Do emergency medical dispatchers choose the same response to serious injury in men and women - a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has indicated that sex is an important determinant of emergency medical response in patients with possible serious injuries. Men were found to receive more advanced prehospital treatment and more helicopter transportation and trauma centre destinations and were more often received by an activated trauma team, even when adjusted for injury mechanism. Emergency medical dispatchers choose initial resources when serious injury is suspected after a call to the emergency medical communication centre. This study aimed to assess how dispatchers evaluate primary responses in trauma victims, with a special focus on the sex of the victim. METHODS: Emergency medical dispatchers were interviewed using focus groups and a semistructured interview guide developed specifically for this study. Two vignettes describing typical and realistic injury scenarios were discussed. Verbatim transcripts of the conversations were analysed via systematic text condensation. The findings were reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) checklist. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in the main category "Tailoring the right response to the patient", supported by three categories "Get an overview of location and scene safety", "Patient condition" and "Injury mechanism and special concerns". The informants consistently maintained that sex was not a relevant variable when deciding emergency medical response during dispatch and claimed that they rarely knew the sex of the patient before a response was implemented. Some of the participants also raised the question of whether the Norwegian trauma criteria reliably detect serious injury in women. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the emergency medical response is largely based on the national trauma criteria and that sex is of little or no importance during dispatch. The observed sex differences in the emergency medical response seems to be caused by other factors during the emergency medical response phase.

Team communication patterns during real and simulated trauma resuscitation-a social network analysis.

In trauma teams, coordination can be established through a centralised leader. The team can also use a decentralised strategy. In this descriptive study of video-recorded trauma resuscitations, using quantification of qualitative data, Social Network analysis of all real-time communications of eight in-real-life (IRL) and simulated trauma teams explained team social structure. The communication network structures in the simulated scenarios were more centralised using individually directed speech and had a high proportion of communication to update all team members. Such a structure might be the result of work performed in a complexity-stripped simulation environment where simplified task-executions required less interactions, or from work revolving around a deteriorating patient, imposing high demands on rapid decision-making and taskwork. Communication IRL was mostly decentralised, with more variability between cases, possibly due to unpredictability of the IRL case. The flexibility to act in a decentralised manner potentiates adaptability and seems beneficial in rapidly changing situations.Practitioner summary: Efficient collaboration in trauma teams is essential. Communication in in-real-life and simulated trauma teams was analysed using social network analysis. The simulation teams were overall more centralised compared to the IRL teams. The flexibility to act decentralised seems beneficial for emergency teams as it enables adaptability in unpredictable situations.

Does mortality after trauma team activation peak at shift change?

BACKGROUND: Prior institutional data have demonstrated trauma mortality to be highest between 06:00-07:59 at our center, which is also when providers change shifts (07:00-07:30). The objective was definition of patient, provider, and systems variables associated with trauma mortality at shift change among patients arriving as trauma team activations (TTA). METHODS: All TTA patients at our ACS-verified Level I trauma center were included (01/2008-07/2019), excluding those with undocumented arrival time. Study groups were defined by arrival time: shift change (SC) (06:00-07:59) vs. non-shift change (NSC) (all other times). Univariable/multivariable analyses compared key variables. Propensity score analysis compared outcomes after matching. RESULTS: After exclusions, 6020 patients remained: 229 (4%) SC and 5791 (96%) NSC. SC mortality was 25% vs. 16% during NSC (p < 0.001). More SC patients arrived with SBP <90 (19% vs. 11%, p < 0.001) or GCS <9 (35% vs. 24%, p < 0.001). ISS was higher during SC (43[32-50] vs. 34[27-50], p < 0.001). Time to CT scan (36[23-66] vs. 38[23-61] minutes, p = 0.638) and emergent surgery (94[35-141] vs. 63[34-107] minutes, p = 0.071) were comparable. Older age (p < 0.001), SBP <90 (p < 0.001), GCS <9 (p < 0.001), need for emergent operative intervention (p = 0.044), and higher ISS (p < 0.001) were independently associated with mortality. After propensity score matching, mortality was no different between SC and NSC (p = 0.764). CONCLUSIONS: Early morning is a low-volume, high-mortality time for TTAs. Increased mortality at shift change was independently associated with patient/injury factors but not provider/systems factors. Ensuring ample clinical resource allocation during this high acuity time may be prudent to streamline patient care at shift change.

