Epacadostat plus pembrolizumab versus placebo plus pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with high levels of programmed death-ligand 1: a randomized, double-blind phase 2 study.

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab is a first-line therapy for certain patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Combining pembrolizumab with other immunotherapies may enhance tumor cell killing and clinical outcomes. Epacadostat is a selective inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, an immuno-regulatory enzyme involved in tryptophan to kynurenine metabolism that inhibits T cell-mediated immune responses. METHODS: In this randomized phase II study, patients with metastatic NSCLC expressing high (≥ 50%) programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 21 days plus oral epacadostat 100 mg twice daily (combination) or matching placebo (control). The primary objective was objective response rate (ORR); secondary objectives were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), duration of response (DOR) and safety/tolerability. RESULTS: 154 patients were randomized (77 per group). Median (range) follow-up was 6.8 months (0.1-11.4) and 7.0 months (0.2-11.9) in the combination and control groups, respectively Confirmed ORR was similar between groups (combination: 32.5%, 95% CI 22.2-44.1; control: 39.0%, 95% CI 28.0-50.8; difference: - 6.5, 95% CI - 21.5 to 8.7; 1-sided P = 0.8000). Median (range) DOR was 6.2 months (1.9 + to 6.5 +) and not reached (1.9 + to 8.6 +) in the combination and control groups, respectively. Although not formally tested, median PFS was 6.7 and 6.2 months for the combination and control groups, respectively, and median OS was not reached in either group. Circulating kynurenine levels increased from C1D1 to C2D1 (P < 0.01) in the control group and decreased from C1D1 to C2D1 (P < 0.01) in the combination group but were not normalized in most patients. The most frequent serious adverse events (AEs) (≥ 2%) were pneumonia (4.0%), anemia (2.7%), atelectasis (2.7%) and pneumonitis (2.7%) in the combination group and pneumonia (3.9%), pneumonitis (2.6%) and hypotension (2.6%) in the control group. Two deaths due to drug-related AEs were reported, both in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of epacadostat to pembrolizumab therapy for PD-L1-high metastatic NSCLC was generally well tolerated but did not demonstrate an improved therapeutic effect. Evaluating higher doses of epacadostat that normalize kynurenine levels when given in combination with checkpoint inhibitors may be warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03322540. Registered 10/26/2017.

Treatment of Chronic Hypertrophic Burn Scars With a Fractional CO 2 Laser Is Well Tolerated in an Outpatient Clinic Setting.

INTRODUCTION: The necessity of treating hypertrophic burn scars has expanded significantly with increased burn survivorship. Ablative lasers, such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) lasers, have been the most common nonoperative option for improving functional outcomes in severe recalcitrant hypertrophic burn scars. However, the overwhelming majority of ablative lasers used for this indication require a combination of systemic analgesia, sedation, and/or general anesthesia due to the painful nature of the procedure. More recently, the technology of ablative lasers has advanced and is more tolerable than their first-generation counterparts. Herein, we hypothesized that refractory hypertrophic burn scars can be treated by a CO 2 laser in an outpatient clinic. METHODS: We enrolled 17 consecutive patients with chronic hypertrophic burn scars that were treated with a CO 2 laser. All patients were treated in the outpatient clinic with a combination of a topical solution (23% lidocaine and 7% tetracaine) applied to the scar 30 minutes before the procedure, Cryo 6 air chiller by Zimmer, and some patients received a mixture of N 2 O/O 2 . Laser treatments were repeated every 4 to 8 weeks until the patient's goals were met. Each patient completed a standardized questionnaire to assess tolerability and patient satisfaction of functional results. RESULTS: All patients tolerated the laser well in the outpatient clinic setting, with 0% indicating "not tolerable," 70.6% "tolerable," and 29.4% "very tolerable." Each patient received more than 1 laser treatment for the following complaints: decreased range of motion (n = 16, 94.1%), pain (n = 11, 64.7%), or pruritis (n = 12, 70.6%). Patients were also satisfied with the results of the laser treatments ("no improvement or worsened" = 0%, "improved" = 47.1%, and "significant improvement" = 52.9%). The age of patient, type of burn, location of burn, presence of skin graft, or age of scar did not significantly affect the tolerability of treatment or satisfaction of outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of chronic hypertrophic burn scars with a CO 2 laser is well tolerated in an outpatient clinic setting in select patients. Patients reported a high level of satisfaction with notable improvement in functional and cosmetic outcomes.

