Implementation of a Global Pediatric Trauma Course in an Upper Middle-Income Country: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Over 90% of pediatric trauma deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet pediatric trauma-focused training remains unstandardized and inaccessible, especially in LMICs. In Brazil, where trauma is the leading cause of death for children over age 1, we piloted the first global adaptation of the Trauma Resuscitation in Kids (TRIK) course and assessed its feasibility. METHODS: A 2-day simulation-based global TRIK course was hosted in Belo Horizonte in October 2022, led by one Brazilian and four Canadian instructors. The enrollment fee was $200 USD, and course registration sold out in 4 d. We administered a knowledge test before and after the course and a postcourse self-evaluation. We recorded each simulation to assess participants' performance, reflected in a team performance score. Groups received numerical scores for these three areas, which were equally weighted to calculate a final performance score. The scores given by the two evaluators were then averaged. As groups performed the specific simulations in varying orders, the simulations were grouped into four time blocks for analysis of performance over time. Statistical analysis utilized a combination of descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Twenty-one surgeons (19 pediatric, one trauma, one general) representing four of five regions in Brazil consented to study participation. Women comprised 76% (16/21) of participants. Overall, participants scored higher on the knowledge assessment after the course (68% versus 76%; z = 3.046, P < 0.001). Participants reported improved knowledge for all tested components of trauma management (P < 0.001). The average simulation performance score increased from 66% on day 1% to 73% on day 2, although this increase was not statistically significant. All participants reported they were more confident managing pediatric trauma after the course and would recommend the course to others. CONCLUSIONS: Completion of global TRIK improved surgeons' confidence, knowledge, and clinical decision-making skills in managing pediatric trauma, suggesting a standardized course may improve pediatric trauma care and outcomes in LMICs. We plan to more closely address cost, language, and resource barriers to implementing protocolized trauma training in LMICs with the aim to improve patient outcomes and equity in trauma care globally.

Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations in Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Our primary objectives were to identify clinical practice guideline recommendations for children with acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) presenting to an emergency department (ED), appraise their overall quality, and synthesize the quality of evidence and the strength of included recommendations. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and medical association websites from January 2012 to May 2023 for clinical practice guidelines with at least 1 recommendation targeting pediatric mTBI populations presenting to the ED within 48 hours of injury for any diagnostic or therapeutic intervention in the acute phase of care (ED and inhospital). Pairs of reviewers independently assessed overall clinical practice guideline quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. The quality of evidence on recommendations was synthesized using a matrix based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence-to-Decision framework. RESULTS: We included 11 clinical practice guidelines, of which 6 (55%) were rated high quality. These included 101 recommendations, of which 34 (34%) were based on moderate- to high-quality evidence, covering initial assessment, initial diagnostic imaging, monitoring/observation, therapeutic interventions, discharge advice, follow-up, and patient and family support. We did not identify any evidence-based recommendations in high-quality clinical practice guidelines for repeat imaging, neurosurgical consultation, or hospital admission. Lack of strategies and tools to aid implementation and editorial independence were the most common methodological weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: We identified 34 recommendations based on moderate- to high-quality evidence that may be considered for implementation in clinical settings. Our review highlights important areas for future research. This review also underlines the importance of providing strategies to facilitate the implementation of clinical practice guideline recommendations for pediatric mTBI.

Treatment and Outcomes of Congenital Ovarian Cysts A Study by the Canadian Consortium for Research in Pediatric Surgery (CanCORPS).

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a multicenter study to assess treatments and outcomes in a national cohort of infants with congenital ovarian cysts. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Wide variability exists in the treatment of congenital ovarian cysts. The effects of various treatment strategies on outcomes, specifically ovarian preservation, are not known. METHODS: Female infants diagnosed with congenital intra-abdominal cysts between 2013 and 2017 at 10 Canadian pediatric surgical centers were retrospectively evaluated. Sonographic characteristics, median time to cyst resolution, incidence of ovarian preservation, and predictors of surgery were evaluated. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with complex cysts and cysts ≥40 mm in diameter. RESULTS: The study population included 189 neonates. Median gestational age at diagnosis and median maximal prenatal cyst diameter were 33 weeks and 40 mm, respectively. Cysts resolved spontaneously in 117 patients (62%), 14 (7%) prenatally, and the remainder at a median age of 124 days. Intervention occurred in 61 patients (32%), including prenatal aspiration (2, 3%), ovary sparing resection (14, 23%), or oophorectomy (45, 74%). Surgery occurred at a median age of 7.4weeks. Independent predictors of surgery included postnatal cyst diameter ≥40 mm [odds ratio (OR) 6.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.66-35.9] and sonographic complex cyst character (OR 63.6, 95% CI 10.9-1232). There was no significant difference in the odds of ovarian preservation (OR 3.06, 95% CI 0.86 -13.2) between patients who underwent early surgery (n = 22) and those initially observed for at least 3 months (n = 131). CONCLUSIONS: Most congenital ovarian cysts are asymptomatic and spontaneously resolve. Early surgical intervention does not increase ovarian preservation.

