Blood Utilization at a Level I Trauma Center: Is this as Good as it Gets?

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 693-698
Author(s):  
Sebron W. Harrison ◽  
Russell L. Griffin ◽  
Jeffrey D. Kerby ◽  
Marisa B. Marques ◽  
Loring W. Rue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Severely Injured ◽  
Level I ◽  
Rbc Transfusion

Recognition of the adverse effects of allogeneic blood resulted in the decreased use of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in surgical practice in the 1990s. Our objective was to evaluate patterns of RBC transfusion utilization among trauma patients during the current decade. Blunt trauma patients admitted to a regional trauma center between 2000 and 2007 were identified (n = 16,011). Annual trends in RBC utilization were estimated (negative binomial regression for continuous dependent variables and logistic regression for dichotomous variables). Models were stratified by Injury Severity Score to adjust for injury severity. Although the proportion of patients receiving a blood transfusion within 48 hours of hospitalization significantly increased ( P < 0.0001), there was no significant change in the rate of units transfused ( P = 0.5152) among transfused patients. After stratification by Injury Severity Score, a significantly decreasing trend in the proportion of severely injured patients transfused was observed ( P = 0.0243). Annual variation in the relatively less injured groups was not significant. In the current decade, transfusion utilization at a Level I trauma center has demonstrated minimal variation on a year-to-year basis. Among the severely injured, the temporal decrease in relatively early utilization of RBC transfusion may reflect increasing inclination to accept a greater degree of anemia in higher acuity patients.

Is Blood Sugar the Next Lactate?

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 613-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
TherÈSe M. Duane ◽  
Tracey Dechert ◽  
Nicholas Dalesio ◽  
Luke G. Wolfe ◽  
Nicholas Dalesio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Blood Glucose Level ◽  
Blood Sugar ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Severely Injured ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Initial Blood

This study evaluates whether an initial blood glucose level is similarly predictive of injury severity and outcome as admission lactate in trauma patients. Between February 2004 and June 2005, we prospectively compared patients with presenting blood sugars of ≤150 mg/dL (LBS) with those with blood sugars >150 mg/dL (HBS). Fifty patients had BS above 150 mg/dL, whereas 176 patients were ≤150 mg/dL. These groups had similar demographics except for age. Injury Severity Score (ISS) of ≥15 was seen in 56.0 per cent of HBS patients versus 28.4 per cent of LBS patients (P = 0.0006). HBS patients had similar infection rates (12.0% HBS vs. 5.7% LBS, P = 0.13) but a higher mortality (30.0% HBS vs. 5.7% LBS, P < 0.0001). There was a linear relationship between ISS and BS (r2 = 0.18, P < 0.0001) and ISS and lactate (r2 = 0.17, P < 0.0001). Blood sugar trended with the lactate (r = 0.25, P = 0.0001). Hyperglycemic patients were more severely injured with higher mortality. BS correlated with lactate, and because it is easily obtainable, it may serve as a readily available predictor of injury severity and prognosis.

Lactate in Trauma: A Poor Predictor of Mortality in the Setting of Alcohol Ingestion

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 1576-1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadley K. Herbert ◽  
Tracey A. Dechert ◽  
Luke Wolfe ◽  
Michel B. Aboutanos ◽  
Ajai K. Malhotra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Blunt Trauma ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Alcohol Ingestion ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
End Point ◽  
Blood Alcohol Levels ◽  
Level I

Resuscitation end point markers such as lactate and base deficit (BD) are used in trauma to identify and treat a state of compensated shock. Lactate and BD levels are also elevated by alcohol. In blunt trauma patients with positive blood alcohol levels, lactate may be a poor indicator of injury. Retrospective data were collected on 1083 blunt trauma patients with positive blood alcohol levels admitted a Level I trauma center between 2003 and 2006. Patients were stratified by Injury Severity Score, age, gender, and Glasgow Coma Score. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess lactate and BD as independent risk factors for mortality. Seventy-four per cent of patients had an abnormal lactate level compared with 28 per cent with abnormal BD levels. In patients with mild injury, lactate levels were abnormal in more than 70 per cent of patients compared with less than 20 per cent of patients with abnormal BD levels. Linear regression showed lactate is not a significant predictor of mortality. Regardless of Injury Severity Score, lactate appeared to be more often abnormal than BD in the setting of alcohol ingestion. Additionally, because BD, and not lactate, was shown to be an independent predictor of mortality, lactate may not be a reliable marker of end point resuscitation in this patient population.

scholarly journals Pregnant trauma patients may be at increased risk of mortality compared to nonpregnant women of reproductive age: trends and outcomes over 10 years at a level I trauma center

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 174550652093302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan G Maxwell ◽  
Andrea Greenlaw ◽  
Wendy J Smith ◽  
Ronald R Barbosa ◽  
Kate M Ropp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Level I

