Locoregional Anesthesia Offers Improved Outcomes after Endovascular Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: General anesthesia (GA) and locoregional anesthesia (LA) are two anesthetic options for endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (REVAR). Studies on elective endovascular repair of nonruptured aneurysms have indicated that in select patients, LA may provide improved outcomes compared with GA. We aimed to examine the 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing REVAR using GA and LA in a contemporary nationwide cohort of patients presenting with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. METHODS: Patients who underwent REVAR using GA and LA from January 2011 through December 2015, inclusively, were studied in the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP)-targeted EVAR database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare preoperative demographics, operation-specific variables, and 30-day postoperative outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: Six-hundred ninety patients were identified to have undergone REVAR from 2011 to 2015, of which 12.5% (86) were performed under LA. For the entire cohort, the mean age was 74.3 years, and 80% were male. Mean aneurysm size was 7.6 cm and did not differ between the two anesthetic groups. Major comorbidities were similar between both groups, except a slightly higher rate of congestive heart failure in the LA group (7.0% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.02). Proximal or distal aneurysm extent also did not differ between the two groups. There was a significantly higher rate of bilateral percutaneous access in the LA group (59.3% vs. 25.2%, P < 0.01). REVAR under LA had shorter mean operative time (132 vs. 166 min, P < 0.01) and lower rate of concomitant lower extremity revascularization (2.3% vs. 10.6%, P < 0.01). There were no differences in need for perioperative transfusion or any other adjunctive procedures. Ultimately, 30-day mortality was significantly lower in the LA group (16.3% vs. 25.2%, P < 0.01). This difference was more pronounced in the subgroup of patients with hemodynamic instability (15.4% vs. 39.4%, P < 0.01). The LA group also demonstrated significantly shorter intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (3.0 vs. 5.0 days, P = 0.01) and low rates of postoperative pneumonia (3.5% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.03). After adjustment for demographics, comorbid conditions, hypotensive status, and aneurysm characteristics, there was a two-fold higher mortality in patients undergoing REVAR using GA versus LA, with a four-fold increase in the hemodynamically unstable cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The ACS NSQIP-targeted EVAR database shows that LA is used in only 12.5% of patients undergoing REVAR in this nationwide cohort. This rate does not change when examining the subset of patients who are hemodynamically unstable. Other benefits include shorter ICU lengths of stay and lower rates of pneumonia. These data suggest that LA should be considered in patients undergoing REVAR, regardless of hemodynamic instability.

Is Fecal Diversion Needed in Pelvic Anastomoses During Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)?

BACKGROUND: The role of fecal diversion with pelvic anastomosis during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is not well defined. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC between 2009 and 2016 was performed to identify those with a pelvic anastomosis (colorectal, ileorectal, or coloanal anastomosis). RESULTS: The study identified 73 patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC at three different institutions between July 2009 and June of 2016. Of these patients, 32 (44%) underwent a primary anastomosis with a diverting ileostomy, whereas 41 (56%) underwent a primary anastomosis without fecal diversion. The anastomotic leak rate for the no-diversion group was 22% compared with 0% for the group with a diverting ileostomy (p < 0.01). The 90-day mortality rate for the no-diversion group was 7.1%. The hospital stay was 14.1 ± 8.0 days in the diversion group compared with 17.9 ± 12.5 days in the no-diversion group (p = 0.12). Of those patients with a diverting ileostomy, 68% (n = 22) had their bowel continuity restored, 18% of which required a laparotomy for reversal. Postoperative complications occurred for 50% of those who required a laparotomy and for 44% of those who did not require a laparotomy (p = 0.84). CONCLUSION: Diverting ileostomies in patients with a pelvic anastomosis undergoing CRS and HIPEC are associated with a significantly reduced anastomotic leak rate. Reversal of the diverting ileostomy in this patient population required a laparotomy in 18% of the cases and had an associated morbidity rate of 50%.

Outcomes of open and endovascular lower extremity revascularization in active smokers with advanced peripheral arterial disease.

