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

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
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.

Advancing the Use of Laparoscopy in Trauma: Repair of Intraperitoneal Bladder Injuries

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 1402-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Arnold ◽  
Caroline D. Lu ◽  
Bradley W. Thomas ◽  
Gaurav Sachdev ◽  
Kyle W. Cunningham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Bladder Rupture ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Average Hospital ◽  
Early Return ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Intraperitoneal Bladder Rupture

Traumatic intraperitoneal bladder rupture (IBR) requires surgical repair. Traditionally performed via laparotomy, experience with laparoscopic bladder repair (LBR) after blunt trauma is limited. Benefits of laparoscopy include decreased length of stay (LOS), less pain, early return to work, fewer adhesions, and lower risk of incisional hernia. The aim of this series is to demonstrate the potential superiority of LBR in select trauma patients. This is a retrospective review performed of all IBR patients from 2008 to 2016. Demographics, clinical management, outcomes, and follow-up were compared between LBR and open bladder repair (OBR) patients. Twenty patients underwent OBR, and seven underwent LBR. There was no significant difference in gender, age, or Injury Severity Score. There were no deaths or reoperations in either group. Average hospital length of stay and ICU days were similar between groups. There was one patient with UTI and one with readmission in each group. There were two incisional hernias and two bowel obstructions in the OBR group, with one patient requiring operative intervention. No such complications occurred in the LBR group. LBR for traumatic IBR can be safely performed in select patients, even in those with multiple extra-abdominal injuries.

Delays in Transfer of Elderly Less-injured Trauma Patients Can Have Deadly Consequences

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 1132-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter E. Fischer ◽  
Paul D. Colavita ◽  
Gregory P. Fleming ◽  
Toan T. Huynh ◽  
A. Britton Christmas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trauma Center ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Severely Injured ◽  
Severely Injured Patients ◽  
Local Trauma ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
Injured Patients ◽  
Level 1 Trauma Center

Transfer of severely injured patients to regional trauma centers is often expedited; however, transfer of less-injured, older patients may not evoke the same urgency. We examined referring hospitals’ length of stay (LOS) and compared the subsequent outcomes in less-injured transfer patients (TP) with patients presenting directly (DP) to the trauma center. We reviewed the medical records of less-injured (Injury Severity Score [ISS] 9 or less), older (age older than 60 years) patients transferred to a regional Level 1 trauma center to determine the referring facility LOS, demographics, and injury information. Outcomes of the TP were then compared with similarly injured DP using local trauma registry data. In 2011, there were 1657 transfers; the referring facility LOS averaged greater than 3 hours. In the less-injured patients (ISS 9 or less), the average referring facility LOS was 3 hours 20 minutes compared with 2 hours 24 minutes in more severely injured patients (ISS 25 or greater, P < 0.05). The mortality was significantly lower in the DP patients (5.8% TP vs 2.6% DP, P = 0.035). Delays in transfer of less-injured, older trauma patients can result in poor outcomes including increased mortality. Geographic challenges do not allow for every patient to be transported directly to a trauma center. As a result, we propose further outreach efforts to identify potential causes for delay and to promote compliance with regional referral guidelines.

Placement of Surgical Feeding Tubes Among Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Requiring Exploratory Abdominal Surgery

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-642
Author(s):  
Peter I. Cha ◽  
Ronald M. Jou ◽  
David A. Spain ◽  
Joseph D. Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Abdominal Surgery ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Feeding Tube ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Fascial Closure ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify trauma patients who would benefit from surgical placement of an enteral feeding tube during their index abdominal trauma operation. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to 2 level I trauma centers between January 2013 and February 2018 requiring urgent exploratory abdominal surgery. Results Six-hundred and one patients required exploratory abdominal surgery within 24 hours of admission after trauma activation. Nineteen (3% of total) patients underwent placement of a feeding tube after their initial exploratory surgery. On multivariate analysis, an intracranial Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥4 (odds ratio [OR] = 9.24, 95% CI 1.09-78.26, P = .04) and a Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8 (OR = 4.39, 95% CI 1.38-13.95, P = .01) were associated with increased odds of requiring a feeding tube. All patients who required a feeding tube had an Injury Severity Score ≥15. While not statistically significant, patients with an open surgical feeding tube compared with interventional radiology/percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement had lower median intensive care unit length of stay, fewer ventilator days, and shorter median total hospital length of stay. Conclusions Trauma patients with severe intracranial injury already requiring urgent exploratory abdominal surgery may benefit from early, concomitant placement of a feeding tube during the index abdominal operation, or at fascial closure.