Background: Pregnancy has been identified as a risk factor for poor outcomes after traumatic injury, but prior outcome analyses are conflicting and dated. We sought to examine outcomes in a contemporary cohort. Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis at a level I trauma center’s institutional registry from 2009 to 2018, with comparison to population-level demographic trends in women of reproductive age and pregnancy prevalence. Unadjusted cohorts of pregnant versus nonpregnant trauma patients were compared. Pregnant patients then were matched on age, mechanism of injury, year, and injury severity score with nonpregnant controls for adjusted analysis with a primary outcome of maternal mortality. Results: Despite declining birth and pregnancy rates in the population, pregnant women comprised a stable 5.3% of female trauma patients of reproductive age without decline over the study period (p = 0.53). Compared with nonpregnant women, pregnant trauma patients had a lower injury severity score (1 [1–5] vs 5 [1–10] p < 0.0001) and a shorter length of stay (1 [1–2] vs 1 [1–4] p = 0.04), were less likely to have CT imaging (48.8% vs 67.4%, p < 0.0001) and more likely to be admitted (89.3% vs 79.2%, p = 0.003). Positive toxicology screens were less prevalent in pregnant women, but only for ethanol (5.4% vs 31.4%, p < 0.0001); there was no difference in rates of cannabis, opiates, or cocaine. After matching to adjust for age, year, mechanism of injury, and injury severity score, mortality occurred significantly more frequently in the pregnant cohort (2.1% vs 0.2%, OR = 13.5 [1.39–130.9], p = 0.02). Conclusion: Pregnant trauma patients have not declined in our population despite population-level declines in pregnancy. After adjusting for lower injury severity, pregnant women were at substantially greater risk of mortality. This supports ongoing concern for pregnant trauma patients as a vulnerable population. Further efforts should optimize systems of care to maximize the chances of rescue for both mother and fetus.

scholarly journals Early experience of a regional trauma center in Gangwon province: First step toward organizing a regional trauma system

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 202-210
Author(s):  
Kwangmin Kim ◽  
Hongjin Shim ◽  
Pil Young Jung ◽  
Seongyup Kim ◽  
Hui-Jae Bang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Trauma System ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background: The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare decided to establish a trauma medical service system to reduce preventable deaths. OO hospital in Gangwon Province was selected as a regional trauma center and was inaugurated in 2015. Objectives: This study examines the impact of this center, comparing mortality and other variables before and after inaugurating the center. Methods: Severely injured patients (injury severity score > 15) presenting to OO hospital between January 2014 and December 2016 were enrolled and categorized into two groups: before trauma center (n = 365) and after trauma center (n = 904). Patient characteristics, variables, and patient outcomes (including mortality rate) before and after the establishment of trauma centers were compared accordingly for both groups. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were also identified. Results: Probability of survival using trauma and injury severity score (%) method was significantly lower in the after trauma center group (81.3 ± 26.1) than in the before trauma center group (84.7 ± 21.0) (p = 0.014). In-hospital mortality rates were similar in both groups (before vs after trauma center group: 13.2% vs 14.2%; p = 0.638). The Z and W statistics revealed higher scores in the after trauma center group than in the before trauma center group (Z statistic, 4.69 vs 1.37; W statistic, 4.52 vs 2.10); 2.42 more patients (per 100 patients) survived after trauma center establishment. Conclusion: Although the mortality rates of trauma patients remained unchanged after the trauma center establishment, the Z and W statistics revealed improvements in the quality of care.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Georgia trauma system using the American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems tool

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e000188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis W Ashley ◽  
Etienne E Pracht ◽  
Laura E Garlow ◽  
Regina S Medeiros ◽  
Elizabeth V Atkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Trauma System ◽  
Severely Injured ◽  
Trauma Systems ◽  
Severely Injured Patients ◽  
American College Of Surgeons ◽  
Level I ◽  
Injured Patients

BackgroundThe American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems (NBATS) tool was developed to help determine the optimal regional distribution of designated trauma centers (DTC). The objectives of our current study were to compare the current distribution of DTCs in Georgia with the recommended allocation as calculated by the NBATS tool and to see if the NBATS tool identified similar areas of need as defined by our previous analysis using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Injury Severity Score (ICISS).MethodsPopulation counts were acquired from US Census publications. Transportation times were estimated using digitized roadmaps and patient zip codes. The number of severely injured patients was obtained from the Georgia Discharge Data System for 2010 to 2014. Severely injured patients were identified using two measures: ICISS<0.85 and Injury Severity Score >15.ResultsThe Georgia trauma system includes 19 level I, II, or III adult DTCs. The NBATS guidelines recommend 21; however, the distribution differs from what exists in the state. The existing DTCs exactly matched the NBATS recommended number of level I, II, or III DTCs in 2 of 10 trauma service areas (TSAs), exceeded the number recommended in 3 of 10 TSAs, and was below the number recommended in 5 of 10 TSAs. Densely populated, or urban, areas tend to be associated with a higher number of existing centers compared with the NBATS recommendation. Other less densely populated TSAs are characterized by large rural expanses with a single urban core where a DTC is located. The identified areas of need were similar to the ones identified in the previous gap analysis of the state using the ICISS methodology.DiscussionThe tool appears to underestimate the number of centers needed in extensive and densely populated areas, but recommends additional centers in geographically expansive rural areas. The tool signifies a preliminary step in assessing the need for state-wide inpatient trauma center services.Level of evidenceEconomic, level IV.

