PECARN prediction rules for CT imaging of children presenting to the emergency department with blunt abdominal or minor head trauma: a multicentre prospective validation study.

BACKGROUND: The intra-abdominal injury and traumatic brain injury prediction rules derived by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) were designed to reduce inappropriate use of CT in children with abdominal and head trauma, respectively. We aimed to validate these prediction rules for children presenting to emergency departments with blunt abdominal or minor head trauma. METHODS: For this prospective validation study, we enrolled children and adolescents younger than 18 years presenting to six emergency departments in Sacramento (CA), Dallas (TX), Houston (TX), San Diego (CA), Los Angeles (CA), and Oakland (CA), USA between Dec 27, 2016, and Sept 1, 2021. We excluded patients who were pregnant or had pre-existing neurological disorders preventing examination, penetrating trauma, injuries more than 24 h before arrival, CT or MRI before transfer, or high suspicion of non-accidental trauma. Children presenting with blunt abdominal trauma were enrolled into an abdominal trauma cohort, and children with minor head trauma were enrolled into one of two age-segregated minor head trauma cohorts (younger than 2 years vs aged 2 years and older). Enrolled children were clinically examined in the emergency department, and CT scans were obtained at the attending clinician's discretion. All enrolled children were evaluated against the variables of the pertinent PECARN prediction rule before CT results were seen. The primary outcome of interest in the abdominal trauma cohort was intra-abdominal injury undergoing acute intervention (therapeutic laparotomy, angiographic embolisation, blood transfusion, intravenous fluid for ≥2 days for pancreatic or gastrointestinal injuries, or death from intra-abdominal injury). In the age-segregated minor head trauma cohorts, the primary outcome of interest was clinically important traumatic brain injury (neurosurgery, intubation for >24 h for traumatic brain injury, or hospital admission ≥2 nights for ongoing symptoms and CT-confirmed traumatic brain injury; or death from traumatic brain injury). FINDINGS: 7542 children with blunt abdominal trauma and 19 999 children with minor head trauma were enrolled. The intra-abdominal injury rule had a sensitivity of 100·0% (95% CI 98·0-100·0; correct test for 145 of 145 patients with intra-abdominal injury undergoing acute intervention) and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100·0% (95% CI 99·9-100·0; correct test for 3488 of 3488 patients without intra-abdominal injuries undergoing acute intervention). The traumatic brain injury rule for children younger than 2 years had a sensitivity of 100·0% (93·1-100·0; 42 of 42) for clinically important traumatic brain injuries and an NPV of 100·0%; 99·9-100·0; 2940 of 2940), whereas the traumatic brain injury rule for children aged 2 years and older had a sensitivity of 98·8% (95·8-99·9; 168 of 170) and an NPV of 100·0% (99·9-100·0; 6015 of 6017). The two children who were misclassified by the traumatic brain injury rule were admitted to hospital for observation but did not need neurosurgery. INTERPRETATION: The PECARN intra-abdominal injury and traumatic brain injury rules were validated with a high degree of accuracy. Their implementation in paediatric emergency departments can therefore be considered a safe strategy to minimise inappropriate CT use in children needing high-quality care for abdominal or head trauma. FUNDING: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Iterative refinement of a histologic algorithm for burn depth categorization based on 798 consecutive burn wound biopsies.

INTRODUCTION: Our group previously reported a burn biopsy algorithm (BBA-V1) for categorizing burn wound depth. Here, we sought to promulgate a newer, simpler version of the BBA (BBA-V2). METHODS: Burn wounds undergoing excision underwent 4 mm biopsies procured every 25 cm2. Serial still photos were obtained at enrollment and at excision intraoperatively. Burn wounds assessed as likely to heal by 21 days were imaged within 72 h of injury and at 21 days. A sample of 798 burn wound biopsies were classified by both BBAV1 and BBAV2 algorithms. For nonoperative burn wounds, the proportion of healing versus nonhealing pixels at 21 days after injury were compared. RESULTS: The 798 biopsies were classified by BBAV1 as 24% SPT, 47% DPT, 28% FT and by BBAV2 as 3% SPT, 67% DPT, and 30% FT (p < 0.0001). Overall, the proportion of biopsies whose wound reclassification changed from a nonoperative to operative pathway was 21% (95% CI: 18-24%). Nonoperative wounds judged at injury as being SPT contained 12.8 million pixels. Repeat 21-day imaging revealed 11.3 million healed pixels (accuracy = 89.6% (95% CI: 89.59-89.62)). CONCLUSIONS: BBA-V2 was associated with a significantly higher concordance with visual assessment for burn wounds clinically judged as deep partial and full thickness.

