Enhancing trauma care through innovative trauma and disaster team response training: A blended learning approach in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: In Tanzania, inadequate infrastructures and shortages of trauma-response training exacerbate trauma-related fatalities. McGill University's Centre for Global Surgery introduced the Trauma and Disaster Team Response course (TDTR) to address these challenges. This study assesses the impact of simulation-based TDTR training on care providers' knowledge/skills and healthcare processes to enhance patient outcomes. METHODS: The study used a pre-post-interventional design. TDTR, led by Tanzanian instructors at Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute from August 16-18, 2023, involved 22 participants in blended online and in-person approaches with simulated skills sessions. Validated tools assessed participants' knowledge/skills and teamwork pre/post-interventions, alongside feedback surveys. Outcome measures included evaluating 24-h emergency department patient arrival-to-care time pre-/post-TDTR interventions, analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests based on data distributions. RESULTS: Participants' self-assessment skills significantly improved (median increase from 34 to 58, p < 0.001), along with teamwork (median increase from 44.5 to 87.5, p < 0.003). While 99% of participants expressed satisfaction with TDTR meeting their expectations, 97% were interested in teaching future sessions. The six-month post-intervention arrival-to-care time significantly decreased from 29 to 13 min, indicating a 55.17% improvement (p < 0.004). The intervention led to fewer ward admissions (35.26% from 51.67%) and more directed to operating theaters (29.83% from 16.85%), suggesting improved patient management (p < 0.018). CONCLUSION: The study confirmed surgical skills training effectiveness in Tanzanian settings, highlighting TDTR's role in improving teamwork and healthcare processes that enhanced patient outcomes. To sustain progress and empower independent trauma educators, ongoing refresher sessions and expanding TDTR across low- and middle-income countries are recommended to align with global surgery goals.

Evaluating emergency response at a hospital near the Gaza border within 24 h of increased conflict.

BACKGROUND: Frontline hospitals near active hostilities face unique challenges in delivering emergency care amid threats to infrastructure and personnel safety. Existing literature focuses on individual aspects like mass casualty protocols or medical neutrality, with limited analysis of operating acute services directly under fire. OBJECTIVES: To describe the experience of a hospital situated meters from hostilities and analyze strategies implemented for triage, expanding surge capacity, and maintaining continuity of care during attacks with limited medical staff availability due to hazardous conditions. A focus will be placed on assessing how the hospital functioned and adapted care delivery models in the event of staffing limitations preventing all teams from arriving on site. METHODS: A retrospective case study was conducted of patient records from Barzilai University Medical Center at Ashkelon (BUMCA) Medical Center in Israel within the first 24 h after escalated conflict began on October 7, 2023. Data on 232 admissions were analyzed regarding demographics, treatment protocols, time to disposition, and mortality. Missile alert data correlated patient surges to attacks. Statistical and geospatial analyses were performed. RESULTS: Patients predominantly male soldiers exhibited blast/multisystem trauma. Patient surges at the hospital were found to be correlated with the detection of incoming missile attacks from Gaza within 60 min of launch. While 131 (56%) patients were discharged and 55 (24%) transferred within 24 h, probabilities of survival declined over time reflecting injury severity limitations. 31 deaths occurred from severe presentation. CONCLUSION: Insights gleaned provide a compelling case study on managing mass casualties at the true frontlines. By disseminating BUMCA's trauma response experience, strategies can strengthen frontline hospital protocols optimizing emergency care delivery during hazardous armed conflicts through dynamic surge capacity expansion, early intervention prioritization, and infrastructure/personnel protection measures informed by risks.

Co-design of a paediatric post-trauma electronic psychosocial screen.