Is Helicopter Evacuation Effective in Rural Trauma Transport?

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 794-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie K. Rose ◽  
G. R. Cummings ◽  
Charles B. Rodning ◽  
Sid B. Brevard ◽  
Richard P. Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Patient Survival ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Severely Injured ◽  
Transport Services ◽  
Ground Ambulance ◽  
Level I

Helicopter transport for trauma remains controversial because its appropriate utilization and efficacy with regard to improved survival is unproven. The purpose of this study was to assess rural trauma helicopter transport utilization and effect on patient survival. A retrospective chart review over a 2-year period (2007–2008) was performed of all rural helicopter and ground ambulance trauma patient transports to an urban Level I trauma center. Data was collected with regard to patient mortality and Injury Severity Score (ISS). Miles to the Level I trauma center were calculated from the point where helicopter or ground ambulance transport services initiated contact with the patient to the Level I trauma center. During the 2-year period, 1443 rural trauma patients were transported by ground ambulance and 1028 rural trauma patients were transported by helicopter. Of the patients with ISS of 0 to 10, 471 patients were transported by helicopter and 1039 transported by ground. There were 465 (99%) survivors with ISS 0 to 10 transported by helicopter with an average transport distance of 34.6 miles versus 1034 (99.5%) survivors with ISS 0 to 10 who were transported by ground an average of 41.0 miles. Four hundred and twenty-one patients with ISS 11 to 30 were transported by helicopter an average of 33.3 miles with 367 (87%) survivors versus a 95 per cent survival in 352 patients with ISS 11 to 30 who were transported by ground an average of 39.9 miles. One hundred and thirty-six patients with ISS >30 were transported by helicopter an average of 32.8 miles with 78 (57%) survivors versus a 69 per cent survival in 52 patients with ISS > 30 who were transported by ground an average of 33.0 miles. Helicopter transport does not seem to improve survival in severely injured (ISS > 30) patients. Helicopter transport does not improve survival and is associated with shorter travel distances in less severely injured (ISS < 10) patients in rural areas. This data questions effective helicopter utilization for trauma patients in rural areas. Further study with regard to helicopter transport effect on patient survival and cost-effective utilization is warranted.

Lethal abdominal gunshot wounds at a level I trauma center: analysis of TRISS (revised trauma score and injury severity score) fallouts

1998 ◽  
Vol 187 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward E. Cornwell ◽  
George C. Velmahos ◽  
Thomas V. Berne ◽  
Raymond Tatevossian ◽  
Howard Belzberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Gunshot Wounds ◽  
Revised Trauma Score ◽  
Level I ◽  
Trauma Score ◽  
Abdominal Gunshot Wounds

Non-Selective Thoracic Computed Tomography in Trauma Patients Results in Injury Severity Score Inflation

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110249
Author(s):  
Leonardo Alaniz ◽  
Omaer Muttalib ◽  
Juan Hoyos ◽  
Cesar Figueroa ◽  
Cristobal Barrios
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Injury Severity Score ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Mortality Prediction ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Mortality Benefit ◽  
Severity Scores ◽  
Score Inflation

Introduction Extensive research relying on Injury Severity Scores (ISS) reports a mortality benefit from routine non-selective thoracic CTs (an integral part of pan-computed tomography (pan-CT)s). Recent research suggests this mortality benefit may be artifact. We hypothesized that the use of pan-CTs inflates ISS categorization in patients, artificially affecting admission rates and apparent mortality benefit. Methods Eight hundred and eleven patients were identified with an ISS >15 with significant findings in the chest area. Patient charts were reviewed and scores were adjusted to exclude only occult injuries that did not affect treatment plan. Pearson chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare adjusted cases vs non-adjusted cases. Results After adjusting for inflation, 388 (47.8%) patients remained in the same ISS category, 378 (46.6%) were reclassified into 1 lower ISS category, and 45 (5.6%) patients were reclassified into 2 lower ISS categories. Patients reclassified by 1 category had a lower rate of mortality ( P < 0.001), lower median total hospital LOS ( P < .001), ICU days ( P < .001), and ventilator days ( P = 0.008), compared to those that remained in the same ISS category. Conclusion Injury Severity Score inflation artificially increases survival rate, perpetuating the increased use of pan-CTs. This artifact has been propagated by outdated mortality prediction calculation methods. Thus, prospective evaluations of algorithms for more selective CT scanning are warranted.

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