Comparison of Outcomes at Midterm Follow-up of Operatively and Nonoperatively Treated Isolated Weber B Ankle Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: A novel protocol was previously presented for nonoperative management of Weber B (OTA/AO 44B) ankle fractures with criteria of medial clear space <7 mm on gravity stress (GS) radiographs and ipsilateral superior clear space and contralateral GS medial clear space within 2 mm. This study recruited an operative cohort for comparison of outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Level 1 academic center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: The recruited operative cohort consisted of patients who may have been considered for the nonoperative protocol, but underwent surgery instead. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: Kellgren-Lawrence scale for evaluation of arthritis, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Hindfoot, Olerud Molander Ankle, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and PROMIS (physical function, depression, pain interference) scores for the current operative cohort were compared with that of the original nonoperative cohort. RESULTS: There were 20 patients in the operative cohort and 29 in the original nonoperative cohort. Mean follow-up was 6.9 and 6.7 years, respectively. The following outcome scores were better for the nonoperative cohort compared with the operative, respectively: LEFS, 75.2 and 68.1 ( P = 0.009); Olerud Molander Ankle, 94.1 and 89.0 ( P = 0.05); American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, 98.5 and 91.7 ( P = 0.0003); PROMIS Physical Function, 58.2 and 50.4 ( P = 0.01); PROMIS Pain Interference, 42.2 and 49.7 ( P = 0.004). The PROMIS Depression, 42.8 and 45.4 ( P = 0.29), was not different between groups. All patients achieved union of their fracture. Surgical complications included implant removal (15%), SPN neurapraxia (5%), and delayed wound healing (5%). CONCLUSIONS: In carefully selected patients with isolated Weber B fractures, nonoperative management may be considered because it can lead to equivalent or superior outcomes with none of the risks typically associated with surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Early Outcomes Following Plantar Condylectomy and Imbrication of Plantar Plate to Metatarsal Neck for Metatarsalgia and Grade 0 Lesser Toe Metatarsophalangeal Joint Instability.

Background: Metatarsalgia and plantar plate tears are characterized by forefoot pain and toe deformity in severe cases. Conservative management may slow progression of symptoms; however, definitive treatment often requires operative intervention. The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the combination of plantar condylectomy and surgical imbrication of the plantar plate to the metatarsal neck to repair grade 0 plantar plate injuries. Methods: We retrospectively identified 22 patients with metatarsalgia and low-grade plantar plate lesions (grade 0), operated between 2018 and 2021, who underwent operative repair involving plantar metatarsal condylectomy and proximal surgical imbrication of the plantar plate to the metatarsal neck. Fourteen patients underwent concomitant hallux valgus correction. Data collection was performed preoperatively and postoperatively and included Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) scores. Paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared PROMIS PF and PI scores at patients' preoperative, 6-9-week, 3-4-month, 5-6-month, and ≥9-month follow-up evaluations (P < .05). Results: Compared to their preoperative visit, patients demonstrated modest improvement in their PROMIS (pain and physical function) scores over the first ≥9 months postoperatively (median 13.0 months). Median preoperative and most recent PROMIS physical function scores were 40.5 (95% CI: 36-49) and 44.5 (95% CI: 40-52), respectively. Median PROMIS pain interference scores changed from 62.5 (95% CI: 56-67) to 56.0 (95% CI: 51-62). Improvement in pain and function was sustained in patients available for postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: In this small, early follow-up series, we found that plantar condylectomy and surgical imbrication of the plantar plate to the metatarsal neck was modestly helpful to treat metatarsalgia and grade 0 plantar plate injuries. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Evaluation of a Deep Learning Reconstruction for High-Quality T2-Weighted Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Deep learning (DL) reconstruction techniques to improve MR image quality are becoming commercially available with the hope that they will be applicable to multiple imaging application sites and acquisition protocols. However, before clinical implementation, these methods must be validated for specific use cases. In this work, the quality of standard-of-care (SOC) T2w and a high-spatial-resolution (HR) imaging of the breast were assessed both with and without prototype DL reconstruction. Studies were performed using data collected from phantoms, 20 retrospectively collected SOC patient exams, and 56 prospectively acquired SOC and HR patient exams. Image quality was quantitatively assessed via signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and edge sharpness. Qualitatively, all in vivo images were scored by either two or four radiologist readers using 5-point Likert scales in the following categories: artifacts, perceived sharpness, perceived SNR, and overall quality. Differences in reader scores were tested for significance. Reader preference and perception of signal intensity changes were also assessed. Application of the DL resulted in higher average SNR (1.2-2.8 times), CNR (1.0-1.8 times), and image sharpness (1.2-1.7 times). Qualitatively, the SOC acquisition with DL resulted in significantly improved image quality scores in all categories compared to non-DL images. HR acquisition with DL significantly increased SNR, sharpness, and overall quality compared to both the non-DL SOC and the non-DL HR images. The acquisition time for the HR data only required a 20% increase compared to the SOC acquisition and readers typically preferred DL images over non-DL counterparts. Overall, the DL reconstruction demonstrated improved T2w image quality in clinical breast MRI.

