Is it a matter of time? The effect of transfer time on femur fracture outcomes

BackgroundTrauma systems in rural areas often require longdistance transfers for definitive care. Delays in care, such as delayed femurfracture repair have been reported to be associated with poorer outcomes, butlittle is known about how transfer time affects time to repair or outcomesafter femur fractures.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of all trauma patients transferred to our level 1 rural trauma center between May 1, 2016-April 30, 2019. Patient demographics and outcomes were abstracted from chart and trauma registry review. All patients with femur fractures were identified. Transfer time was defined as the time from admission at the initial hospital to admission at the trauma center, and time to repair was defined as time from admission to the trauma center until operative start time. Our outcome variables were mortality, in-hospital complications, and hospital length of stay (LOS).ResultsOver the study period1,887 patients were transferred to our level 1 trauma center and 398 had afemur fracture. Compared to the entire transfer cohort, femur fracture patientswere older (71 versus 57 years), and more likely to be female (62% versus 43%).The majority (74%) of patients underwent fracture repair within 24hours. Delay in fracture fixation >24 hours wasassociated with increased length of stay (5 days versus 4 days; p<0.001),higher complication rates (23% versus 12%; p=0.01), and decreased dischargehome (19% vs. 32%, pp=0.02), but was not associated with mortality (6% versus5%; p=0.75). Transfer time and time at the initial hospital were not associatedwith mortality, complication rate, or time to femur fixation.DiscussionFixation delay greater than 24 hours associated with increased likelihood of in-hospital complications, longer length of stay, and decreased likelihood of dischargehome. Transfer time not related to patient outcomes or time to femur fixation.Level of evidenceLevel III; therapeutic/care management.

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Does emergency medicine length of stay predict trauma outcomes at a Level 1 Trauma Center?

Journal of Hospital Administration ◽

10.5430/jha.v4n5p1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Erin Powers Kinney ◽

Kamal Gursahani ◽

Eric Armbrecht ◽

Preeti Dalawari

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Hospital Length ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Hospital Capacity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Level 1 ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Objective: Previous studies looking at emergency department (ED) crowding and delays of care on outcome measures for certain medical and surgical patients excluded trauma patients. The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship of trauma patients’ ED length of stay (EDLOS) on hospital length of stay (HLOS) and on mortality; and to examine the association of ED and hospital capacity on EDLOS.Methods: This was a retrospective database review of Level 1 and 2 trauma patients at a single site Level 1 Trauma Center in the Midwest over a one year period. Out of a sample of 1,492, there were 1,207 patients in the analysis after exclusions. The main outcome was the difference in hospital mortality by EDLOS group (short was less than 4 hours vs. long, greater than 4 hours). HLOS was compared by EDLOS group, stratified by Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) category (< 0.5, 0.51-0.89, > 0.9) to describe the association between ED and hospital capacity on EDLOS.Results: There was no significant difference in mortality by EDLOS (4.8% short and 4% long, p = .5). There was no significant difference in HLOS between EDLOS, when adjusted for TRISS. ED census did not affect EDLOS (p = .59), however; EDLOS was longer when the percentage of staffed hospital beds available was lower (p < .001).Conclusions: While hospital overcrowding did increase EDLOS, there was no association between EDLOS and mortality or HLOS in leveled trauma patients at this institution.

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Experience in an Urban Level 1 Trauma Center With Tranexamic Acid in Pediatric Trauma: A Retrospective Chart Review

Journal of Intensive Care Medicine ◽

10.1177/0885066619890834 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088506661989083

Author(s):

Julie M. Thomson ◽

Hanh H. Huynh ◽

Holly M. Drone ◽

Jessica L. Jantzer ◽

Albert K. Tsai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Tranexamic Acid ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Surgical Intervention ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Pediatric Trauma ◽

