Source control in emergency general surgery: WSES, GAIS, SIS-E, SIS-A guidelines.

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are among the most common global healthcare challenges and they are usually precipitated by disruption to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Their successful management typically requires intensive resource utilization, and despite the best therapies, morbidity and mortality remain high. One of the main issues required to appropriately treat IAI that differs from the other etiologies of sepsis is the frequent requirement to provide physical source control. Fortunately, dramatic advances have been made in this aspect of treatment. Historically, source control was left to surgeons only. With new technologies non-surgical less invasive interventional procedures have been introduced. Alternatively, in addition to formal surgery open abdomen techniques have long been proposed as aiding source control in severe intra-abdominal sepsis. It is ironic that while a lack or even delay regarding source control clearly associates with death, it is a concept that remains poorly described. For example, no conclusive definition of source control technique or even adequacy has been universally accepted. Practically, source control involves a complex definition encompassing several factors including the causative event, source of infection bacteria, local bacterial flora, patient condition, and his/her eventual comorbidities. With greater understanding of the systemic pathobiology of sepsis and the profound implications of the human microbiome, adequate source control is no longer only a surgical issue but one that requires a multidisciplinary, multimodality approach. Thus, while any breach in the GI tract must be controlled, source control should also attempt to control the generation and propagation of the systemic biomediators and dysbiotic influences on the microbiome that perpetuate multi-system organ failure and death. Given these increased complexities, the present paper represents the current opinions and recommendations for future research of the World Society of Emergency Surgery, of the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery of Surgical Infection Society Europe and Surgical Infection Society America regarding the concepts and operational adequacy of source control in intra-abdominal infections.

Trauma quality indicators: internationally approved core factors for trauma management quality evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Quality in medical care must be measured in order to be improved. Trauma management is part of health care, and by definition, it must be checked constantly. The only way to measure quality and outcomes is to systematically accrue data and analyze them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic revision of the literature about quality indicators in trauma associated to an international consensus conference RESULTS: An internationally approved base core set of 82 trauma quality indicators was obtained: Indicators were divided into 6 fields: prevention, structure, process, outcome, post-traumatic management, and society integrational effects. CONCLUSION: Present trauma quality indicator core set represents the result of an international effort aiming to provide a useful tool in quality evaluation and improvement. Further improvement may only be possible through international trauma registry development. This will allow for huge international data accrual permitting to evaluate results and compare outcomes.

Open versus endovascular REBOA control of blood loss during cesarean delivery in the placenta accreta spectrum: A single-center retrospective case control study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare two vascular control options for blood loss prevention and hysterectomy during cesarean delivery (CD2): endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA3) and open bilateral common iliac artery occlusion (CIAO4) in women with extensive placenta accreta spectrum (PAS5). STUDY DESIGN: This was retrospective comparison of cases of PAS using either CIAO (October 2017 through October 2018) or REBOA (November 2018 through November 2019) to prevent pathologic hemorrhage during scheduled CD. Women with confirmed placenta increta/percreta underwent either CD then intraoperative post-delivery, pre-hysterectomy open vascular control of both CIA6 (CIAO group) or pre-operative, ultrasound-guided, fluoroscopy-free REBOA followed by standard CD and balloon inflation after fetal delivery (REBOA group). Intraoperative blood loss, transfusion volumes, surgical time, blood pressure, maternal and neonatal outcomes, hospitalization length and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: The REBOA and CIAO groups included 12 and 16 women, respectively, with similar median age of 35 years and gestational age of 34-35 weeks. All REBOA catheters were successfully placed into aortic zone three under ultrasound guidance. The quantitated median intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower for the REBOA group, (541 [IQR 300-750] mL) compared to the CIAO group (3331 [IQR 1150-4750] mL (P = 0.001). As a result, the total volume of fluid and blood replacement therapy was significantly lower in the REBOA group (P < 0.05). Median surgical time in the REBOA group was less than half as long: 76 [IQR 64-89] minutes compared to 168 [IQR 90-222] minutes in the CIAO group (P = 0.001). None of the women with REBOA required hysterectomy, while 8/16 women in the CIAO group did (P = 0.008). Furthermore, the post-anesthesia recovery and hospital discharge times in the REBOA-group were shorter (P < 0.05). One thromboembolic complication occurred in each group. The only REBOA-associated complication was non-occlusive femoral artery thrombosis, with no surgical management required. No maternal or neonatal deaths occurred in either group. CONCLUSION: Fluoroscopy-free REBOA for women with PAS is associated with improved vascular control, perioperative blood loss, the need for transfusion and hysterectomy and reduces surgical time when compared to bilateral CIAO.