Four-year survival with nivolumab in patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: Phase 3 clinical data has shown higher proportions of patients with objective response, longer response duration, and longer overall survival with nivolumab versus docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to evaluate the long-term benefit of nivolumab and the effect of response and disease control on subsequent survival. METHODS: We pooled data from four clinical studies of nivolumab in patients with previously treated NSCLC (CheckMate 017, 057, 063, and 003) to evaluate survival outcomes. Trials of nivolumab in the second-line or later setting with at least 4 years follow-up were included. Comparisons of nivolumab versus docetaxel included all randomised patients from the phase 3 CheckMate 017 and 057 studies. We did landmark analyses by response status at 6 months to determine post-landmark survival outcomes. We excluded patients who did not have a radiographic tumour assessment at 6 months. Safety analyses included all patients who received at least one dose of nivolumab. FINDINGS: Across all four studies, 4-year overall survival with nivolumab was 14% (95% CI 11-17) for all patients (n=664), 19% (15-24) for those with at least 1% PD-L1 expression, and 11% (7-16) for those with less than 1% PD-L1 expression. In CheckMate 017 and 057, 4-year overall survival was 14% (95% CI 11-18) in patients treated with nivolumab, compared with 5% (3-7) in patients treated with docetaxel. Survival subsequent to response at 6 months on nivolumab or docetaxel was longer than after progressive disease at 6 months, with hazard ratios for overall survival of 0·18 (95% 0·12-0·27) for nivolumab and 0·43 (0·29-0·65) for docetaxel; for stable disease versus progressive disease, hazard ratios were 0·52 (0·37-0·71) for nivolumab and 0·80 (0·61-1·04) for docetaxel. Long-term data did not show any new safety signals. INTERPRETATION: Patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab achieved a greater duration of response compared with patients treated with docetaxel, which was associated with a long-term survival advantage. FUNDING: Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Undiagnosed cardiac deficits in non-small cell carcinoma patients in the candidate population for anti-cachexia clinical trials.

