Nationwide trends in prehospital blood product use after injury 2020-2023.

Introduction: Prehospital blood transfusion improves survival after injury. Understanding potential demand for and usage of prehospital blood transfusion is important to help improve supply and utilization of this prehospital intervention. The primary objective of this study is to describe potential current demand for prehospital blood product in adults after blunt and penetrating injury from 2020 to 2023.

Nationwide estimates of potential lives saved with prehospital blood transfusions.

Introduction: Prehospital blood transfusions result in a significant reduction in mortality risk for injured patients in hemorrhagic shock; however, prehospital blood transfusions have not been widely implemented across the United States. Thus, a paucity of data surrounding the impact of achieving near-complete population-level access to this resource exists. We aimed to determine the number of lives that could potentially have been saved among injured patients in hemorrhagic shock between 2020 and 2023 had prehospital blood products (blood components or whole blood, pBP) been fully implemented.

Association Between Blood Type and Mortality Among Severely Injured Patients Enrolled in the Pragmatic Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios Trial.

Introduction: Previous studies suggested that type O blood may be associated with increased mortality and/or thrombotic complications among trauma patients. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship between endogenous blood type, mortality, and complications among patients receiving massive transfusions, using data from the Pragmatic Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios trial.

Materials And Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the Pragmatic Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios trial that included patients with the reported blood type (A, AB, B, or O) data.

Teletrauma Use in US Emergency Departments.

Importance: Nearly 30 million predominantly rural US residents lack timely access to trauma care expertise available at level I or II trauma centers. Telehealth is an established approach to improve access to health care expertise using remote consultation; however, the prevalence of use of telehealth in trauma (teletrauma) across the US is not known.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of, trends in, and factors associated with teletrauma use and adoption among US emergency departments (EDs).

Using Teletrauma to Improve Access to Trauma Care in the US: A Call for Action.

Nearly 30 million, mostly rurally located Americans lack timely access to level I or II trauma center care, resulting in inefficient resource use and potentially preventable death. Although significant progress has been made in the care of the injured patient during the last few decades, rural trauma patients continue to face significant challenges in accessing high-quality trauma care with resultant outcomes disparities and increased expenditures associated with potentially avoidable interfacility transfers. Current mitigation strategies have not sufficiently improved access to trauma care among this population, necessitating a search for alternative strategies such as integration of telehealth for trauma care or teletrauma.

Diagnostic performance of the ABC score in the PROPPR trial.

Introduction: The Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) score is used to predict massive transfusions (MT). However, its diagnostic performance has not been widely examined, especially when used as an objective tool to enroll patients in multi-center clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the ABC score in enrolling patients in the Pragmatic Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios (PROPPR) trial.

Outcomes of patients enrolled in a prospective and randomized trial on basis of gestalt assessment or ABC score.

Background: The Pragmatic Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios (PROPPR) trial rapidly enrolled patients based on an Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) ≥ 2 score, or physician gestalt (PG) when ABC score was <2. The objective of this study was to describe what patients were enrolled by the two methods and whether patient outcomes differed based on these enrollments. We hypothesized that there would be no differences in outcomes based on whether patients were enrolled via ABC score or PG.

Decreased Glycocalyx Shedding on Presentation in Hemorrhaging Geriatric Trauma Patients.

Introduction: Plasma levels of syndecan-1 (Sdc-1), a biomarker of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) damage, correlate with worse outcomes in trauma patients. However, EG injury is not well characterized in injured older adults (OA). The aims of this study were to characterize Sdc-1 shedding in OA trauma patients relative to younger adults (YA) and determine associations with putative regulators of EG sheddases.

Nationwide estimates of the need for prehospital blood products after injury.

Introduction: Prehospital blood product resuscitation after injury significantly decreases risk of mortality. However, the number of patients who may potentially benefit from this life-saving intervention is currently unknown. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the number of patients who may potentially benefit from prehospital blood product resuscitation after injury in the United States.

It is time to look in the mirror: Individual surgeon outcomes after emergent trauma laparotomy.