End Points ◽

Transfusion Requirements ◽

Level 1 ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Background: Evidence for tranexamic acid (TXA) in the pharmacologic management of trauma is largely derived from data in adults. Guidance on the use of TXA in pediatric patients comes from studies evaluating its use in cardiac and orthopedic surgery. There is minimal data describing TXA safety and efficacy in pediatric trauma. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of TXA in the management of pediatric trauma and to evaluate its efficacy and safety end points. Methods: This retrospective, observational analysis of pediatric trauma admissions at Hennepin County Medical Center from August 2011 to March 2019 compares patients who did and did not receive TXA. The primary end point is survival to hospital discharge. Secondary end points include surgical intervention, transfusion requirements, length of stay, thrombosis, and TXA dose administered. Results: There were 48 patients aged ≤16 years identified for inclusion using a massive transfusion protocol order. Twenty-nine (60%) patients received TXA. Baseline characteristics and results are presented as median (interquartile range) unless otherwise specified, with statistical significance defined as P < .05. Patients receiving TXA were more likely to be older, but there was no difference in injury type or Injury Severity Score at baseline. There was no difference in survival to discharge or thrombosis. Patients who did not receive TXA had numerically more frequent surgical intervention and longer length of stay, but these did not reach significance. Conclusions: TXA was utilized in 60% of pediatric trauma admissions at a single level 1 trauma center, more commonly in older patients. Although limited by observational design, we found patients receiving TXA had no difference in mortality or thrombosis.

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From ER to OR: Results After Implementation of Multidisciplinary Pathway for Fragility Hip Fractures at a Level I Trauma Center

Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/2151459320927383 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 215145932092738

Author(s):

Kenoma Anighoro ◽

Carla Bridges ◽

Alexander Graf ◽

Alexander Nielsen ◽

Tannor Court ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hip Fracture ◽

Hip Fractures ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Hospital Length ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Blood Products ◽

Total Blood ◽

Fragility Hip Fracture ◽

Level I

Introduction: Hip fractures are one of the most common indications for hospitalization and orthopedic intervention. Fragility hip fractures are frequently associated with multiple comorbidities and thus may benefit from a structured multidisciplinary approach for treatment. The purpose of this article was to retrospectively analyze patient outcomes after the implementation of a multidisciplinary hip fracture pathway at a level I trauma center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 263 patients over the age of 65 with fragility hip fracture was performed. Time to surgery, hospital length of stay, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), American Society of Anesthesiologists, complication rates, and other clinical outcomes were compared between patients treated in the year before and after implementation of a multidisciplinary hip fracture pathway. Results: Timing to OR, hospital length of stay, and complication rates did not differ between pre- and postpathway groups. The postpathway group had a greater CCI score (pre: 3.10 ± 3.11 and post: 3.80 ± 3.18). Fewer total blood products were administered in the postpathway group (pre: 1.5 ± 1.8 and post: 0.8 ± 1.5). Discussion: The maintenance of clinical outcomes in the postpathway cohort, while having a greater CCI, indicates the same quality of care was provided for a more medically complex patient population. With a decrease in total blood products in the postpathway group, this highlights the economic importance of perioperative optimization that can be obtained in a multidisciplinary pathway. Conclusion: Implementation of a multidisciplinary hip fracture pathway is an effective strategy for maintaining care standards for fragility hip fracture management, particularly in the setting of complex medical comorbidities.

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Utility Of Angioembolization In Patients with Abdominal and Pelvic Traumatic Bleeding: Descriptive Observational Analysis From A Level 1 Trauma Center

10.21203/rs.3.rs-105445/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hassan Al-Thani ◽

Husham Abdelrahman ◽

Ali Barah ◽

Mohammad Asim ◽

Ayman El-Menyar

Keyword(s):

Blood Transfusion ◽

Success Rate ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Clinical Success Rate ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Solid Organ ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Traumatic Bleeding ◽