PURPOSE: Currently, there is no approved therapy for cancer cachexia. According to European and American regulatory agencies, physical function improvements would be approvable co-primary endpoints of new anti-cachexia medications. As physical functioning is in part dependent on cardiac functioning, we aimed to explore the cardiac status of a group of patients meeting current criteria for inclusion in cachexia clinical trials. METHODS: Seventy treatment-naive patients with metastatic NSCLC [36 (51.4%) male; 96% ECOG 0-1; eligible for carboplatin-based therapy and meeting eligibility criteria for cachexia clinical trials] were recruited before the start of first-line carboplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients were evaluated by echocardiography, electrocardiography, and scales for fatigue and dyspnea. Computed tomography cross-sectional images were utilized for body composition analysis. RESULTS: In 9/70 patients (12.8%), echocardiography allowed discovery of clinically relevant cardiac disorders [seven patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 32%-47%; one patient with severe right ventricular dilation and severe pulmonary hypertension and one patient with severe pericardial effusion warranted hospitalization and drainage]. Another 10/70 (14.3%) patients had diastolic dysfunction with preserved LVEF. The cardiac conditions were associated with aggravated fatigue (p < 0.05), dyspnea (p < 0.05), and anemia (p = 0.06). Five out of seven patients with LVEF < 50% were sarcopenic and one was borderline sarcopenic. CONCLUSION: Baseline cardiac status of the metastatic NSCLC patients adds potential heterogeneity for anti-cachexia clinical trials. Detailed cardiac screening data might be useful for inclusion/exclusion criteria, randomization, and post hoc analysis.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab in patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer (E1505): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy for resected early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) provides a modest survival benefit. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against VEGF, improves outcomes when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced-stage non-squamous NSCLC. We aimed to evaluate the addition of bevacizumab to adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage resected NSCLC. METHODS: We did an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial of adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 and who had completely resected stage IB (≥4 cm) to IIIA (defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer 6th edition) NSCLC. We enrolled patients from across the US National Clinical Trials Network, including patients from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ECOG-ACRIN) affiliates in Europe and from the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, within 6-12 weeks of surgery. The chemotherapy regimen for each patient was selected before randomisation and administered intravenously; it consisted of four 21-day cycles of cisplatin (75 mg/m2 on day 1 in all regimens) in combination with investigator's choice of vinorelbine (30 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), docetaxel (75 mg/m2 on day 1), gemcitabine (1200 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), or pemetrexed (500 mg/m2 on day 1). Patients in the bevacizumab group received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg intravenously every 21 days starting with cycle 1 of chemotherapy and continuing for 1 year. We randomly allocated patients (1:1) to group A (chemotherapy alone) or group B (chemotherapy plus bevacizumab), centrally, using permuted blocks sizes and stratified by chemotherapy regimen, stage of disease, histology, and sex. No one was masked to treatment assignment, except the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00324805. FINDINGS: Between June 1, 2007, and Sept 20, 2013, 1501 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the two treatment groups: 749 to group A (chemotherapy alone) and 752 to group B (chemotherapy plus bevacizumab). 383 (26%) of 1458 patients (with complete staging information) had stage IB, 636 (44%) had stage II, and 439 (30%) had stage IIIA disease (stage of disease data were missing for 43 patients). Squamous cell histology was reported for 422 (28%) of 1501 patients. All four cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens were used: 377 (25%) patients received vinorelbine, 343 (23%) received docetaxel, 283 (19%) received gemcitabine, and 497 (33%) received pemetrexed. At a median follow-up of 50·3 months (IQR 32·9-68·0), the estimated median overall survival in group A has not been reached, and in group B was 85·8 months (95% CI 74·9 to not reached); hazard ratio (group B vs group A) 0·99 (95% CI 0·82-1·19; p=0·90). Grade 3-5 toxicities of note (all attributions) that were reported more frequently in group B (the bevacizumab group) than in group A (chemotherapy alone) were overall worst grade (ie, all grade 3-5 toxicities; 496 [67%] of 738 in group A vs 610 [83%] of 735 in group B), hypertension (60 [8%] vs 219 [30%]), and neutropenia (241 [33%] vs 275 [37%]). The number of deaths on treatment did not differ between the groups (15 deaths in group A vs 19 in group B). Of these deaths, three in group A and ten in group B were considered at least possibly related to treatment. INTERPRETATION: Addition of bevacizumab to adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve overall survival for patients with surgically resected early-stage NSCLC. Bevacizumab does not have a role in this setting and should not be considered as an adjuvant therapy for patients with resected early-stage NSCLC. FUNDING: National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Cost-benefit analysis of outcomes from the use of fibrin sealant for fixation of skin grafts in small-size burns compared to staples as historical controls: a retrospective review.

INTRODUCTION: Historically, split-thickness skin grafts have been fixed onto the recipient site by suture and/or staples. Fibrin sealants have become available for the fixation in the past 10 years. Fibrin sealants have been shown to be at least as effective as staples, and recent reports show them to cause less pain. However, the product is much more expensive than traditional suture and/or staple fixation. The cost-benefit ratio of sealant has not yet been proven. METHODS: A review of charts for 202 consecutive patients was undertaken for patients with burns that were less than 10% total body surface area (TBSA) that underwent excision and grafting using fibrin sealant at the regional burn center. A historical control comprising 48 consecutive patients with burns that were less than 10% TBSA that underwent excision and grafting using staples as the only means of fixation was used for comparison. Demographics (such as age, weight, and sex), personal history of tobacco use, previous diagnosis of diabetes, type and depth of burn, TBSA, area of grafting, graft and donor locations, mesh type, rate of hematomas, rate of graft loss, rate of complete closure at 1 month, and time to discharge after surgery were recorded for each patient in both cohorts. The data were compared and statistical analysis performed for graft loss complications and number of days until the patient could be discharged home with outpatient wound care. RESULTS: Use of fibrin sealants has resulted in statistically significant lower rates of loss of graft at our institution. Additionally, a decrease in the number of days until discharge to outpatient wound care of nearly 2 days produced a lower cost of care in patients with less than 10% TBSA undergoing excision and grafting. CONCLUSIONS: The use of fibrin sealants allows for fewer graft loss complications and earlier discharge in patients who have burns that are less than 10% TBSA. This decrease in hospital days results in savings, although this difference is not statistically significant.

