Strong laws aren't enough: Historic redlining, state firearm laws, and urban firearm violence in the United States.

Background: Urban firearm violence (UFV) has independently been associated with redlining and firearm laws. This study aims to examine how state firearm laws moderate urban firearm violence in census tracts historically exposed to redlining.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective ecological study of UFV in census tracts exposed to historic redlining.

Measurement of Long-Term, Quality of Life Outcomes in Injury Databases.

Introduction: Traumatic injuries affect patients' long-term quality of life (QOL). In 2016, the National Academies highlighted the need to record long-term QOL outcomes within trauma databases. We studied national injury-specific databases to assess whether they capture QOL outcomes, and their key determinants, across the entire continuum of trauma care.

Hospital-based violence intervention programs may positively influence mental health outcomes.

Background: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) are interdisciplinary teams and interventions designed to improve outcomes for violently injured patients. There is a lack of literature showing longitudinal assessment of mental health outcomes among survivors of violence who use HVIPs. This study examines whether HVIP engagement by survivors of community violence improves long-term mental health-related quality of life.

Trauma disparities occur upstream from hospitals: Neighborhood social vulnerability predicts incidence of various traumatic injuries but not case fatality.

Background: Trauma is a complex disease process often affecting the most vulnerable members of society. This cross-sectional study aims to identify the relationship between incidence and case fatality rate of injury with the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), a composite score of community disparity.

Methods: A convenience sample of six State Inpatient Databases from 2016, provided by the Healthcare Cost Utilization Project, was generated for patients older than 18 years with specific International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, codes for external cause of injury.

Surgical Infection Society Multi-Center Observational Study: Empiric Anti-Fungal Coverage after Non-Colonic Gastrointestinal Perforation.

Empiric anti-fungals are frequently administered in patients with non-colonic gastrointestinal (GI) perforations, but there is limited evidence of their benefit. We hypothesized that empiric anti-fungals would offer no clinical benefit compared with a standard course of antimicrobial therapy. This multi-center prospective cohort study included patients ≥18 years old undergoing operative management for non-colonic GI perforations across 15 centers between August 2021 and January 2024.

Long-term functional recovery after rib fractures: The impact of frailty.

Background: Previous studies have shown that patients with rib fractures experience long-term functional limitations. However, the specific predictors of these worse long-term functional limitations remain under-characterized.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study including patients ≥18 years with an injury severity score ≥9 and isolated chest injury.

Enhancing trauma care in Ukraine amid conflict: A successful implementation of the modified advanced trauma life support course in an active war zone.

Background: Following the 2022 Russian invasion, Ukraine's healthcare system suffered extensive damage, with over 1000 medical facilities destroyed, exacerbating the trauma care crisis. The absence of standardized trauma training left Ukrainian healthcare providers ill-equipped to manage the surge in trauma cases amid conflict. To bridge this gap, we implemented advanced trauma life support (ATLS) courses in Ukraine amid active warfare, aiming to enhance trauma care expertise among healthcare professionals.

Implementation of an Intensive Surgical Simulation Week for Medical Students in Rwanda.

Introduction: Simulation-based training often fails to meet the needs of low- and middle-income countries with limited access to high-cost models. We built on an existing surgical simulation curriculum for medical students in Rwanda and assessed students' experience.

Methods: Based on a contextual simulation-based education curriculum that was piloted in 2022, our team designed and delivered an intensive week-long surgical simulation course for medical students.

Examining nonmilitary and nongovernmental humanitarian surgical capacity and response in armed conflicts: A scoping review of the recent literature.

Background: Armed conflicts pose a burden on health care services. We sought to assess the surgical capacity and responses of nonmilitary and nongovernmental humanitarian responders in armed conflicts through proxy indicators to identify strategies to address surgical needs.

Methods: We searched 6 databases for articles/studies from January 1, 2013, to March 10, 2023.

Understanding and Assisting the Recovery of Non-English-Speaking Trauma Survivors: Assessment of the NESTS Pathway.