Midterm Outcomes of Operatively and Nonoperatively Managed Achilles Tendon Ruptures in Young Adults.

Background: There continues to be controversy regarding treatment options for Achilles tendon ruptures (ATR). The aim of our study is to compare outcomes between operatively and nonoperatively managed Achilles ruptures in young adults (age 18-30 years), which has not been previously evaluated. Methods: At a single institution, all patients aged 18-30 years at time of injury who underwent treatment for an acute ATR from 2014 to 2021 were evaluated. Medical records were reviewed to collect demographics, dates of injury and treatment, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), rate of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after treatment, and rate of rerupture. Patients then completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) questionnaires. Mann-Whitney nonparametric testing was used to evaluate for any statistical differences in PROMIS scores. Results: Sixty-six operative patients qualified and 28 (42%) participated. Thirty-seven nonoperative patients qualified and 14 (38%) participated. All patients had a CCI of 0. One patient in the operative cohort and 2 in the nonoperative reported active smoking. In the operative and nonoperative cohorts, respectively, the average age was 24.4 and 27.8 years; average BMI 26.5 (SD = 4.8) and 27.3 (SD = 4.3, P = .52); DVT rates 4 (6.1%) and 2 (5.4%); and rerupture rates 2 (3.0%) and 1 (2.7%), respectively. PROMIS scores did not differ in the operative and nonoperative groups: PROMIS PF mean of 60.4 (SD = 9.8) and 62.9 (SD = 9.1), respectively (P = .33); as well as PROMIS PI mean of 44.6 (SD = 5.9) and 43.9 (SD = 6.5), respectively (P = .59). Conclusion: This study should be interpreted with the understanding that we had a considerable loss to follow-up rate. In the study cohort, we found that young adults with ATR may be considered for either operative or nonoperative management. Rates of DVT, rates of rerupture, and PROMIS scores were not dissimilar between the 2 cohorts. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Return to Sport After First Metatarsophalangeal Arthrodesis: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: First metatarsophalangeal (MTP) arthrodesis is a common surgical intervention for addressing MTP pain and deformity. Despite great interest on the topic of return to sport (RTS) after first MTP arthrodesis in the literature, no systematic review exists on this topic. The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate RTS after first MTP arthrodesis. METHODS: This study is a systematic review using PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and MEDLINE from database inception until May 10, 2023. Search algorithm used was (MTPJ OR MTP OR "hallux rigidus" OR cheilectomy OR metatarsal OR metatarsophalangeal) AND (arthrodesis OR fusion) AND sport. Inclusion criteria were surgical intervention of first MTP arthrodesis and outcomes related to sport. RESULTS: Ten articles were included out of 249 articles initially retrieved. Patients (n = 450) had a frequency weighted mean (FWM) age of 58.6 ± 5.1 years with a FWM follow-up time of 32.1 ± 18.9 months. A total of 153 patients (reported in 34.0% of patients) had a FWM postoperative Foot and Ankle Ability Measure Sport score of 70.4 ± 21.8 at final follow-up. For sporting activities reported by multiple studies (running, yoga, golf, hiking, tennis, elliptical, and biking), about 9.8% to 28.1% of patients (n = 69 reports) stated that sporting activity difficulty decreased, 67.2% to 87.5% of patients (n = 340 reports) stated that sporting activity remained the same, and 1.8% to 8.5% of patients (n = 23 reports) stated that sporting activity difficulty increased after first MTP arthrodesis depending on the sporting activity. One article reported RTS time of 11.7 ± 5.1 weeks after first MTP arthrodesis (n = 39). CONCLUSION: RTS after first MTP arthrodesis is highly variable depending on patient and sport. Numerous different sporting activities have high rates of RTS after first MTP arthrodesis, with a majority of patients reporting similar or increased ability to perform sporting activities after surgery.