Level 1 ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Abstract Background: Massive bleeding is a major preventable cause of early death in trauma. It often requires surgical or endovascular intervention. We aimed to describe the utilization of angioembolization in patients with abdominal and pelvic traumatic bleeding at a level 1 trauma center.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis for all trauma patients who underwent angioembolization post-traumatic bleeding between January 2012 and April 2018. Patients’s data and details of injuries, angiography procedures and outcomes were extracted from the Qatar national trauma registry.Results: A total of 175 trauma patients underwent angioembolization during the study period (103 for solid organ injury , 51 for pelvic injury and 21 for other injuries). The majority were young males. The main cause of injury was blunt trauma in 95.4% of patients. The most common indication of angioembolization was evident active bleeding on the initial CT scan (contrast pool or blushes). Blood transfusion was needed in two-third of patients. The hepatic injury cases had higher ISS, higher shock Index and more blood transfusion Absorbable particles (Gelfoam) was the most commonly used embolic material. The overall technical and clinical success rate was 93.7% and 95% respectively with low rebleeding and complication rates. The hospital and ICU length of stay were13 and 6 days respectively. The median injury to intervention time was 320 min while hospital arrival to intervention time was 274 min. The median follow-up time was 215 days. The overall cohort mortality was 15%. Conclusion: Angioembolization is an effective intervention to stop bleeding and support nonoperative management for both solid organ injuries and pelvic trauma. It has a high success rate with a careful selection and proper implementation.

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Factors in Pulmonary Embolus Diagnosis via CT Pulmonary Angiogram in Patients Undergoing Repair of Proximal Femur Fractures

The Open Orthopaedics Journal ◽

10.2174/1874325001812010236 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 236-251

Author(s):

Peter Moriarty ◽

Heather Moriarty ◽

Michael Maher ◽

James Harty

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Artery ◽

Proximal Femur ◽

Femur Fracture ◽

Main Pulmonary Artery ◽

Fracture Repair ◽

Proximal Femur Fracture ◽

Pulmonary Emboli ◽

Proximal Femur Fractures ◽

Femur Fractures ◽

D Dimer

Background:As imaging technology improves small Pulmonary Emboli (PE) of debatable clinical relevance are increasingly detected leading to higher numbers of patients receiving anticoagulation. Although PE are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing repair of proximal femur fractures, this cohort of patients are at increased falls risk and are therefore largely unsuitable for long term anticoagulant therapy.Objective:1. To review sequential Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiograms (CTPA) performed in patients who underwent repair of proximal femur fractures at our institution. 2. To establish the perioperative CT imaging performed.Design:A retrospective cross sectional study of all patients undergoing proximal femur fracture repair at a single tertiary referral.Methods:The theatre database was interrogated to reveal all patients undergoing proximal femur fracture repair over a 28 month period from 01/01/12 to 07/04/14 inclusive. This was cross-referenced with the Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) to establish all imaging undertaken in the perioperative period. CTPA studies performed within the time period of 1 week prior to and 6 months post proximal femur fixation were included. CTPA studies and reports were assessed for quality and findings. D-Dimer results, if performed within 72 hours of the CTPA study, were recorded.Results:1388 patients underwent neck of femur fracture repair in the 28-month study period. Of this cohort 71 CTPA studies were performed in 71 patients (5.2%) with a mean age of 77.8 years (range 38 - 100). 53 (74.6%) of studies were negative for embolus and 17 (23.9%) studies revealed clot in a pulmonary artery (1 saddle embolus, 2 main pulmonary artery emboli, 7 lobar vessel emboli, 2 segmental artery emboli, 5 subsegmental emboli). Overall PE detection rate was 1.2% of our total study population. In all 71 studies, Houndsfield Unit (HU) in the main pulmonary artery (PA) was >200; which is considered to be of satisfactory quality to assess for segmental pulmonary emboli. 32% of patients had D Dimer levels performed, however no relationship with presence of PE on CTPA was demonstrated.Conclusion:The rate of positive CTPA studies in patients undergoing proximal femur fracture repair is 23.9% in our patient population, comparing favorably to published data. This is likely to reflect good compliance with prevention measures at ward level. D-Dimer results are unreliable for PE prediction.

