P043: Trauma team leaders in Canada: A national survey

Introduction: It was demonstrated that the early trauma team activation (TTA) could improve younger trauma patients outcomes and mortality rates. However, the link between older patient prognosis improvement and the activation / effectiveness of the Trauma team (TT) is still unclear. There is also a lack of information about the exact and optimal structure of TTs and their activation criteria, which may differ across centers. The main objective of this study is to provide a description of the current TT available in level 1 and 2 centres across Canada. Methods: In 2017, a survey using a modified Dillman technique was sent to 210 health professionals scattered across all Canadian trauma care facilities. The survey included questions regarding 1) the presence and the composition of a TT, 2) the established TT activation criteria, and finally 3) the initial patient care. Results: A total of 107 (57%) completed surveys were received. Among them, only 22 (11.7%) were from level 1 or 2 centres and were therefore considered for analyses. Seventeen respondents had a TT in their centre, and they all shared their TT activation criteria (1 to 27 different indications). Most frequently mentioned criteria were: suspected injuries (58.8%), judgment of the emergency physician (41.2%), systolic blood pressure (47.1%), Glasgow Coma score (35.3%) and respiratory rate (28%). In presence of a prehospital care warning trauma, the initial assessment of a severely injured patient is exclusively completed by a member of the TT for only 35.1% of the respondents. For 11.8% of respondents, TT coordinates airway management. For 64.7% of participants, the TT leader is the dedicated care provider to accompany patients until final orientation. Conclusion: These results suggest a great variability across Canada regarding the roles assumed by the TT, but also regarding the activation criteria leading them to take action.

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Trauma team leaders in Canada: A national survey

Trauma ◽

10.1177/1460408619847338 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 126-132

Author(s):

Vincent Belhumeur ◽

Christian Malo ◽

Alexandra Nadeau ◽

Sandrine Hegg-Deloye ◽

Anne-Julie Gagné ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care Systems ◽

Injured Patient ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Initial Assessment ◽

Final Destination ◽

Care Systems ◽

Level 1 ◽

Trauma Teams ◽

Trauma Team Leader ◽

Activation Criteria

Introduction The availability, composition and activation criteria for trauma teams vary across different health care systems, but little is known about these features in the Canadian health system. The aim of this study is to provide a description of the current trauma team available in Level 1 and 2 centres across Canada. Methods In 2017, using a modified Dillman technique, a survey was sent to 210 health professionals across all Canadian trauma care facilities, including questions that focused on (1) the presence and the composition of a trauma team, (2) the established criteria to activate this team and (3) the initial patient care. Results Overall, 107 (57%) completed surveys were received. Only 22 (11.7%) were from Level 1 or 2 centre and considered for compilation. Seventeen respondents have a trauma team in their centre, and they all shared their criteria for activating their team (1–27 different indications). The suspected injuries, the judgment of the emergency physician, the systolic blood pressure, the Glasgow Coma Score and the respiratory rate were the most frequently mentioned items. In the presence of a pre-hospital care warning, the initial assessment of a severely injured patient is exclusively completed by a member of the trauma team for only 35.1% of the respondents. For 11.8% of respondents, trauma team coordinates airway management. For 64.7% of participants, the trauma team leader is the dedicated care provider to accompany patients until the final destination. Conclusions The results suggest a great variability across Canada, regarding the roles assumed by the trauma team but also regarding the activation criteria leading them to take action.

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Pathologic Fibrinolysis is More Common in a Rural Trauma Setting

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/0003134820973726 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 000313482097372

Author(s):

James M. Bardes ◽

Daniel J. Grabo ◽

Sijin Wen ◽

Alison Wilson

Keyword(s):

Trauma Team ◽

Rural Environment ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Future Studies ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

