scholarly journals LO90: Trauma triage accuracy at a Canadian trauma centre

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S59
Author(s):  
J. Pace ◽  
B. Tillmann ◽  
I. Ball ◽  
R. Leeper ◽  
N. Parry ◽  
...  

Introduction: Trauma teams have been shown to improve outcomes in severely injured patients. The criteria used to mobilize trauma teams is highly variable and debated. This study was undertaken to define the triage accuracy at our level 1 trauma centre and identify the criteria predictive of appropriate activations. Methods: A 3-month prospective observational study was performed and all patients presenting to the ER who received a trauma flag were identified. Patient demographics, vital signs, trauma team activation and criteria for activation were documented. Trauma activations were deemed appropriate if the patient met any of the following; airway intervention, needle/tube thoracostomy, resuscitative thoracotomy, ED blood product transfusion, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, central line insertion, emergent OR (<8 hours), admission to ICU, and death within 72 hours. Over and undertriage rates were calculated and a multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify activation criteria predictive of appropraite activations. The activation criteria were then modified and the prospective study was repeated to assess the impact on triage accuracy. Results: Between September to December 2015, 188 patients received a trauma flag. 137 patients met the activation criteria, however only 78 received a trauma team activation. 57% of patients who had TTA met the definition of appropriate activation, while 45% who met criteria for activation met the definition of appropriate. The rates of under and overtriage were 30.4% and 30.3%, respectively. Logistic regression revealed the following criteria to be predictive of appropriate activation; hypotension (OR 10.2 95% CI 2.3,45.5), arrival by HEMS (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4,7.6), pedestrian struck (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.4,8.5) and fall (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.7, 15.1). Tachycardia (OR 1.1, 95% 0.3,4.6) and high energy MVC (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.7,3.1) were not found to be predictive. The post-modification study occured between September to December 2016. Data analysis to assess the impact of criteria alteration are currently underway and will be presented at CAEP 2017. Conclusion: Triage accuracy for the mobilization of a multi-disciplinary trauma team is important, both to ensure optimal patient care as well as to reduce unnecessary resource strain. Our previous criteria lead to high rates of undertriage and subsequent modifications have been made. The impact of these changes will be ascertained and presented at CAEP 2017.

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (7) ◽  
pp. 721-724
Author(s):  
Peter Hwang ◽  
Adrian W. Ong ◽  
Alison Muller ◽  
Amanda Mcnicholas ◽  
Anthony Martin ◽  
...  

Despite the incorporation of anticoagulant and antiplatelet (ACAP) drugs in our trauma triage criteria, it is unclear whether trauma team activation (TTA) impacts outcomes in geriatric patients on ACAP drugs sustaining falls. We hypothesized that TTA in this cohort was associated with improved outcomes. The hospital electronic database was queried to identify normotensive, awake patients aged ≥65 years on ACAP agent from 2014 to 2018 presenting to the emergency department after falls. The outcome was in-hospital mortality. The association between TTA and mortality was examined using logistic regression analysis and 1:1 propensity score matching analysis. In this study, 4540 patients on ACAP drugs were analyzed, with TTA occurring in 500 (11%). TTA occurred in younger but more severely injured patients with lower Glasgow Coma Score. Logistic regression revealed that TTA was not associated with mortality (odds ratio [95% confidence intervals], 2.04 [0.89–4.25]). The 1:1 propensity score analysis revealed similar mortality for the matched groups (non-TTA, 1.6% vs TTA, 2.2%, P = 0.64). In the elderly patients on ACAP agents, the current triage criteria resulted in the appropriate use of TTA for more severely injured patients. The lack of outcome benefit suggests that ACAP drug use as a criterion for TTA should be re-evaluated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
Anna Bågenholm ◽  
Pål Løvhaugen ◽  
Rune Sundset ◽  
Tor Ingebrigtsen

Abstract This audit describes ionizing and non-ionizing diagnostic imaging at a regional trauma centre. All 144 patients (males 79.2%, median age 31 years) met with trauma team activation from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015 were included. We used data from electronic health records to identify all diagnostic imaging and report radiation exposure as dose area product (DAP) for conventional radiography (X-ray) and dose length product (DLP) and effective dose for CT. During hospitalization, 134 (93.1%) underwent X-ray, 122 (84.7%) CT, 92 (63.9%) focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), 14 (9.7%) ultrasound (FAST excluded) and 32 (22.2%) magnetic resonance imaging. One hundred and sixteen (80.5%) underwent CT examinations during trauma admissions, and 73 of 144 (50.7%) standardized whole body CT (SWBCT). DAP values were below national reference levels. Median DLP and effective dose were 2396 mGycm and 20.42 mSv for all CT examinations, and 2461 mGycm (national diagnostic reference level 2400) and 22.29 mSv for a SWBCT.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e024190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mete Erdogan ◽  
Nelofar Kureshi ◽  
Saleema A Karim ◽  
John M Tallon ◽  
Mark Asbridge ◽  
...  

