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

ABSTRACT: Trauma centers demonstrate an impressive ability to save lives, as reflected by inpatient survival rates of over 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 (CCM) that have been put forward to improve trauma survivorship. Of 833 articles screened, we included 16 studies evaluating eight collaborative care programs, predominantly in the U.S. The majority of the programs offered care coordination and averaged 9-months in duration. Three-fourths of the programs incorporated a mental health provider within their primary team. Observed outcomes were diverse: some models showed increased engagement (e.g., Center for Trauma Survivorship, trauma quality-of-life follow-up clinic), while others presented mixed mental health outcomes and varied results on pain and healthcare utilization. The findings of this study indicate that collaborative interventions may be effective in mental health screening, PTSD and depression management, effective referrals, and improving patient satisfaction with care. A consensus on core elements and cost-effectiveness of CCMs is necessary to set the standard for comprehensive care in post-trauma recovery.

Dollars and Sense: The Financial Argument for Dedicated Posttrauma Center Care.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that the creation of a Center for Trauma Survivorship (CTS) is not cost-prohibitive but is a revenue generator for the institution. BACKGROUND: A dedicated CTS has been demonstrated to increase adherence with follow-up visits and improve overall aftercare in severely injured patients discharged from the trauma center. A potential impediment to the creation of similar centers is its assumed prohibitive cost. METHODS: This pre and post-cohort study examines the financial impact of patients treated by the CTS. Patients in the PRE cohort were those treated in the year before CTS inception. Eligibility criteria are trauma patients admitted who are ≥18 years of age and have a New Injury Severity Score ≥16 or intensive care unit stay ≥2 days. Financial data were obtained from the hospital's billing and cost accounting systems for a 1-year time period after discharge. RESULTS: There were 176 patients in the PRE and 256 in the CTS cohort. The CTS cohort generated 1623 subsequent visits versus 748 in the PRE cohort. CTS patients underwent more follow-up surgery in their first year of recovery as compared with the PRE cohort (98 vs 26 procedures). Each CTS patient was responsible for a $7752 increase in net revenue with a positive contribution margin of $4558 compared with those in the PRE group. CONCLUSIONS: A dedicated CTS increases subsequent visits and necessary procedures and is a positive revenue source for the trauma center. The presumptive financial burden of a CTS is incorrect and the creation of dedicated centers will improve patients' outcomes and the institution's bottom line.

Pediatric diencephalic tumors: a constellation of entities and management modalities.

The diencephalon is a complex midline structure consisting of the hypothalamus, neurohypophysis, subthalamus, thalamus, epithalamus, and pineal body. Tumors arising from each of these diencephalic components differ significantly in terms of biology and prognosis. The aim of this comprehensive review is to describe the epidemiology, clinical symptoms, imaging, histology, and molecular markers in the context of the 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system neoplasms. We will also discuss the current management of each of these tumors.

Neuroimaging of complications arising after CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: A review.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting the CD19 (cluster of differentiation 19) cell surface glycoprotein have emerged as a highly effective immunologic therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. The engagement of CAR T cells with CD19 on the surface of neoplastic B cells causes a systemic cytokine release, which can compromise the blood-brain barrier and cause an immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). In a small proportion of ICANS patients who demonstrate neuroimaging abnormalities, certain distinct patterns have been recognized, including signal changes in the thalami, external capsule, and brainstem, the subcortical and/or periventricular white matter, the splenium of the corpus callosum, and the cerebellum. On careful review of the underlying pathophysiology of ICANS, we noticed that these changes closely mirror the underlying blood-brain barrier disruption and neuroinflammatory and excitotoxic effects of the offending cytokines released during ICANS. Furthermore, other uncommon complications of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy such as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, ocular complications, and opportunistic fungal infections can be catastrophic if not diagnosed in a timely manner, with neuroimaging playing a significant role in management. In this narrative review, we will summarize the current literature on the spectrum of neuroimaging findings in ICANS, list appropriate differential diagnoses, and explore the imaging features of other uncommon central nervous system complications of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy using illustrative cases from two tertiary care institutions.

Measuring long-term outcomes after injury: current issues and future directions.