Distal pressure monitoring and titration with percent balloon volume: feasible management of partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (P-REBOA).

INTRODUCTION: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) increases proximal arterial pressure, but may also induce life-threatening distal ischemia. Partial REBOA (P-REBOA) is thought to mitigate distal ischemia during aortic occlusion. However, feasible indicators of the degree of P-REBOA remain inconsistent. We hypothesised percent balloon volume could be a substitute for pressure measurements of gradients during P- REBOA. This study aimed to compare balloon volume and arterial pressure gradient, and analysed with intra-balloon pressure and balloon shape. METHODS: Proximal (carotid) and distal (femoral) arterial pressures were recorded and a 7-Fr REBOA catheter was placed in four swine. Total REBOA was defined as a cessation of distal pulse pressure and maximum balloon volume was documented. The balloon volume was titrated by 20% increments of maximum capacity to adjust the degree of P-REBOA. The distal/proximal arterial pressure gradient and the intra-balloon pressures were also recorded. The changes in shape and the cross-sectional area of the balloon were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) images. RESULTS: The proximal mean arterial pressure (MAP) plateaued after 60% balloon volume; meanwhile, distal pulse pressure was still left. The balloon pressure was traced with proximal MAP before contact with aortic wall. The balloon shape changed unevenly from "cone" to "spindle" shape, although the balloon cross-sectional area of the mid-segment linearly increased. CONCLUSION: Monitoring distal pressure and titrating percent balloon volume is feasible to manage P-REBOA. In this experiment, 60% balloon volume was enough inflation to elevate central pressure allowing distal perfusion. The intra-balloon pressure was not reliable due to the strong influence of proximal MAP and uneven change of the balloon shape.

Ultrasound-guided versus blind vascular access followed by REBOA on board of a medical helicopter in a hemorrhagic ovine model.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of en-route resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) on board of a helicopter. METHODS: Six sedated male sheep (weighing 42-54 kg) underwent a controlled hemorrhage until the systolic blood pressure (BP) dropped to <90 mmHg, and were placed into a low capacity Eurocopter AS-350 (France). During the 30-minutes normal flight, every animal underwent blind (left side) and ultrasound-guided (US) (right side) vascular access (VA) to the femoral artery followed by REBOA: the first catheter (Rescue balloon, Japan) - into Zone I, the second one (MIT, Russia) - Zone III. In case of blind VA failure, an alternate US-puncture was attempted. Six experienced flight anesthetists were enrolled into the study. Vascular access and REBOA catheter placement (confirmed by X-Ray later) success rate and timing were recorded. RESULTS: Among six blind punctures one was successful, 2/6 - were into the vein, 3/6 - completely failed and switched to US-punctures (making total number of US-punctures nine). Eight out of nine US-punctures were successful. However, correct wire insertion and sheath placement was performed in 1/6 animal in the 'blind' group and only in 6/9 animals in the 'US' group. It took a median of 65 seconds (range 5-260) for US-puncture and a median of 4 minutes to get the sheath in. Among the 9 VAs, there were 2 REBOA failures (1 ruptured balloon [MIT] and 1 mistaken vena cava placement primarily recognized by a sudden drop of BP and later confirmed by X-Ray). Five out of seven balloons were placed in a desired intra-aortic position: 4/5 in Zone I and 1/2 - in Zone III. A median time for a successful REBOA procedure was 5.0 (range 2.5-10.0) minutes (1 min after sheath placement). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential feasibility of the en-route REBOA which can be performed within 5 minutes. Ultrasound-guidance is critically important to achieve en-route VA.