ObjectivesAlthough alcohol screening is an essential requirement of level I trauma centre accreditation, actual rates of compliance with mandatory alcohol testing in trauma patients are seldom reported. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing in patients requiring trauma team activation (TTA) for whom blood alcohol testing was mandatory, and to elucidate patient-level, injury-level and system-level factors associated with BAC testing.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingTertiary trauma centre in Halifax, Canada.Participants2306 trauma patients who required activation of the trauma team.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome was the rate of BAC testing among TTA patients. Trends in BAC testing over time and across patient and injury characteristics were described. Multivariable logistic regression examined patient-level, injury-level and system-level factors associated with testing.ResultsOverall, 61% of TTA patients received BAC testing despite existence of a mandatory testing protocol. Rates of BAC testing rose steadily over the study period from 33% in 2000 to 85% in 2010. Testing varied considerably across patient-level, injury-level and system-level characteristics. Key factors associated with testing were male gender, younger age, lower Injury Severity Score, scene Glasgow Coma Scale score <9, direct transport to hospital and presentation between midnight and 09:00 hours, or on the weekend.ConclusionsAt this tertiary trauma centre with a policy of empirical alcohol testing for TTA patients, BAC testing rates varied significantly over the 11-year study period and distinct factors were associated with alcohol testing in TTA patients.


CJEM ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 617-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorri Beatty ◽  
Elizabeth Furey ◽  
Cupido Daniels ◽  
Avery Berman ◽  
John M. Tallon

AbstractObjectivesThe initial management of a trauma patient often involves imaging in the form of x-rays, computed tomography (CT) and other radiographic studies, which expose the patient to ionizing radiation, an entity known to cause tissue injury and malignancy at high doses. The purpose of this study was to use a calculation-based method to determine the radiation exposure of trauma patients undergoing trauma team activation in a Canadian tertiary-care trauma centre.MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted using the Nova Scotia Provincial Trauma Registry. All patients age 16 years old and over who underwent trauma team activation between March 1, 2008 and March 1, 2009 were included. Patients who died prior to imaging tests were excluded. Dose reports for each CT were used to calculate a whole-body radiation dose for each patient.ResultsThere were 230 trauma team activations during the study period, of which 206 had CT imaging. Data were available for 162 patients. The mean whole-body radiation exposure for all patients was 24.4±10.3 mSv, which may correlate to one additional cancer death for every 100 trauma patients scanned.ConclusionsTrauma patients are exposed to significant amounts of radiation during their initial trauma work-up, which may increase the risk of fatal cancer. Clinicians who care for these patients must be aware of the radiation exposure, and take measures to limit radiation exposure of trauma patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Bieler ◽  
Heiko Trentzsch ◽  
Axel Franke ◽  
Markus Baacke ◽  
Rolf Lefering ◽  
...  

Abstract IntroductionIn order to improve the quality of criteria for trauma-team-activation it is necessary to identify patients who benefited from the treatment by a trauma team. Therefore, we evaluated a post hoc criteria catalogue for trauma-team-activation which was developed in a consensus process by an expert group and published recently. The objective was to examine whether the catalogue can identify patients that died after admission to hospital and therefore can benefit of a specialized trauma team mostly.Materials and MethodThe catalogue was applied to the data of 75,613 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU® between the 01/2007 and 12/2016 with a maximum Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) severity ≥ 2. The endpoint was hospital mortality, which was defined as death before discharge from acute care.ResultsThe TraumaRegister DGU® dataset contains 18 of the 20 proposed criteria within the catalogue which identified 99.6% of the patients who were admitted to the trauma room following an accident and who died during their hospital stay. Moreover, our analysis showed that at least one criterion was fulfilled in 59,785 cases (79.1%). The average ISS in this group was 21.2 points (SD 9.9). None of the examined criteria applied to 15,828 cases (average ISS 8.6; SD 5). The number of consensus-based criteria correlated with the severity of injury and mortality. Of all deceased patients (8,451), only 31 (0.37%) could not be identified on the basis of the 18 examined criteria. Where only one criterion was fulfilled, mortality was 1.7%; with 2 or more criteria, mortality was at least 4.6%.DiscussionThe consensus-based criteria identified nearly all patients who died as a result of their injuries. If only one criterion was fulfilled, mortality was relatively low. However, it increased to almost 5% if two criteria were fulfilled. Further studies are necessary to analyse and examine the relative weighting of the various criteria.


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