Maximizing long-term outcomes for patients following injury is the next challenge in the delivery of patient-centered trauma care. The following review outlines three important components in trauma outcomes: (1) data gathering and monitoring, (2) the impact of traumatic brain injury, and (3) trajectories in recovery and identifies knowledge gaps and areas for needed future research.

Surgical resident operative autonomy on nights and weekends: What happens to surgical education during off-hours?

BACKGROUND: Surgical resident operative autonomy is critical for trainee maturation to independence. Acute care surgery (ACS) cases commonly occur off-hours and tension between operating room availability and on-call staff can affect resident operative autonomy. We examined operative resident autonomy for general, vascular, and thoracic (GVT) surgery during nights and weekends. We hypothesized that residents would be afforded less operative autonomy during off - hours than weekdays. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study uses the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we examined all GVT cases at Veterans Affairs teaching hospitals from 2004 to 2019. All cases are coded for the level of supervision at the time of surgery: AP, attending primary surgeon; AR, attending and resident operating together; and RP, resident primary (attending supervising but not scrubbed). Cases starting between 6 pm to 7 am Monday through Friday were considered nights, cases on Saturday/Sunday were considered weekends, and collectively considered "off-hours." Resident primary case rates were compared by start time and type. RESULTS: Over the 15-year study period, there were 666,421 GVT cases performed with 38,097 cases (6%) performed off-hours. During off-hours, 31,396 (83%) were ACS compared with 5% of daytime cases. Overall, off-hours cases have higher RP rate than daytime cases (6.8% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001). Daytime ACS cases have higher rates of RP than nights/weekends (7.6% vs. 6.8%, p < 0.001). Conversely, daytime elective cases have lower RP than nights (5.7% vs. 7.9%, p < 0.001). During off-hours, there are more RP cases on nights compared with weekends (7.1% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Overall, residents were afforded more operative autonomy during off-hours, with nights having greater RP than weekends. In contrast, ACS cases have more autonomy during weekdays. These data have potentially significant implications for ACS service staffing, night float rotations, and overall resident operative experience on ACS services. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/STUDY TYPE: Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.

Survivorship.

This address challenges the trauma community and each trauma center to develop a dedicated outpatient center for trauma survivors, delivering patient-centered, high-quality physical and behavioral health care as well as social support for patients and caregivers.

Developing a National Trauma Research Action Plan: Results from the long-term outcomes research gap Delphi survey.

BACKGROUND: In the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2016 report on trauma care, the establishment of a National Trauma Research Action Plan to strengthen and guide future trauma research was recommended. To address this recommendation, the Department of Defense funded the Coalition for National Trauma Research to generate a comprehensive research agenda spanning the continuum of trauma and burn care. We describe the gap analysis and high-priority research questions generated from the National Trauma Research Action Plan panel on long-term outcomes. METHODS: Experts in long-term outcomes were recruited to identify current gaps in long-term trauma outcomes research, generate research questions, and establish the priority for these questions using a consensus-driven, Delphi survey approach from February 2021 to August 2021. Panelists were identified using established Delphi recruitment guidelines to ensure heterogeneity and generalizability including both military and civilian representation. Panelists were encouraged to use a PICO format to generate research questions: Patient/Population, Intervention, Compare/Control, and Outcome model. On subsequent surveys, panelists were asked to prioritize each research question on a 9-point Likert scale, categorized to represent low-, medium-, and high-priority items. Consensus was defined as ≥60% of panelists agreeing on the priority category. RESULTS: Thirty-two subject matter experts generated 482 questions in 17 long-term outcome topic areas. By Round 3 of the Delphi, 359 questions (75%) reached consensus, of which 107 (30%) were determined to be high priority, 252 (70%) medium priority, and 0 (0%) low priority. Substance abuse and pain was the topic area with the highest number of questions. Health services (not including mental health or rehabilitation) (64%), mental health (46%), and geriatric population (43%) were the topic areas with the highest proportion of high-priority questions. CONCLUSION: This Delphi gap analysis of long-term trauma outcomes research identified 107 high-priority research questions that will help guide investigators in future long-term outcomes research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Tests or Criteria; Level IV.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BIOLOGICAL SEX AND THE X-LINKED VARIANT IRAK1 HAPLOTYPE IN MODULATING CLINICAL OUTCOME AND CELLULAR PHENOTYPES AFTER TRAUMA.