Background: Spanish-speaking trauma and burn patients have unique needs in their postdischarge care navigation. The confluence of limited English proficiency, injury recovery, mental health, socioeconomic disadvantages, and acute stressors after hospital admission converge to enhance patients' vulnerability, but their specific needs and means of meeting these needs have not been well described.

Study Design: This prospective, cross-sectional survey study describes the results of a multi-institutional initiative devised to help Spanish-speaking trauma and burn patients in their care navigation after hospitalization.

Beyond surviving: A scoping review of collaborative care models to inform the future of postdischarge trauma care.

Trauma centers demonstrate an impressive ability to save lives, as reflected by inpatient survival rates of more than 95% in the United States. Nevertheless, we fail to allocate sufficient effort and resources to ensure that survivors and their families receive the necessary care and support after leaving the trauma center. The objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the research on collaborative care models that have been put forward to improve trauma survivorship.

Surgical capacity is disaster preparedness: A scoping review of how surgery and anesthesiology departments responded to COVID-19.

Objective: This study evaluated how surgical and anesthesiology departments adapted their resources in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design: This scoping review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews protocol, with Covidence as a screening tool. An initial search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, and Cochrane Systematic Reviews returned 6,131 results in October 2021.

Determinants of long-term physical and mental health outcomes after intensive care admission for trauma survivors.

Introduction: Collectively, studies from medical and surgical intensive care units (ICU) suggest that long-term outcomes are poor for patients who have spent significant time in an ICU. We sought to identify determinants of post-intensive care physical and mental health outcomes 6-12 months after injury.

Methods: Adult trauma patients [ISS ≥9] admitted to one of three Level-1 trauma centers were interviewed 6-12 months post-injury to evaluate patient-reported outcomes.

The invisible scars: Unseen financial complications worsen every aspect of long-term health in trauma survivors.

Background: Trauma survivors are susceptible to experiencing financial toxicity (FT). Studies have shown the negative impact of FT on chronic illness outcomes. However, there is a notable lack of data on FT in the context of trauma.

Quantifying Pediatric Gun Violence by Location, Time of Day, and Day of Week.

Background: Firearm injuries are the leading cause of pediatric deaths. The objective of this study was to describe the location and timing of pediatric firearm injuries and to determine the proportion of these injuries that occur within schools in the United States.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used national emergency medical services (EMS) data from 2019 to evaluate dispatches to firearm injuries involving school-aged children (age 5-18).

Multicenter evaluation of financial toxicity and long-term health outcomes after injury.

Background: Despite the growing awareness of the negative financial impact of traumatic injury on patients' lives, the association between financial toxicity and long-term health-related quality of life (hrQoL) among trauma survivors remains poorly understood.

Methods: Patients from nine trauma centers participating in a statewide trauma quality collaborative had responses from longitudinal survey data linked to inpatient trauma registry data. Financial toxicity was defined based on patient-reported survey responses regarding medical debt, work or income loss, nonmedical financial strain, and forgone care due to costs.

Determining Critical Topics for Undergraduate Surgical Education in Rwanda: Results of a Modified Delphi Process and a Consensus Conference.

Background Developing a contextually appropriate curriculum is critical to train physicians who can address surgical challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. An innovative modified Delphi process was used to identify contextually optimized curricular content to meet sub-Saharan Africa and Rwanda's surgical needs. Methods Participants were surgeons from East, Central, Southern, and West Africa and general practitioners with surgical experience.

Availability of laparoscopic surgery in Mexico's public health system: a nationwide retrospective analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic surgery remains limited in low-resource settings. We aimed to examine its use in Mexico and determine associated factors.

Methods: By querying open-source databases, we conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis of three common surgical procedures (i.

Developing a Surgical Simulation Curriculum for the Rwandan Context.

Objective: We report on the development and implementation of a surgical simulation curriculum for undergraduate medical students in rural Rwanda.

Design: This is a narrative report on the development of scenario and procedure-based content for a junior surgical clerkship simulation curriculum by an interdisciplinary team of simulation specialists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, medical educators, and medical students.

Setting: University of Global Health Equity, a new medical school located in Butaro, Rwanda.