Age itself or age-associated comorbidities? A nationwide analysis of outcomes of geriatric trauma.

PURPOSE: Geriatric trauma patients present physiological challenges to care providers. A nationwide analysis was performed to evaluate the roles of age alone versus age-associated comorbidities in the morbidity and mortality of elderly patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). METHODS: Patients with BAT registered in the National Trauma Data Bank from 2013 to 2015 were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate the mortality rate, complication rate, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS and ventilator days between young (age < 65) and elderly (age ≥ 65) patients. An adjusted multivariate logistic regression (MLR) model was also used to evaluate the effect of age itself and age-associated comorbidities on mortality. RESULTS: There were 41,880 patients with BAT during the study period. In elderly patients, the injury severity score (ISS) decreased with age, but the mortality rate increased inversely (from 5.0 to 13.5%). Under a similar condition and proportion of age-associated comorbidities after a well-batched PSM analysis, elderly patients had significantly higher mortality rates (8.0% vs. 1.9%, p < 0.001), higher complication rates (35.1% vs. 30.6%, p < 0.001), longer hospital LOS (8.9 vs. 8.1 days, p < 0.001), longer ICU LOS (3.7 vs. 2.7 days, p < 0.001) and more ventilator days (1.1 vs. 0.5 days, p < 0.001) than young patients. Furthermore, the MLR analysis showed that age itself served as an independent factor for mortality (odds ratio: 1.049, 95% CI 1.043-1.055, p < 0.001), but age-associated comorbidity was not. CONCLUSION: In patients with BAT, age itself appeared to have an independent and deleterious effect on mortality, but age-associated comorbidity did not.

Obesity May Require a Higher Level of Trauma Care: A Propensity-Matched Nationwide Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Stable patients with less severe injuries are not necessarily triaged to high-level trauma centers according to current guidelines. Obese patients are prone to comorbidities and complications. We hypothesized that stable obese patients with low-energy trauma have lower mortality and fewer complications if treated at Level-I/II trauma centers. Methods: Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) patients with systolic blood pressures ≥90mmHg, Glasgow coma scale ≥14, and respiratory rates at 10-29 were derived from the National Trauma Data Bank between 2013-2015. Per current triage guidelines, these patients are not necessarily triaged to high-level trauma centers. The relationship between obesity and mortality of stable BAT patients was analyzed. A subset analysis of patients with injury severity scores (ISS) <16 was performed with propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate outcomes between Level-I/II and Level-III/IV trauma centers. Outcomes of obese patients were compared between Level-I/II and Level-III/IV trauma centers. Non-obese patients were analyzed as a control group using a similar PSM cohort analysis. Results: 48,043 stable BAT patients in 707 trauma centers were evaluated. Non-survivors had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) (28.7 vs. 26.9, p < 0.001) and higher proportion of obesity (35.6% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.001) than survivors. After a PSM (1,502 obese patients: 751 in Level-I/II trauma centers and 751 in Level-III/IV trauma centers), obese patients treated in Level-I/II trauma centers had significantly lower complication rates than obese patients treated in other trauma centers (20.2% vs. 26.6%, standardized difference = 0.151). The complication rate of obese patients treated at Level-I/II trauma centers was 20.6% lower than obese patients treated at other trauma centers. Conclusion: Obesity plays a role in the mortality of stable BAT patients. Obese patients with ISS < 16 have lower complication rates at Level-I/II trauma centers compared to obese patients treated at other trauma centers. Obesity may be a consideration for triaging to Level-I/II trauma centers.

Association between Torso Gunshot Wound Volumes of Trauma Centers and Outcomes of Torso Gunshot Wound Patients. A Propensity-Matched Nationwide Cohort Study.

Objective: The number and type of patients treated by trauma centers can vary widely because of a number of factors. There might be trauma centers with a high volume of torso GSWs that are not designated as high-level trauma centers. We proposed that, for torso gunshot wounds (GSWs), the treating hospital's trauma volume and not its trauma center level designation drives patient prognosis.Methods: The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for torso GSWs. The characteristics of torso GSWs in trauma centers with different volumes of torso GSWs were compared. The association between torso GSW volumes of trauma centers and the outcomes of torso GSWs were evaluated with propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate logistic regression (MLR) analysis.Results: There were 618 trauma centers that treated 14,804 torso GSW patients in two years (2014-2015). In 191 level I trauma centers, 82 of them (42.9%, 82/191) treated <1 torso GSW per month. After well-balanced PSM, patients who were treated in higher volume trauma centers (≥9 torso GSWs/month) had a significantly lower mortality rate (7.9% vs. 9.7%). Patients treated in trauma centers with ≥9 torso GSWs/month had a 30.9% (odds ratio = 0.764) lower probability of death than if sent to trauma centers with <9 torso GSWs/month. Treatment in level I or II trauma centers did not significantly affect mortality.Conclusion: There is an uneven distribution of torso GSWs among trauma centers. Torso GSWs treated in trauma centers with ≥9 torso GSWs/month have significantly superior outcomes with regard to survival.