OBJECTIVE: Concern over perioperative and long-term durability of lower extremity revascularizations among active smokers is a frequent deterrent for vascular surgeons to perform elective lower extremity revascularization. In this study, we examined perioperative outcomes of lower extremity endovascular (LEE) revascularization and open lower extremity bypass (LEB) in active smokers with intermittent claudication (IC) and critical limb ischemia (CLI). METHODS: Active smokers undergoing LEE or LEB from 2011 to 2014 were identified in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) targeted vascular data set. Patient demographics, comorbidities, anatomic features, and perioperative outcomes were compared between LEE and LEB procedures. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients undergoing revascularization for IC and CLI independently. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2014, 4706 lower extremity revascularizations were performed in active smokers (37% of all revascularizations). In this group, 1497 were LEE (55.6% for CLI, 13.4% for below-knee pathology) and 3209 were LEB (68.9% CLI, 34.7% below-knee). Patients undergoing LEE had higher rates of female gender, hypertension, end-stage renal disease, and diabetes (all P ≤ .02). LEE patients also had a higher frequency of prior percutaneous interventions (22.7% vs 17.2%; P < .01) and preoperative antiplatelet therapy (82.3% vs 78.7%; P = .02). On risk-adjusted multivariate analysis, LEE patients had higher need for reintervention on the treated arterial segment than LEB (5.1% vs 5.2%; odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.13; P = .02) but had lower wound complications (3.1% vs 13.2%; OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.23-0.45; P < .01) and no statistically significant difference in 30-day mortality (0.6% vs 0.9%), myocardial infarction or stroke (1.1% vs 2.6%), or major amputation (3.2% vs 2.1%) in the overall cohort of active smokers. In the IC subgroup, myocardial infarction or stroke was significantly higher in the LEB group (1.9% vs 0.6%; OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.17-1.97; P = .03), although no difference was found in the CLI subgroup (2.8% vs 1.4%; OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.37-1.52; P = .42,). Also in IC group, there was a trend for lower major amputation rates ≤30 days in the LEE group, whereas in the CLI group, LEE had a trend toward higher risk of early amputation compared with LEB. CONCLUSIONS: In active smokers, LEB for IC and CLI requires fewer reinterventions but is associated with a higher rate of postoperative wound complications compared with LEE revascularization. However, the risk for limb amputation is higher in actively smoking patients when treated by LEE compared with LEB for CLI. Importantly, cardiovascular complications are significantly higher in actively smoking patients with IC undergoing LEB compared with LEE. This additional cardiovascular risk should be carefully weighed when proposing LEB for actively smoking patients with nonlimb-threatening IC.

Comparison of percutaneous versus open femoral cutdown access for endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Ruptured endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (REVAR) is being increasingly used to treat ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs). However, the comparison between totally percutaneous (pREVAR) vs femoral cutdown (cREVAR) access for REVAR has not been studied. We used a national surgical database to evaluate the 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing pREVAR vs cREVAR. METHODS: Patients who underwent EVAR for rAAA between 2011 and 2014, inclusively, were studied in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) targeted vascular database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare preoperative demographics, operation-specific variables, and postoperative outcomes between those who had pREVAR and cREVAR. RESULTS: We identified 502 patients who underwent REVAR, of which 129 had pREVAR (25.7%) and 373 cREVAR (74.3%). Between 2011 and 2014, the use of totally percutaneous access for repair increased from 14% to 32%. Of all patients undergoing REVAR, 24% had bilateral percutaneous access, 2% had attempted percutaneous access converted to cutdown, 64% had bilateral femoral cutdowns, and 10% had single femoral cutdown. Univariate analysis showed there were no significant differences in age, gender, body mass index, AAA size, or other high-risk physiologic comorbidities between the two groups. There was also no difference in rates of preoperative hemodynamic instability (48.1% vs 45.0%; P = .55) or need for perioperative transfusion (67.4% vs 67.8%; P = .94). There was a higher incidence of use of regional anesthesia for pREVAR compared with cREVAR (20.9% vs 7.8%; P < .01). The incidence of postoperative wound complications was similar between both groups (4.8% vs 5.4%; P = .79), whereas hospital length of stay was shorter in the pREVAR group (mean difference, 1.3 days). Overall 30-day mortality was higher in the pREVAR group (28.7% vs 20.1%; P = .04), and operative time was longer (mean difference, 6.3 minutes). However, when pREVARs done in 2011 to 2012 were compared with those done in 2013 to 2014, 30-day mortality decreased from 38.2% to 25.3% and operative time decreased by 25 minutes (188 to 163 minutes). Multivariate analysis showed there were no significant differences in mortality, wound complications, hospital length of stay, or operative time between pREVAR and cREVAR. CONCLUSIONS: The ACS NSQIP targeted vascular database shows that there has been increased adoption of pREVAR in recent years, with improved mortality and operative time over the 4-year study period. At this point, pREVAR has not yet been shown to be superior to cREVAR for rAAA, but these outcome improvements are encouraging and likely attributable to increased operator experience.