Tecemotide (L-BLP25) versus placebo after chemoradiotherapy for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (START): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Effective maintenance therapies after chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer are lacking. Our aim was to investigate whether the MUC1 antigen-specific cancer immunotherapy tecemotide improves survival in patients with stage III unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer when given as maintenance therapy after chemoradiation. METHODS: The phase 3 START trial was an international, randomised, double-blind trial that recruited patients with unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer who had completed chemoradiotherapy within the 4-12 week window before randomisation and received confirmation of stable disease or objective response. Patients were stratified by stage (IIIA vs IIIB), response to chemoradiotherapy (stable disease vs objective response), delivery of chemoradiotherapy (concurrent vs sequential), and region using block randomisation, and were randomly assigned (2:1, double-blind) by a central interactive voice randomisation system to either tecemotide or placebo. Injections of tecemotide (806 µg lipopeptide) or placebo were given every week for 8 weeks, and then every 6 weeks until disease progression or withdrawal. Cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m(2) (before tecemotide) or saline (before placebo) was given once before the first study drug administration. The primary endpoint was overall survival in a modified intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00409188. FINDINGS: From Feb 22, 2007, to Nov 15, 2011, 1513 patients were randomly assigned (1006 to tecemotide and 507 to placebo). 274 patients were excluded from the primary analysis population as a result of a clinical hold, resulting in analysis of 829 patients in the tecemotide group and 410 in the placebo group in the modified intention-to-treat population. Median overall survival was 25.6 months (95% CI 22.5-29.2) with tecemotide versus 22.3 months (19.6-25.5) with placebo (adjusted HR 0.88, 0.75-1.03; p=0.123). In the patients who received previous concurrent chemoradiotherapy, median overall survival for the 538 (65%) of 829 patients assigned to tecemotide was 30.8 months (95% CI 25.6-36.8) compared with 20.6 months (17.4-23.9) for the 268 (65%) of 410 patients assigned to placebo (adjusted HR 0.78, 0.64-0.95; p=0.016). In patients who received previous sequential chemoradiotherapy, overall survival did not differ between the 291 (35%) patients in the tecemotide group and the 142 (35%) patients in the placebo group (19.4 months [95% CI 17.6-23.1] vs 24.6 months [18.8-33.0], respectively; adjusted HR 1.12, 0.87-1.44; p=0.38). Grade 3-4 adverse events seen with a greater than 2% frequency with tecemotide were dyspnoea (49 [5%] of 1024 patients in the tecemotide group vs 21 [4%] of 477 patients in the placebo group), metastases to central nervous system (29 [3%] vs 6 [1%]), and pneumonia (23 [2%] vs 12 [3%]). Serious adverse events with a greater than 2% frequency with tecemotide were pneumonia (30 [3%] in the tecemotide group vs 14 [3%] in the placebo group), dyspnoea (29 [3%] vs 13 [3%]), and metastases to central nervous system (32 [3%] vs 9 [2%]). Serious immune-related adverse events did not differ between groups. INTERPRETATION: We found no significant difference in overall survival with the administration of tecemotide after chemoradiotherapy compared with placebo for all patients with unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer. However, tecemotide might have a role for patients who initially receive concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and further study in this population is warranted. FUNDING: Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany).

Monotherapy Antibiotic Prophylaxis of Lower Extremity Long Bone Type III Open Fractures.

Gustilo type III open fractures involve extensive soft tissue damage and wound contamination that pose significant infection risks. The historical standard for antibiotic prophylaxis has been cefazolin and gentamicin. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of lower extremity type III open fractures treated with ceftriaxone alone for prophylaxis. Eighty-six patients were identified. Nearly all (98%) were managed with appropriate antibiotics, but only 55 (64%) received prophylaxis within 1 hour. Overall, there were 12 infections. This infection rate was not statistically different than the reported literature (14% vs 19%, P = .20). The infection rate between those who received antibiotics within 1 hour was not statistically different from those who got it beyond 1 hour (15% vs 13%, P = .98). In conclusion, the use of ceftriaxone as monotherapy for antibiotic prophylaxis in lower extremity type III open fractures is not statistically different than the use of historic prophylactic regimens.