American College Of Surgeons ◽

Level 1 ◽

Transferred Patients ◽

Prehospital Time ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Introduction Fibrinolysis (lysis) has been extensively studied in trauma patients. Many studies on the distribution of lysis phenotype have been conducted in setting with short prehospital time. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of lysis phenotypes in a population with prolonged prehospital times in a rural environment. Methods A retrospective study was performed at an American College of Surgeons-verified level 1 trauma center, serving a large rural population. Full trauma team activations from January 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018 were evaluated, and all patients with an ISS>15 analyzed. Thromboelastography was routinely performed on all participants on arrival. Lysis phenotypes were classified based on LY30 results: shutdown (≤.8%), physiologic (.9-2.9%), and hyper (>2.9%). Results 259 patients were evaluated, 134 (52%) presented direct from the scene. For scene patients, lysis distribution was 24% physiologic, 49% shutdown, and 27% hyper. Transferred patients demonstrated a reduction in physiologic lysis to 14% ( P = .03), shutdown present in 66%, and hyper in 20%. Empiric prehospital tranexamic acid was given to 18 patients, physiologic lysis was present in 6%, shutdown 72%, and hyper 22%; this increase was not statistically significant ( P = .5). Conclusion Fibrinolysis phenotypes are not consistent across all trauma populations. This study showed rural trauma patients had a significantly increased rate of pathologic lysis. This was consistent for scene and transfer patients who received care at another facility prior to arrival for definitive care. Future studies to evaluate the factors influencing these differences are warranted.

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(P2-91) EMS Trauma Triage: Does the Red-Blue Criteria Enable Overtriage?

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x1100536x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S1) ◽

pp. s166-s166

Author(s):

D.M. Higgins ◽

R.E. Thaxton

Keyword(s):

Trauma Center ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Initial Assessment ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Minor Trauma ◽

Trauma Severity ◽

Physician Assessment ◽

Assessment Skills ◽

Trauma Triage ◽

Level 1

IntroductionWith the current need for effective trauma center utilization, understanding how current trauma triage criteria may promote overtriage will enable both field and hospital teams to provide the most appropriate patient care. It is hypothesized that current Southwest Texas trauma criteria promote overtriage by prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) of patients in favor of a Level 1 trauma facility when compared to physician assessment and Injury Severity Score (ISS).MethodsThis prospective, observational study at a Southwest Texas military Level 1 trauma center compared adult trauma patients' prehospital status noted by EMS personnel with the triage criteria documented by the treating emergency physician. The patients were divided into four groups: Prehospital Criteria Met or Not Met; Arrival Criteria Met or Not Met. Each patient's ISS and mechanism of injury were also collected and compared to initial assessment for predictive value. Descriptive statistics were used.ResultsThe study enrolled 278 adult trauma patients. EMS reported Level 1 trauma status similar to physician assessment (60.1% vs. 59.7%, respectively). The rates patients met Level 1 trauma status corresponded with trauma severity when compared to the ISS. Assessment between EMS and physicians for ISSs were similar among the four groups. Comparisons using multivariate analysis of the four groups found similar ISSs, except for the Prehospital Criteria Met/Arrival Criteria Not Met group. Seventy-five percent of these patients were assigned an ISS in the Minor (ISS < 9) category (p = 0.013).ConclusionTrauma triage criteria assessment skills were similar between EMS personnel and emergency physicians except for identifying minor trauma patients. While the criteria generally led to overtriage, EMS crews appear to overtriage minor trauma patients at a much higher rate.

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eFAST for Pneumothorax: Real-Life Application in an Urban Level 1 Center by Trauma Team Members

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/000313481808400228 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (2) ◽

pp. 220-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Steven Maximus ◽

Cesar Figueroa ◽

Matthew Whealon ◽

Jacqueline Pham ◽

Eric Kuncir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Life ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Tube Thoracostomy ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Team Members ◽

