Surgical stabilization of rib fractures in patients with pulmonary comorbidities.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies have shown that the surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) for patients with multiple rib fractures is associated with improved outcomes by restoring chest wall integrity and decreasing time to return to prior functional status. It is unclear if patients with pulmonary comorbidities (PCM) would benefit from this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference in morbidity and mortality of patients with multiple rib fractures undergoing SSRF who have underlying PCM to those who do not have PCM. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with multiple rib fractures using data from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (January 2015 to December 2018). Patients with penetrating injuries, those who died within the first 24 h, those with substantial head, spine, or abdominopelvic injuries, and those who were pregnant, were excluded. A PCM was defined as chronic lower respiratory disease, active smoking, or morbid obesity. Dichotomous outcomes were adjusted for potential confounders by creating a propensity score for PCM and applying inverse probability weighting. The propensity score accounted for multiple patient-level and hospital level covariates. Continuous outcomes were adjusted for these same covariates using multivariable quantile regression. RESULTS: Of the 4,084 patients who underwent SSRF, 3048 (75%) were males, the median age was 57 years [IQR 47, 66], and 1504 (37%) had at least one PCM. After adjusting for the propensity score, patients with PCM who underwent SSRF had no significant difference in mortality compared to those without PCM (absolute difference, 0.7% [95% CI -0.2, 1.7]). Similarly, there was no significant difference in time on the ventilator (0.6 days [-0.1, 1.4]). Patients with PCM, however, had a statistically significantly longer hospital LOS (0.8 days [0.3, 1.3]) and ICU LOS (0.6 days [0.1, 1.1]), higher risk of tracheostomy (2.7% [0.1, 4.6]) and higher probability of pulmonary complications (2.7% [1.2, 4.2]), compared to those without PCM. CONCLUSION: Among patients with multiple rib fractures who undergo SSRF, having a PCM did not result in a clinically important higher probability of dying or experiencing substantial morbidity. This factor should not exclude patients with PCM from receiving SSRF for multiple rib fractures but the small increased risk in morbidity should be discussed with patients prior to SSRF.

Ketorolac Use for Pain Management in Trauma Patients With Rib Fractures Does not Increase of Acute Kidney Injury or Incidence of Bleeding.

INTRODUCTION: Ketorolac is useful in acute pain management to avoid opiate-related complications; however, some surgeons fear associated acute kidney injury (AKI) and bleeding despite a paucity of literature on ketorolac use in trauma patients. We hypothesized that our institution's use of intravenous ketorolac for rib fracture pain management did not increase the incidence of bleeding or AKI. METHODS: Rib fracture patients aged 15 years and above admitted between January 2016-June 2018 were identified in our trauma registry along with frequency of bleeding events. AKI was defined as ≥ 1.5x increase in serum creatinine from baseline measured on the second day of admission (after 24 hours of resuscitation) or an increase of ≥ .3 mg/dL over a 48-hour period. Patients receiving ketorolac were compared to patients with no ketorolac use. RESULTS: Two cohorts of 199 control and 205 ketorolac patients were found to be similar in age, gender, admission systolic blood pressure (SBP), injury severity score, intravenous radiocontrast received, and transfusion requirements. Analysis revealed no difference in frequency of AKI using both definitions (8% vs. 7.3%, P = .79) and (19.6% vs. 15.1%, P = .24), respectively, or bleeding events (2.5% vs. 0%, P = .03). Logistic regression demonstrated that ketorolac use was not an independent predictor for AKI but age and admission SBP < 90 were. CONCLUSION: Use of ketorolac in this cohort of trauma patients with rib fractures did not increase the incidence of AKI or bleeding events.

Use of the EVARREST patch for penetrating cardiac injury.

Penetrating cardiac injuries have a pre-hospital mortality of 94% with a subsequent in-hospital mortality of 50% among initial survivors (Leite et al., 2017 [1]). The Western Trauma Association (WTA) guidelines recommend resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) for patients with penetrating torso trauma and less than 15 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Burlew et al. (2012) [2]. Penetrating cardiac injuries are classically repaired using skin-stapling devices and/or suture repair with or without pledgets (Wall et al., 1997 [3]). In this study, we present a case of penetrating cardiac injury where all the aforementioned techniques failed, and a new approach was explored. A fibrinogen/thrombin patch was used in this clinical setting, which is an off-label use of the product, we here present our encouraging outcome.

State of Rib Fracture Care: A NTDB Review of Analgesic Management and Surgical Stabilization.