Development of trauma team cognition can be explained by "split vision": A grounded theory study.

The aim of this study was to explore interaction of interprofessional hospital trauma teams. A theory about how team cognition is developed through a dynamical process was established using grounded theory methodology. Video recordings of in-real-life resuscitations performed in the emergency ward of a Scandinavian mid-size urban hospital were collected and eligible for inclusion using theoretical sampling. By analyzing interactions during seven trauma resuscitations, the theory that trauma teams perform patient assessment and resuscitation by alternating between two process modes, the two main categories "team positioning" and "sensitivity to the patient," was generated. The core category "working with split vision" explicates how the teams interplay between the two modes to coordinate team focus with an emergent mental model of the specific situation. Split vision ensures that deeper aspects of the team, such as culture, knowledge, empathy, and patient needs are absorbed to continuously adapt team positioning and create precision in care for the specific patient.

Practice Patterns and Management Protocols in Trauma across Indian Settings: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey.

Background: Trauma is the leading cause of death in India resulting in a significant public health burden. Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) has established a trauma network committee to understand current practices and identify the gaps and challenges in trauma management in Indian settings. Material and methods: An online survey-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with high-priority research questions based on hospital profile, resource availability, and trauma management protocols. Results: Data from 483 centers were analyzed. A significant difference was observed in infrastructure, resource utilization, and management protocols in different types of hospitals and between small and big size hospitals across different tier cities in India (p < 0.05). The advanced trauma life support (ATLS)-trained emergency room (ER) physician had a significant impact on infrastructure organization and trauma management protocols (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, the highest impact of ATLS-trained ER physicians was on the use of extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) (2.909 times), followed by hospital trauma code (2.778 times), dedicated trauma team (1.952 times), and following trauma scores (1.651 times). Conclusion: We found that majority of the centers are well equipped with optimal infrastructure, ATLS-trained physician, and management protocols. Still many aspects of trauma management need to be prioritized. There should be proactive involvement at an organizational level to manage trauma patients with a multidisciplinary approach. This survey gives us a deep insight into the current scenario of trauma care and can guide to strengthen across the country. How to cite this article: Sodhi K, Khasne RW, Chanchalani G, Jagathkar G, Kola VR, Mishra M et al. Practice Patterns and Management Protocols in Trauma across Indian Settings: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(1):38-51.

Objective Measurement of Learners' Cognitive Load During Simulation-Based Trauma Team Training: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Literature has shown cognitive overload which can negatively impact learning and clinical performance in surgery. We investigated learners' cognitive load during simulation-based trauma team training using an objective digital biomarker. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a simulation center where a 3-h simulation-based interprofessional trauma team training program was conducted. A session included three scenarios each followed by a debriefing session. One scenario involved multiple patients. Learners wore a heart rate sensor that detects interbeat intervals in real-time. Low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio was used as a validated proxy for cognitive load. Learners' LF/HF ratio was tracked through different phases of simulation. RESULTS: Ten subjects participated in 12 simulations. LF/HF ratios during scenario versus debriefing were compared for each simulation. These were 3.75 versus 2.40, P < 0.001 for scenario 1; 4.18 versus 2.77, P < 0.001 for scenario 2; and 4.79 versus 2.68, P < 0.001 for scenario 3. Compared to single-patient scenarios, multiple-patient scenarios posed a higher cognitive load, with LF/HF ratios of 3.88 and 4.79, P < 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: LF/HF ratio, a proxy for cognitive load, was increased during all three scenarios compared to debriefings and reached the highest levels in a multiple-patient scenario. Using heart rate variability as an objective marker of cognitive load is feasible and this metric is able to detect cognitive load fluctuations during different simulation phases and varying scenario difficulties.