Volume and outcomes relationship in laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: There is no published data regarding the relationship between hospital volume and outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair. We hypothesize that hospitals performing high case volume have improved outcomes compared to low-volume hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2008 and 2012 for adults with the diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia who underwent elective laparoscopic repair of diaphragmatic Hernia and/or Nissen fundoplication. Pediatric, emergent, and open cases were excluded. Main outcome measures included logistic regression analysis of factors predictive of in-hospital mortality and outcomes according to annual hospital case volume. RESULTS: A total of 31,228 laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia operations were analyzed. The overall in-hospital mortality was 0.14%. Risk factors for higher in-hospital mortality included renal failure (AOR: 6.26; 95% CI: 2.48-15.78; p < 0.001), age>60 years (AOR: 5.06; 95% CI: 2.38-10.76; p < 0.001), and CHF (AOR: 3.80; 95% CI: 1.39-10.38; p = 0.009) while an incremental increase in volume of 10 cases/year (AOR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81-0.98; p = 0.019) and diabetes (AOR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.12-0.93; p = 0.036) decreases mortality. There was a small but significant inverse relationship between hospital case volume and mortality with a 10% reduction in adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality for every increase in 10 cases per year. Using 10 cases per year as the volume threshold, low-volume hospitals (≤10 cases/year) had almost a twofold higher mortality compared to high-volume hospitals (0.23 vs. 0.12%, respectively, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There was a small but significant inverse relationship between the hospitals' case volume and mortality in laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair.

Improved survival with adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiation regardless of pathologic response.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of postoperative chemotherapy on survival in patients with stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) and surgical resection. METHODS: A retrospective review of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2006 to 2013 was performed. Cases were analyzed based on pathologic complete response (pCR) status and use of adjuvant therapy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival probabilities. RESULTS: 23,045 cases were identified, of which 5832 (25.31%) achieved pCR. In the pCR group, 1513 (25.9%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, and in the non-pCR group, 5966 (34.7%) received adjuvant therapy. In the pCR group, five-year survival probability was 87% (95% CI 84%-89%) with adjuvant therapy and 81% (95% CI 79%-82%) without adjuvant therapy. In the non-pCR group, five-year survival probability was 78% (95% CI 76%-79%) with adjuvant therapy and 70% (95% CI 69%-71%) without adjuvant therapy. In the non-pCR and node-negative subgroup (ypN-), five-year survival probability was 86% (95% CI 84%-88%) with adjuvant therapy and 76% (95% CI 74%-77%) without adjuvant therapy. In the non-pCR and node-positive subgroup (ypN+), five-year survival probability was 67% (95% CI 65%-70%) with adjuvant therapy and 60% (95% CI 58%-63%) without adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma is associated with increased five-year survival probability regardless of pCR status. We observed similar survival outcomes among non-pCR ypN- treated with adjuvant chemotherapy compared with patients achieving pCR treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Lymph Node Positivity in Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma: Should Size Matter?