PURPOSE: To optimise care pathways and provide greater transparency of the psychosocial needs of injured children after hospital discharge by extending post-discharge psychosocial screening to children admitted with traumatic injury for ≥24 h. DESIGN AND METHODS: This mixed-methods study used a co-design approach informed by the Experience-Based Co-design (EBCD) framework. Interviews with carers were used to evaluate experiences and generate views on psychosocial support interventions. Online surveys by international child psychologists' indicated preferences for a psychosocial screening tool, and clinician-stakeholder consensus meetings facilitated the development of an electronic post-injury psychosocial screening tool. RESULTS: Carers found the initial year of follow-up from trauma family support services helpful, appreciating the hospital connection. Flexible follow-up timings and additional resources were mentioned, and most carers were interested in participating in an electronic screening activity to predict their child's coping after injury. Child trauma experts recommended including several screening tools, and the multidisciplinary paediatric trauma service and study investigators collaborated over a year to workshop and reach a consensus on the screening tool and follow-up process. CONCLUSION: The multidisciplinary team co-designed an electronic psychosocial screening and follow-up process for families with children with traumatic injuries. This tool improves the visibility of injured children's psychosocial needs post-injury and potentially aids clinical targeted resource allocation for trauma family support services. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The study emphasises the significance of specialised psychosocial screening tools in paediatric nursing, especially in trauma care, for understanding patients' psychosocial needs, tailoring follow-up plans, and promoting a patient-centred approach.

Outcomes of basic versus advanced prehospital life support in severe pediatric trauma.

OBJECTIVE: The role of basic life support (BLS) vs. advanced life support (ALS) in pediatric trauma is controversial. Although ALS is widely accepted as the gold standard, previous studies have found no advantage of ALS over BLS care in adult trauma. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether ALS transport confers a survival advantage over BLS among severely injured children. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of data included in the Israeli National Trauma Registry from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2020 was conducted. All the severely injured children (age < 18 years and injury severity score [ISS] ≥16) were included. Patient survival by mode of transport was analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 3167 patients included in the study, 65.1% were transported by ALS and 34.9% by BLS. Significantly more patients transported by ALS had ISS ≥25 as well as abnormal vital signs at admission. The ALS and BLS cohorts were comparable in age, gender, mechanism of injury, and prehospital time. Children transported by ALS had higher in-hospital mortality (9.2% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.001). Following risk adjustment, patients transported by ALS teams were significantly more likely to die than patients transported by BLS (adjusted OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.05-5.41, p = 0.04). Patients with ISS ≥50 had comparable mortality rates in both groups (45.9% vs. 55.6%, p = 0.837) while patients with GCS <9 transported by ALS had higher mortality (25.9% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.019). Admission to a level II trauma center vs. a level I hospital was also associated with increased mortality (adjusted OR 2.78 (95% CI 1.75-4.55, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among severely injured children, prehospital ALS care was not associated with lower mortality rates relative to BLS care. Because of potential confounding by severity in this retrospective analysis, further studies are warranted to validate these results.

Changing patterns in the burden of paediatric injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study in Mozambique's central hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: There is a substantial body of knowledge on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries showing frequent but inconsistent reductions in both volume and pattern. Yet, studies specifically addressing children are less common, not least from low- and middle-income countries. This study investigated whether changes in the pattern and outcome of paediatric injury admissions to Mozambique's four regional referral hospitals during 2020. METHODS: Clinical charts of paediatric patients presenting to the targeted hospitals with acute injuries were reviewed using a set of child, injury, and outcome characteristics during each of two consecutive restriction periods in 2020 using as a comparator the same periods in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Differences between 2020 and 2019 proportions for any characteristic were examined using the t-test (significance level 0.05). RESULTS: During both restriction periods, compared with the previous year, reductions in the number of injuries were noticed in nearly all aspects investigated, albeit more remarkably during the first restriction period, in particular, greater proportions of injuries in the home setting and from burns (7.2% and 11.5% respectively) and a reduced one of discharged patients (by 2.5%). CONCLUSION: During the restrictions implemented to contend the pandemic in Mozambique in 2020, although each restriction period saw a drop in the volume of injury admissions at central hospitals, the pattern of child, injury and outcome characteristics did not change much, except for an excess of home and burn injuries in the first, more restrictive period. Whether this reflects the nature of the restrictions only or, rather, other mechanisms that came into play, individual or health systems related, remains to be determined.

Primary care doctors in acute call-outs to severe trauma incidents in Norway - associations with factors related to patients and doctors.