Battlefield Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Feasibility Study During Military Exercises.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of prehospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) in the military exercise setting. METHODS: Three 40kg Sus scrofa (wild swine) underwent controlled 35% blood loss and administration of potassium chloride to achieve cardiac arrest (CA). During CPR, initiated 1 minute after CA, the animals were transported to Role 1. Femoral vessels were cannulated, followed by E-CPR using a portable perfusion device. Crystalloid and blood transfusions were initiated, followed by tactical evacuation to Role 2 and 4-hour observation. RESULTS: All animals developed sustained asystole. Chest compressions supported effective but gradually deteriorating blood circulation. Two animals underwent successful E-CPR, with restoration of perfusion pressure to 80mmHg (70-90mmHg) 25 and 23 minutes after the induction of CA. After transportation to Role 2, one animal developed abdominal compartment syndrome as a result of extensive (9L) fluid replacement. The other animal received a lower volume of crystalloids (4L), and no complications occurred. In the third animal, multiple attempts to cannulate arteries were unsuccessful because of spasm and hypotension. Open aortic cannulation enabled the circuit to commence. No return of spontaneous circulation was ultimately achieved in either of the remaining animals. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates both the potential feasibility of battlefield E-CPR and the evolving capability in the care of severey injured combat casualties.

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-World Society of Emergency Surgery guidelines on diagnosis and management of peripheral vascular injuries.

The peripheral arteries and veins of the extremities are among the most commonly injured vessels in both civilian and military vascular trauma. Blunt causes are more frequent than penetrating except during military conflicts and in certain geographic areas. Physical examination and simple bedside investigations of pulse pressures are key in early identification of these injuries. In stable patients with equivocal physical examinations, computed tomography angiograms have become the mainstay of screening and diagnosis. Immediate open surgical repair remains the first-line therapy in most patients. However, advances in endovascular therapies and more widespread availability of this technology have resulted in an increase in the range of injuries and frequency of utilization of minimally invasive treatments for vascular injuries in stable patients. Prevention of and early detection and treatment of compartment syndrome remain essential in the recovery of patients with significant peripheral vascular injuries. The decision to perform amputation in patients with mangled extremities remains difficult with few clear indicators. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in conjunction with the World Society of Emergency Surgery seeks to summarize the literature to date and provide guidelines on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of peripheral vascular injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Review study, level IV.

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-World Society of Emergency Surgery guidelines on diagnosis and management of abdominal vascular injuries.

Abdominal vascular trauma accounts for a small percentage of military and a moderate percentage of civilian trauma, affecting all age ranges and impacting young adult men most frequently. Penetrating causes are more frequent than blunt in adults, while blunt mechanisms are more common among pediatric populations. High rates of associated injuries, bleeding, and hemorrhagic shock ensure that, despite advances in both diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, immediate open surgical repair remains the mainstay of treatment for traumatic abdominal vascular injuries. Because of their devastating nature, abdominal vascular injuries remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality among trauma patients. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in conjunction with the World Society of Emergency Surgery seek to summarize the literature to date and provide guidelines on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of abdominal vascular injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Review study, level IV.

Organ ischemia during partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta: Dynamic 4D Computed tomography in swine.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) increases proximal pressure, and simultaneously induces distal ischemia. We aimed to evaluate organ ischemia during partial REBOA (P-REBOA) with computed tomography (CT) perfusion in a swine model. The maximum balloon volume was recorded as total REBOA when the distal pulse pressure ceased. The animals (n = 4) were scanned at each 20% of the maximum balloon volume, and time-density curve (TDC) were analysed at the aorta, portal vein (PV), liver parenchyma, and superior mesenteric vein (SMV, indicating mesenteric perfusion). The area under the TDC (AUTDC), the time to peak (TTP), and four-dimensional volume-rendering images (4D-VR) were evaluated. The TDC of the both upper and lower aorta showed an increased peak and delayed TTP. The TDC of the PV, liver, and SMV showed a decreased peak and delayed TTP. The dynamic 4D-CT analysis suggested that organ perfusion changes according to balloon volume. The AUTDC at the PV, liver, and SMV decreased linearly with balloon inflation percentage to the maximum volume. 4D-VR demonstrated the delay of the washout in the aorta and retrograde flow at the inferior vena cava in the highly occluded status.

Liver trauma: WSES 2020 guidelines.

Liver injuries represent one of the most frequent life-threatening injuries in trauma patients. In determining the optimal management strategy, the anatomic injury, the hemodynamic status, and the associated injuries should be taken into consideration. Liver trauma approach may require non-operative or operative management with the intent to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiology. The management of liver trauma should be multidisciplinary including trauma surgeons, interventional radiologists, and emergency and ICU physicians. The aim of this paper is to present the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) liver trauma management guidelines.