Lateral Talar Subluxation Measurements in Nonoperatively Managed Weber B Ankle Fractures.

Background: Lateral talar subluxation (LTS) was introduced as a measurement tool for evaluating isolated Weber B ankle fractures, with LTS >4 mm on gravity stress (GS) radiographs possibly indicating need for surgery. This study reviews LTS measurements in nonoperatively managed isolated Weber B fibula fractures to further investigate the validity of this previously stated cutoff. Methods: The senior authors previously reported outcomes of a novel algorithm for nonoperative management of isolated Weber B ankle fractures. Outcome scores reported include American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot, Olerud-Molander (OMA), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure for activities of daily living (FAAM/ADL), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. All patients achieved union of their fracture. LTS was measured on GS radiographs of both injured and contralateral uninjured extremities. Results: Forty-two patients were included with minimum 1-year follow-up. Average age was 49 years (range 19-72). Mean measurements on injury GS radiographs were as follows: medial clear space (MCS) 4.45 mm (SD = 0.93), superior clear space (SCS) 3.46 mm (SD = 0.70), and LTS 2.33 mm (SD = 1.57, range 0-4.7 mm), with 35 (83.3%) patients having injury LTS ≤4 mm. Mean measurements on contralateral (uninjured) GS radiographs were as follows: MCS 3.39 mm (SD = 0.63), SCS 3.15 mm (SD = 0.50), and LTS 1.30 mm (SD = 1.28, range 0-4.8 mm). There was no statistically significant difference in all outcome measures based on amount of LTS (<2 mm, 2-4 mm, >4 mm). Conclusion: Most patients had injury LTS ≤4 mm, although those with LTS >4 mm had excellent outcome scores. LTS measurements on normal ankles reveal a large range. LTS may be a useful adjunct in evaluating isolated Weber B ankle fractures but the 4-mm cutoff may not be entirely reliable. Further studies are required to validate LTS as a decision-making tool. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.

American Burn Association Strategic Quality Summit 2022: Setting the Direction for the Future.

The American Burn Association (ABA) hosted a Burn Care Strategic Quality Summit (SQS) in an ongoing effort to advance the quality of burn care. The goals of the SQS were to discuss and describe characteristics of quality burn care, identify goals for advancing burn care, and develop a roadmap to guide future endeavors while integrating current ABA quality programs. Forty multidisciplinary members attended the two-day event. Prior to the event, they participated in a pre-meeting webinar, reviewed relevant literature, and contemplated statements regarding their vision for improving burn care. At the in-person, professionally facilitated Summit in Chicago, Illinois, in June 2022, participants discussed various elements of quality burn care and shared ideas on future initiatives to advance burn care through small and large group interactive activities. Key outcomes of the SQS included burn-related definitions of quality care, avenues for integration of current ABA quality programs, goals for advancing quality efforts in burn care, and work streams with tasks for a roadmap to guide future burn care quality-related endeavors. Work streams included roadmap development, data strategy, quality program integration, and partners and stakeholders. This paper summarizes the goals and outcomes of the SQS and describes the status of established ABA quality programs as a launching point for futurework.

American Burn Association (ABA) Burn Care Quality Platform (BCQP) and Large Data Set Analysis Considerations: A Practical Guide to Investigating Clinical Questions in Burns via Large Data Sets.

The Burn Care Quality Platform (BCQP) consolidates data previously collected from the National Burn Repository and the Burn Quality Improvement Program into a single registry. Its data elements and their associated definitions are tailored to create consistency across other national trauma registries, namely the National Trauma Data Bank implemented by the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS TQIP). The BCQP now includes 103 participating burn centers and has captured data from 375,000 total patients as of 2021. With 12,000 patients entered under the current data dictionary, the BCQP represents the largest registry of its kind. On behalf of the American Burn Association Research Committee, the aim of this whitepaper is to provide a succinct overview of the BCQP, showcasing its unique features, strengths, limitations, and relevant statistical considerations. This whitepaper will highlight the resources available to the burn research community and offer insight on proper study design when preparing to conduct a large data set investigation for burn care. All recommendations herein were formulated through the consensus of a multidisciplinary committee and based on the available scientific evidence.