OBJECTIVE: Severe trauma patients need immediate prehospital intervention and transfer to a specialised trauma hospital. In Norway, primary care doctors (PCDs) are an integrated part of the prehospital trauma care. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree to which PCDs were involved in prehospital care of severe trauma patients and how factors related to patients and doctors were associated with call-outs to these incidents. DESIGN: This was a registry-based study in Norway on severe trauma patients with acute hospital admission during the period 2012-2018. SETTING: Data was obtained from three Norwegian official registries. SUBJECTS: By linking the registries, we studied the actions taken by the PCDs, whether they called out to severe trauma incidents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In multivariable regression models, we investigated whether factors related to the PCDs (age, sex, specialisation in general practice (GP)) and patients (age, sex, duration of hospital stay, type of injury) were associated with call-outs. RESULTS: Out of 4342 severe trauma incidents, PCDs had documented involvement in 1683 (39%) and called out to 644 (15%). Increased proportions of PCD call-outs to severe trauma incidents were significantly associated with lower age of PCD, being a GP specialist, lower patient age, being a male patient, increased length of hospital stay and injuries to the head and the neck. CONCLUSIONS: PCDs called out to a relatively low proportion of severe trauma patients. Several factors related to patients and doctors were associated with call-outs to severe trauma incidents in Norway.

Factors related to doctors and patients affect the Primary Care Doctor's (PCD's) decision to call out to severe trauma incidents.PCDs were involved in 39% out of 4342 severe trauma incidents and called out to 15%.Increased proportion of PCD call-outs to severe trauma incidents was significantly associated with lower age of the PCD and being a GP specialist.Lower patient age, being a male patient, and injury to the head and the neck increased the likelihood of PCD call-outs.

Impact of the 24/7 nurse practitioner model on emergency department stay at a level 1 trauma center: A retrospective study.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of 24/7 trauma nurse practitioner service model on the emergency department patient flow. BACKGROUND: Seamless transition of trauma patients through the emergency department to inpatient hospital care is crucial for coordination of care, clinical safety and positive health outcomes. A level 1 trauma centre located in Southern West Virginia, USA expanded their trauma nurse practitioner service covering the emergency department 24/7. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study conducted in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines. METHODS: Patients admitted to the trauma centre between March 2019 and February 2020 were divided into two groups: trauma patients managed by trauma nurse practitioners versus the hospitalist service. The hospital service group was chosen as the comparator group because any admission prior to night coverage by the trauma nurse practitioners were managed by the hospitalist service. RESULTS: The emergency department length of stay was significantly lower in trauma nurse practitioners' patients by an average of 300 min (772.25 ± 831.91 vs. 471.44 ± 336.65, p = <.001). Similarly, time to place emergency department discharge order was shorter by 49 min (277.76 ± 159.69 vs. 228.27 ± 116.04, p = .001) for this group. Moreover, trauma nurse practitioners on an average placed one less consultation (1.06 ± 0.23 vs. 1.46 ± 0.74, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The patient care provided by trauma nurse practitioners aided in the reduction of strain felt by their emergency department. They were able to help facilitate patient flow thus lessening the pressure of boarding in an overcrowded emergency department. The study institution hopes to sustain the current service model and continue to review outcomes and processes managed by trauma nurse practitioners to ensure consistency and quality. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Similar trauma centres should evaluate the structure of their trauma service that includes the role of trauma nurse practitioner service and work towards allowing them to manage patient care from the emergency department 24/7.

From the Operating Room to the Cave: Ultrasound-Guided Locoregional Anesthesia in the Setting of Cave Rescue-A Description of 2 Cases.

Caving accidents are rare, but when they occur, they represent a unique logistical and medical challenge. Retrieving the patient to the surface often means navigating stretchers through narrow corridors with limited options for monitoring and interventions. Because the patient is usually not fasting, opioids and sedatives should be used with extreme caution. Therefore, alternative analgesic techniques such as locoregional nerve blocks are a promising strategy to improve patient comfort and safety during cave rescues. In this article, we describe 2 cases in which portable point-of-care ultrasound equipment was used to supplement clinical assessment and provide locoregional anesthesia to facilitate patient evacuation and transport. In this context, we discuss the role of portable ultrasound-guided locoregional anesthesia in cave rescue and in the global preclinical context. In summary, our cases demonstrated that the administration of ultrasound-guided prehospital locoregional anesthesia is a safe, rapid, and effective procedure even in extreme situations such as cave rescues. The advent of portable, high-quality ultrasound equipment may open the door for more widespread application of this technique in the global preclinical setting.

