The Importance of Neighborhood in 9-1-1 Ambulance Contacts: A Geospatial Analysis of Medical and Trauma Emergencies in Denver.

Background: Prehospital emergency care is a vital component of healthcare access, and emergency medical services (EMS) plays an essential role in healthcare delivery. Understanding the distribution of medical and trauma EMS calls at the neighborhood level would be beneficial to identify at-risk communities and facilitate targeted interventions. Objectives: The primary objective was to evaluate and characterize 9-1-1 ambulance contacts for medical and trauma-related events in Denver. The secondary objective was to evaluate the co-existence of medical and trauma-related EMS calls to determine if these emergencies occur in the same neighborhoods. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of prospectively collected EMS calls in Denver between January 1, 2011, through August 8, 2017. The primary outcome was the incidence of trauma and medical EMS calls in each census tract. EMS events were aggregated to tracts and incidence rates were calculated based on the adult daytime and nighttime population. Three different spatial analysis methods (SaTScan's spatial scan statistic, Gini coefficient, and Local Moran's I) were utilized to identify clusters of medical and trauma EMS events at the tract level. Results: A total of 425,527 EMS calls in 142 census tracts occurred during the study period. The median age of study participants was 48 (IQR 33, 62), 56% were male, and the majority (74%) of EMS calls were for medical events. An emergent EMS return to the hospital occurred in 5% of all calls. We identified several high-risk census tracts with a coexistence of medical and trauma EMS events. When compared to the Denver County population, the tracts with high EMS call rates were diverse, with many tracts exhibiting a higher proportion of black, unemployment, below poverty, and lower median income while other tracts demonstrated a smaller proportion of black, unemployment, below poverty, and a higher median income. Conclusions: Disparities exist in the distribution of medical and trauma EMS calls in varied census tracts in Denver. Identifying neighborhoods in which there is an incidence of higher medical and trauma emergencies is important to guide EMS care delivery and may help facilitate targeted public health interventions for at-risk populations to improve health outcomes.

Screening for health-related social needs in the emergency department: Adaptability and fidelity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate a screening and referral program for health-related social needs (HRSN) in our ED. Our goals were to (1) quantify successful screenings prior to and during the initial peak of the pandemic, and (2) describe the HRSNs identified. METHODS: We performed an observational analysis of ED-based screening for HRSN in Medicare and Medicaid patients at our large urban safety-net hospital. Screening was performed by patient navigators utilizing the ten question, validated Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Screening Tool, which screens for food insecurity, housing instability, transportation needs and utility assistance and interpersonal safety. Patients who screened positive for HRSN were provided with handouts listing community resources. For patients with two or more self-reported ED visits in the last 12 months and any identified HRSN, ongoing navigation after discharge was provided utilizing community resource referrals. During the pre-pandemic period from November 1, 2019 - January 31, 2020, screening occurred in-person. Screening during the pandemic from March 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020 occurred remotely via telephone. Descriptive statistics including frequency rates and percentages were calculated. Successful screening was defined as completing the screening survey with a navigator and being triaged to either no assistance, resource handouts, or navigation services. RESULTS: Among the adult and pediatric patients screened for HRSN, 158 (16%) qualified for community resource handouts and 440 (44.4%) qualified for patient navigator services. The proportion of patients receiving both resources and care navigation remained similar in the pre- and post-periods of the study, at 227 (45%) and 213 (43.9%) respectively. However, the proportion of ED patients with a HRSN need doubled from 56 (11.1%) in the pre-period to 102 (21%) in the post-period. Food insecurity was the most identified HRSN in both the pre-pandemic period (27.3%) and during the pandemic (35.8%). CONCLUSION: We found that remote HRSN screening for ED patients during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in similar proportions of successfully completed screenings compared to pre-pandemic efforts. This demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing alternative methods of screening and referral to community resources from the ED, which could facilitate this type of intervention in other EDs. During the pandemic HRSN increased, likely reflecting the economic impact of the pandemic.

Emergency medicine faculty serving on standing NIH and AHRQ study sections from 2019 to 2020.