Time to Mobility Is Associated With Pulmonary Complications in Patients With Spine Fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of spine fractures may require periods of prolonged immobilization which prevents effective pulmonary toileting. We hypothesized that patients with longer time to mobilization, as measured by time to first physical therapy (PT) session, would have higher pulmonary complications. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all trauma patients with cervical and thoracolumbar spinal fractures admitted to a level 1 trauma center over a 12-month period. Demographic data collection included age, gender, BMI, pulmonary comorbidities, concomitant rib fractures, admission GCS, Injury Severity Score (ISS), GCS at 24 h, treatment with cervical or thoracolumbar immobilization, and time to first PT evaluation. The primary outcome was the presence of any one of the following complications: unplanned intubation, pneumonia, or mortality at 30 days. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess significant predictors of pulmonary complication. RESULTS: In total, 491 patients were identified. In terms of overall pulmonary complications, 10% developed pneumonia, 13% had unplanned intubation, and 6% died within 30 days. In total, 19% developed one or more complication. Overall, 25% of patients were seen by PT <48 h, 33% between 48 and 96 h, 19% at 96 h to 1 week, and 7% > 1 week. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that time to PT session (OR 1.010, 95% CI 1.005-1.016) and ISS (OR 1.063, 95% CI 1.026-1.102) were independently associated with pulmonary complication. CONCLUSION: Time to mobility is independently associated with pulmonary complications in patients with spine fractures.

A Single Hospital-Wide Antibiogram is Insufficient to Account for Differences in Antibiotic Resistance Patterns Across Multiple ICUs.

BACKGROUND: Infection is a common cause of mortality within intensive care units (ICUs). Antibiotic resistance patterns and culture data are used to create antibiograms. Knowledge of antibiograms facilitates guiding empiric therapies and reduces mortality. Most major hospitals utilize data collection to create hospital-wide antibiograms. Previous studies have shown significant differences in susceptibility patterns between hospital wards and ICUs. We hypothesize that institutional or combined ICU antibiograms are inadequate to account for differences in susceptibility for patients in individual ICUs. METHODS: Culture and susceptibility data were reviewed over a 1-year period for 13 bacteria in the following ICUs: Surgical/Trauma, Medical, Neuroscience, Burn, and Emergency department. Antibiotic management decisions are made by individual teams. RESULTS: Nine species had sufficient data for inclusion into an All-ICU antibiogram. E coli and S aureus were the most common isolates. Seven species had significant differences in susceptibility patterns between ICUs. E cloacae showed higher rates of resistance to multiple antibiotics in the STICU than other ICUs. P aeruginosa susceptibility rates in the NSICU and BICU were 88% and 92%, respectively, compared to 60% and 55% in the STICU and MICU. Cephalosporins and Aztreonam had reduced efficacy against E coli in the NSICU, however remain effective in other ICUs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that different ICUs do have variability in antibiotic susceptibility patterns within a single hospital. While this only represents a single institution, it shows that the use of hospital-wide antibiograms is inadequate for creating empiric antibiotic protocols within individual ICUs.

Timeliness of cancer care from diagnosis to treatment: a comparison between patients with breast, colon, rectal or lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the value in measuring specific time intervals across cancer sites to identify potentially important variation in the timeliness of cancer care that may inform needed changes and/or improvements in coordination of care. DESIGN: Retrospective population-level study. Demographic and treatment information were obtained from the Alberta Cancer Registry. Date of oncologist-consult was obtained from cancer medical records. SETTING: Alberta, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: All patients diagnosed in 2005 with breast, colon, rectal or lung cancer who were residents of Alberta, Canada. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (i) Number of days from diagnosis to first treatment by treatment modality and cancer site, (ii) number of days from surgery to post-surgery consultation and subsequent treatment and (iii) relationship between clinical and demographic factors and the cancer-specific provincial median time for outcome measures (i) and (ii). RESULTS: Time from diagnosis to surgery, if first treatment, was ∼4 months for lung cancer compared with 1-2 months for breast and colorectal cancers. Factors associated with this time interval for breast and colorectal cancers was stage at diagnosis but was region of residence for lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Important variation within and across cancer sites identified in the care intervals evaluated in this study provides relevant information to inform local areas for improvement. Comparisons of these intervals across healthcare systems may also provide insights into strengths of different models for coordinating care.

Aortic Injury From High-Speed Deceleration Against a Lap Belt in a 10-year-Old.

Traumatic aortic injuries in children and adolescents are rare, and even more rare are blunt traumatic injury to the abdominal aorta in this population. Therefore, there are few reports discussing the presentation and repair of such injuries, especially within the pediatric population. We report the successful repair of traumatic abdominal aortic transection in a 10-year-old female after a high speed MVC. She arrived in extremis with a seatbelt sign and was taken emergently for damage control laparotomy with subsequent postoperative CT findings of aortic transection/dissection at L3 with active extravasation. She immediately underwent open thrombectomy of the bilateral iliac arteries, and repair of her aortic injury with a 12 × 7 mm Hemashield interposition graft extending just distal to the IMA and 1 cm proximal to the aortic bifurcation. There are little data regarding long-term outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing different aortic repair techniques, and further research is needed.