Injury outcomes across Canadian trauma systems: a historical cohort study.

PURPOSE: Most North American trauma systems have designated trauma centres (TCs) including level I (ultraspecialized high-volume metropolitan centres), level II (specialized medium-volume urban centres), and/or level III (semirural or rural centres). Trauma system configuration varies across provinces and it is unclear how these differences influence patient distributions and outcomes. We aimed to compare patient case mix, case volumes, and risk-adjusted outcomes of adults with major trauma admitted to designated level I, II, and III TCs across Canadian trauma systems. METHODS: In a national historical cohort study, we extracted data from Canadian provincial trauma registries on major trauma patients treated between 2013 and 2018 in all designated level I, II, or III TCs in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia; level I and II TCs in New Brunswick; and four TCs in Ontario. We used multilevel generalized linear models to compare mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission and competitive risk models for hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS). Ontario could not be included in outcome comparisons because there were no population-based data from this province. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 50,959 patients. Patient distributions in level I and II TCs were similar across provinces but we observed significant differences in case mix and volumes for level III TCs. There was low variation in risk-adjusted mortality and LOS across provinces and TCs but interprovincial and intercentre variation in risk-adjusted ICU admission was high. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that differences in the functional role of TCs according to their designation level across provinces leads to significant variations in the distribution of patients, case volumes, resource use, and clinical outcomes. These results highlight opportunities to improve Canadian trauma care and underline the need for standardized population-based injury data to support national quality improvement efforts.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: La plupart des systèmes de traumatologie nord-américains disposent de centres de traumatologie (CT) désignés, y compris de niveau I (centres métropolitains ultraspécialisés à volume élevé), de niveau II (centres urbains spécialisés à volume moyen) et/ou de niveau III (centres semi-ruraux ou ruraux). La configuration des systèmes de traumatologie varie d'une province à l'autre et nous ne savons pas comment ces différences influent sur la répartition de la patientèle et sur les issues. Notre objectif était de comparer le mélange de cas des patient·es, le volume de cas et les issues ajustées en fonction du risque des adultes ayant subi un traumatisme majeur admis·es dans des CT désignés de niveaux I, II et III dans l'ensemble des systèmes de traumatologie canadiens. MéTHODE: Dans une étude de cohorte historique nationale, nous avons extrait des données des registres provinciaux canadiens de traumatologie sur les patient·es ayant subi un traumatisme majeur traité·es entre 2013 et 2018 dans tous les CT désignés de niveau I, II ou III en Colombie-Britannique, en Alberta, au Québec et en Nouvelle-Écosse, les CT de niveau I et II au Nouveau-Brunswick, et dans quatre CT en Ontario. Nous avons utilisé des modèles linéaires généralisés à plusieurs niveaux pour comparer la mortalité, les admissions en unité de soins intensifs (USI) et les modèles de risque compétitif pour la durée du séjour à l'hôpital et à l'USI. L'Ontario n'a pas pu être inclus dans les comparaisons des devenirs parce qu'il n'y avait pas de données démographiques pour cette province. RéSULTATS: L'échantillon de l'étude comptait 50 959 patient·es. La répartition des patient·es dans les CT de niveaux I et II était similaire d'une province à l'autre, mais nous avons observé des différences significatives dans le mélange des cas et les volumes pour les CT de niveau III. Il y avait une faible variation de la mortalité ajustée en fonction du risque et des durées de séjour entre les provinces et les CT, mais la variation interprovinciale et intercentre des admissions à l'USI ajustées en fonction du risque était élevée. CONCLUSION: Nos résultats suggèrent que les différences dans le rôle fonctionnel des CT selon leur niveau de désignation d'une province à l'autre entraînent des variations importantes dans la répartition des patient·es, le nombre de cas, l'utilisation des ressources et les issues cliniques. Ces résultats mettent en évidence les possibilités d'amélioration des soins de traumatologie au Canada et soulignent la nécessité de disposer de données normalisées sur les blessures dans la population pour appuyer les efforts nationaux d'amélioration de la qualité.

Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations in Pediatric Orthopaedic Injury: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Lack of adherence to recommendations on pediatric orthopaedic injury care may be driven by lack of knowledge of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), heterogeneity in recommendations or concerns about their quality. We aimed to identify CPGs for pediatric orthopaedic injury care, appraise their quality, and synthesize the quality of evidence and the strength of associated recommendations. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science and websites of clinical organizations. CPGs including at least one recommendation targeting pediatric orthopaedic injury populations on any diagnostic or therapeutic intervention developed in the last 15 years were eligible. Pairs of reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated CPG quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. We synthesized recommendations from high-quality CPGs using a recommendations matrix based on the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision framework. RESULTS: We included 13 eligible CPGs, of which 7 were rated high quality. Lack of stakeholder involvement and applicability (i.e., implementation strategies) were identified as weaknesses. We extracted 53 recommendations of which 19 were based on moderate or high-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a synthesis of recommendations from high-quality CPGs that can be used by clinicians to guide treatment decisions. Future CPGs should aim to use a partnership approach with all key stakeholders and provide strategies to facilitate implementation. This study also highlights the need for more rigorous research on pediatric orthopaedic trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-therapeutic study.

Where to start? Injury prevention priority scores for traumatic injuries in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Given limited resources for injury prevention, it is essential to determine which mechanisms of injury to target to provide the most benefit to the largest proportion of the population. We developed objective, evidence-based injury prevention priority scores (IPPSs) for the Canadian population across 4 prevention perspectives: mortality, injury severity, resource use and societal cost. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all injuries in Canada from 2009/10 to 2013/14. Hospital admissions were obtained from the Discharge Abstract Database, and deaths from the Statistics Canada Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. For each mechanism of injury, we calculated an IPPS as a balanced measure of injury frequency and 1) mortality rate, 2) median 1 - ICISS (Injury Severity Score derived from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, enhanced Canadian version), 3) median cost per hospital stay or 4) median potential years of life lost (PYLL), providing a ranking of mechanisms of injury in priority order. The IPPS by definition has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. The higher the IPPS, the higher the priority for injury prevention. RESULTS: A total of 694 535 injuries were identified over the study period. The most frequent mechanism of injury was falls (391 068 [56.3%]). The overall mortality rate was 0.09 deaths/injured person, the median 1 - ICISS was 0.017, the median cost was $5217, and the median PYLL was 0. The mechanisms with the 3 highest IPPSs were falls (75), self-harm (67) and drowning (66) for mortality; falls (77), drowning (70) and suffocation (61) for severity; falls (80), suffocation (63) and fire (60) for resource use; and falls (72), assault (62), and firearms and legal interventions (59 in both cases) for societal cost. CONCLUSION: This study produced IPPSs for traumatic injuries in Canada that provide objective and quantifiable methods for identifying mechanisms of injury to target for specific prevention initiatives. Preventing falls would provide the most benefit to the largest proportion of Canadians and should be prioritized in injury-prevention policy.

Low-value injury admissions in an integrated Canadian trauma system: A multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Injury represents 260 000 hospitalisations and $27 billion in healthcare costs each year in Canada. Evidence suggests that there is significant variation in the prevalence of hospital admissions among emergency department presentations between countries and providers, but we lack data specific to injury admissions. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of potentially low-value injury admissions following injury in a Canadian provincial trauma system, identify diagnostic groups contributing most to low-value admissions and assess inter-hospital variation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicentre cohort study based on all injury admissions in the Québec trauma system (2013-2018). Using literature and expert consultation, we developed criteria to identify potentially low-value injury admissions. We used a multilevel logistic regression model to evaluate inter-hospital variation in the prevalence of low-value injury admissions with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). We stratified our analyses by age (1-15; 16-64; 65-74; 75+ years). RESULTS: The prevalence of low-value injury admissions was 16% (n = 19 163) among all patients, 26% (2136) in children, 11% (4695) in young adults and 19% (12 345) in older adults. Diagnostic groups contributing most to low-value admissions were mild traumatic brain injury in children (48% of low-value paediatric injury admissions; n = 922), superficial injuries (14%, n = 660) or minor spinal injuries (14%, n = 634) in adults aged 16-64 and superficial injuries in adults aged 65+ (22%, n = 2771). We observed strong inter-hospital variation in the prevalence of low-value injury admissions (ICC = 37%). CONCLUSION: One out of six hospital admissions following injury may be of low value. Children with mild traumatic brain injury and adults with superficial injuries could be good targets for future research efforts seeking to reduce healthcare services overuse. Inter-hospital variation indicates there may be an opportunity to reduce low-value injury admissions with appropriate interventions targeting modifications in care processes.