Emergency medicine (EM) investigators lag in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) when compared to other specialties. NIH funding determinations are made in part by a process of NIH study section peer review. Low participation by EM investigators in NIH peer review could be one explanation for low levels of NIH funding by EM investigators. The objective of this study was to establish a current-state metric of EM faculty researchers serving on standing NIH study sections from 2019 to 2020. Publicly available lists of NIH study section membership rosters within the Center for Scientific Review and within individual NIH institutions were reviewed for standing members. Committee members listed as being members of a department of emergency medicine were identified as emergency care researchers. Special emphasis panels and ad hoc members were excluded. Members degrees were categorized as PhD, MD (with or without non-PhD degree), MD/PhD, and other. Similar analysis was performed of AHRQ study sections. A total of 6,113 members on NIH study sections were identified. Degrees held by committee members included PhDs 74% (4,547), MDs 14%(883), MD/PhDs 10% (584), and other (99). Twenty (0.3%) NIH study section members were identified as members of an emergency department (ED). A total of 20% (four) held PhDs, 75% (15) held MDs, and 5%(one) held MD/PhD degrees. A total of 25% (five) of EM faculty were pediatric and 75% (15) were adult. Clustering of study sections within similar institutions was noted with 40% (two) of the pediatric faculty at the same institution while 27% (four) of the adult faculty were at the same institution. AHRQ study section review identified 3% (four/127) as members of an ED. Our data show that 20 EM faculty comprised 0.3% of NIH standing study section members and four EM faculty comprised 3% of AHRQ standing study section members from 2019 to 2020 and that these members were clustered at a few institutions.

Emergency Ultrasound Literature and Adherence to Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Given the wide usage of emergency point-of-care ultrasound (EUS) among emergency physicians (EPs), rigorous study surrounding its accuracy is essential. The Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) criteria were established to ensure robust reporting methodology for diagnostic studies. Adherence to the STARD criteria among EUS diagnostic studies has yet to be reported. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to evaluate a body of EUS literature shortly after STARD publication for its baseline adherence to the STARD criteria. METHODS: EUS studies in 5 emergency medicine journals from 2005-2010 were evaluated for their adherence to the STARD criteria. Manuscripts were selected for inclusion if they reported original research and described the use of 1 of 10 diagnostic ultrasound modalities designated as "core emergency ultrasound applications" in the 2008 American College of Emergency Physicians Ultrasound Guidelines. Literature search identified 307 studies; of these, 45 met inclusion criteria for review. RESULTS: The median STARD score was 15 (interquartile range [IQR] 12-17), representing 60% of the 25 total STARD criteria. The median STARD score among articles that reported diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher than those that did not report accuracy (17 [IQR 15-19] vs. 11 [IQR 9-13], respectively; p < 0.0001). Seventy-one percent of articles met ≥50% of the STARD criteria (56-84%) and 4% met >80% of the STARD criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Significant opportunities exist to improve methodological reporting of EUS research. Increased adherence to the STARD criteria among diagnostic EUS studies will improve reporting and improve our ability to compare outcomes.

Reasons Patients Choose the Emergency Department over Primary Care: a Qualitative Metasynthesis.

BACKGROUND: To enhance the acute care delivery system, a comprehensive understanding of the patient's perspectives for seeking care in the emergency department (ED) versus primary care (PC) is necessary. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative metasynthesis on reasons patients seek care in the ED instead of PC. A comprehensive literature search in PubMed, CINAHL, Psych Info, and Web of Science was completed to identify qualitative studies relevant to the research question. Articles were critically appraised using the McMaster University Critical Review Form for Qualitative Studies. We excluded pediatric articles and nonqualitative and mixed-methods studies. The metasynthesis was completed with an interpretive approach using reciprocal translation analyses. RESULTS: Nine articles met criteria for inclusion. Eleven themes under four domains were identified. The first domain was acuity of condition that led to the ED visit. In this domain, themes included pain: "it's urgent because it hurts," and concern for severe illness. The second domain was barriers associated with PC, which included difficulty accessing PC when ill: "my doctor said he was booked up and he instructed me to go to the ED." The third domain was related to multiple advantages associated with ED care: "my doctor cannot do X-rays and laboratory tests, while the ED has all the technical support." In this domain, patients also identified 24/7 accessibility of the ED and no need for an immediate copay at the ED as advantageous. The fourth domain included fulfillment of medical needs. Themes in this domain included the alleviation of pain and the perceived expertise of the ED healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: In this qualitative metasynthesis, reasons patients visit the ED over primary care included (1) urgency of the medical condition, (2) barriers to accessing primary care, (3) advantages of the ED, and (4) fulfillment of medical needs and quality of care in the ED.

Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score predicts healthcare resource utilization in adult trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of trauma patients who need specialized healthcare resources may facilitate goal-directed resuscitation and effective secondary triage. OBJECTIVE: To estimate associations between Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score and healthcare resource utilization. METHODS: Retrospective study of adult trauma patients at Denver Health Medical Center. The outcome was resource utilization including: intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, procedures, and costs. Multivariable regression analyses were used to estimate associations between moderate- or high-risk patients, as determined by the Denver ED TOF Score, and healthcare resource utilization. RESULTS: We included 3000 patients with a median age of 42 (IQR 27-56) years, 71% male, median injury severity score 9 (IQR 5-16), and 83% blunt mechanism. Among the cohort, 1379 patients (46%) were admitted to the ICU and 122 (4%) died. The adjusted relative risk for high- and moderate-risk as compared to low risk for number of procedures performed was 2.31 (95% CI 2.07-2.57) and 1.80 (95% CI 1.59-2.03) respectively; ICU LOS was 2.87 (95% CI 2.70-3.05) and 1.71 (95% CI 1.60-1.83) respectively; hospital LOS was 3.33 (95% CI 3.21-3.45) and 1.97 (95% CI 1.90-2.05) respectively. The adjusted geometric mean for high-, moderate-, and low-risk for costs was $48,881 (95% CI $43,799-$54,552), $27,890 (95% CI $25,460-$30,551), and $12,983 (95% CI $12,493-$13,492), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Denver ED TOF Score predicts healthcare resource utilization, and is a useful bedside tool to identify patients early after injury that are likely to require significant healthcare resources and specialized trauma care.

Alcohol as a Factor in 911 Calls in Denver.

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a substantial number of emergency department visits annually and is responsible for a significant number of lives lost each year in the United States. However, a minimal amount is known about the impact of alcohol on the EMS system. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to determine the proportion of 9-1-1 calls in Denver, Colorado in which (1) alcohol was a contributing factor or (2) the individual receiving EMS services had recently ingested alcohol. The secondary objectives were to compare the characteristics of EMS calls and to estimate the associated costs. METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study of EMS calls for adults from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014. Primary outcomes for the study were alcohol as a contributing factor to the EMS call and recent alcohol consumption by the patient receiving EMS services. Logistic regression was utilized to determine the associations between EMS call characteristics and the outcomes. Cost was estimated using historic data. RESULTS: During the study period, 169,642 EMS calls were completed by the Denver Health Paramedic Division. Of these 71% were medical and 29% were trauma-related. The median age was 45 (interquartile range [IQR] 29-59) years, and 55% were male. 50,383 calls (30%) had alcohol consumption, and 49,165 (29%) had alcohol as a contributing factor. Alcohol related calls were associated with male sex, traumatic injuries including head trauma, emergent response, use of airway adjuncts, cardiac monitoring, glucose measurement, use of restraints, use of spinal precautions, and administration of medications for sedation. Estimated costs to the EMS system due to alcohol intoxication exceeded $14 million dollars over the study period and required in excess of 37 thousand hours of paramedic time. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to 9-1-1 calls that do not involve alcohol, alcohol-related calls are more likely to involve male patients, emergent response, traumatic injuries, advanced monitoring, airway adjuncts, and medications for sedation. This represents a significant burden on the emergency system and society. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether additional interventions such as social services could be used to lessen this burden.

A Consensus-Driven Agenda for Emergency Medicine Firearm Injury Prevention Research.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify critical emergency medicine-focused firearm injury research questions and develop an evidence-based research agenda. METHODS: National content experts were recruited to a technical advisory group for the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Committee. Nominal group technique was used to identify research questions by consensus. The technical advisory group decided to focus on 5 widely accepted categorizations of firearm injury. Subgroups conducted literature reviews on each topic and developed preliminary lists of emergency medicine-relevant research questions. In-person meetings and conference calls were held to iteratively refine the extensive list of research questions, following nominal group technique guidelines. Feedback from external stakeholders was reviewed and integrated. RESULTS: Fifty-nine final emergency medicine-relevant research questions were identified, including questions that cut across all firearm injury topics and questions specific to self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide), intimate partner violence, peer (nonpartner) violence, mass violence, and unintentional ("accidental") injury. Some questions could be addressed through research conducted in emergency departments; others would require work in other settings. CONCLUSION: The technical advisory group identified key emergency medicine-relevant firearm injury research questions. Emergency medicine-specific data are limited for most of these questions. Funders and researchers should consider increasing their attention to firearm injury prevention and control, particularly to the questions identified here and in other recently developed research agendas.