Health disparities in orthopedic trauma: a qualitative study examining providers' perspectives on barriers to care and recovery outcomes.

Social workers involved in interdisciplinary orthopedic trauma care can benefit from the knowledge of providers' perspectives on healthcare disparities in this field. Using qualitative data from focus groups conducted on 79 orthopedic care providers at three Level 1 trauma centers, we assessed their perspectives on orthopedic trauma healthcare disparities and discussed potential solutions. Focus groups originally aimed to detect barriers and facilitators of the implementation of a trial of a live video mind-body intervention to aid in recovery in orthopedic trauma care settings (Toolkit for Optimal Recovery-TOR). We used the Socio-Ecological Model to analyze an emerging code of "health disparities" during data analysis to determine at which levels of care these disparities occurred. We identified factors related to health disparities in orthopedic trauma care and outcomes at the Individual (Education- comprehension, health-literacy; Language Barriers; Psychological Health- emotional distress, alcohol/drug use, learned helplessness; Physical Health- obesity, smoking; and Access to Technology), Relationship (Social Support Network), Community (Transportation and Employment Security), and Societal level (Access- safe/clean housing, insurance, mental health resources; Culture). We discuss the implications of the findings and provide recommendations to address these issues, with a specific focus on their relevance to the field of social work in health care.

Radiographic bladder shift is a harbinger of intraoperative blood loss in acetabular surgical fixation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between a novel radiographic measurement on initial AP pelvis radiograph (termed "bladder shift," BS) to intraoperative blood loss (IBL) during acetabular surgical fixation. METHODS: All adult patients receiving unilateral acetabular fixation (Level 1 academic trauma; 2008-18) were reviewed. AP pelvis radiographs were reviewed for visible bladder outlines and then measured to determine the percentage deformation toward the midline. Hemoglobin & hematocrit data were then used to calculate quantitative blood loss between pre- and post- operative blood counts for data analysis. RESULTS: 371 patients with unilateral traumatic acetabular fractures requiring fixation were reviewed; 99 of these had visible bladder outlines, complete blood count and transfusion data (2008-2018; 66% associated patterns). Median bladder shift (BS) was 13.3%. Every 10% of bladder shift was associated with 123 mL greater IBL. Patients with full bladder shift to midline sustained a median 1.5L IBL (interquartile range [IQR] 0.8 to 1.6). Associated patterns had a threefold greater median BS (associated: 16.5% [15.4 to 45.9] vs. elementary: 5.6% [1.1 to 15.4], p < 0.05) and received intraoperative pRBC twice as frequently (57% vs. 24%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Radiographic bladder shift is an easily available visual marker, in patients sustaining acetabular fractures, that may predict intraoperative hemorrhage and need for transfusions.

Mortality and Risk Factors in Isolated Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) have not been evaluated comprehensively in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to study the in-hospital iTBI mortality and its associated risk factors in a prospective multicenter Indian trauma registry. METHODS: Patients with iTBI (head and neck Abbreviated Injury Score ≥2 and other region Abbreviated Injury Score ≤2) were included. Study variables comprised age, gender, mechanism of injury, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at arrival, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score - classified as mild (13-15), moderate (9-12), and severe (3-8), transfer status, and time to presentation at any participating hospital. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of these factors on 24-h and 30-d mortality following iTBI. RESULTS: Among 5042 included patients, 24-h and 30-d in-hospital mortalities were 5.9% and 22.4%. On a regression analysis, 30-d mortality was associated with age ≥45 y (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1 [1.6-2.7]), railway injury mechanisms (OR = 2.1 [1.3-3.5]), SBP <90 mmHg (OR = 2.6 [1.6-4.1]), and moderate (OR = 3.8 [3.0-5.0]) to severe (OR = 21.1 [16.8-26.7]) iTBI based on GCS scores. 24-h mortality showed similar trends. Patients transferred to the participating hospitals from other centers had higher odds of 30-d mortality (OR = 1.4 [1.2-1.8]) compared to those arriving directly. Those who received neurosurgical intervention had lower odds of 24-h mortality (0.3 [0.2-0.4]). CONCLUSIONS: Age ≥45 y, GCS score ≤12, and SBP <90 mmHg at arrival increased the risk of in-hospital mortality from iTBI.