Thoracic analgesia plays a key role in management and outcomes of rib fractures and can generally be broken down into oral or parenteral medication administration and regional analgesia. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) may be an underused resource in the management of rib fractures. This study describes recent trends in rib fracture management and outcomes. National Trauma Data Bank datasets from 2008 to 2014 were reviewed. Patients with three or more rib fractures were identified, and the frequencies of epidural analgesia (EA), other regional analgesia, and SSRF were analyzed. Those older than 65 years were more likely to be admitted to the ICU but had shorter ICU length of stay, lower intubation, and need for tracheostomy rates. In addition, those older than 65 years had about 2.5 times higher mortality (6.3% vs 2.6%, P < 0.001). EA was used in only 3 per cent of the population and more commonly in the older than 65 years group (3.7% vs 2.8%, P < 0.001). Regardless of age, SSRF was more commonly performed when compared with the placement of EA (5.8% vs 3%). This difference was even greater in the younger than 65 years group, where 7 per cent underwent SSRF. Utilization of EA remains low nationally. SSRF should be considered not only for chest wall stabilization but also as an analgesic modality in selected patients. A more complete accounting of analgesic care in rib fracture patients is needed to allow a more detailed analysis of analgesia for rib fracture-related pain to elucidate optimal treatment.

Implementing Daily Leadership Safety Huddles in a Public Hospital: Bridging the Gap.

BACKGROUND: A Leadership Safety Huddle was instituted in efforts to improve communication and make safety culture a priority at our institution. The Huddle is a transparent, regularly recurring forum of clinical and administrative hospital leaders, in which safety issues and concerns are identified, shared, and swiftly addressed. METHODS: Metrics regarding huddle effectiveness in 3 areas are studied: information technology (IT) services ticket resolution time, bladder catheterization, and one-to-one inpatient monitoring. RESULTS: Analysis revealed effectiveness of the huddle on quality of inpatient care and cost savings. Survey revealed 75% or higher favorable responses to huddle improving communication, transparency, time to resolution of issues, ability to voice concerns, and patient safety. As a result of huddle implementation, metrics showed 46% reduction in IT ticket turnaround time (P = .0001), 28% reduction in non-intensive care unit bladder catheter days (P = .011), and 10% decrease in continuous observations (P = .008), allowing a 24% reduction in cost (P = .001) with quarterly savings of $139 107.00. CONCLUSION: These metrics demonstrate how huddles are instrumental in infusing and sustaining a culture of patient safety in hospitals.

Can specialized surgical simulation influence resident career choice?

OBJECTIVE: Our institution began Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) simulation course in 2007 for senior residents with the aim of increasing opportunities for surgical trainees to gain operative trauma experience. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of the ATOM simulation course on residents' choice of trauma as a career as demonstrated by entrance into surgical critical care (SCC) fellowships. DESIGN: Retrospective study of institutional data on graduating residents from 2002 to 2015. Residents were divided into pre-ATOM (2002-08) and post- (institution of) ATOM (2009-15) cohorts. The percentage of residents entering SCC fellowships was then compared among cohorts as well as to national trends. RESULTS: Nationally the pre-ATOM group had 7057 graduating general surgery (GS) residents (847 SCC) and post-ATOM had 7581 graduating GS residents (1268 SCC). Locally the pre-ATOM group consisted of 40 graduating GS residents (1 SCC) and while the post-ATOM cohort had 51 graduating GS residents (9 SCC). The number of SCC fellows increased by 4.7% nationally and 15.7% institutionally between the two study groups. The increased interest in SCC was more than could be accounted for by national trends. CONCLUSIONS: Interest in a career in trauma was increased among residents graduating from this single institution after instituting ATOM as part of the educational curriculum.

Does Resident Trauma Exposure Affect Advanced Trauma Operative Management Course Experience?

The Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course is a simulation course adopted by the American College of Surgeons to teach operative management of primarily penetrating, traumatic injuries. Although it is clear that overall operative trauma exposure is decreasing, the educational benefit of ATOM for residents with different amounts of trauma exposure remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether residents from trauma centers experienced less benefit from the ATOM course when compared with residents from nontrauma centers. We compared two groups of residents who take ATOM through our institutional course, those from trauma centers and those from nontrauma centers. ATOM pre- and postcourse evaluations of knowledge and self-efficacy were collected from October 2007 to June 2013. Overall residents from three institutions, two trauma centers (100 residents) and one nontrauma center (34 residents), were included in the study. All resident groups had statistically significant improvement in knowledge and self-efficacy after taking the ATOM course (P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in improvement relative to each of the groups in the ATOM categories of knowledge and self-efficacy. Our data show that residents with different levels of trauma exposure had similar pre- and postcourse scores as well as improvement in the ATOM evaluations. As operative trauma continues to decrease the ATOM course shows benefit for all residents regardless of the depth of their clinical trauma exposure in surgical residency.