ABSTRACT: Sex-related outcome differences in trauma remain controversial. The mechanisms causing sex-biased outcomes are likely to have hormonal and genetic components, in which X-linked genetic polymorphisms may play distinct roles because of X-linked inheritance, hemizygosity in males, and X chromosome mosaicism in females. The study aimed to elucidate the contribution of biological sex and the common X-linked IRAK1 haplotype to posttrauma clinical complications, inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, and polymorphonuclear cell and monocyte activation. Postinjury clinical outcome was tested in 1507 trauma patients (1,110 males, 397 females) after stratification by sex or the variant IRAK1 haplotype. Males showed a three- to fivefold greater frequency of posttrauma sepsis, but similar mortality compared to females. Stratification by the variant IRAK1 haplotype revealed increased pneumonia and urinary tract infection in Wild type (WT) versus variant IRAK1 males, whereas increased respiratory failures in variant versus WT females. Cytokine/chemokine profiles were tested in whole blood from a subset of patients (n = 81) and healthy controls (n = 51), which indicated sex-related differences in ex vivo lipopolysaccharide responsiveness manifesting in a 1.5- to 2-fold increased production rate of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-10, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 Alpha, and MIP1ß in WT male compared to WT female trauma patients. Variant IRAK1 decreased IL-6, IL-8, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 production in male trauma subjects compared to WT, whereas cytokine/chemokine responses were similar in variant IRAK1 and WT female trauma subjects. Trauma-induced and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated polymorphonuclear cell and monocyte activation determined by using a set of cluster of differentiation markers and flow cytometry were not influenced by sex or variant IRAK1. These findings suggest that variant IRAK1 is a potential contributor to sex-based outcome differences, but its immunomodulatory impacts are modulated by biological sex.

Developing and leading a sustainable organization for early career acute care surgeons: Lessons from the inaugural American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Associate Member Council.

ABSTRACT: The associate membership of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) was established in 2019 to create a defined but incorporated entity within the larger AAST for the next generation of acute care surgeons. The Associate Member Council (AMC) was subsequently established in 2020 to provide the new AM with an elected group of leaders who would represent them within the AAST. In its inaugural year, this cohort of junior faculty and surgical trainees had developed for the AM a set of bylaws, a mission statement, a strategic vision, and a succession plan. The experience of the AAST AMC is exemplary of what can be accomplished with collaboration, mentorship, innovation, and tenacity. It has the potential to serve as a template for the creation and vitalization of future professional groups. In this piece, the AMC proposes a blueprint for the successful conception of a new organization.

Center for Trauma Survivorship improves postdischarge follow-up and retention.

BACKGROUND: Although the need for high-level care persists postdischarge, severely injured trauma survivors have historically poor adherence to follow-up. We hypothesized that a dedicated Center for Trauma Survivorship (CTS) improves follow-up and facilitates postdischarge specialty care. METHODS: A retrospective study of "CTS eligible" trauma patients before (January to December 2017) and after (January to December 2019) creation of the CTS was performed. Patients with an intensive care unit stay ≥2 days or a New Injury Severity Score of ≥16 are CTS eligible. The before (PRE) cohort was followed through December 2018 and the after (CTS) cohort through December 2020. Primary outcome was follow-up within the hospital system exclusive of mental health and rehabilitative therapy appointments. Secondary outcomes include postdischarge surgical procedures and specialty-specific follow-up. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographics or hospital duration in the PRE (n = 177) and CTS (n = 119) cohorts. Of the CTS group, 91% presented for outpatient follow-up within the hospital system, compared with 73% in the PRE group (p < 0.001). In the PRE cohort, only 39% were seen by the trauma service compared with 62% in the CTS cohort (p < 0.001). Center for Trauma Survivorship patients also had increased follow-up with other providers (80% vs. 65%; p = 0.006). Notably, 33% of CTS patients had additional surgery compared with only 20% in the PRE group (p = 0.011). Center for Trauma Survivorship patients had more than 20% more outpatient visits (1,280 vs. 1,006 visits). CONCLUSION: Despite the follow-up period for the CTS cohort occurring during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting availability of outpatient services, our CTS significantly improved follow-up with trauma providers, as well as with other specialties. The CTS patients also underwent significantly more secondary operations. These data demonstrate that creation of a CTS can improve the postdischarge care of severely injured trauma survivors, allowing for care coordination within the health care system, retaining patients, generating revenue, and providing needed follow-up care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.