Trauma-Specific Performance Improvement Activities for Emergency Medical Services Providers: A Statewide Perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Trauma-specific performance improvement (PI) activities are highly variable among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. This study assesses the perception of the trauma PI activities of EMS providers in the state of Ohio and identifies potential barriers to conducting a successful program. METHODS: An institutional review board-approved, voluntary, and anonymous Qualtrics survey was disseminated to all EMS agencies registered under the Ohio Department of Public Safety throughout the 88 counties of Ohio. It included questions regarding what agencies considered trauma-specific PI activities, how frequently they completed those activities, and barriers related to conducting such PI activities. There were both open-ended and closed-ended questions in the survey, along with a follow-up interview. The data were descriptively and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: From the recorded responses (341), most the respondents (98.5%) either agreed or strongly agreed that trauma-specific PI activities improve performance of EMS providers, while only 63.8% (218) of the agencies performed them. Some activities considered as trauma PI and conducted at least once a month included (1) record keeping (74.6%), (2) confirmation on the use of correct triage protocols (66.9%), (3) measuring response time on trauma calls (60.0%), (4) PI reviews of trauma cases (56.9%), and (5) obtaining feedback from the receiving facility and or authorizing physicians (48.5%). Primary barriers to performing trauma PI activities included a lack of interest and financial resources, followed by system-level reasons such as unavailability of training centers and a lack of regional/state support. Thematic analysis of the data suggested that improved communication and awareness of trauma PI, sharing statewide data on trauma PI, better synchronization among EMS agencies and trauma centers, and enhanced EMS funding could potentially improve trauma-specific PI programs at the EMS level. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed variability in the perception, execution, and availability of trauma-specific PI activities among EMS agencies in the state. Common barriers could potentially be mitigated by collaboration between agencies, trauma centers, and state-led initiatives. With the increased frequency of mass shootings and other large-scale trauma disasters, it is imperative from a state and regional level to address these inconsistencies and further elucidate effective measures of trauma PI for the EMS community.

Adaptations to practice and resilience in a paediatric major trauma centre during a mass casualty incident.

BACKGROUND: Innovation and human adaptation in the face of unfolding catastrophe is the cornerstone of an effective systemwide response. Capturing, analysing, and disseminating this is fundamental in developing resilience for future events. The aim of this study was to understand the characteristics of adaptations to practice early in a paediatric major trauma centre during a mass casualty incident. METHODS: A qualitative interview study of 40 healthcare staff at a paediatric major trauma centre in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist bombing was conducted. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used, followed by a deductive analysis of the identified adaptations informed by constructs of resilience engineering. RESULTS: Five themes of adaptations to practice that enhanced the resilient performance of the hospital were identified: teamworking; psychologically supporting patients, families, and staff; reconfiguring infrastructure; working around the hospital electronic systems; and maintaining hospital safety. Examples of resilience potential in terms of respond, monitor, anticipate, and learn are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows how adaptations to practice sustained the resilient performance of a paediatric major trauma centre during a mass casualty incident. Rapid, early capture of these data during a mass casualty incident provides key insights into enhancing future emergency preparedness, response, and resilience planning.

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.

Prevalence of significant traumatic brain injury among patients intubated in the field due to impaired level of consciousness.

OBJECTIVE: Current guidelines advocate prehospital endotracheal intubation (ETI) in patients with suspected severe head injury and impaired level of consciousness. However, the ability to identify patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the prehospital setting is limited and prehospital ETI carries a high complication rate. We investigated the prevalence of significant TBI among patients intubated in the field for that reason. METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected from emergency medical services and hospital records of trauma patients for whom prehospital ETI was attempted and who were transferred to Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel. The indication for ETI was extracted. The primary outcome was significant TBI (clinical or radiographic) among patients intubated due to suspected severe head trauma. RESULTS: In 57.3% (379/662) of the trauma patients, ETI was attempted due to impaired consciousness. 349 patients were included in the final analysis: 82.8% were male, the median age was 34 years (IQR 23.0-57.3), and 95.7% suffered blunt trauma. 253 patients (72.5%) had significant TBI. In a multivariable analysis, Glasgow Coma Scale>8 and alcohol intoxication were associated with a lower risk of TBI with OR of 0.26 (95% CI 0.13-0.51, p < 0.001) and 0.16 (95% CI 0.06-0.46, p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Altered mental status in the setting of trauma is a major reason for prehospital ETI. Although most of these patients had TBI, one in four of them did not suffer a significant TBI. Patients with a higher field GCS and those suffering from intoxication have a higher risk of misdiagnosis. Future studies should explore better tools for prehospital assessment of TBI and ways to better define and characterize patients who may benefit from early ETI.