Trauma team leader and early mortality: An interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The trauma team leader (TTL) is a "model" of a specifically dedicated team leader in the emergency department (ED), but its benefits are uncertain. The primary objective was to assess the impact of the TTL on 72-hour mortality. Secondary objectives included 24-hour mortality and admission delays from the ED. METHODS: Major trauma admissions (Injury Severity Score (ISS)≥12) in 3 Canadian Level-1 trauma centres were included from 2003 to 2017. The TTL program was implemented in centre 1 in 2005. An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was performed. Analyses account for the change in patient case-mix (age, sex, and ISS). The two other centres were used as control in sensitivity analyses RESULTS: Among 20,193 recorded trauma admissions, 71.7% (n=14,479) were males. The mean age was 53.5 ± 22.0 years. The median [IQR] ISS was 22 [16-26]. TTL implementation was not associated with a change in the quarterly trends of 72-hour or 24-hour mortality: adjusted estimates with 95% CI were 0.32 [-0.22;0.86] and -0.07 [-0.56;0.41] percentage-point change. Similar results were found for the proportions of patients admitted within 8 hours of ED arrival (0.36 [-1.47;2.18]). Sensitivity analyses using the two other centres as controls yielded similar results. CONCLUSION: TTL implementation was not associated with changes in mortality or admission delays from the ED. Future studies should assess the potential impact of TTL programs on other patient-centred outcomes using different quality of care indicators.

Trauma team training in Norwegian hospitals: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of deaths in Norway, especially among younger males. Trauma-related mortality can be reduced by structural measures, such as organization of a trauma system. Many hospitals in Norway treat few seriously injured patients, one of the reasons for development of the Norwegian trauma system. Since its implementation, there has been continuous improvement of this system, including trauma team training. Regular trauma team training is compulsory, with the aims of compensating for lack of experience and maintaining competence. The purpose of this study was to present an overview of current trauma team training activities in Norway. METHODS: For this observational study, the authors developed an online questionnaire and mailed it to local trauma coordinators from 38 Norwegian hospitals-including four trauma centers and 34 acute hospitals with trauma function. The study was performed during April-June 2020, with a two-month response window. Trauma team training frequency was assessed in four predefined intervals: < 5, 5-9, 10-15 and > 15 times per year. The response rate was 33 of 38, 87%. RESULTS: All responding hospitals conducted regular trauma team training. The frequency of training increased significantly from 2013 to 2020 (Chi square test, Chi2 8.33, p = 0.04). All hospitals described a quite homogenous approach. The trauma centres trained more frequently as compared to the acute care hospitals (Chi square test, Chi2 8.24, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: All responding hospitals performed regular trauma team training using a homogenous approach, which is in line with previous assessments. We observed a minor improvement in frequency compared to prior assessments. Our findings suggest that Norwegian trauma teams likely maintain their competence through team training. All hospitals followed the current recommendations from the National Trauma Plan.

The effect of an on-site trauma surgeon during resuscitations of severely injured patients.

BACKGROUND: Although the timely involvement of trauma surgeons is widely accepted as standard care in a trauma center, there is an ongoing debate regarding the value of an on-site attending trauma surgeon compared to an on-call trauma surgeon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of introducing an on-site trauma surgeons and the effect of their presence on the adherence to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) related tasks and resuscitation pace in the trauma bay. METHODS: The resuscitations of severely injured (ISS > 15) trauma patients 1 month before and 1 month after the introduction of an on-site trauma surgeon were assessed using video analysis. The primary outcome was total resuscitation time. Second, time from trauma bay admission until tasks were performed, and ATLS adherence were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight videos of resuscitations have been analyzed. After the introduction of an on-site trauma surgeon, the mean total resuscitation time was 259 seconds shorter (p = 0.03) and seven ATLS related tasks (breathing assessment, first and second IV access, EKG monitoring and abdominal, pelvic, and long bone examination; were performed significantly earlier during trauma resuscitation (p ≤ 0.05). Further, we found a significant enhancement to the adherence of six ATLS related tasks (Airway assessment, application of a rigid collar, IV access; EKG monitoring, log roll, and pronouncing results of arterial blood gas analysis; p-value ≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Having a trauma surgeon on-site during trauma resuscitations of severely injured patients resulted in improved processes in the trauma bay. This demonstrates the need of direct involvement of trauma surgeons in institutions treating severely injured patients.

Variation of in-hospital trauma team staffing: new resuscitation, new team.