X Ray ◽

Chest X Ray ◽

Level 1 ◽

Clinically Significant

The focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination has become the standard of care for rapid evaluation of trauma patients. Extended FAST (eFAST) is the use of ultra-sonography for the detection of pneumothorax (PTX). The exact sensitivity and specificity of eFAST detecting traumatic PTX during practical “real-life” application is yet to be investigated. This is a retrospective review of all trauma patients with a diagnosis of PTX, who were treated at a large level 1 urban trauma center from March 2013 through July 2014. Charts were reviewed for results of imaging, which included eFAST, chest X-ray, and CT scan. The requirement of tube thoracostomy and mechanism of injury were also analyzed. A total of 369 patients with a diagnosis of PTX were identified. A total of 69 patients were excluded, as eFASTwas either not performed or not documented, leaving 300 patients identified with PTX. A total of 113 patients had clinically significant PTX (37.6%), requiring immediate tube thoracostomy placement. eFAST yielded a positive diagnosis of PTX in 19 patients (16.8%), and all were clinically significant, requiring tube thoracostomy. Chest X-ray detected clinically significant PTX in 105 patients (92.9%). The literature on the utility of eFAST for PTX in trauma is variable. Our data show that although specific for clinically significant traumatic PTX, it has poor sensitivity when performed by clinicians with variable levels of ultrasound training. We conclude that CT is still the gold standard in detecting PTX, and clinicians performing eFAST should have adequate training.

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Trauma 2021Perceptions of a trauma team regarding in situ simulationEpidemiology of submersion injuries in Canadian children and adolescents: 1990–2018A survey of medical and administrative directors on REBOA use in Canadian trauma centresCut to the chase: comparing cutting tools in the exposure of simulated trauma patientsPediatric major trauma. Anaesthesia education: airway, breathing, coffee and cases 2020–2021Geriatric trauma care at a level 1 trauma centre: Are we following best practice?Was the introduction of a provincially standardized consensus statement for postintubation analgesia and sedation associated with increased use of associated pharmacological therapies in New Brunswick?Are there important variations in the care of adult trauma patients with isolated, nonoperative subdural hematomas between those admitted to a neurosurgical centre and those admitted to a non-neurosurgical centre for their entire inpatient stay?Flattening the curve on the negative psychosocial impact of trauma on the family of acute care trauma survivors: a quantitative studyDoes ACLS belong in ATLS? Seeking evidence during resuscitative thoracotomyAutologous omental harvest for microvascular free flap reconstruction of a severe traumatic scalp degloving injury: a case reportDerivation and validation of actionable quality indicators targeting reductions in complications for injury admissionsASA dosing practices in the management of blunt cerebrovascular injury: a retrospective reviewA retrospective analysis of bicycle lane collisions in Vancouver, British Columbia, from 2012 to 2017Evaluating the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process at Vancouver General HospitalAlcohol use and trauma in Alberta after COVID-19 lockdown: overrepresentation and undertreatment are opportunities for improvementMental health and addiction diagnoses are linked to increased violent injuries and gaps in provision of resources during the COVID-19 pandemicPain management strategies after orthopedic trauma in a level 1 trauma centre: a descriptive study with a view of optimizing practicesStudy to Actively Warm Trauma Patients (STAY WARM): a feasibility pilot evaluationPrehospital trauma care in civilian and military settings including cold environments: a systematic review and knowledge gap analysisAntibiotic administration in open fractures: adherence to guidelines at a Canadian trauma centreAre we meeting massive transfusion protocol activation and blood product delivery times in trauma patients? A retrospective review from 2014 to 2018Unplanned returns to the operating room: a quality improvement initiative at a level 1 trauma centreStopping the bleed: the history and rebirth of Canadian freeze-dried plasmaThe state of the evidence for emergency medical services (EMS) care of prehospital severe traumatic brain injury: an analysis of appraised research from the Prehospital Evidence-based Practice programA mixed methods study of a paramedic falls referral program in Nova ScotiaFirst presentations of psychiatric illness at a level 1 trauma centreAlcohol and substance abuse screening in pediatric trauma patients: examining rates of screening and implementing a screen for the pediatric populationMeasuring behavioural quality and quantity of team leaders during simulated interprofessional trauma careImproving rural trauma outcomes: a structured trauma-training program for rural family physicians with enhanced surgical skills — a pilot projectTrauma treatment: evidence-based response to psychological needs after a natural disasterHow prepared are Canadian trauma centres for mass casualty incidents?The catalytic effect of multisource feedback for trauma teams: a pilot studyRetrievable inferior vena cava filter for primary prophylaxis of pulmonary embolism in at-risk trauma patients: a feasibility trialValue of data collected by the medical examiner service on the quality of alcohol and toxicology testing in fatal motor vehicle collisionsPrehospital narrow pulse pressure predicts need for resuscitative thoracotomy and emergent surgical intervention after traumaImpact of a geriatric consultation service on outcomes in older trauma patients: a retrospective pre–post studyExploring physical literacy as a condition of fall mechanism in older adultsIs the use of business intelligence software helpful in planning injury prevention campaigns?Exposure to endotracheal intubation among trauma patients in level 5 trauma centres in New Brunswick — a retrospective reviewAre early specialist consultations helpful predictors of those who require care in level 1 or 2 designated trauma centres?Neurologic outcomes after traumatic cardiac arrest: a systematic reviewClosed-loop communication in the trauma bay: identifying opportunities for team performance improvement through a video review analysisEmbolization in nonsplenic trauma: outcomes at a Canadian trauma hospitalThe matrix: grouping ICD-10-CA injury codes by body region and nature of injury for reporting purposesEvaluation of low-value clinical practices in acute trauma care: a multicentre retrospective studyTrauma 101: a virtual case-based trauma conference as an adjunct to medical educationPhysiologic considerations, indications and techniques for ECLS in trauma: experience of a level 1 trauma centreEngaging patients in the selection of trauma quality indicatorsStrategies aimed at preventing chronic opioid use in trauma and acute care surgery: a scoping reviewAugmented reality surgical telementoring for leg fasciotomyIdentification of high-risk trauma patients requiring major interventions for traumatic hemorrhage: a prospective study of clinical gestaltEvaluating best practices in trauma care of older adultsBetween paradigms: comparing patient and parent experiences of injured adolescents treated at pediatric or adult trauma centresEarly outcomes after implementation of chest trauma management protocol in Vancouver General HospitalUtility of diagnostic peritoneal lavage versus focused abdominal sonography for trauma in penetrating abdominal injuryTime to definitive surgery and survival in pediatric patients younger than 18 years with gunshot woundsThe effect of chronic obstructive lung disease on post-traumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome: predictors of morbidity and mortalityThe association between injury type and clinical outcomes in patients with traumatic renal injury after nephrectomyWhen low complication rates are a bad sign: the negative impact of introducing an electronic medical record on TQIP data completenessClinical handover from paramedic services to the trauma team: a video review analysis of the IMIST-AMBO protocol implementationGeriatric Recovery and Enhancement Alliance in Trauma (GREAT) multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative: improving process and outcome measures for geriatric trauma patientsIncreasing the safety of inadvertent iliac artery device deployment with the COBRA-OS, a novel low-profile REBOA deviceIs it better to watch before or listen while doing? A randomized trial of video-modelling versus telementoring for out-of-scope tube thoracostomy insertion performed by search and rescue medicsIndications for prehospital civilian tourniquet application by first responders: an expert consensus opinion of military physicians by the Delphi method