Translator use not associated with longer time to pain medication in initial evaluation of low-severity geriatric trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Determine whether geriatric victims of blunt trauma who preferred to communicate in a language other than English waited longer for pain medication or received more imaging studies than English-speaking patients with the same age and injuries. Secondary outcomes were the type of medication administered and number of imaging studies. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all trauma activations to a single academic urban medical center from January 2019 to October 2019. We included all hemodynamically stable patients older than 65, with head or torso trauma after a low energy injury, and on at least one medication that was an anti-coagulant, anti-platelet, or chemotherapeutic. RESULTS: We identified 1,153 unique patients (17, 379 radiologic studies) performed from January 2019 to October 2019, with a median of 5 (4-6) radiologic studies per patient. We excluded 419 patients for whom the language used was not reported (n = 7), no imaging was not reported (n = 16), or no medication was recorded as given (n = 409), leaving 734 patients for further analysis. Of those 734 patients, 460 preferred to communicate in English, 84 in Mandarin Chinese, 64 in Spanish, 37 in Cantonese Chinese, and 35 in Korean, and 29 in Russian. Across all languages patient age and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were comparable. Those who preferred to communicate in Spanish, Russian, or Korean were more likely to be female than those who preferred English, Mandarin, or Cantonese, but this tendency was not statistically significant (χ2-test; p = 0.051, 0.15 after Bonferroni correction). We did not find a statistically significant association between preferred language and time to medication, fraction of opioids used as first-line pain medication, or number of imaging studies performed. Across all patients, the most common medications administered were acetaminophen (524/734, 71%), any opioid (111/734, 15%), followed by local infiltration or nerve block with lidocaine (49/734, 6.7%). CONCLUSIONS: A retrospective analysis of patients with low-risk blunt trauma found no relationship between preferred language, time to pain medication, use of opioids or number of imaging studies.

Designing and conducting initial application of a performance assessment model for in-hospital trauma care.

BACKGROUND: Trauma is a major cause of death worldwide, especially in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The increase in health care costs and the differences in the quality of provided services indicates the need for trauma care evaluation. This study was done to develop and use a performance assessment model for in-hospital trauma care focusing on traffic injures. METHODS: This multi-method study was conducted in three main phases of determining indicators, model development, and model application. Trauma care performance indicators were extracted through literature review and confirmed using a two-round Delphi survey and experts' perspectives. Two focus group discussions and 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted to design the prototype. In the next step, components and the final form of the model were confirmed following pre-determined factors, including importance and necessity, simplicity, clarity, and relevance. Finally, the model was tested by applying it in a trauma center. RESULTS: A total of 50 trauma care indicators were approved after reviewing the literature and obtaining the experts' views. The final model consisted of six components of assessment level, teams, methods, scheduling, frequency, and data source. The model application revealed problems of a selected trauma center in terms of information recording, patient deposition, some clinical services, waiting time for deposit, recording medical errors and complications, patient follow-up, and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Performance assessment with an appropriate model can identify deficiencies and failures of services provided in trauma centers. Understanding the current situation is one of the main requirements for designing any quality improvement programs.

A Smartphone Application for Teamwork and Communication in Trauma: Pilot Evaluation "in the Wild".