Acute Surgical Management of the Burn Patient.

Burn management has developed over time to encompass care that includes more than just survival but also quality of life and successful reintegration into society. Identification of burns that require timely operative intervention supports the goals of excellent functional and aesthetic outcomes in burn survivors. Appropriate patient optimization, detailed preoperative planning, and intraoperative communication are keys to success.

Automated Placement of Scan and Pre-Scan Volumes for Breast MRI Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Graphically prescribed patient-specific imaging volumes and local pre-scan volumes are routinely placed by MRI technologists to optimize image quality. However, manual placement of these volumes by MR technologists is time-consuming, tedious, and subject to intra- and inter-operator variability. Resolving these bottlenecks is critical with the rise in abbreviated breast MRI exams for screening purposes. This work proposes an automated approach for the placement of scan and pre-scan volumes for breast MRI. Anatomic 3-plane scout image series and associated scan volumes were retrospectively collected from 333 clinical breast exams acquired on 10 individual MRI scanners. Bilateral pre-scan volumes were also generated and reviewed in consensus by three MR physicists. A deep convolutional neural network was trained to predict both the scan and pre-scan volumes from the 3-plane scout images. The agreement between the network-predicted volumes and the clinical scan volumes or physicist-placed pre-scan volumes was evaluated using the intersection over union, the absolute distance between volume centers, and the difference in volume sizes. The scan volume model achieved a median 3D intersection over union of 0.69. The median error in scan volume location was 2.7 cm and the median size error was 2%. The median 3D intersection over union for the pre-scan placement was 0.68 with no significant difference in mean value between the left and right pre-scan volumes. The median error in the pre-scan volume location was 1.3 cm and the median size error was -2%. The average estimated uncertainty in positioning or volume size for both models ranged from 0.2 to 3.4 cm. Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of an automated approach for the placement of scan and pre-scan volumes based on a neural network model.

Clinical Investigation of a Rapid Non-invasive Multispectral Imaging Device Utilizing an Artificial Intelligence Algorithm for Improved Burn Assessment.

Currently, the incorrect judgment of burn depth remains common even among experienced surgeons. Contributing to this problem are change in burn appearance throughout the first week requiring periodic evaluation until a confident diagnosis can be made. To overcome these issues, we investigated the feasibility of an artificial intelligence algorithm trained with multispectral images of burn injuries to predict burn depth rapidly and accurately, including burns of indeterminate depth. In a feasibility study, 406 multispectral images of burns were collected within 72 hours of injury and then serially for up to 7 days. Simultaneously, the subject's clinician indicated whether the burn was of indeterminate depth. The final depth of burned regions within images were agreed upon by a panel of burn practitioners using biopsies and 21-day healing assessments as reference standards. We compared three convolutional neural network architectures and an ensemble in their capability to automatically highlight areas of nonhealing burn regions within images. The top algorithm was the ensemble with 81% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 97% positive predictive value (PPV). Its sensitivity and PPV were found to increase in a sigmoid shape during the first week postburn, with the inflection point at day 2.5. Additionally, when burns were labeled as indeterminate, the algorithm's sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and negative predictive value were: 70%, 100%, 97%, and 100%. These results suggest multispectral imaging combined with artificial intelligence is feasible for detecting nonhealing burn tissue and could play an important role in aiding the earlier diagnosis of indeterminate burns.

Surface Pressures in Lower Extremity Splints: A Biomechanical Study.

Background: Though ubiquitously used in orthopaedic trauma, lower extremity splints may have associated iatrogenic risk of morbidity. Although clinicians pad bony prominences to minimize skin pressure, the effect of joint position on skin pressure and, more specifically, changing joint position, is understudied. The purpose of this biomechanical study is to determine the effect of various short-leg splint application techniques on anterior ankle surface pressure in the development of iatrogenic skin pressure ulcers. Methods: Various constructs of lower extremity, short-leg splints were applied to 3 healthy subjects (6 limbs total) with an underlying pressure transducer (Tekscan I-Scan system) on the skin surface centered on the tibialis anterior tendon at the level of the ankle. All subjects underwent anterior ankle surface pressure assessment when padding was applied in maximum plantar flexion and neutral position for conventional short-leg splints application in clinically relevant patient scenarios. Percentage change from initial contact pressure centered on the tibialis anterior with cast padding were calculated. Results: The percentage change in anterior ankle contact pressure when padding was applied in maximum plantar flexion (PF) and then definitively placed in neutral was increased at least 2-fold without the addition of plaster in lower extremity short-leg splints. Removing anterior ankle padding following final splint application in neutral reduced contact forces at the anterior ankle 46% and 59% in splints applied in maximum PF and neutral ankle position, respectively. Conclusion: The present study is the first of its kind to underscore and quantify clinically relevant technical pearls that can be useful in reducing risk of iatrogenic risk of skin breakdown at the anterior ankle when placing short-leg splints, mainly, that it is imperative to apply padding in the intended final splint position and to remove anterior ankle padding following splint application when able. Level of Evidence: Level IV, biomechanical study with clear hypothesis.