Trauma system accreditation and patient outcomes in British Columbia: an interrupted time series analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to assess the impact of several accreditation cycles of trauma centers on patient outcomes, specifically in-hospital mortality, complications and hospital length of stay. DESIGN: Interrupted time series. SETTING: British Columbia, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Trauma patients admitted to all level I and level II trauma centers between January 2008 and March 2018. EXPOSURE: Accreditation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We first computed quarterly estimates of the proportions of in-hospital mortality, complications and survival to discharge standardized for change in patient case-mix using prognostic scores and the Aalen-Johansen estimator of the cumulative incidence function. Piecewise regressions were then used to estimate the change in levels and trends for patient outcomes following accreditation. RESULTS: For in-hospital mortality and major complications, the impact of accreditation seems to be associated with short- and long-term reductions after the first cycle and only short-term reductions for subsequent cycles. However, the 95% confidence intervals for these estimates were wide, and we lacked the precision to consistently conclude that accreditation is beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Applying a quasi-experimental design to time series accounting for changes in patient case-mix, our results suggest that accreditation might reduce in-hospital mortality and major complications. However, there was uncertainty around the estimates of accreditation. Further studies looking at clinical processes of care and other outcomes such as patient or health staff satisfaction are needed.

Effect of predicted travel time to trauma care on mortality in major trauma patients in Nova Scotia

Background: Trauma is a leading contributor to the burden of disease in Canada, accounting for more than 15 000 deaths annually. Although caring for injured patients at designated trauma centres (TCs) is consistently associated with survival benefits, it is unclear how travel time to definitive care influences outcomes. Using a population-based sample of trauma patients, we studied the association between predicted travel time (PTT) to TCs and mortality for patients assigned to ground transport. Methods: Victims of penetrating trauma or motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) in Nova Scotia between 2005 and 2014 were identified from a provincial trauma registry. We conducted cost distance analyses to quantify PTT for each injury location to the nearest TC. Adjusted associations between TC access and injury-related mortality were then estimated using logistic regression. Results: Greater than 30 minutes of PTT to a TC was associated with a 66% increased risk of death for MVC victims (p = 0.045). This association was lost when scene deaths were excluded from the analysis. Sustaining a penetrating trauma greater than 30 minutes from a TC was associated with a 3.4-fold increase in risk of death. Following the exclusion of scene deaths, this association remained and approached significance (odds ratio 3.48, 95% confidence interval 0.98­14.5, p = 0.053). Conclusion: Predicted travel times greater than 30 minutes were associated with worse outcomes for victims of MVCs and penetrating injuries. Improving communication across the trauma system and reducing prehospital times may help optimize outcomes for rural trauma patients.