BACKGROUND: The management algorithm for appendiceal adenocarcinoma is not well defined. This study sought to determine whether tumor size or depth of invasion better correlates with the presence of lymph node metastases in appendiceal adenocarcinoma, and to compare these rates with colon adenocarcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of the National Cancer Database was performed to identify patients with appendiceal or colonic adenocarcinoma from 2004 to 2013 who underwent surgical resection. Cases were categorized by tumor size and by T stage. Rates of lymph node metastases were examined as a function of size and T stage. RESULTS: A total of 3,402 appendiceal and 314,864 colonic cases were identified. For appendiceal adenocarcinoma, larger tumor size was associated with higher T stage: Pearson correlation of 0.41 (95% CI 0.408 to 0.414; p < 0.001). Lymph node metastases were present in 19.1%, 27.8%, 39.6%, 39.4%, 42.4% and 39.1% for tumor sizes <1 cm, >1 to 2 cm, >2 to 3 cm, >3 to 4 cm, >4 to 5 cm, and >5 cm, respectively. Lymph node metastases were present in 0%, 11.2%, 12.3%, 35.5%, and 40.0% for in situ, T1, T2, T3, and T4 tumors, respectively. There was no difference in the rates of lymph node metastases between appendiceal and colonic adenocarcinoma for tumor sizes <3 cm, or for in situ and T1 tumors. Rates of lymph node metastases are higher in colonic adenocarcinoma for tumor sizes >3 cm and for T2, T3, and T4 tumors (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In appendiceal adenocarcinoma, the rate of lymph node metastases is substantial, even for small tumors. Tumor size should play no role in the decision of whether to perform a hemicolectomy. Appendectomy alone does not produce an adequate lymph node sample. Right hemicolectomy should be performed for all appendiceal adenocarcinomas.

Effect of Resident Involvement on Patient Outcomes in Complex Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Operations.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies examining the impact of resident involvement on patient outcomes in general surgical operations have shown an associated increase in morbidity and operative time. However, these studies included basic and advanced laparoscopic and open operations. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of resident involvement on outcomes specifically in patients who underwent complex minimally invasive gastrointestinal operations. STUDY DESIGN: The American College of Surgeons NSQIP database was reviewed for patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy and laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia and anti-reflux procedures between 2002 and 2010. Data were analyzed based on operations performed with a resident involved compared with those performed by an attending surgeon without resident involvement. Primary end points included risk-adjusted 30-day mortality, 30-day reoperation, and 30-day serious morbidity. Secondary end points were operative time, hospital length of stay, and 30-day overall morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 31,736 cases were analyzed; 63.3% of cases had a resident involved in the operation and 36.7% were performed by an attending without resident involvement. Operative time was significantly longer in cases performed with a resident (162 vs 138 minutes in attending-only cases; p < 0.01), however, there were no significant differences between groups with regard to hospital length of stay (4.5 vs 4.5 days, respectively). Compared with cases without resident involvement, risk-adjusted outcomes for cases with resident involvement showed no significant differences in 30-day serious morbidity (odds ratio = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.94-1.14; p = 1.0), 30-day mortality (odds ratio = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.60-1.15; p = 1.0), or 30-day reoperation (odds ratio = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.81-1.06; p = 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Resident involvement in complex laparoscopic gastrointestinal procedures is associated with an increase in operative time with no impact on postoperative outcomes.

Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy in Complete Situs Inversus.

Complete situs inversus is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by transposition of organs. We report a case of renal transplantation using a kidney from a living complete situs inversus donor. The recipient was a 59-year-old female with end-stage renal disease because of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The donor was the 56-year-old sister of the recipient with complete situs inversus. CT angiogram of the abdomen and pelvis showed complete situs inversus and an otherwise normal appearance of the bilateral kidneys with patent bilateral single renal arteries and longer renal vein in the right kidney. The patient was taken to the operating room for a hand-assisted laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged home in good condition on postoperative day 1. The recipient experienced no episodes of acute rejection or infection, with serum creatinine levels of 0.8-1.2 mg/dL. Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in a patient with complete situs inversus remains a technically feasible operation and the presence of situs inversus should not preclude consideration for living kidney donation.