Effect of Interventional Program on the Utilization of PACS in Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

While the implementation of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) has revolutionized the field of radiology, there has been considerably less utilization of PACS by emergency physicians with point-of-care ultrasound. Benefits of PACS archival of images include improved quality assurance, preservation of image quality, and accessibility of images. Our objective was to determine if a simple interventional program would influence the utilization of PACS in point-of-care ultrasound. A before-after study was conducted in an urban, academic emergency department. Data was collected during a 4-week baseline period, a 12-week intervention period, and a 12-week post-intervention period. The percentage of ultrasound studies archived to PACS was recorded during each week of the study. Interventions were designed to encourage the utilization of PACS. A significant increase in the mean percentage of PACS studies was found between the baseline and intervention period (59.4 %; 95 % CI: 34.76-84.08 %; p < 0.001). Mean percentage of PACS studies at 1-month (74.3 %), 2-month (61.0 %), and 3-month (74.8 %) post-intervention periods remained elevated and were all significantly increased compared to baseline values (p < 0.001). Mean percentages of PACS studies at 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month post-intervention periods were not statistically significant from the intervention period (p = 0.977, p = 0.849, p = 0.967, respectively). A simple interventional program for emergency physicians can significantly increase and sustain the utilization of PACS for point-of-care ultrasound.

Patient-centered Outcomes Research in Emergency Care: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was established by Congress in 2010 to promote the conduct of research that could better inform patients in making decisions that reflect their desired health outcomes. PCORI has established five national priorities for research around which specific funding opportunities are issued: 1) assessment of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options; 2) improving healthcare systems; 3) communication and dissemination research; 4) addressing disparities; and 5) improving methods for conducting patient-centered outcomes research. To date, implementation of patient-centered research in the emergency care setting has been limited, in part because of perceived challenges in meeting PCORI priorities such as the need to focus on a specific disease state or to have planned follow up. We suggest that these same factors that have been seen as challenges to performing patient-centered research within the emergency setting are also potential strengths to be leveraged to conduct PCORI research. This paper explores factors unique to patient-centered emergency care research and highlights specific areas of potential alignment within each PCORI priority.

Validation of the Denver Emergency Department Trauma Organ Failure Score to Predict Post-Injury Multiple Organ Failure.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of trauma patients at risk for multiple organ failure (MOF) is important to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with MOF. The objective of the study was to externally validate the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score, a 6-item instrument that includes age, intubation, hematocrit, systolic blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count, which was designed to predict the development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective multicenter study of adult trauma patients between November, 2011 and March, 2013. The primary outcome was development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization, assessed using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations between the Denver ED TOF Score and MOF. Discrimination was assessed and quantified using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The predictive accuracy of the Denver ED TOF score was compared with attending emergency physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF. RESULTS: We included 2,072 patients with a median age of 46 years (interquartile range [IQR] 30 to 61 years); 68% were male. The median Injury Severity Score was 9 (IQR 5 to 17), and 88% of patients had blunt mechanism injury. Among participants, 1,024 patients (49%) were admitted to the ICU, and 77 (4%) died. Multiple organ failure occurred in 120 (6%; 95% CI 5% to 7%) patients and of these, 37 (31%; 95% CI 23% to 40%) died. The area under the ROC curve for the Denver ED TOF Score prediction of MOF was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.91) and for physician estimation of the likelihood of MOF was 0.78 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: The Denver ED TOF Score predicts development of MOF within 7 days of hospitalization. Its predictive accuracy outperformed attending emergency physician estimation of the risk of MOF.

Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score outperforms traditional methods of risk stratification in trauma.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of trauma patients at risk for inhospital mortality may facilitate goal-directed resuscitation and secondary triage to improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare prognostic accuracies of the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score, ED Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and ED base deficit and ED lactate for inhospital mortality in adult trauma patients. METHODS: Consecutive adult trauma patients from 2005 to 2008 from the Denver Health Trauma Registry were included. Prognostic accuracies of the Denver ED TOF Score, ED SOFA score, ED base deficit, and ED lactate for inhospital mortality were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Of the 4355 patients, the median age was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR], 26-51 years), median Injury Severity Score was 9 (IQR, 4-16), and 81% had blunt mechanisms. In addition, 38% (1670 patients) were admitted to the intensive care unit with a median intensive care unit length of stay of 2.5 days (IQR, 1-8 days), and 3% (138 patients) died. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the Denver ED TOF, ED lactate, ED base deficit, and ED SOFA were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.96), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91), 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78-0.86), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.73-0.82), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Denver ED TOF Score more accurately predicts inhospital mortality in adult trauma patients compared to the ED SOFA score, ED base deficit, or ED lactate. The Denver ED TOF Score may help identify patients early who are at risk for mortality, allowing for targeted resuscitation and secondary triage to improve outcomes.