Assessment of a COVID-19 vaccination protocol for unhoused patients in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an emergency department (ED)-based Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination protocol in a population of unhoused patients. METHODS: On June 10, 2021, a best practice alert (BPA) was implemented that fired when an ED provider opened the charts of unhoused patients and prompted the provider to order COVID-19 vaccination for eligible patients. We downloaded electronic medical record data of patients who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the ED between June 10, 2021 and August 26, 2021. The outcomes of interest were the number of unhoused, and the total number of patients vaccinated for COVID-19 during the study period. Data were described with simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There were 25,871 patient encounters in 19,992 unique patients (mean 1.3 visits/patient) in the emergency department during the study period. There were 1,474 (6% of total ED population) visits in 1,085 unique patients who were unhoused (mean 1.4 visits/patient). The BPA fired in 1,046 unhoused patient encounters (71% of PEH encounters) and was accepted in 79 (8%). Forty-three unhoused patients were vaccinated as a result of the BPA (4% of BPA fires) and 18 unhoused patients were vaccinated without BPA prompting. An additional 76 domiciled patients were vaccinated in the ED. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing an ED-based COVID-19 vaccination program is feasible, however, only a small number of patients underwent COVID-19 vaccination. Further studies are needed to explore the utility of using the ED as a setting for COVID-19 vaccination.

Risk factors, management, and outcomes in isolated parafalcine or tentorial subdural hematomas.

INTRODUCTION: Indications for hospitalization in patients with parafalcine or tentorial subdural hematomas (SDH) remain unclear. This study derived and validated a clinical decision rule to identify patients at low risk for complications such that hospitalization can be avoided. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective medical record review of adult patients with parafalcine or tentorial SDHs was completed. The primary outcome was significant injury, defined as injury that led to neurosurgery, discharge to another facility, or death. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify variables independently associated with the outcome in the derivation cohort. These variables were then validated on a separate cohort from a different institution abstracted without knowledge of the identified variables. RESULTS: In the derivation cohort, 134 patients with parafalcine/tentorial SDHs were identified. The mean age was 63 ± 19 years with 82 (61%) male. Seventy-one (53%) had significant injuries. Variables independently associated with significant injury included: age over 60, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.46 (95% CI 1.24, 9.62), initial Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15, aOR =7.92 (95% CI 2.78, 22.5), and additional traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) on computerized tomography (CT), aOR =5.97 (95% CI 2.48, 14.4). These three variables had a sensitivity of 71/71 (100%, 95% CI 96, 100%) and specificity of 12/63 (19%, 95% CI 10, 31%). The validation cohort (n = 83) had a mean age of 62 ± 22 years with 50 (60%) male. The three variables had a sensitivity of 36/36 (100%, 95% CI 92, 100%) and specificity of 7/47 (15%, 95% CI 6.2, 28%). All 39 (100%, 95% CI 93, 100%) patients from both cohorts who underwent neurosurgery had additional TBI findings on their CT scan. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with parafalcine/tentorial SDHs who are under 60 years with initial GCS scores of 15 and no addition TBIs on CT are at low risk and may not need hospitalization. Furthermore, patients with isolated parafalcine/tentorial SDHs are unlikely to undergo neurosurgery. Prospective, external validation with a larger sample size is now recommended. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Sports-related traumatic brain injuries and acute care costs in children.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and acute care costs due to sports activities. METHODS: A planned secondary analysis of 7799 children from 5 years old to <18 years old with head injuries enrolled in a prospective multicentre study between 2011 and 2014. Sports-related TBIs were identified by the epidemiology codes for activity, place and injury mechanism. The sports cohort was stratified into two age groups (younger: 5-11 and older: 12-17 years). Acute care costs from the publicly funded Australian health system perspective are presented in 2018 pound sterling (£). RESULTS: There were 2903 children (37%) with sports-related TBIs. Mean age was 12.0 years (95% CI 11.9 to 12.1 years); 78% were male. Bicycle riding was associated with the most TBIs (14%), with mean per-patient costs of £802 (95% CI £644 to £960) and 17% of acute costs. The highest acute costs (21%) were from motorcycle-related TBIs (3.8% of injuries), with mean per-patient costs of £3795 (95% CI £1850 to £5739). For younger boys and girls, bicycle riding was associated with the highest TBIs and total costs; however, the mean per-patient costs were highest for motorcycle and horse riding, respectively. For older boys, rugby was associated with the most TBIs. However, motorcycle riding had the highest total and mean per-patient acute costs. For older girls, horse riding was associated with the most TBIs and highest total acute costs, and motorcycle riding was associated with the highest mean per-patient costs. CONCLUSION: Injury prevention strategies should focus on age-related and sex-related sports activities to reduce the burden of TBIs in children. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12614000463673.