BACKGROUND: Non-technical errors, such as insufficient communication or leadership, are a major cause of medical failures during trauma resuscitation. Research on staffing variation among trauma teams on teamwork is still in their infancy. In this study, the extent of variation in trauma team staffing was assessed. Our hypothesis was that there would be a high variation in trauma team staffing. METHODS: Trauma team composition of consecutive resuscitations of injured patients were evaluated using videos. All trauma team members that where part of a trauma team during a trauma resuscitation were identified and classified during a one-week period. Other outcomes were number of unique team members, number of new team members following the previous resuscitation and new team members following the previous resuscitation in the same shift (Day, Evening, Night). RESULTS: All thirty-two analyzed resuscitations had a unique trauma team composition and 101 unique members were involved. A mean of 5.71 (SD 2.57) new members in teams of consecutive trauma resuscitations was found, which was two-third of the trauma team. Mean team members present during trauma resuscitation was 8.38 (SD 1.43). Most variation in staffing was among nurses (32 unique members), radiology technicians (22 unique members) and anesthetists (19 unique members). The least variation was among trauma surgeons (3 unique members) and ER physicians (3 unique members). CONCLUSION: We found an extremely high variation in trauma team staffing during thirty-two consecutive resuscitations at our level one trauma center which is incorporated in an academic teaching hospital. Further research is required to explore and prevent potential negative effects of staffing variation in trauma teams on teamwork, processes and patient related outcomes.

Isolated Intracranial Hemorrhage in Elderly Patients With Pre-Injury Anticoagulation: Is Full Trauma Team Activation Necessary?

BACKGROUND: Traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a highly morbid injury, particularly among elderly patients on preinjury anticoagulants (AC). Many trauma centers initiate full trauma team activation (FTTA) for these high-risk patients. We sought to determine if FTTA was superior compared with those who were evaluated as a trauma consultation (CON). METHODS: Patients aged ≥55 on preinjury AC who presented from January 2015 to December 2019 with blunt isolated head injury (non-head AIS ≤2) and confirmed ICH were identified. CON patients and FTTA patients were matched by age and head AIS. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess patient and injury characteristics with mortality and survivor discharge disposition. REASULTS: There were 45 CON patients and 45 FTTA patients. Mean age was 80 years in both groups. Fall was the most common mechanism (98% CON vs. 92% FTTA). Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was lower in FTTA (14 vs. 15, p<0.01). CON had a significantly longer time from arrival to CT scan (1.3 vs. 0.4 hrs, p<0.01). Hospital days were similar (CON: 3.9 vs. FTTA: 3.7 days). However, CON had increased ventilator use (p=0.03). Lower admission GCS was the only factor associated with increased risk of death. Among survivors, only head AIS increased the risk of discharge to a level of care higher than that of preinjury (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in mortality or adverse discharge disposition between FTTA and CON, although FTTA was associated with a more rapid evaluation and diagnosis. Any alteration in GCS was strongly associated with mortality and should prompt evaluation by FTTA.

Prehospital Narrow Pulse Pressure Predicts Need for Resuscitative Thoracotomy and Emergent Intervention After Trauma.

BACKGROUND: The pulse pressure (PP) is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Narrow PP in the Emergency Department (ED) has recently been shown to predict hemorrhagic shock after trauma. This study examined the impact of prehospital narrow PP on outcomes after trauma. METHODS: Patients presenting to our ACS-verified Level I trauma center (2008-2020) were retrospectively screened. Exclusions were unrecorded prehospital/ED vitals, age <16 or >60, transfers, on-scene cardiac arrest, and missing discharge disposition. Prehospital blood pressure defined study groups: Narrow PP (<30 mmHg) vs. Hypotensive (SBP<90 mmHg) vs. Others (herein referred to as Normotensive). Univariable/multivariable analyses compared outcomes and determined independent predictors of mortality; resuscitative thoracotomy; emergent intervention; and need for trauma intervention (NFTI), a contemporary measure of major trauma. RESULTS: In total, 39,144 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria: 5% (n=1,834) Narrow PP, 3% (n=1,062) Hypotensive, and 92% (n=36,248) Normotensive. Penetrating trauma was more frequent among Narrow PP and Hypotensive patients (23% vs. 32% vs. 14%, p<0.001). ISS was higher among Narrow PP and Hypotensive patients (5[1-14] vs. 10[2-21] vs. 4[1-9], p<0.001). Mortality was highest among the Hypotensive (n=130, 12%) followed by Narrow PP (n=92, 5%) and Normotensive patients (n=502, 1%) (p<0.001). On multivariable analysis, prehospital narrow PP was independently associated with resuscitative thoracotomy (OR 1.609, p=0.009), emergent intervention (OR 1.356, p=0.001), and NFTI (OR 1.237, p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Prehospital narrow PP independently predicts severe trauma, resuscitative thoracotomy, and emergent intervention. Although prehospital narrow PP is not currently a TTA criterion, these patients have a mortality rate and ISS intermediate to those of hypotensive and normotensive patients. Prehospital narrow PP should be recognized as a proxy for major trauma in patients with heightened surgical and interventional needs so that appropriate in-hospital preparations may be made prior to patient arrival.