Contexte: Les traumatismes contribuent pour une bonne part au fardeau de la maladie au Canada; on leur attribue plus de 15 000 décès annuellement. Même si les soins prodigués aux patients victimes de traumatismes dans les centres de traumatologie désignés (CTD) sont toujours associés à des gains au plan de la survie, on ignore quelle est l'influence du temps de transfert vers le CTD sur l'issue. À partir d'un échantillon de patients polytraumatisés basé dans la population, nous avons analysé le lien entre le temps de transfert prévu (TTP) vers le CTD et la mortalité des patients transportés par voie terrestre. Méthodes: On a identifié les victimes de traumatismes pénétrants ou d'accidents de la route en Nouvelle-Écosse entre 2005 et 2014 à partir d'un registre provincial de traumatologie. Nous avons analysé la distance de coût pour quantifier le TTP à partir de chaque scène vers le CTD le plus proche. Les liens ajustés entre l'accès au CTD et la mortalité liée au traumatisme ont ensuite été estimés par régression logistique. Résultats: Un délai de TTP de plus de 30 minutes pour arriver au CTD a été associé à un accroissement de 66 % du risque de décès chez les patients polytraumatisés (p = 0,045). Ce lien s'annulait si on excluait de l'analyse les décès survenus sur la scène de l'accident. Subir un traumatisme ouvert à plus de 30 minutes de distance d'un CTD a été associé à une augmentation par un facteur de 3,4 du risque de décès. Une fois les décès sur la scène de l'accident exclus, ce lien a persisté et s'est rapproché du seuil de signification (rapport des cotes 3,48, intervalle de confiance de 95 % 0,98­14,5, p = 0,053). Conclusion: Des temps de transfert prévus supérieurs à 30 minutes ont été associés une issue plus défavorable pour les victimes d'accidents de la route et de traumatismes pénétrants. L'amélioration de la communication entre les divers éléments du système de traumatologie et la réduction du temps préhospitalier pourrait optimiser l'issue pour les patients victimes de traumatismes en région rurale.

All-terrain vehicle serious injuries and death in children and youth: A national survey of Canadian paediatricians.

BACKGROUND: All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are a leading cause of serious injury in children and youth. Certain Canadian regions have implemented legislation to promote safety, including age restrictions, mandatory training and helmet use. Jurisdictions with more stringent ATV safety legislation have been shown to have reduced injury rates in the short term. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the burden of ATV-related serious injury and death in Canada and to identify Canadian physicians' knowledge of ATV-related legislation, safety and health promotion practices. METHODS: A one-time survey was distributed to practicing paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists participating in the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) in October 2016. RESULTS: Of 2793 physicians contacted, 904 responded (32.4%). There were 181 reported cases of serious and/or fatal ATV-related injuries, including 6 deaths. Children aged 10 to 14 represented the most number of cases (n=82, 45.3%), followed by 15 to 19 (n=48, 26.5%) and 5 to 9 (n=40, 22.1%). Most cases occurred in July/August (48.3%) and May/June (25.2%), were in males (n=133, 78.2%), and occurred during recreational activity (n=139, 83.2%) or organized racing (n=6, 3.6%). In 99 cases (58.9%), the child was the driver of the ATV. Only two-thirds of respondents (67.5%) knew that ATVs should not carry passengers while under half (42.2%) never discussed ATV safety with their patients. CONCLUSIONS: ATV-related injuries and deaths in Canadian children remain a serious public health problem. Education of health care practitioners, including paediatricians, is needed to promote safety. Despite efforts to reduce ATV-related injuries, there remains a significant number of serious injuries and/deaths related to their use.

Hospital and Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay for Injury Admissions: A Pan-Canadian Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the variation in hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) for injury admissions across Canadian provinces and to evaluate the relative contribution of patient case mix and treatment-related factors (intensity of care, complications, and discharge delays) to explaining observed variations. BACKGROUND: Identifying unjustified interprovider variations in resource use and the determinants of such variations is an important step towards optimizing health care. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study on admissions for major trauma (injury severity score >12) to level I and II trauma centers across Canada (2006-2012). We used data from the Canadian National Trauma Registry linked to hospital discharge data to compare risk-adjusted hospital and ICU LOS across provinces. RESULTS: Risk-adjusted hospital LOS was shortest in Ontario (10.0 days) and longest in Newfoundland and Labrador (16.1 days; P < 0.001). Risk-adjusted ICU LOS was shortest in Québec (4.4 days) and longest in Alberta (6.1 days; P < 0.001). Patient case-mix explained 32% and 8% of interhospital variations in hospital and ICU LOS, respectively, whereas treatment-related factors explained 63% and 22%. CONCLUSIONS: We observed significant variation in risk-adjusted hospital and ICU LOS across trauma systems in Canada. Provider ranks on hospital LOS were not related to those observed for ICU LOS. Treatment-related factors explained more interhospital variation in LOS than patient case-mix. Results suggest that interventions targeting reductions in low-value procedures, prevention of adverse events, and better discharge planning may be most effective for optimizing LOS for injury admissions.