Patients With Combined Thermal and Intraabdominal Injuries: More Salvageable Than Not.

This study aims to better characterize the course and outcome of the uncommon subset of trauma patients with combined thermal and intraabdominal organ injuries. The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for burn patients with intraabdominal injury treated in all U.S. trauma centers from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2015. General demographics, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), shock index (SI), Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) for burn, Injury Severity Score (ISS), blood transfusions, and abdominal surgery were evaluated. During the 5-year study period, there were 334 burn patients with intraabdominal injury, 39 (13.2%) of which received abdominal surgery. Burn patients who underwent operations had more severe injuries reflected by higher SI, AIS, ISS, blood transfusion, and worse outcomes including higher mortality, longer hospital and ICU length of stay, and more ventilator days compared to patients who did not undergo an operation. Nonsurvivors also exhibited more severe injuries, and a higher proportion received abdominal operation compared to survivors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that GCS on arrival, SI, AIS, ISS, blood transfusion, and abdominal operation to be independent risk factors for mortality. Propensity score matching to control covariables (mean age, systolic blood pressure on arrival, GCS on arrival, SI, ISS, time to operation, blood transfusion, and comorbidities) showed that of trauma patients who received abdominal operation, those with concomitant burn injury exhibited a higher rate of complications but no significant difference in mortality compared to those without burns, suggesting that patients with concomitant burns are not less salvageable than nonburned trauma patients.

Obesity is Associated with Worse Outcomes Among Abdominal Trauma Patients Undergoing Laparotomy: A Propensity-Matched Nationwide Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in abdominal trauma patients. The characteristics of abdominal trauma patients with poor outcomes related to obesity require evaluation. We hypothesize that obesity is related to increased mortality and length of stay (LOS) among abdominal trauma patients undergoing laparotomies. METHODS: Abdominal trauma patients were identified from the National Trauma Data Bank between 2013 and 2015. Patients who received laparotomies were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate the mortality rate and LOS between obese and non-obese patients. Patients without laparotomies were analyzed as a control group using PSM cohort analysis. RESULTS: A total of 33,798 abdominal trauma patients were evaluated, 10,987 of them received laparotomies. Of these patients, the proportion of obesity in deceased patients was significantly higher when compared to the survivors (33.1% vs. 26.2%, p < 0.001). Elevation of one kg/m2 of body mass index independently resulted in 2.5% increased odds of mortality. After a well-balanced PSM, obese patients undergoing laparotomies had significantly higher mortality rates [3.7% vs. 2.4%, standardized difference (SD) = 0.241], longer hospital LOS (11.1 vs. 9.6 days, SD = 0.135), and longer intensive care unit LOS (3.5 vs. 2.3 days, SD = 0.171) than non-obese patients undergoing laparotomies. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with increased mortality in abdominal trauma patients who received laparotomies versus those who did not. Obesity requires a careful evaluation of alternatives to laparotomy in injured patients.

Morbid Obesity's Silver Lining: An Armor for Hollow Viscus in Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is usually accompanied by both subcutaneous and visceral fat accumulation. Fat can mimic an air bag, absorbing the force of a collision. We hypothesized that morbid obesity is mechanically protective for hollow viscus organs in blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). METHODS: The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried for BAT patients from 2013 to 2015. We looked at the rate of gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries in all BAT patients with different BMIs. A subset analysis of BAT patients with operative GI tract injuries was performed to evaluate the need for abdominal operation. Multivariate analyses were carried out to identify factors independently associated with increased GI tract injuries and associated abdominal operations. RESULTS: A total of 100,459 BAT patients were evaluated in the NTDB. Patients with GI tract injury had a lower proportion of morbidly obese patients [body weight index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2)] (3.7% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.015) and instead had more underweight patients (BMI < 18.5) (5.9% vs. 5.0%, p < 0.001). The risk of GI tract injury decreased 11.6% independently in morbidly obese patients and increased 15.7% in underweight patients. Of the patients with GI tract injuries (N = 11,467), patients who needed a GI operation had a significantly lower proportion of morbidly obese patients (3.2% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). The risk of abdominal operation for GI tract injury decreased 57.3% independently in morbidly obese patients. Compared with underweight patients, morbidly obese patients had significantly less GI tract injury (6.0% vs. 13.3%, p < 0.001) and associated abdominal operation rates (65.2% vs. 73.3%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Obesity is protective in BAT. This translates into lower rates of GI tract injury and operation in morbidly obese patients. In contrast, underweight patients appear to suffer a higher rate of GI tract injury and associated GI operations.