Identifying Radiographic and Clinical Indicators to Reduce the Occurrence of Nontherapeutic Laparotomy for Blunt Bowel and Mesenteric Injury.

BACKGROUND: Roughly 5% of patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) have a blunt bowel and/or mesenteric injury (BBMI). Determining the need for operative management in these patients can be challenging when hemodynamically stable. Single center studies have proposed scoring systems based on CT findings to guide management. Our study aimed to determine the predictability of abdominopelvic CT scan (CT A/P) findings in conjunction with clinical exam to determine the necessity of operative intervention for BBMI. METHODS: Patients presenting from 2017 to 2022 to the University of South Alabama Level 1 Trauma Center after motor vehicle collision were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with CT findings suggestive of BBMI were further analyzed, noting CT findings, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), shock index, abdominal exam, operative or nonoperative management, and intraoperative intervention. RESULTS: 1098 patients with BAT underwent CT A/P. 139 patients had ≥1 finding suggestive of BBMI. 38 patients underwent surgical exploration and 30 had surgically confirmed BBMI. 27 patients required intervention for BBMI. Univariate analysis indicated that pneumoperitoneum (p < 0.0001), active extravasation of contrast (p = 0.0001), hemoperitoneum without solid organ injury (SOI) (p < 0.0001), peritonitis (p < 0.0001), and mesenteric stranding(p < 0.05) were significantly associated with intervention. CONCLUSION: In total, 30 patients had surgically confirmed BBMI. Active extravasation, pneumoperitoneum, hemoperitoneum without SOI, mesenteric stranding, and peritonitis were significant indicators of BBMI requiring intervention. CT and clinical findings cannot reliably predict the need for surgical intervention without ≥1 of these findings. Initial nonoperative management with serial clinical exams should be strongly considered to reduce incidence of nontherapeutic laparotomies.

Incidence and Severity of Medication Reconciliation Discrepancies in Trauma Patients.

Trauma patients are especially vulnerable to inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the USA Health University Hospital's incidence and type of inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies among trauma patients. Patients were interviewed for accuracy of their admission medication reconciliation (AMR). Eighty-nine patients were included in this study. Twenty-six patients (29%) never received an AMR. There were 107 inadvertent medication reconciliation errors identified from 30 separate patients (48%), for a rate of 3.6 errors per patient with any error. There was a significant difference in the frequency of inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies for patients with >5 medication compared to those with fewer (P = .00029). In conclusion, trauma centers must be adequately staffed to provide timely, accurate, and available medication lists so that patients can be appropriately cared for.

Social Determinants of Health Impact Physical Recovery After Blunt Injury.

As defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are conditions in the environment that affect health function and outcomes. The SDOH are divided into the following categories: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community content. It is known that SDOH impact long-term health outcomes. The influence that SDOH have on physical recovery after acute injury is less understood, however. In this study, patients who suffered a traumatic blunt injury completed a survey 12-14 months post-injury to assess their SDOH and physical health before and after their injury. The results showed that for the cohort of patients studied SDOH was the greatest predictor of long-term recovery, having a stronger correlation with recovery than injury severity score (ISS) or hospital length of stay (HLOS).

Incidence and Outcomes of Undiagnosed and Untreated Diabetes Mellitus in Trauma Patients.

Diabetes is a major determinate for mortality in trauma patients. Many diabetics are undiagnosed or poorly controlled. Trauma patients disproportionately come from lower socioeconomic status, making missed diagnoses more likely. We aimed to quantify the incidence of undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetics assessed at a Level 1 Trauma Center. We did a retrospective chart review of admitted trauma patients over a one-month period. Past Medical History, home medication lists, and Hemoglobin A1c on admission were recorded for each patient. We determined that 30 of 173 trauma patients qualifying for the study were diabetic. Furthermore, 30% of these diabetics were undiagnosed or had poorly controlled diabetes. Undiagnosed pre-diabetics made up 20% of the entire study group. Our data show that 26% of trauma patients would benefit from an intervention for improved glucose control. Trauma centers should consider creating routine clinical practice guidelines to identify at-risk patients and provide intervention for long-term management.