Impact of Trauma System Structure on Injury Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of trauma systems in decreasing injury mortality and morbidity has been well demonstrated. However, little is known about which components contribute to their effectiveness. We aimed to systematically review the evidence of the impact of trauma system components on clinically important injury outcomes. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and BIOSIS/Web of Knowledge, gray literature and trauma association Web sites to identify studies evaluating the association between at least one trauma system component and injury outcome. We calculated pooled effect estimates using inverse-variance random-effects models. We evaluated quality of evidence using GRADE criteria. RESULTS: We screened 15,974 records, retaining 41 studies for qualitative synthesis and 19 for meta-analysis. Two recommended trauma system components were associated with reduced odds of mortality: inclusive design (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72 [0.65-0.80]) and helicopter transport (OR = 0.70 [0.55-0.88]). Pre-Hospital Advanced Trauma Life Support was associated with a significant reduction in hospital days (mean difference [MD] = 5.7 [4.4-7.0]) but a nonsignificant reduction in mortality (OR = 0.78 [0.44-1.39]). Population density of surgeons was associated with a nonsignificant decrease in mortality (MD = 0.58 [-0.22 to 1.39]). Trauma system maturity was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (OR = 0.76 [0.68-0.85]). Quality of evidence was low or very low for mortality and healthcare utilization. CONCLUSIONS: This review offers low-quality evidence for the effectiveness of an inclusive design and trauma system maturity and very-low-quality evidence for helicopter transport in reducing injury mortality. Further research should evaluate other recommended components of trauma systems and non-fatal outcomes and explore the impact of system component interactions.

Mortality in Canadian Trauma Systems: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the variation in trauma center mortality across Canadian trauma systems, assess the contribution of traumatic brain injury and thoracoabdominal injury to observed variations, and evaluate whether the presence of recommended trauma system components is associated with mortality. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Injuries represent one of the leading causes of mortality, disability, and health care costs worldwide. Trauma systems have improved injury outcomes, but the impact of trauma system configuration on mortality is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults admitted for major injury to trauma centers across Canada (2006-2012). Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate risk-adjusted hospital mortality and assess the impact of 13 recommended trauma system components. RESULTS: Of 78,807 patients, 8382 (10.6%) died in hospital including 6516 (78%) after severe traumatic brain injury and 749 (9%) after severe thoracoabdominal injury. Risk-adjusted mortality varied from 7.0% to 14.2% across provinces (P < 0.0001); 11.1% to 26.0% for severe traumatic brain injury (P < 0.0001), and 4.7% to 5.9% for thoracoabdominal injury (P = 0.2). Mortality decreased with increasing number of recommended trauma system elements; adjusted odds ratio = 0.93 (0.87-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: We observed significant variation in trauma center mortality across Canadian provinces, specifically for severe traumatic brain injury. Provinces with more recommended trauma system components had better patient survival. Results suggest that trauma system configuration may be an important determinant of injury mortality. A better understanding of which system processes drive optimal outcomes is required to reduce the burden of injury worldwide.

Establishing an injury indicator for severe paediatric injury.

BACKGROUND: Routinely gathered injury data, such as hospitalisations, may be subject to variation from sources other than injury incidence. There is a need for an indicator that defines severe injury, which may be less vulnerable to fluctuations due to changes in care policies. The purpose of this study was to identify International Classification of Diseases-10 codes associated with severe paediatric injuries and to specify and validate a severe paediatric injury indicator. METHODS: Two data sets that included the ISS and the survival risk ratio were used to produce a list of diagnoses to define severe paediatric injury. The list was sent to trauma surgeons who classified each code as severe enough or not severe enough to require care in a trauma centre. The indicator was fully specified, then validated by using a different data set to validate the codes in a real-world situation. RESULTS: Sixty diagnoses were identified as representing severe paediatric injury. Following specification, the indicator was applied to an existing comprehensive data set of paediatric injuries. The decline in hospitalisation of paediatric injuries was significantly steeper for severe than non-severe injuries, suggesting that factors related to the decline in this trauma subset are unlikely to be related to changes in access or other components of trauma care delivery. CONCLUSIONS: This indicator can be used for the evaluation of trends in severe paediatric trauma and will help identify populations at risk. This research may inform policies and procedures for referrals of severe childhood injury to appropriate levels of care.

Canadian benchmarks for acute injury care.