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Maturation process and international accreditation of trauma system in a rapidly developing country

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243658 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0243658

Author(s):

Ayman El-Menyar ◽

Ahammad Mekkodathil ◽

Mohammad Asim ◽

Rafael Consunji ◽

Gustav Strandvik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hospital Mortality ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Trauma System ◽

Hospital Length ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Maturation Process ◽

Level 1 ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

Background As trauma systems mature, they are expected to improve patient care, reduce in-hospital complications and optimize outcomes. Qatar has a single trauma center, at the Hamad General Hospital, which serves as the hub for the trauma system that was verified as a level 1 trauma system by the Accreditation Canada International Distinction program in 2014. We hypothesized that this international accreditation was a major step, in the maturation process of the Qatar trauma system, that has positively impacted patient care, reduced complications and improved outcomes of trauma patients in such a rapidly developing country. Methods A retrospective analysis of data was conducted for all trauma patients who were admitted between 2010 and 2018. Data were obtained from the level 1 trauma center registry at Hamad Medical Corporation. Patients were divided into Group 1- pre-accreditation (admitted from January 2010 to October 2014) and Group 2- post-accreditation (admitted from November 2014 to December 2018). Patients’ characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed and compared. Data included patients’ demographics; injury types, mechanism and injury severity scores, interventions, hospital stay, complications and mortality (pre-hospital and in-hospital). Time series analysis for mortality was performed using expert modeler. Results Data from a total of 15,864 patients was collected and analyzed. Group 2 patients had more severe injuries in comparison to Group 1 (p<0.05). However, Group 2, had a lower complication rate (ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP)) and a shorter mean hospital length of stay (p<0.05). The overall mortality was 8%. In Group 2; the pre-hospital mortality was higher (52% vs. 41%, p = 0.001), while in-hospital mortality was lower (48% vs. 59%) compared to Group 1 (p = 0.001). Conclusions The international recognition and accreditation of the trauma center in 2014 was the key factor in the maturation of the trauma system that improved the in-hospital outcomes. Accreditation also brought other benefits including a reduction in VAP and hospital length of stay. However, further studies are required to explore the maturation process of all individual components of the trauma system including the prehospital setting.

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Perioperative complication rates following neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.4_suppl.688 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 688-688

Author(s):

Christopher R. Deig ◽

Blake Beneville ◽

Amy Liu ◽

Aasheesh Kanwar ◽

Alison Grossblatt-Wait ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Neoadjuvant Therapy ◽

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Hospital Length ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Perioperative Complication ◽

The Impact

688 Background: Whether upfront resection or total neoadjuvant therapy is superior for the treatment of potentially resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial. The impact of neoadjuvant treatment on major perioperative complication rates for patients (pts) undergoing resection for PDAC is commonly debated. We hypothesized that rates would be comparable among patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation (neo-CRT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone (neo-CHT), or upfront surgery. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 208 pts with PDAC who underwent resection within a multidisciplinary pancreatico-biliary program at an academic tertiary referral center between 2011-2018. Data were abstracted from the medical record, an institutional cancer registry and NSQIP databases. Outcomes were assessed using χ2, Fisher’s exact test and two-tailed Student’s t-tests. Results: 208 pts were identified: 33 locally advanced, borderline or upfront resectable pts underwent neo-CRT, 35 borderline or resectable pts underwent neoadjuvant-CHT, and 140 resectable pts did not undergo neoadjuvant therapy. There were no statistically significant differences in major perioperative complication rates between groups. Overall rates were 36.4%, 34.3%, and 26.4% for pts who underwent neo-CRT, neo-CHT alone, or upfront resection, respectively (p = 0.38). No significant difference were observed in complication rates (35.3% v. 26.4%; p = 0.19) or median hospital length of stay (10 days v. 10 days; p = 0.87) in pts who received any neoadjuvant therapy versus upfront resection. There were two perioperative deaths in the neo-CRT group (6.1%), zero in the neo-CHT group, and four in the upfront resection group (2.9%); p = 0.22. Conclusions: There were no significant differences in major perioperative complication rates, hospital length of stay, or post-operative mortality in pts who underwent neoadjuvant therapy (neo-CRT or neo-CHT alone) versus upfront surgery. Notably, neo-CRT had comparable perioperative complication rates to neo-CHT alone, which suggests neoadjuvant radiation therapy may not pose additional surgical risk.