Canadian Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1503/cjs.014121 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 64 (5 Suppl 1) ◽

pp. S37-S64

Author(s):

Olga Bednarek ◽

Mike O’Leary ◽

Sean Hurley ◽

Caleb Cummings ◽

Ruth Bird ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Brunswick ◽

Trauma Care ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Quality Improvement Initiative ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Trauma Outcomes ◽

Trauma Centres ◽

Level 1

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Dehydroepiandrosterone: a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment and rehabilitation of the traumatically injured patient

Burns & Trauma ◽

10.1186/s41038-019-0158-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Conor Bentley ◽

Jon Hazeldine ◽

Carolyn Greig ◽

Janet Lord ◽

Mark Foster

Keyword(s):

Wound Healing ◽

Therapeutic Agent ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Injured Patient ◽

Well Being ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Severe Injuries ◽

Potential Therapeutic Agent ◽

Patient Prognosis ◽

Post Menopausal

Abstract Severe injuries are the major cause of death in those aged under 40, mainly due to road traffic collisions. Endocrine, metabolic and immune pathways respond to limit the tissue damage sustained and initiate wound healing, repair and regeneration mechanisms. However, depending on age and sex, the response to injury and patient prognosis differ significantly. Glucocorticoids are catabolic and immunosuppressive and are produced as part of the stress response to injury leading to an intra-adrenal shift in steroid biosynthesis at the expense of the anabolic and immune enhancing steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphated metabolite dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). The balance of these steroids after injury appears to influence outcomes in injured humans, with high cortisol: DHEAS ratio associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Animal models of trauma, sepsis, wound healing, neuroprotection and burns have all shown a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, improved survival and increased resistance to pathological challenges with DHEA supplementation. Human supplementation studies, which have focused on post-menopausal females, older adults, or adrenal insufficiency have shown that restoring the cortisol: DHEAS ratio improves wound healing, mood, bone remodelling and psychological well-being. Currently, there are no DHEA or DHEAS supplementation studies in trauma patients, but we review here the evidence for this potential therapeutic agent in the treatment and rehabilitation of the severely injured patient.