BACKGROUND: Acute care injury outcomes vary substantially across Canadian provinces and trauma centres. Our aim was to develop Canadian benchmarks to monitor mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) for injury admissions. METHODS: Benchmarks were derived using data from the Canadian National Trauma Registry on patients with major trauma admitted to any level I or II trauma centre in Canada and from the following patient subgroups: isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI), isolated thoracoabdominal injury, multisystem blunt injury, age 65 years or older. We assessed predictive validity using measures of discrimination and calibration, and performed sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of replacing analytically complex methods (multiple imputation, shrinkage estimates and flexible modelling) with simple models that can be implemented locally. RESULTS: The mortality risk adjustment model had excellent discrimination and calibration (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.886, Hosmer-Lemeshow 36). The LOS risk-adjustment model predicted 29% of the variation in LOS. Overall, observed:expected ratios of mortality and mean LOS generated by an analytically simple model correlated strongly with those generated by analytically complex models (r > 0.95, κ on outliers > 0.90). CONCLUSION: We propose Canadian benchmarks that can be used to monitor quality of care in Canadian trauma centres using Excel (see the appendices, available at canjsurg.ca). The program can be implemented using local trauma registries, providing that at least 100 patients are available for analysis.

CONTEXTE: L'issue des traitements dispensés dans les services de traumatologie d'urgence varie substantiellement d'une province canadienne et d'un centre de traumatologie à l'autre. Notre but était d'établir des valeurs de référence pour suivre la mortalité et la durée des séjours hospitaliers en traumatologie au Canada. MÉTHODES: Les paramètres ont été sélectionnés à partir des données du Registre national des traumatismes concernant les grands polytraumatisés admis dans tout centre de traumatologie de niveau I ou II au Canada et selon les catégories de patients suivantes : traumatisme crânien isolé (TCI), traumatisme thoraco-abdominal isolé, traumatisme plurisystémique fermé, âge de 65 ans ou plus. Nous avons évalué la validité prédictive à l'aide de critères discriminants et de paramètres d'étalonnage et nous avons procédé à des analyses de sensibilité pour évaluer l'impact du remplacement de méthodes analytiques complexes (imputation multiple, estimations par contraction des coefficients et modélisation flexible) par des modèles simples applicables à l'échelle locale. RÉSULTATS: Le modèle d'ajustement du risque de mortalité s'est révélé doté d'un pouvoir discriminant et d'un étalonnage excellents (aire sous la courbe de la fonction d'efficacité du récepteur [ROC] 0,886, test de Hosmer-Lemeshow 36). Le modèle d'ajustement du risque pour la durée du séjour hospitalier a permis de prédire 29 % de sa variation. De plus, les rapports observés:attendus pour la mortalité et la durée moyenne des séjours hospitaliers générés par un modèle analytique simple ont été en étroite corrélation avec les rapports générés par les modèles analytiques complexes (r > 0,95, κ pour valeurs aberrantes > 0,90). CONCLUSION: Nous proposons des valeurs de référence canadiennes qui peuvent être utilisées pour faire le suivi de la qualité des soins dans les centres de traumatologie canadiens à l'aide d'un simple programme Excel (voir les annexes, accessible à l'adresse canjsurg.ca). Le programme peut être appliqué à l'aide des données des registres de traumatologie locaux à la condition qu'au moins 100 patients y soient accessibles pour analyse.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in the Maritimes: examining the waves of change over time.

BACKGROUND: Changing patterns of referral and management of pediatric surgical conditions, including hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), have recently been described and often relate to comfort with early nonoperative management, anesthesia and corrective surgery. Travelling distance required for treatment at pediatric centres can also be burdensome for families. We assessed referral patterns for HPS in the maritime provinces of Canada over 10 years to quantify the burden on families travelling for surgical care. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of all patients with HPS in the Maritimes. Length of hospital stay (LOS) and complication rates were analyzed in regards to resuscitation and management at a pediatric centre and/or peripheral centres. We used postal codes for each patient to track distance travelled for management. RESULTS: We assessed 751 cases of HPS. During the study period (Jan. 1, 2001-Dec. 31, 2010), referral to pediatric centres increased from 49% to 71%. Postoperative complications were 2.5-fold higher in peripheral centres. Infants referred to pediatric centres were 78% less likely to have an LOS longer than 3 days. Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy, which was performed only in pediatric centres, was associated with a shorter postoperative LOS. CONCLUSION: Our study supports the current literature demonstrating improved outcomes, shorter overall LOS and decreased risk of complications when infants with HPS are treated in pediatric centres. This should be considered when planning access to pediatric surgical resources.