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The Coming Hip and Femur Fracture Bundle: A New Inpatient Risk Stratification Tool for Care Providers

Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/2151459318795311 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 215145931879531 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sanjit R. Konda ◽

Ariana Lott ◽

Kenneth A. Egol

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Femur Fracture ◽

High Risk Patients ◽

Femur Fractures ◽

Risk Stratification Tool ◽

Risk Patients ◽

The Mean ◽

Trauma Triage ◽

Level 1 ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Introduction: In response to increasing health-care costs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has initiated several programs to transition from a fee-for-service model to a value-based care model. One such voluntary program is Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) which includes all hip and femur fractures that undergo operative fixation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current cost and resource utilization of operatively fixed (nonarthroplasty) hip and femur fracture procedure bundle patients at a single level 1 trauma center within the framework of a risk stratification tool (Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged [STTGMA]) to identify areas of high utilization before our hospitals transition to bundle period. Materials and Methods: A cohort of Medicare-eligible patients discharged with the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes 480 to 482 (hip and femur fractures requiring surgical fixation) from a level 1 trauma center between October 2014 and September 2016 was evaluated and assigned a trauma triage risk score (STTGMA score). Patients were stratified into groups based on these scores to create a minimal-, low-, moderate-, and high-risk cohort. Length of stay (LOS), discharge location, need for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/Step Down Unit (SDU) care, inpatient complications, readmission within 90 days, and inpatient admission costs were recorded. Results: One hundred seventy-three patients with a mean age of 81.5 (10.1) years met inclusion criteria. The mean LOS was 8.0 (4.2) days, with high-risk patients having 4 days greater LOS than lower risk patients. The mean number of total complications was 0.9 (0.8) with a significant difference between risk groups ( P = .029). The mean total cost of admission for the entire cohort of patients was US$25,446 (US$9725), with a nearly US$9000 greater cost for high-risk patients compared to the low-risk patients. High-cost areas of care included room/board, procedure, and radiology. Discussion: High-risk patients were more likely to have longer and more costly admissions with average index admission costs nearly US$9000 more than the lower risk patient cohorts. These high-risk patients were also more likely to develop inpatient complications and require higher levels of care. Conclusion: This analysis of a 2-year cohort of patients who would qualify for the BPCI Advanced hip and femur procedure bundle demonstrates that the STTGMA tool can be used to identify high-risk patients who fall outside the bundle.

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S111 – Monitoring Frequency: A Determinant in Free Tissue Transfer

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1016/j.otohns.2008.05.284 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽

pp. P114-P114

Author(s):

Joshua D Hornig

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Group Versus ◽

Free Tissue Transfer ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Success Rates ◽

Minimal Group ◽

Tissue Transfer ◽

Flap Loss ◽

Flap Monitoring

Objectives 1) To compare the success rates of free tissue transfer (FTT) between a cohort of patients who underwent frequent scheduled checks to a cohort who received checks on an as-needed basis. 2) To compare the overall flap survival, ICU stay, in-hospital stay, complications, and cost. Methods Patients meeting the criteria for free tissue transfer were divided into 2 cohorts: minimal FTT monitoring and frequent scheduled FTT monitoring. In August 2005, frequent scheduled flap monitoring was instituted. The study was set up to identify if this method impacted overall patient outcomes. The 2 groups were compared over several dimensions: overall flap outcome, total vs. partial flap loss, length of stay in hospital, revision procedures, and complications. Results A total of 212 patients were identified. 107 of the patients were in the frequent, scheduled group and 105 were in the minimal group. The overall FTT success rates were significantly higher in the frequently scheduled group versus the minimal group (100% vs 89%). The rates of partial flap loss and total flap loss were higher in the minimal group (11% vs 4%). The overall length of stay in the hospital, length of stay in the ICU, and complication rates were nonsignificant between the 2 groups. However, the number of revision procedures were significantly lower in the frequently scheduled FTT group. Conclusions The implementation of frequent scheduled flap monitoring significantly improves free tissue transfer survival in head and neck patients and decreases the number of revision procedures that need to be performed.

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