Analysis of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography after Positive Intraoperative Cholangiogram: Is It Necessary?

The necessity of routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after positive intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not well defined. We aimed to examine the incidence of positive IOC among patients who undergo IOC during cholecystectomy and the rate of subsequent ERCP stone extraction. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was reviewed for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy with IOC from 2002 to 2012. Patients were then analyzed for ERCP and stone extraction. A total of 73,508 patients who underwent cholecystectomy with IOC for a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and found to have a bile duct stone were identified. Of these patients, 5915 underwent subsequent ERCP. In the patients that underwent subsequent ERCP, 1478 had a documented stone extraction during ERCP. The rate of stone extraction in the ERCP subset is 25 per cent, which is 2 per cent of all patients who had a positive IOC. The rate of stone extraction after positive IOC is low. Positive IOC may not warrant a routine postoperative ERCP. Our results suggest that clinical monitoring of patients with positive IOC is reasonable, as the majority of patients with a positive IOC ultimately have no stone extraction.

Racial Disparities in Access and Outcomes of Cholecystectomy in the United States.

Disparities in access to health care between white and minority patients are well described. We aimed to analyze the trends and outcomes of cholecystectomy based on racial classification. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was reviewed for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 2009 to 2012. Patients were stratified as white or non-white. A total of 243,536 patients were analyzed: 159,901 white and 83,635 non-white. Non-white patients had significantly higher proportions of Medicaid (25% vs 9.3%), self-pay (14% vs 7.1%), and no-charge (1.8% vs 0.64%). Non-white patients had significantly higher rates of emergent admission (84% vs 78%) compared with the white patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that non-whites had a significantly longer length of stay [mean difference of 0.14 days, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08-0.20] and higher total hospital charges (mean difference of $6748.00, 95% CI 5994.19-7501.81) than whites, despite a lower morbidity (odds ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.98). Use of laparoscopy and mortality were not different. These differences persisted on subgroup analysis by insurance type. These findings suggest a gap in access to and outcomes of cholecystectomy in the minority population nationwide.

Body Mass Index Significantly Impacts Outcomes of Colorectal Surgery.

There are limited data regarding the association between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal surgery outcomes. We sought to evaluate the effect of BMI on short-term surgical outcomes in colon and rectal surgery patients in the United States. The American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Project database was used to identify all patients who underwent colon or rectal resection from 2005 to 2013. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the independent effect of BMI on outcomes. A total of 206,360 patients underwent colorectal resection during the study period. Of these, 3.2 per cent of patients were underweight (BMI < 18.5), 23.8 per cent patients were normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25), 26.5 per cent were overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30), 25.2 per cent were obese (30 ≤ BMI < 40), and 5.3 per cent were morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40). Underweight patients had longer length of stay (confidence interval: 2.70-3.49, P < 0.001) and higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 1.45, P < 0.01) compared with patients with a normal BMI. Morbidly obese patients had the highest overall morbidity rate compared with normal BMI patients (adjusted odds ratio: 1.53, confidence interval: 1.42-1.64, P < 0.01). BMI is associated with outcomes in colon and rectal surgery patients. Underweight and morbidly obese patients have a significantly increased risk of postsurgical complications compared with those with normal BMI.

Early intervention to promote medical student interest in surgery and the surgical subspecialties.