Utilizing triage rates to improve ICU admission guidelines of elderly rib fracture patients.

BACKGROUND: Elderly rib fracture patients are generally admitted to an ICU which may result in overutilization of scarce resources. We hypothesized that this practice results in significant overtriage. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients over age 70 with acute rib fracture(s) as sole indication for ICU admission. Primary outcomes were adverse events (intubation, pneumonia, death), which we classified as meriting ICU admission. We utilized Cribari matrices to calculate triage rates. RESULTS: 101 patients met study criteria. 12% had adverse events occurring on average at day 5. Our undertriage rate was 6% and overtriage rate 87%. The 72 overtriaged patients utilized 295 total ICU days. Evaluating guideline modification, ≥3 fractures appears optimal. Changing to this would have liberated 50 ICU days with 3% undertriage. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with small numbers of rib fractures are overtriaged to ICUs. Modifying guidelines to ≥3 rib fractures will improve resource utilization and save ICU beds.

High resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta procedural volume is associated with improved outcomes: An analysis of the AORTA registry.

BACKGROUND: The use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is controversial. We hypothesize that REBOA outcomes are improved in centers with high REBOA utilization. METHODS: We examined the Aortic Occlusion in Resuscitation for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery registry over a 5-year period (2014-2018). Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta outcomes were analyzed by stratifying institutions into low-volume (<10), average-volume (11-30), and high-volume (>30) deployment centers. A multivariable model adjusting for volume group, mechanism of injury, signs of life, systolic blood pressure at initiation, operator level, device type, zone of placement, and hemodynamic response to aortic occlusion was created to analyze REBOA mortality and REBOA-related complications. RESULTS: Four hundred ninety-five REBOA placements were included. High-volume centers accounted for 63%, while low accounted for 13%. High-volume institutions were more likely to place a REBOA in the emergency department (81% vs. 63% low volume, p = 0.003), had a lower mean systolic blood pressure at insertion (53 ± 38 vs. 64 ± 40, p = 0.001), and more Zone I deployments (64% vs. 55%, p = 0.002). Median time from admission to REBOA placement was significantly less in patients treated at high-volume centers (15 [7-30] minutes vs. 35 [20-65] minutes, p = 0.001). Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta mortality was significantly higher at low-volume centers (67% vs. 57%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.29; adj p = 0.040), while average- and high-volume centers were similar. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta complications were less frequent at high-/average-volume centers, but did not reach statistical significance (adj p = 0.784). CONCLUSION: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta survival is increased at high versus low utilization centers. Increased experience with REBOA may be associated with earlier deployment and subsequently improved patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management, level IV.

BRCA1/Trp53 heterozygosity and replication stress drive esophageal cancer development in a mouse model.

BRCA1 germline mutations are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Recent findings of others suggest that BRCA1 mutation carriers also bear an increased risk of esophageal and gastric cancer. Here, we employ a Brca1/Trp53 mouse model to show that unresolved replication stress (RS) in BRCA1 heterozygous cells drives esophageal tumorigenesis in a model of the human equivalent. This model employs 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) as an RS-inducing agent. Upon drinking 4NQO-containing water, Brca1 heterozygous mice formed squamous cell carcinomas of the distal esophagus and forestomach at a much higher frequency and speed (∼90 to 120 d) than did wild-type (WT) mice, which remained largely tumor free. Their esophageal tissue, but not that of WT control mice, revealed evidence of overt RS as reflected by intracellular CHK1 phosphorylation and 53BP1 staining. These Brca1 mutant tumors also revealed higher genome mutation rates than those of control animals; the mutational signature SBS4, which is associated with tobacco-induced tumorigenesis; and a loss of Brca1 heterozygosity (LOH). This uniquely accelerated Brca1 tumor model is also relevant to human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, an often lethal tumor.