Current status of trauma surgery at a Japanese prefectural academic institute: improved organization in a regional prefecture.

PURPOSES: Balancing scheduled surgery and trauma surgery is difficult with a limited number of surgeons. To address the issues and systematize education, we analyzed the current situation and the effectiveness of having a trauma team in the ER of a regional hospital. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the demographics, traumatic variables, procedures, postoperative morbidities, and outcomes of 110 patients who underwent trauma surgery between 2012 and 2019. The trauma team was established in 2016 and our university hospital Emergency Room (ER) opened in 2012. RESULTS: Blunt trauma accounted for 82% of the trauma injuries and 39% of trauma victims were transported from local centers to our institute. The most frequently injured organs were in the digestive tract and about half of the interventions were for hemostatic surgery alone. Concomitant treatments for multiple organ injuries were performed in 31% of the patients. The rates of postoperative severe complications (over Clavien-Dindo IIIb) and mortality were 10% and 13%, respectively. Fourteen (12.7%) of 24 patients who underwent damage-control surgery died, with multiple organ injury being the predominant cause of death. CONCLUSION: Systematic education or training of medical students and general surgeons, as well as the co-operation of the team at the regional academic institute, are necessary to overcome the limited human resources and save trauma patients.

[Emergency intervention rate in the emergency room depending on the alerting criteria : Prospective data analysis of a supraregional trauma center]. / Notfallinterventionsrate bei Schockraumpatienten in Abhängigkeit von den Alarmierungskriterien : Prospektive Datenanalyse eines überregionalen Traumazentrums.

Trauma team alert (TTA) to the emergency room (ER) takes place in the event of disturbed vital signs or serious injuries (A criteria) or after a dangerous accident (B criteria). Due to low specificity and limited personnel resources, TTA is questioned for B criteria. The consequences would be an increase in undertriage and thus endangering patients. Due to the lack of data it is unclear whether adapted ER teams would be a solution to the problem.The aim of the study was to describe ER patients according to the TTA criteria and to collect the corresponding emergency intervention rates in ER.Over 1 year, all TTAs of a supraregional trauma center were prospectively recorded, categorized according to TTA criteria (A, B and NULL criteria) and compared descriptively. NULL criteria were TTAs for which neither A nor B criteria were met. Treatment data were documented according to the TraumaRegister DGU® standard form. Emergency interventions were intubation, chest tube, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, transfusion, coagulation substitution, external pelvic stabilization and surgical hemostasis.The TTA due to A, B and NULL criteria were performed in 19.5%, 51.2% and 29.3%, respectively. The mean injury severity (ISS ± standard deviation) was 20.6 ± 21.3 for A criteria, significantly higher than for B criteria (8.0 ± 7.1) and NULL criteria (5.6 ± 8.2). The emergency intervention rate for A , B and NULL criteria was 75%, 6% and 2.1%, respectively.Differentiation according to the TTA criteria results in patient collectives with different injury severity and emergency intervention rates. This result justifies considerations to adjust team composition based on TTA criteria, as long as it is ensured that critical conditions can be identified and remedied by adapted teams.

Experienced trauma team leaders save the lives of multiple-trauma patients with severe head injuries.