Risk for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Elderly Trauma Patients

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 1114-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Finigan ◽  
Jacqueline Pham ◽  
Rosemarie Mendoza ◽  
Michael Lekawa ◽  
Matthew Dolich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Contrast Induced Nephropathy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Elderly Trauma Patients

The objective of this study was to determine if elderly trauma patients are at risk for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). A retrospective study was conducted identifying 362 patients 65 years and older in our Level I trauma center who received computerized tomography (CT) scans with intravenous contrast. CIN was defined as a 25 per cent increase in serum creatinine levels or a 0.5 mg/dL increase above baseline after CT. History of diabetes mellitus, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and age were recorded. Eighteen per cent (21 of 118) of the patients had a peak in creatinine, 12 per cent (14 of 118) peaked and returned to baseline, and 6 per cent (7 of 118) peaked and stayed high. Pre-CT elevated creatinine, diabetes mellitus, increased hospital length of stay, ISS, and age show little association to CIN. The data suggest that CIN in elderly trauma patients is rare, regardless of history of diabetes mellitus, age, creatinine, high ISS, or result in higher length of stay. Therefore, there is little justification for the delay in diagnosis to assess a patient's renal susceptibility.

scholarly journals Association between Insurance Status and Hospital Length of Stay following Trauma

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. Englum ◽  
Xuan Hui ◽  
Cheryl K. Zogg ◽  
Muhammad Ali Chaudhary ◽  
Cassandra Villegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Uninsured Patients ◽  
National Trauma ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has demonstrated that nonclinical factors are associated with differences in clinical care, with uninsured patients receiving decreased resource use. Studies on trauma populations have also shown unclear relationships between insurance status and hospital length of stay (LOS), a commonly used metric for evaluating quality of care. The objective of this study is to define the relationship between insurance status and LOS after trauma using the largest available national trauma dataset and controlling for significant confounders. Data from 2007 to 2010 National Trauma Data Bank were used to compare differences in LOS among three insurance groups: privately insured, publically insured, and uninsured trauma patients. Multivariable regression models adjusted for potential confounding due to baseline differences in injury severity and demographic and clinical factors. A total of 884,493 patients met the inclusion criteria. After adjusting for the influence of covariates, uninsured patients had significantly shorter hospital stays (0.3 days) relative to privately insured patients. Publicly insured patients had longer risk-adjusted LOS (0.9 days). Stratified differences in discharge disposition and injury severity significantly altered the relationship between insurance status and LOS. In conclusion, this study elucidates the association between insurance status and hospital LOS, demonstrating that a patient's ability to pay could alter LOS in acute trauma patients. Additional research is needed to examine causes and outcomes from these differences to increase efficiency in the health care system, decrease costs, and shrink disparities in health outcomes.

Trauma Attending Physician Continuity: Does it Make a Difference?

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54
Author(s):  
David G. Jacobs ◽  
Jennifer L. Sarafin ◽  
Karen E. Head ◽  
A Britt Christmas ◽  
Toan Huynh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Trauma Service ◽  
Retrospective Comparison ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Attending Physician

Continuity of care is important in achieving optimal outcomes in trauma patients, but the optimal length of the trauma attending (TA) rotation is unknown. We hypothesize that longer TA rotations provide greater continuity, and therefore improve outcomes. We did a retrospective comparison of trauma patient outcomes from two consecutive 6-month periods during which we transitioned from a 1-month TA rotation to a 1-week TA rotation. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the χ2 were used for statistical analysis. Over the 12-month study period 1924 patients were admitted to the Trauma Service. The two groups were similar with regard to age, gender, injury mechanism, Injury Severity Score and Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and Abbreviated Injury Scores for the chest, abdomen, and extremities. Although mortality, patient charges, and violations of the standard of care were similar between the two groups, overall morbidity was lower (18.6% vs 23.2%), and hospital length of stay higher (9.07 days vs 8.41 days) in the 1-week TA group compared with the 1-month TA group. A one-week TA rotation was associated with a longer hospital length of stay, but improved morbidity. Longer TA rotations do not necessarily provide improved continuity or improved outcomes.

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

PLoS ONE ◽  
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.

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Trauma Volume at an Urban Level I Trauma Center?

2022 ◽  
pp. 000313482110540
Author(s):  
Alexandra Hahn ◽  
Tommy Brown ◽  
Brett Chapman ◽  
Alan Marr ◽  
Lance Stuke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Penetrating Trauma ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Minor Trauma ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Urban Level ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Level 1 Trauma Center

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of health care worldwide. While the impacts from this catastrophe are still being measured, it is important to understand how this pandemic impacted existing health care systems. As such, the objective of this study was to quantify its effects on trauma volume at an urban Level 1 trauma center in one of the earliest and most significantly affected US cities. Methods A retrospective chart review of consecutive trauma patients admitted to a Level 1 trauma center from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 was completed. The total trauma volume in the years prior to the pandemic (2017-2019) was compared to the volume in 2020. These data were then further stratified to compare quarterly volume across all 4 years. Results A total of 4138 trauma patients were treated in the emergency room throughout 2020 with 4124 seen during 2019, 3774 during 2018, and 3505 during 2017 in the pre-COVID-19 time period. No significant difference in the volume of minor trauma or trauma transfers was observed ( P < .05). However, there was a significant increase in the number of major traumas in 2020 as compared to prior years (38.5% vs 35.6%, P < .01) and in the volume of penetrating trauma (29.1% vs 24.0%, P < .01). Discussion During the COVID-19 outbreak, trauma remained a significant health care concern. This study found an increase in volume of penetrating trauma, specifically gunshot wounds throughout 2020. It remains important to continue to devote resources to trauma patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Patterns and Effects of Admission Hyperglycemia And Inflammatory Response in Trauma Patients: A Prospective Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman El-Menyar ◽  
Mohammad Asim ◽  
Fayaz Mir ◽  
Suhail Hakim ◽  
Ahad Kanbar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Severity Of Injury ◽  
Hs Crp ◽  
Initial Blood