Is long-axis view superior to short-axis view in ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether using long-axis or short-axis view during ultrasound-guided internal jugular and subclavian central venous catheterization results in fewer skin breaks, decreased time to cannulation, and fewer posterior wall penetrations. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized crossover study. SETTING: Urban emergency department with approximate annual census of 60,000. SUBJECTS: Emergency medicine resident physicians at the Denver Health Residency in Emergency Medicine, a postgraduate year 1-4 training program. INTERVENTIONS: Resident physicians blinded to the study hypothesis used ultrasound guidance to cannulate the internal jugular and subclavian of a human torso mannequin using the long-axis and short-axis views at each site. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: An ultrasound fellow recorded skin breaks, redirections, and time to cannulation. An experienced ultrasound fellow or attending used a convex 8-4 MHz transducer during cannulation to monitor the needle path and determine posterior wall penetration. Generalized linear mixed models with a random subject effect were used to compare time to cannulation, number of skin breaks and redirections, and posterior wall penetration of the long axis and short axis at each cannulation site. Twenty-eight resident physicians participated: eight postgraduate year 1, eight postgraduate year 2, five postgraduate year 3, and seven postgraduate year 4. The median (interquartile range) number of total internal jugular central venous catheters placed was 27 (interquartile range, 9-42) and subclavian was six catheters (interquartile range, 2-20). The median number of previous ultrasound-guided internal jugular catheters was 25 (interquartile range, 9-40), and ultrasound-guided subclavian catheters were three (interquartile range, 0-5). The long-axis view was associated with a significant decrease in the number of redirections at the internal jugular and subclavian sites, relative risk 0.4 (95% CI, 0.2-0.9) and relative risk 0.5 (95% CI, 0.3-0.7), respectively. There was no significant difference in the number of skin breaks between the long axis and short axis at the subclavian and internal jugular sites. The long-axis view for subclavian was associated with decreased time to cannulation; there was no significant difference in time between the short-axis and long-axis views at the internal jugular site. The prevalence of posterior wall penetration was internal jugular short axis 25%, internal jugular long axis 21%, subclavian short axis 64%, and subclavian long axis 39%. The odds of posterior wall penetration were significantly less in the subclavian long axis (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9). CONCLUSIONS: The long-axis view for the internal jugular was more efficient than the short-axis view with fewer redirections. The long-axis view for subclavian central venous catheterization was also more efficient with decreased time to cannulation and fewer redirections. The long-axis approach to subclavian central venous catheterization is also associated with fewer posterior wall penetrations. Using the long-axis view for subclavian central venous catheterization and avoiding posterior wall penetrations may result in fewer central venous catheter-related complications.

Prediction of postinjury multiple-organ failure in the emergency department: development of the Denver Emergency Department Trauma Organ Failure score.

BACKGROUND: Multiple-organ failure (MOF) is common among the most seriously injured trauma patients. The ability to easily and accurately identify trauma patients in the emergency department at risk for MOF would be valuable. The aim of this study was to derive and internally validate an instrument to predict the development of MOF in adult trauma patients using clinical and laboratory data available in the emergency department. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive adult trauma patients from 2005 to 2008 from the Denver Health Trauma Registry, a prospectively collected database from an urban Level 1 trauma center. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a clinical prediction instrument. The outcome was the development of MOF within 7 days of admission as defined by the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. A risk score was created from the final regression model by rounding the regression ß coefficients to the nearest integer. Calibration and discrimination were assessed using 10-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: A total of 4,355 patients were included in this study. The median age was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR], 26-51 years), and 72% were male. The median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 9 (IQR, 4-16), and 78% of the patients had blunt injury mechanisms. MOF occurred in 216 patients (5%; 95% confidence interval, 4-6%). The final risk score included patient age, intubation, systolic blood pressure, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count and ranged from 0 to 9. The prevalence of MOF increased in an approximate exponential fashion as the score increased. The model demonstrated excellent calibration and discrimination (calibration slope, 1.0; c statistic, 0.92). CONCLUSION: We derived a simple, internally valid instrument to predict MOF in adults following trauma. The use of this score may allow early identification of patients at risk for MOF and result in more aggressive targeted resuscitation and improved resource allocation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III.

