical or surgical reason was clearly stated (47%). Conclusions The implementation of a ‘clean surgery’ protocol following surgical debridement is essential in diminishing risk of recontamination and infection. Hence, this must be the gold standard and should be clearly documented in operation notes. The extent of availability of a joint Orthoplastic theatre list provides a key limiting step in definitive bony fixation and soft tissue coverage of open tibia fractures.

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