Flying with a Safety Net: Use of REBOA to Enable Safe Transfer to a Level 1 Trauma Center

Background: Using Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) during air and ground transport requires coordination among the responding clinical team, transport team, and receiving surgical team. Here, we describe the development of a REBOA transport program in a civilian medical system that demonstrates the value of REBOA as part of the toolkit for safe casualty transport. Methods: The regional REBOA program was developed at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in a multi-step planning and training process to ensure coordination among the facilities and transport resources during trauma patient care. Retrospective record review was performed on all patients (n=5) that received REBOA for transport from the Level 3 Trauma Center to the Level 1 Trauma Center, since inception of the program in March 2019. Data were gathered from hospital electronic medical records. Results: SASMC has transported five trauma patients under the REBOA program; all successfully arrived at the Level 1 Trauma Center to receive definitive care. The integrated arterial blood pressure monitoring capability in the REBOA catheter provided robust physiologic data to enable data-driven interventions during transport. Conclusion: The REBOA program described here is a model of how REBOA can be used to enable safe transport between levels of care, when, without REBOA, such transport might not be possible. The model is applicable during care of civilian trauma patients and combat casualties, where injured patients are initially treated in a prehospital or Role1/2 environment but require transport to a Level 1 Trauma Center or Role 3+ for definitive care. Keywords: REBOA, non-compressible hemorrhage, patient transport

Laparoscopy in the Evaluation of Blunt Abdominal Injury in Level-I and II Pediatric Trauma Centers

Introduction An American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level-I (L-I) pediatric trauma center demonstrated successful laparoscopy without conversion to laparotomy in ∼65% of trauma cases. Prior reports have demonstrated differences in outcomes based on ACS level of trauma center. We sought to compare laparoscopy use for blunt abdominal trauma at L-I compared to Level-II (L-II) centers. Methods The Pediatric Trauma Quality Improvement Program was queried (2014-2016) for patients ≤16 years old who underwent any abdominal surgery. Bivariate analyses comparing patients undergoing abdominal surgery at ACS L-I and L-II centers were performed. Results 970 patients underwent abdominal surgery with 14% using laparoscopy. Level-I centers had an increased rate of laparoscopy (15.6% vs 9.7%, P = .019 ); however they had a lower mean Injury Severity Score (16.2 vs 18.5, P = .002) compared to L-II centers. Level-I and L-II centers had similar length of stay ventilator days, and SSIs (all P > .05). Conclusion While use of laparoscopy for pediatric trauma remains low, there was increased use at L-I compared to L-II centers with no difference in LOS or SSIs. Future studies are needed to elucidate which pediatric trauma patients benefit from laparoscopic surgery.

Monocyte distribution width as a novel sepsis indicator in COVID-19 patients

Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmittable virus which causes the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Monocyte distribution width (MDW) is an in-vitro hematological parameter which describes the changes in monocyte size distribution and can indicate progression from localized infection to systemic infection. In this study we evaluated the correlation between the laboratory parameters and available clinical data in different quartiles of MDW to predict the progression and severity of COVID-19 infection. Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical data collected in the Emergency Department of Rashid Hospital Trauma Center-DHA from adult individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 between January and June 2020. The patients (n = 2454) were assigned into quartiles based on their MDW value on admission. The four groups were analyzed to determine if MDW was an indicator to identify patients who are at increased risk for progression to sepsis. Results Our data showed a significant positive correlation between MDW and various laboratory parameters associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study also revealed that MDW ≥ 24.685 has a strong correlation with poor prognosis of COVID-19. Conclusions Monitoring of monocytes provides a window into the systemic inflammation caused by infection and can aid in evaluating the progression and severity of COVID-19 infection.

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