Survey of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in trauma patients: current prescribing practices and concordance with clinical practice guidelines.

Objectives: Pharmacological venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis is recommended in the vast majority of trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize current dosing practices and timing of initiation of pharmacological VTE chemoprophylaxis at trauma centers. Methods: This was an international, cross-sectional survey of trauma providers. The survey was sponsored by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) and distributed to AAST members. The survey included 38 questions about practitioner demographics, experience, level and location of trauma center, and individual/site-specific practices regarding the dosing, selection, and timing of initiation of pharmacological VTE chemoprophylaxis in trauma patients. Results: One hundred eighteen trauma providers responded (estimated response rate 6.9%). Most respondents were at level 1 trauma centers (100/118; 84.7%) and had >10 years of experience (73/118; 61.9%). While multiple dosing regimens were used, the most common dose reported was enoxaparin 30 mg every 12 hours (80/118; 67.8%). The majority of respondents (88/118; 74.6%) indicated adjusting the dose in patients with obesity. Seventy-eight (66.1%) routinely use antifactor Xa levels to guide dosing. Respondents at academic institutions were more likely to use guideline-directed dosing (based on the Eastern Association of the Surgery of Trauma and the Western Trauma Association guidelines) of VTE chemoprophylaxis compared with those at non-academic centers (86.2% vs 62.5%; p=0.0158) and guideline-directed dosing was reported more often if the trauma team included a clinical pharmacist (88.2% vs 69.0%; p=0.0142). Wide variability in initial timing of VTE chemoprophylaxis after traumatic brain injury, solid organ injury, and spinal cord injuries was found. Conclusions: A high degree of variability exists in prescribing and monitoring practices for the prevention of VTE in trauma patients. Clinical pharmacists may be helpful on trauma teams to optimize dosing and increase prescribing of guideline-concordant VTE chemoprophylaxis.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Trauma Population in a Level 1 Trauma Center.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of the pandemic on our trauma population. We performed a retrospective review of the trauma registry in the 2 years prior, and then 2 years during the pandemic. We evaluated age, race, gender, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism of trauma, rate of self-inflicted injury, rate of gunshot wounds (GSW), presence of EtOH, drug screen results, mortality, rate of burn traumas, and zip code of residence. Our query captured 5 054 patients before, and 5 731 during the pandemic. We found no statistical difference in age, gender, mechanism of trauma, rate of self-inflicted injuries, and mortality during the pandemic when compared to before. There were statistically significant differences in race, ISS, rate of GSWs, EtOH use, drug screen results, and burn traumas. Geospatial mapping found a rise in GSWs for zip code 36606. Gun violence and substance use rose in our trauma population during COVID-19.

The Relationship between Serum Sodium, Serum Osmolality, and Intracranial Pressure in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Treated with Hyperosmolar Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is controversial. Hyperosmolar therapy is used to prevent cerebral edema in these patients. Many intensivists measure direct correlates of these agents-serum sodium and osmolality. We seek to provide context on the utility of using these measures to estimate ICP in TBI patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted with TBI who required ICP monitoring from 2008 to 2012 were included. Intracranial pressure, serum sodium, and serum osmolality were assessed prior to hyperosmotic therapy then at 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours after admission. A linear regression was performed on sodium, osmolality, and ICP at baseline and serum sodium and osmolality that corresponded with ICP for 6-72-hour time points. RESULTS: 136 patients were identified. Patients with initial measures were included in the baseline analysis (n = 29). Patients who underwent a craniectomy were excluded from the 6-72-hour analysis (n = 53). Initial ICP and serum sodium were not significantly correlated (R2 .00367, P = .696). Initial ICP and serum osmolality were not significantly correlated (R2 .00734, P = .665). Intracranial pressure and serum sodium 6-72 hours after presentation were poorly correlated (R2 .104, P < .0001), as were ICP and serum osmolality at 6-72 hours after presentation (R2 .116, P < .0001). DISCUSSION: Our results indicate initial ICP is not correlated with serum sodium or osmolality suggesting these are not useful initial clinical markers for ICP estimation. The association between ICP and serum sodium and osmolality after hyperosmolar therapy was poor, thus may not be useful as surrogates for direct ICP measurements.