Validation of rules to predict emergent surgical intervention in pediatric trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Trauma centers use guidelines to determine when a trauma surgeon is needed in the emergency department (ED) on patient arrival. A decision rule from Loma Linda University identified patients with penetrating injury and tachycardia as requiring emergent surgical intervention. Our goal was to validate this rule and to compare it with the American College of Surgeons' Major Resuscitation Criteria (MRC). STUDY DESIGN: We used data from 1993 through 2010 from 2 level 1 trauma centers in Denver, CO. Patient demographics, injury severity, times of ED arrival and surgical intervention, and all variables of the Loma Linda Rule and the MRC were obtained. The outcome, emergent intervention (defined as requiring operative intervention by a trauma surgeon within 1 hour of arrival to the ED or performance of cricothyroidotomy or thoracotomy in the ED), was confirmed using standardized abstraction. Sensitivities, specificities, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: There were 8,078 patients included, and 47 (0.6%) required emergent intervention. Of the 47 patients, the median age was 11 years (interquartile range [IQR] 7 to 14 years), 70% were male, 30% had penetrating mechanisms, and the median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 25 (IQR 9 to 41). At the 2 institutions, the Loma Linda Rule had a sensitivity and specificity of 69% (95% CI 45% to 94%) and 76% (95% CI 69% to 83%), respectively, and the MRC had a sensitivity and specificity of 80% (95% CI 70% to 92%) and 81% (95% CI 77% to 85%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Emergent surgical intervention is rare in the pediatric trauma population. Although precision of predictive accuracies of the Loma Linda Rule and MRC were limited by small numbers of outcomes, neither set of criteria appears to be sufficiently accurate to recommend their routine use.

Emergency department visits by older adults for motor vehicle collisions.

INTRODUCTION: To describe the epidemiology and characteristics of emergency department (ED) visits by older adults for motor vehicle collisions (MVC) in the United States (U.S.). METHODS: We analyzed ED visits for MVCs using data from the 2003-2007 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Using U.S. Census data, we calculated annual incidence rates of driver or passenger MVC-related ED visits and examined visit characteristics, including triage acuity, tests performed and hospital admission or discharge. We compared older (65+ years) and younger (18-64 years) MVC patients and calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to measure the strength of associations between age group and various visit characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of admissions for MVC-related injuries among older adults. RESULTS: From 2003-2007, there were an average of 237,000 annual ED visits by older adults for MVCs. The annual ED visit rate for MVCs was 6.4 (95% CI 4.6-8.3) visits per 1,000 for older adults and 16.4 (95% CI 14.0-18.8) visits per 1,000 for younger adults. Compared to younger MVC patients, after adjustment for gender, race and ethnicity, older MVC patients were more likely to have at least one imaging study performed (OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.46-9.36). Older MVC patients were not significantly more likely to arrive by ambulance (OR 1.47; 95% CI 0.76-2.86), have a high triage acuity (OR 1.56; 95% CI 0.77-3.14), or to have a diagnosis of a head, spinal cord or torso injury (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.42-2.23) as compared to younger MVC patients after adjustment for gender, race and ethnicity. Overall, 14.5% (95% CI 9.8-19.2) of older MVC patients and 6.1% (95% CI 4.8-7.5) of younger MVC patients were admitted to the hospital. There was also a non-statistically significant trend toward hospital admission for older versus younger MVC patients (OR 1.78; 95% CI 0.71-4.43), and admission to the ICU if hospitalized (OR 6.9, 95% CI 0.9-51.9), after adjustment for gender, race, ethnicity, and injury acuity. Markers of injury acuity studied included EMS arrival, high triage acuity category, ED imaging, and diagnosis of a head, spinal cord or internal injury. CONCLUSION: Although ED visits after MVC for older adults are less common per capita, older adults are more commonly admitted to the hospital and ICU. Older MVC victims require significant ED resources in terms of diagnostic imaging as compared to younger MVC patients. As the U.S. population ages, and as older adults continue to drive, EDs will have to allocate appropriate resources and develop diagnostic and treatment protocols to care for the increased volume of older adult MVC victims.