Basic data underlying clinical decision-making and outcomes in emergency department thoracotomy: tabular review.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) is a formidable and dramatic last attempt by the trauma surgeon to save the life of a patient in extremis. The aim of this report is to provide a benchmark for comparison with past results by reviewing all available published data since the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma review article in 2001, which reviewed literature from 1966 to 1999 regarding indications for and outcomes of EDT. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search in MEDLINE Library databases was performed for EDT. Data were extracted by three independent reviewers. RESULTS: We identified 37 papers with a total of 3466 patients. A total of 85.2% (1720 of the 2018) had penetrating trauma, 58.3% (372 of the 638) had cardiac injuries, 43.0% (251 of the 584) had thoracic injuries and 26.2% (143 of the 546) had abdominal injuries. The overall rate survival in this review was 8% (267 of the 3466, range 0-33.3%). Of 25 papers reporting cases of EDT for penetrating traumas, their survival rate was 9.8% (169 of the 1719, range 0-45.5); similarly, of 14 papers assessing EDT for blunt injuries, the survival rate was 5.2% (24 of the 460, range 0-12.2). Of 15 papers reporting neurological outcomes 84.6% (143 of the 169, range 50-100%) of patients returned to baseline. The survival outcome of EDT in US experience versus non-US experiences was 6.3% (164 of the 2612, range 0-14.9) versus 11.9% (89 of the 745, range 0-33.3) respectively. CONCLUSION: The authors intend this review to serve as a practical and prompt literature search tool for all surgeons who encounter resuscitative thoracotomy in their practice.

Factors associated with trauma clinic follow-up compliance after discharge: experience at an urban Level I trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in access to postdischarge services for trauma patients exist, and clinic follow-up remains an important avenue to ensure initial and continued access to postdischarge services. In addition, follow-up is vital to rigorous long-term trauma outcomes research. However, there is a relative paucity of literature specifically addressing clinic follow-up. The purposes of this study were to elucidate factors associated with clinic follow-up compliance and noncompliance after discharge from an urban Level I trauma center and to confirm the prevailing notion that follow-up in trauma clinic is poor. METHODS: Our trauma registry was queried for all trauma service discharges of patients 18 years and older for a 2-year period. Patients with incomplete information were excluded. Demographic data such as race/ethnicity and insurance status were collected on all patients. Primary outcome was defined as trauma clinic follow-up within 4 weeks after discharge. Patients compliant with follow-up were compared with noncompliant patients. RESULTS: After exclusion criteria were applied, there were 1,818 discharges included in the analysis, with 564 (31%) complying with follow-up (p < 0.001). Factors significantly associated with follow-up noncompliance included patients older than 35 years, white race, Medicaid/Medicare payers, blunt mechanism, extended hospital length of stay, and discharge to rehabilitation facilities. No insurance, penetrating mechanism, short hospital stay, discharge to home, and weekend discharge were all significantly associated with follow-up compliance. Discharge on weekends and to home were independent predictors of compliance, whereas, Medicaid/Medicare insurance status and operative intervention were independent predictors of noncompliance. CONCLUSION: This study indentifies factors associated with trauma clinic follow-up compliance and confirms the notion that trauma clinic follow-up compliance at an urban Level I trauma center is alarmingly low. These findings may serve as targets to improve follow-up, thereby improving trauma outcomes research and long-term outcomes. Consequently, clinic follow-up compliance warrants further study and consideration as an essential trauma registry datum. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, level III.

False-negative plain cervical spine x-rays in blunt trauma.

Although considered very accurate, false-negative plain cervical radiographs of blunt trauma patients will occur with potentially devastating complications. We sought to define the population of patients who fall into this category and the overall accuracy of adequate three-view cervical spine radiography in the blunt trauma population. A retrospective search was carried out of blunt trauma patients entered into our trauma registry. All patients with the ICD-9 codes indicating cervical spine injury with a negative three-view cervical spine radiograph reading had their charts and radiographs reviewed. Institutional statistics for blunt cervical trauma evaluation and injury were obtained from the trauma registry. Fifty-eight of 936 blunt trauma patients (6.2%) were diagnosed with cervical spine injury over the 9-month study period. Of 649 patients with adequate three-view plain radiographs, three patients were identified with negative plain radiographs and significant cervical spine injury, a false-negative rate of 0.5 per cent. Sensitivity was 90.3 per cent, specificity was 96.3 per cent, positive predictive value was 54.9 per cent, and negative predictive value was 99.5 per cent. Three-view plain radiograph series of the cervical spine remains a highly sensitive and specific test for cervical spine injury following blunt trauma. However, the fact that we identified three patients with significant fractures after negative plain radiographs suggests that serious consideration of computed tomography must be applied in treating symptomatic, high-risk blunt trauma patients when plain radiographs do not reveal an injury.

Development and evaluation of the advanced trauma operative management course.

BACKGROUND: The Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course was developed as a model for teaching operative trauma techniques to surgical residents, fellows, and attending surgeons as the number of these cases decreases. METHODS: The ATOM course consists of lectures and a porcine operative experience. Comprehensive evaluation of ATOM was designed to assess participant learning in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Data on the first 50 participants were prospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Participants included 20 expert traumatologists, 9 general surgeons, 9 trauma fellows, 8 general surgery fifth-year residents, and 4 general surgery fourth-year residents. All groups showed improvement in knowledge, with results in the expert and fellow groups reaching statistical significance. Self-efficacy (self-confidence) also improved, with all groups reaching statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This course creates life-like situations in a standardized fashion that, along with didactic instruction, improves knowledge and operative confidence for practicing surgeons and surgeons-in-training.