The trauma team leader is a professional who receives and treats trauma patients. We aimed to evaluate whether or not the seniority of a qualified trauma team leader was a prognostic factor for multiple-trauma patients managed by a trauma team. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a Level I Trauma Center in North Taiwan. From January 2009 to December 2013, 284 patients were randomly assigned to one of two trauma team leaders (junior and senior leaders) on duty, irrespective of the seniority of the qualified trauma team leader. All parameters were collected and compared between these two groups. In the subgroup of multiple-trauma patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤ 8, there were significant differences in the injury severity score, revised trauma score, and seniority of the leader between the alive and dead groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the seniority of the trauma team leader was an important mortality risk factor [odds ratio (OR): 14.529, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.683-125.429, p = 0.015] in patients with GCS ≤ 8. However, in patients with GCS > 8, age was the only independent risk factor [OR: 1.055, 95% CI 1.023-1.087, p = 0.001]. The seniority of the qualified trauma leader is important for teamwork, organization, and efficiency, all of which play an important role in improving the survival outcome of patients with GCS ≤ 8.

Translatability and validation of non-technical skills scale for trauma (T-NOTECHS) for assessing simulated multi-professional trauma team resuscitations.

BACKGROUND: The 5-item non-technical skills scale for trauma (T-NOTECHS) with five response categories is developed to assess non-technical skills in trauma team resuscitations. This validated instrument assesses behavioral aspects in teamwork. Outcome instruments should undergo a robust adaptation process followed by psychometric validation to maintain their measurement properties when translated into different languages. The translatability of the T-NOTECHS into a non-Anglo-Saxon language has not been thus far unraveled. The authors aimed to assess whether the T-NOTECHS would be translatable into a non-Anglo-Saxon language and to investigate its psychometric properties for simulated multi-professional trauma team resuscitations. METHODS: The T-NOTECHS (scores: 1 = poor; 5 = excellent) was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Finnish. Data was derived from 61 real hospital trauma team resuscitation simulations with 193 multi-professional participants. Floor-ceiling effects, internal consistency, and inter-rater reliability were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to test construct validity. RESULTS: After pre-testing, minor changes were made to the Finnish translation of the T-NOTECHS. Mean scores of two raters were 3.76 and 4.01, respectively. The T-NOTECHS instrument showed no floor-effect either in single items or in the total score. The total score of the T-NOTECHS instrument showed a percentage of maximum scores of 1.6 and 4.9% by the Raters 1 and 2, respectively. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.70 with inter-item correlation of 0.54. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.54 and coefficient of repeatability 1.53. The T-NOTECHS loaded on one factor. CONCLUSIONS: The T-NOTECHS translated well into a difficult non-Anglo-Saxon language. The rigorous adaptation process used here can be recommended in the translation of observational performance assessment instruments. The translated version demonstrated fair reliability and good construct validity for assessing team performance in simulated multi-professional trauma team resuscitations. The translated T-NOTECHS instrument can be used to assess the efficacy of simulated in-situ trauma team resuscitations allowing benchmarking and international collaboration.

Old Age With a Traumatic Mechanism of Injury Should Be a Trauma Team Activation Criterion.

BACKGROUND: Age is not a standard trauma team activation (TTA) criteria recommended by the Committee on Trauma. However, there is concern that vital signs in elderly patients are often unreliable. In addition, elderly patients are at risk after moderate trauma. At our institution, age ≥ 70 years with traumatic mechanisms of injury has been a TTA criterion for more than 15 years. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether age ≥70 years as a TTA criterion appropriately identifies patients in need of additional resources without significantly impacting overtriage rates. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective trauma registry study of TTAs for age ≥ 70 years from January 2012-December 2016. Demographics, injury data, Injury Severity Score (ISS), procedures, emergency department (ED) disposition, and hospital data were collected. Primary outcome was mortality, secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay. Patients were stratified into meeting standard criteria (TTA-S) or activated based on age alone (TTA-A). TTA patients with ISS > 15, ED intubation, ICU admission, immediate operating room or catheter-based intervention, and mortalities were appropriately triaged. RESULTS: During the study, there were 5436 total TTAs. Seven hundred and thirty-nine TTAs in patients aged ≥ 70 years, of which 198 (26.8%) were TTA-S and 541 (73.2%) were TTA-A. In the TTA-A group, 49 (9%) patients died, 149 (27.5%) had ISS > 15, 65 (12%) underwent immediate intervention, 72 (13%) had ED intubations, and 306 (56.6%) required admission to the ICU. The overtriage rate in the TTA-A group was 39.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with severe trauma patients often do not meet the standard TTA criteria, resulting in potentially dangerous undertriage. Addition of age (≥70 years) criterion for TTA reduces undertriage and does not result in excessive overtriage.