Abstract Background: Hyperglycemia following trauma could be a response to stress. The constellation of the initial hyperglycemia, proinflammatory cytokines and severity of injury among trauma patients is understudied. We aimed to evaluate the patterns and effects of on-admission hyperglycemia and inflammatory response in a level 1 trauma center admissions. Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted for adult trauma patients who were admitted and tested for on-admission blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, interleukin (IL)-6 ,Il-18 and hs-CRP. Patients were categorized into 4 groups (non-diabetic normoglycemic, diabetic normoglycemic, diabetic hyperglycemic (DH) and stress-induced hyperglycemic (SIH)). The inflammatory markers were measured on 3 time points (admission, 24 h, and 48 h). Pearson’s correlation test and logistic regression analysis were performed. We hypothesized that higher initial readings of blood glucose and cytokines are associated with severe injuries and worse in-hospital outcomes in trauma patients.Results: During the study period, 250 adult trauma patients were enrolled. Almost 13% of patients presented with hyperglycemia (SIH&DH); of whom 50% had SIH. Compared to the other 3 groups; SIH patients were younger, had significantly higher ISS, higher IL-6 readings, prolonged hospital length of stay and higher mortality. The SIH group had lower Revised Trauma Score (p=0.005), lower Trauma Injury Severity Score (p=0.01) and lower GCS (p=0.001). IL-18 and hs-CRP were comparable among the study groups. Compared to the normoglycemia groups, patients with hyperglycemia had elevated high- sensitive troponin T (p=0.001) and required more blood transfusion (p=0.03). Patients with hyperglycemia had 3-times higher in-hospital mortality than the normoglycemia groups (p=0.02). A significant correlation was identified between initial blood glucose and serum lactate, IL-6, ISS and hospital length of stay. IL-6 correlated well with ISS (r=0.40, p=0.001). On- admission blood glucose had age-sex-GCS adjusted odd ratio 1.20(95% CI 1.06-1.33, p=0.003) for severe injury (ISS≥16).Conclusions: On-admission hyperglycemia is associated with a significant severer injury than normoglycemia patients. Initial blood glucose correlates with serum IL-6 which indicates a potential role of the systemic inflammatory response in the disease pathogenesis among the injured patients. On-admission glucose level could be a useful marker of injury severity, triage and risk assessment in trauma patients.This study was registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02999386), retrospectively Registered on December 21, 2016 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02999386.

Propofol Infusion Syndrome: Efficacy of a Prospective Screening Protocol

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (8) ◽  
pp. 1333-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Schroeppel ◽  
L. Paige Clement ◽  
Danielle L. Barnard ◽  
Whitney Guererro ◽  
Margaret D. Ferguson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Serum Lactate ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Propofol Infusion Syndrome ◽  
Positive Screen ◽  
Screening Protocol

Propofol infusion syndrome (PIS) is a potentially lethal complication of propofol marked by rhabdomyolysis, metabolic acidosis, and cardiac arrhythmias or collapse. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a prospective screening protocol to prevent PIS. All trauma patients admitted who received propofol as a continuous infusion were prospectively screened from November 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. Variables studied included demographics, injury severity, laboratory values, infusion rates, and mortality. Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate were drawn daily. Propofol was stopped for a positive screen defined as an increase in CPK to greater than 5000 IU/L or lactate greater than 4 mmol/L. Positive and negative cohorts were compared. Two hundred and twenty-five patients met the inclusion criteria and 12 patients (5.3%) had propofol stopped because of elevated CPK. No differences were identified in demographics, transfusions, injury severity, hospital length of stay, or propofol dose. The positive screened group had longer intensive care unit length of stay (20 vs 13 days; P = 0.002) and increased vent days (14.5 vs 10 days; P = 0.008). Max serum osmolality (334 vs 305 mosm/kg; P = 0.049) and max serum CPK (6782 vs 1058 IU/L; P < 0.0001) were higher in the positive cohort. No cases of PIS occurred, and mortality (16.7 vs 15.5%; P = 0.999) was not different between the cohorts. The screening protocol was effective in eliminating PIS. Serial CPK evaluations provided an effective screening tool and serum lactate can be dropped from screening.

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