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Contemporary management of renal trauma in Canada: A 10-year experience at a level 1 trauma centre

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.5581 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Uday Mann ◽

Logan Zemp ◽

Keith F. Rourke

Keyword(s):

Penetrating Trauma ◽

Injured Patient ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Renal Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

High Grade ◽

Mechanism Of Injury ◽

Level 1 ◽

Grade 3 ◽

Urological Intervention

Introduction: Contemporary Canadian renal trauma data is lacking. Our objective is to describe 10-year outcomes of renal trauma at a Canadian level 1 trauma centre using a conservative approach. Methods: The Alberta Trauma Registry at the University of Alberta was used to identify renal trauma patients from October 2004 to December 2014. Hospital records and imaging were reviewed to identify clinic-radiographical factors, including patient age, gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), American Association of the Surgery for Trauma (AAST) grade, computerized tomography (CT) findings, urological interventions, length of stay, transfusion and death rates. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and t-tests were used when appropriate. Results: A total of 368 renal trauma patients were identified. Mechanism of injury was blunt trauma in 89.1% of cases, mean age was 36.2 years, and mean ISS was 30.8 (±13.6). AAST grade distribution was 16.6% (Grade 1), 22.8% (Grade 2), 36.4% (Grade 3), 20.9% (Grade 4), and 3.3% (Grade 5). Overall, 9.5% (35) of patients required urological intervention for a total of 40 treatments, including ureteral stenting (3.0%), angioembolization (3.3%), percutaneous drainage (0.3%), or open intervention including nephrectomy (2.4%) and renorrhaphy (0.5%). No Grade 1 or 2 injuries required intervention, while 1.5%, 31.2%, and 75.0% of Grade 3, 4, and 5 injuries did, respectively. The overall renal salvage rate was 97.6%, which did not differ by mechanism of injury (p=0.25). Patients with penetrating trauma were more likely to require urological intervention (20.0% vs. 8.2%; p=0.04). Of the high-grade (III–V) renal injuries identified, 15.7% (35/223) required urological intervention, 4.9% (11) required open surgical intervention, and only 4.0% (9) of patients with high-grade renal injury required nephrectomy. Conclusions: The trend towards conservative treatment of renal trauma in Canada appears well-supported even in a severely injured patient population, as over 90% of patients avoid urological intervention and only 3% require operative intervention resulting in renal salvage rates of 97.6%.

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Clinical suspicion regarding needle decompression for patients with chest trauma

Journal of Paramedic Practice ◽

10.12968/jpar.2019.11.8.330 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 330-334

Author(s):

Alastair Beaven ◽

James Harrison ◽

Keith Porter ◽

Richard Steyn

Keyword(s):

Chest Trauma ◽

Prehospital Care ◽

Tension Pneumothorax ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Trauma Network ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Care Providers ◽

Trauma Population ◽

The Uk ◽

Needle Decompression

Background: Needle decompression of the chest is indicated for patients in a critical condition with rapid deterioration who have a life-threatening tension pneumothorax. Aim: To reassure UK prehospital care providers that needle decompression of the chest is not commonly required in chest trauma patients, and most can be safely managed without it. Methods: Case studies as part of a major trauma network continuous review process have revealed instances of needle decompression in the absence of tension pneumothorax. Images are presented where needle decompression was attempted in the absence of tension pneumothorax. Context: Expert opinion from our network's multidisciplinary trauma team discuss the occurrence of tension pneumothorax in self-ventilating patients, and the idea that tension pneumothorax is rare in the UK civilian trauma population is acknowledged. Other causes of chest hypoventilation are discussed.

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