CONTEXTE: Une évolution des tendances dans les pratiques d'orientation des patients et de prise en charge des affections pédiatriques nécessitant une intervention chirurgicale, telles que la sténose hypertrophique du pylore (SHP), a récemment été décrite; elle dépend souvent du degré d'acceptation de la prise en charge non chirurgicale précoce, de l'anesthésie et de la chirurgie correctrice. Le traitement en centre pédiatrique peut exiger des déplacements pénibles pour les familles. Nous avons évalué les pratiques d'orientation des cas de SHP dans les provinces maritimes du Canada sur une période de 10 ans pour quantifier l'ampleur du fardeau qui incombe aux familles devant voyager pour obtenir des soins chirurgicaux. MÉTHODES: Nous avons étudié le dossier de tous les patients atteints de SHP dans les Maritimes et avons comparé la durée de séjour et le taux de complications associés à la réanimation et à la prise en charge dans les centres pédiatriques et les centres périphériques. Nous avons aussi utilisé les codes postaux des patients pour déterminer la distance de déplacement des familles. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons analysé 751 cas de SHP. Pendant la période à l'étude (2001­2010), le taux d'orientation des patients vers les centres pédiatriques est passé de 49 % à 71 %. Les complications postopératoires étaient 2,5 fois plus courantes dans les centres périphériques, et les séjours de plus de 3 jours étaient 78 % moins fréquents chez les nourrissons traités en centre pédiatrique. La pyloromyotomie par laparoscopie, réalisée dans les centres pédiatriques seulement, a été associée à une réduction de la durée de séjour postopératoire. CONCLUSION: Notre étude va dans le même sens que la littérature actuelle, qui indique que le traitement des nourrissons atteints de SHP en centre pédiatrique est associé à de meilleurs résultats postchirurgicaux, à une durée d'hospitalisation moins longue et à un risque de complications plus faible que le traitement dans un centre périphérique. Ces résultats devraient être pris en compte dans la planification de l'accès aux ressources dans le domaine de la chirurgie pédiatrique.

The Canadian Biliary Atresia Registry: Improving the care of Canadian infants with biliary atresia.

Biliary atresia is the most common cause of end-stage liver disease and liver cirrhosis in children, and the leading indication for liver transplantation in the paediatric population. There is no cure for biliary atresia; however, timely diagnosis and early infant age at surgical intervention using the Kasai portoenterostomy optimize the prognosis. Late referral is a significant problem in Canada and elsewhere. There is also a lack of standardized care practices among treating centres in this country. Biliary atresia registries currently exist across Europe, Asia and the United States. They have provided important evidence-based information to initiate changes to biliary atresia care in their countries with improvements in outcome. The Canadian Biliary Atresia Registry was initiated in 2013 for the purpose of identifying best standards of care, enhancing public education, facilitating knowledge translation and advocating for novel national public health policy programs to improve the outcomes of Canadian infants with biliary atresia.

L'atrésie des voies biliaires est la principale cause d'insuffisance hépatique terminale et de cirrhose chez les enfants, et la première indication de transplantation du foie au sein de la population d'âge pédiatrique. Aucun traitement ne guérit l'atrésie des voies biliaires, mais un diagnostic rapide et le jeune âge du nourrisson au moment de l'intervention chirurgicale par hépato-porto-entérostomie de Kasai optimisent le pronostic. L'orientation tardive vers un spécialiste constitue un problème important au Canada et ailleurs. Par ailleurs, il n'existe pas de protocole de soins standardisés dans les centres de traitement du pays. On trouve des registres d'atrésie des voies biliaires en Europe, en Asie et aux États-Unis, lesquels ont fourni de l'information importante fondée sur des données probantes pour susciter des changements aux soins de cette affection dans ces pays et favoriser une amélioration des résultats. Le Registre canadien d'atrésie des voies biliaires a été créé en 2013 pour définir les meilleures normes de soins, améliorer l'éducation publique, favoriser le transfert des connaissances et prôner de nouveaux programmes de politiques en santé publique en vue d'améliorer le sort des nourrissons canadiens présentant une atrésie des voies biliaires.