What Is the Clinical Evidence Supporting Trauma Team Training (TTT): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Major trauma centres manage severely injured patients using multi-disciplinary teams but the evidence-base that targeted Trauma Team Training (TTT) improves patients' outcomes is unclear. This systematic review aimed to identify the association between the implementation of TTT programs and patient outcomes. Methods: We searched OVID Medline, PubMed and The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) from the date of the database commencement until 10 of April 2019 for a combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords relating to TTT and clinical outcomes. Reference lists of appraised studies were also screened for relevant articles. We extracted data on the study setting, type and details about the learners, as well as clinical outcomes of mortality and/or time to critical interventions. A meta-analysis of the association between TTT and mortality was conducted using a random effects model. Results: The search yielded 1136 unique records and abstracts, of which 18 full texts were reviewed. Nine studies met final inclusion, of which seven were included in a meta-analysis of the primary outcome. There were no randomised controlled trials. TTT was not associated with mortality (Pooled overall odds ratio (OR) 0.83; 95% Confidence Interval; 0.64-1.09). TTT was associated with improvements in time to operating theatre and time to first computerized tomography (CT) scanning. Conclusions: Despite few publications related to TTT, its introduction was associated with improvements in time to critical interventions. Whether such improvements can translate to improvements in patient outcomes remains unknown. Further research focusing on the translation of standardised trauma team reception "actions" into TTT is required to assess the association between TTT and patient outcome.

To assess the level of merit and practicality of an innovative and specialized course with the objective to reduce mortality in trauma patients (European Trauma Course in Poland. Evaluation of implementation).

INTRODUCTION: Trauma is one of the leading causes of death in the European Union. The European Trauma Course (ETC) is a training course that focuses on administering aid to trauma patients in a Hospital's Emergency Department by creating an effective and well-organized trauma team. The purpose of the study is to analyze how the ETC training is evaluated by its participants and whether it is tailored to local needs. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: The study includes eight courses conducted between 2010 and 2015, involving 109 medical professionals. Participants were given questionnaires where they could evaluate the various aspects of the course and comment on each of them, using a four-level scale. Finally, 78 surveys were qualified for the study. RESULTS: The exercises were very highly rated (average 3.79 points), mainly for their interesting scenarios and station preparation. Equally well-evaluated was the short and concise method of instruction. The lowest ranked aspect was the course fee (2.41 points). There were o en negative comments about the use of English during the training (lectures and manuals). DISCUSSION: The opinions of Polish students were similar to those of ETC participants in other European countries. ere are many interesting advantages of workshop scenarios, while the downside is the time constraint. Nevertheless, the ETC has been very successful. High ratings and positive feedback affirm the high demand for such courses in Poland.

Role of trauma team activation in poor outcomes of elderly patients.

INTRODUCTION: Elderly trauma patients suffer worse outcomes than younger patients. Trauma team activation (TTA) improves outcomes in younger patients. It is unclear whether decreased TTA effectiveness or under-activation in elderly patients could contribute to their poor outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective registry study examined all adult trauma patients admitted to a level 1 trauma center over 2 y. Analyses tested (1) whether age modifies the effect of TTA on poor outcomes, (2) whether elderly patients with severe injury were less likely to receive TTA than younger patients, and (3) which early variables were associated with poor outcomes among elderly patients who did not receive TTA. RESULTS: The study included 10,033 patients. The adjusted relative risk from TTA for all ages was 0.48 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-0.68, P < 0.001), and there was no effect modification by age (interaction term P value, 0.171). The adjusted odds ratio for the young was 0.49 (95% CI = 0.26-0.91, P = 0.024) and for the elderly was 0.80 (95% CI = 0.53-1.20, P = 0.282). The adjusted odds ratio for lack of TTA associated with old age was 1.37 (95% CI = 1.12-1.69, P = 0.003). The strongest associations with poor outcomes were seen with low heart rate, low minimum blood pressure, high injury severity score, and high Glasgow coma score. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of TTA could contribute to elderly patients' poor outcomes. Clinicians should not be reassured by normal heart rates and should be wary of even transiently lower blood pressures in the elderly. A large cohort study is needed to identify which additional elderly patients could benefit from TTA.