Background: Multiple quality indicators are used by trauma programs to decrease variation and improve outcomes. However, little if any provider level outcomes related to surgical procedures are reviewed. Emergent trauma laparotomy (ETL) is arguably the signature case that trauma surgeons perform on a regular basis, but few data exist to facilitate benchmarking of individual surgeon outcomes.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Prehospital Tourniquet Use for Trauma in the United States.

Introduction: The use of the extremity tourniquet in military environments has reduced preventable deaths due to exsanguinating hemorrhage, leading to increased use in civilian settings. However, the outcomes of contemporary prehospital tourniquet use in civilian settings are not well-described nationally. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes following prehospital tourniquet use by emergency medical services (EMS) in the United States.

Whole truths but half the blood: Addressing the gap between the evidence and practice of pre-hospital and in-hospital blood product use for trauma resuscitation.

Background: In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of using pre-hospital blood product and in-hospital whole blood for trauma resuscitation. While some observations suggest an encouraging uptake of this evidence by emergency medical service (EMS) agencies and trauma centers, a nationwide characterization of blood product utilization for bleeding trauma patients remains unknown. The objective of this study is to determine nationwide estimates of pre-hospital blood product and in-hospital whole blood utilization for trauma resuscitation.

National estimates of intestinal ostomy creation and reversal for trauma.

Background: Intestinal ostomy creation after trauma is selectively indicated for destructive colon and rectal injuries. However, the nationwide rates of creation of ostomies for trauma and their reversal are not known. The objective of this study was to ascertain national estimates of trauma ostomy creation and reversal.

Quantifying lives lost due to variability in emergency general surgery outcomes: Why we need a national emergency general surgery quality improvement program.

Background: Nearly 4 million Americans present to hospitals with conditions requiring emergency general surgery (EGS) annually, facing significant morbidity and mortality. Unlike elective surgery and trauma, there is no dedicated national quality improvement program to improve EGS outcomes. Our objective was to estimate the number of excess deaths that could potentially be averted through EGS quality improvement in the United States.

A National Assessment of Trauma Systems Using the American College of Surgeons NBATS Tool: Geographic Distribution of Trauma Center Need.

Objective: To compare the needs based assessment of trauma systems (NBATS) tool estimates of trauma center need to the existing trauma infrastructure using observed national trauma volume.

Summary Of Background Data: Robust trauma systems have improved outcomes for severely injured patients. The NBATS tool was created by the American College of Surgeons to align trauma resource allocation with regional needs.

Effectiveness of the American College of Surgeons Bleeding Control Basic Training Among Laypeople Applying Different Tourniquet Types: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: More than 500 000 laypeople in the United States have been trained in hemorrhage control, including tourniquet application, under the Stop the Bleed campaign. However, it is unclear whether after hemorrhage control training participants become proficient in a specific type of tourniquet or can also use other tourniquets effectively.

Objective: To assess whether participants completing the American College of Surgeons Bleeding Control Basic (B-Con) training with Combat Application Tourniquets (CATs) can effectively apply bleeding control principles using other tourniquet types (commercial and improvised).

Racial disparities in post-discharge healthcare utilization after trauma.

Background: Racial disparities in trauma outcomes have been documented, but little is known about racial differences in post-discharge healthcare utilization. This study compares the utilization of post-discharge healthcare services by African-American and Caucasian trauma patients.

Methods: Trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS)≥9 from three Level-I trauma centers were contacted between 6 and 12 months post-injury.

The Transition to Data-Driven Quality Metrics: Determining the Optimal Surveillance Period for Complications After Surgery.

Background: Thirty-day complications frequently serve in the surgical literature as a quality indicator. This metric is not meant to capture the full array of complication resulting from surgical intervention. However, this period is largely based on convention, with little evidence to support it.

Access Delayed Is Access Denied: Relationship Between Access to Trauma Center Care and Pre-Hospital Death.

Background: Timely access to trauma center (TC) care is critical to achieve "Zero Preventable Deaths after Injury." However, the impact of timely access to TC care on pre-hospital deaths in each US state remains unknown. We sought to determine the state-level relationship between the proportion of pre-hospital deaths, age-adjusted mortality, and timely access to trauma center care.