A hybrid deformable registration method to generate motion-compensated 3D virtual MRI for fusion with interventional real-time 3D ultrasound.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound is often the preferred modality for image-guided therapy or treatment in organs such as liver due to real-time imaging capabilities. However, the reduced conspicuity of tumors in ultrasound images adversely impacts the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery. This problem is compounded by deformable motion due to breathing and other physiological activity. This creates the need for a fusion method to align interventional US with pre-interventional modalities that provide superior soft-tissue contrast (e.g., MRI) to accurately target a structure-of-interest and compensate for liver motion. METHOD: In this work, we developed a hybrid deformable fusion method to align 3D pre-interventional MRI and 3D interventional US volumes to target the structures-of-interest in liver accurately in real-time. The deformable multimodal fusion method involved an offline alignment of a pre-intervention MRI with a pre-intervention US volume using a traditional registration method, followed by real-time prediction of deformation using a trained deep-learning model between interventional US volumes across different respiratory states. This framework enables motion-compensated MRI-US image fusion in real-time for image-guided treatment. RESULTS: The proposed hybrid deformable registration method was evaluated on three healthy volunteers across the pre-intervention MRI and 20 US volume pairs in the free-breathing respiratory cycle. The mean Euclidean landmark distance of three homologous targets in all three volunteers was less than 3 mm for percutaneous liver procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results show that clinically acceptable registration accuracies for near real-time, deformable MRI-US fusion can be achieved by our proposed hybrid approach. The proposed combination of traditional and deep-learning deformable registration techniques is thus a promising approach for motion-compensated MRI-US fusion to improve targeting in image-guided liver interventions.

Burn Resuscitation Practices in North America: Results of the Acute Burn ResUscitation Multicenter Prospective Trial (ABRUPT).

OBJECTIVES: ABRUPT was a prospective, noninterventional, observational study of resuscitation practices at 21 burn centers. The primary goal was to examine burn resuscitation with albumin or crystalloids alone, to design a future prospective randomized trial. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: No modern prospective study has determined whether to use colloids or crystalloids for acute burn resuscitation. METHODS: Patients ≥18 years with burns ≥ 20% total body surface area (TBSA) had hourly documentation of resuscitation parameters for 48 hours. Patients received either crystalloids alone or had albumin supplemented to crystalloid based on center protocols. RESULTS: Of 379 enrollees, two-thirds (253) were resuscitated with albumin and one-third (126) were resuscitated with crystalloid alone. Albumin patients received more total fluid than Crystalloid patients (5.2 ± 2.3 vs 3.7 ± 1.7 mL/kg/% TBSA burn/24 hours), but patients in the Albumin Group were older, had larger burns, higher admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, and more inhalation injury. Albumin lowered the in-to-out (I/O) ratio and was started ≤12 hours in patients with the highest initial fluid requirements, given >12 hours with intermediate requirements, and avoided in patients who responded to crystalloid alone. CONCLUSIONS: Albumin use is associated with older age, larger and deeper burns, and more severe organ dysfunction at presentation. Albumin supplementation is started when initial crystalloid rates are above expected targets and improves the I/O ratio. The fluid received in the first 24 hours was at or above the Parkland Formula estimate.