OBJECTIVE: Concerns about projected workforce shortages are growing, and attrition rates among surgical residents remain high. Early exposure of medical students to the surgical profession may promote interest in surgery and allow students more time to make informed career decisions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a simple, easily reproducible intervention aimed at increasing first- and second-year medical student interest in surgery. DESIGN: Surgery Saturday (SS) is a student-organized half-day intervention of four faculty-led workshops that introduce suturing, knot tying, open instrument identification, operating room etiquette, and basic laparoscopic skills. Medical students who attended SS were administered pre-/post-surveys that gauged change in surgical interest levels and provided a self-assessment (1-5 Likert-type items) of knowledge and skills acquisition. PARTICIPANTS: First- and second-year medical students. OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in interest in the surgical field as well as perceived knowledge and skills acquisition. RESULTS: Thirty-three first- and second-year medical students attended SS and completed pre-/post-surveys. Before SS, 14 (42%) students planned to pursue a surgical residency, 4 (12%) did not plan to pursue a surgical residency, and 15 (46%) were undecided. At the conclusion, 29 (88%) students indicated an increased interested in surgery, including 87% (13/15) who were initially undecided. Additionally, attendees reported a significantly (p < 0.05) higher comfort level in the following: suturing, knot tying, open instrument identification, operating room etiquette, and laparoscopic instrument identification and manipulation. CONCLUSIONS: SS is a low resource, high impact half-day intervention that can significantly promote early medical student interest in surgery. As it is easily replicable, adoption by other medical schools is encouraged.

The current role of magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing cervical spine injury in blunt trauma patients with negative computed tomography scan.

Clearance of cervical spine (CS) precautions in the neurologically altered blunt trauma patient can be difficult. Physical examination is not reliable, and although computed tomography (CT) may reveal no evidence of fracture, it is generally believed to be an inferior modality for assessing ligamentous and cord injuries. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive and may be risky in critically ill patients. Conversely, prolonged rigid collar use is associated with pressure ulceration and other complications. Multidetector CT raises the possibility of clearing CS on the basis of CT alone. We performed a retrospective review at our Level I trauma center of all blunt trauma patients with Glasgow Coma Scale Score 14 or less who underwent both CT and MRI CS with negative CT. One hundred fourteen patients met inclusion criteria, of which 23 had MRI findings. Seven (6%) of these had neurologic deficits and/or a change in management on the basis of MRI findings. Although use of the single-slice scanner was significantly associated with MRI findings (odds ratio, 2.62; P=0.023), no significant clinical risk factors were identified. Patients with MRI findings were heterogeneous in terms of age, mechanism, and Injury Severity Score. We conclude that CS MRI continues play a vital role in the workup of neurologically altered patients.

Risk factors for traumatic injury findings on thoracic computed tomography among patients with blunt trauma having a normal chest radiograph.

HYPOTHESIS: We sought to identify risk factors that might predict acute traumatic injury findings on thoracic computed tomography (TCT) among patients having a normal initial chest radiograph (CR). DESIGN: In this retrospective analysis, Abbreviated Injury Score cutoffs were chosen to correspond with obvious physical examination findings. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors predicting acute traumatic injury findings. SETTING: Urban level I trauma center. PATIENTS: All patients with blunt trauma having both CR and TCT between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2007. Patients with abnormalities on their CR were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Finding of any acute traumatic abnormality on TCT, despite a normal CR. RESULTS: A total of 2435 patients with blunt trauma were identified; 1744 (71.6%) had a normal initial CR, and 394 (22.6%) of these had acute traumatic findings on TCT. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that an abdominal Abbreviated Injury Score of 3 or higher (P = .001; odds ratio, 2.6), a pelvic or extremity Abbreviated Injury Score of 2 or higher (P < .001; odds ratio, 2.0), age older than 30 years (P = .004; odds ratio, 1.4), and male sex (P = .04; odds ratio, 1.3) were significantly associated with traumatic findings on TCT. No aortic injuries were diagnosed in patients with a normal CR. Limiting TCT to patients with 1 or more risk factors predicting acute traumatic injury findings would have resulted in reduced radiation exposure and in a cost savings of almost $250,000 over the 2-year period. Limiting TCT to this degree would not have missed any clinically significant vertebral fractures or vascular injuries. CONCLUSION: Among patients with a normal screening CR, reserving TCT for older male patients with abdominal or extremity blunt trauma seems safe and cost-effective.