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential for a smartphone application to improve trauma care through shared and timely access to patient and contextual information. BACKGROUND: Disruptions along the trauma pathway that arise from communication, coordination, and handoffs problems can delay progress through initial care, imaging diagnosis, and surgery to intensive care unit (ICU) disposition. Implementing carefully designed and evaluated information distribution and communication technologies may afford opportunities to improve clinical performance. METHODS: This was a pilot evaluation "in the wild" using a before/after design, 3 month, and pre- post-intervention data collection. Use statistics, usability assessment, and direct observation of trauma care were used to evaluate the app. Ease of use and utility were assessed using the technology acceptance model (TAM) and system usability scale (SUS). Direct observation deployed measures of flow disruptions (defined as "deviations from the natural progression of an procedure"), teamwork scores (T-NOTECHS), and treatment times (total time in emergency department [ED]). RESULTS: The app was used in 367 (87%) traumas during the trial period. Usability was generally acceptable, with higher scores found by operating room (OR), ICU, and neuro and orthopedic users. Despite positive trends, no significant effects on flow disruptions, teamwork scores, or treatment times were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot trials of a clinician-centered smartphone app to improve teamwork and communication demonstrate potential value for the safety and efficiency of trauma care delivery as well as benefits and challenges of "in-the-wild" evaluation.

Inter-rater agreement in pPOSSUM scores of geriatric trauma patients: a prospective evaluation.

PURPOSE: Risk prediction models are widely used in the perioperative setting to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from additional care and to aid clinical decision-making. pPOSSUM is such a prediction model, however, little is known about the inter-rater agreement when scoring subjective parameters. This study assessed the inter-rater agreement between clinicians of different specialties and work-level when scoring 30 clinical case reports of geriatric hip fracture patients with pPOSSUM. METHODS: Eighteen clinicians of the department of Surgery (three specialists, four residents), Anaesthesiology (four specialists, two residents) and Emergency Medicine (three specialists, two residents) who were familiar with the pPOSSUM scoring system were asked to calculate the scores. The kappa statistic and the statistical method of Fleiss were used to analyse inter-rater agreement. RESULTS: The response rate was 100%. Among surgeons, Anaesthesiologists and Emergency department doctors (ED), the overall mean kappa values were 0.42, 0.08 and 0.20, respectively. Among surgery, anaesthesiology and ED residents the overall mean kappa values were 0.21, 0.33 and 0.37, respectively. Within the department of Surgery, Anaesthesiology and Emergency Medicine the overall mean kappa values were 0.23, 0.12 and 0.22, respectively. An overall mean kappa value of 0.19 was seen among all specialists. All residents had an overall mean kappa value of 0.21 and all clinicians had an overall mean kappa value of 0.21. CONCLUSION: The overall inter-rater agreement of clinicians and interdisciplinary agreement when scoring geriatric hip fracture patients with pPOSSUM was low and prone to subjectivity in our study. A higher work-experience level did not lead to better agreement. When pPOSSUM is calculated without clinical assessment by the same clinician, caution is advised to prevent over-reliance on the pPOSSUM risk prediction model. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

A qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators to establishing nurse-led, multidisciplinary psychological care for trauma patients: experiences from doctors and nurses.

BACKGROUND: Trauma patients are often in a state of psychological stress, experiencing helplessness, sadness, frustration, irritation, avoidance, irritability and other adverse emotions. Doctors and nurses are at the forefront of caring trauma patients and they play a crucial role in psychological supports and mental health care. However, few qualitative studies had based on the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore the experiences in providing psychological care for trauma patients. We examined attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs underpinning medical staffs' decisions to perform psychological care. METHOD: A qualitative study of in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted among 14 doctors and nurses engaging in trauma care. The participants came from six tertiary hospitals in Chongqing, China. Data analysis was performed using the approach of Colaizzi. According to the framework of TPB, the researchers identified and summarized the themes. RESULTS: Important advantages (mutual trust, patients' adherence and recovery), disadvantages (workload, short-term ineffective, practice unconfidently), referents (supportive: managers, patients, kinsfolk, nursing culture; unsupportive: some colleagues and patients), barriers (insufficient time or energy, resources situations), and facilitators (access to psychologist, training/education, reminders) were identified. Some demands, such as training diversity, multidisciplinary cooperation and families' support, reflected by doctors and nurses were important for them to carry out psychological care. CONCLUSION: According to the TPB, this article explored the internal and external promotion and hindrance factors that affecting the intentions and behaviors of doctors and nurses in implementing psychological care for trauma patients. We also focused on the experience and demands of health professionals in conducting psychological care, which could provide references for managers to formulate corresponding psychological care procedures and norms.