Aortic balloon occlusion (REBOA) in pelvic ring injuries: preliminary results of the ABO Trauma Registry.

EndoVascular and Hybrid Trauma Management (EVTM) has been recently introduced in the treatment of severe pelvic ring injuries. This multimodal method of hemorrhage management counts on several strategies such as the REBOA (resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta). Few data exist on the use of REBOA in patients with a severely injured pelvic ring. The ABO (aortic balloon occlusion) Trauma Registry is designed to capture data for all trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock where management includes REBOA placement. Among all patients included in the ABO registry, 72 patients presented with severe pelvic injuries and were the population under exam. 66.7% were male. Mean and median ISS were respectively 43 and 41 (SD ± 13). Isolated pelvic injuries were observed in 12 patients (16.7%). Blunt trauma occurred in 68 patients (94.4%), penetrating in 2 (2.8%) and combined in 2 (2.8%). Type of injury: fall from height in 15 patients (23.1%), traffic accident in 49 patients (75.4%), and unspecified impact in 1 patient (1.5%). Femoral access was gained pre-hospital in 1 patient, in emergency room in 43, in operating room in 12 and in angio-suite in 16. REBOA was positioned in zone 1 in 59 patients (81,9%), in zone 2 in 1 (1,4%) and in zone 3 in 12 (16,7%). Aortic occlusion was partial/periodical in 35 patients (48,6%) and total occlusion in 37 patients (51,4%). REBOA associated morbidity rate: 11.1%. Overall mortality rate was 54.2% and early mortality rate (≤ 24 h) was 44.4%. In the univariate analysis, factors related to early mortality (≤ 24 h) are lower pH values (p = 0.03), higher base deficit (p = 0.021), longer INR (p = 0.012), minor increase in systolic blood pressure after the REBOA inflation (p = 0.03) and total aortic occlusion (p = 0.008). None of these values resulted significant in the multivariate analysis. In severe hemodynamically unstable pelvic trauma management, REBOA is a viable option when utilized in experienced centers as a bridge to other treatments; its use might be, however, accompanied with severe-to-lethal complications.

Feasibility and Clinical Outcome of Reboa in Patients with Impending Traumatic Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) may improve Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) in hypovolemic shock. It has, however, not been studied in patients with impending traumatic cardiac arrest (ITCA). We aimed to study the feasibility and clinical outcome of REBOA in patients with ITCA using data from the ABOTrauma Registry. METHODS: Retrospective and prospective data on the use of REBOA from 16 centers globally were collected. SBP was measured both at pre- and post-REBOA inflation. Data collected included patients' demography, vascular access technique, number of attempts, catheter size, operator, zone and duration of occlusion, and clinical outcome. RESULTS: There were 74 patients in this high-risk patient group. REBOA was performed on all patients. A 7-10Fr catheter was used in 66.7% and 58.5% were placed on the first attempt, 52.1% through blind insertion and 93.2% inflated in Zone I, 64.8% for a period of 30 to 60 min, 82.1% by ER doctors, trauma surgeons, or vascular surgeons. SBP significantly improved to 90 mm Hg following the inflation of REBOA. 36.6% of the patients survived. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that REBOA may be performed in patients with ITCA, SBP can be elevated, and 36.6% of the patients survived if REBOA placement is successful.

Kidney and uro-trauma: WSES-AAST guidelines.

Renal and urogenital injuries occur in approximately 10-20% of abdominal trauma in adults and children. Optimal management should take into consideration the anatomic injury, the hemodynamic status, and the associated injuries. The management of urogenital trauma aims to restore homeostasis and normal physiology especially in pediatric patients where non-operative management is considered the gold standard. As with all traumatic conditions, the management of urogenital trauma should be multidisciplinary including urologists, interventional radiologists, and trauma surgeons, as well as emergency and ICU physicians. The aim of this paper is to present the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) kidney and urogenital trauma management guidelines.

Duodeno-pancreatic and extrahepatic biliary tree trauma: WSES-AAST guidelines.

Duodeno-pancreatic and extrahepatic biliary tree injuries are rare in both adult and pediatric trauma patients, and due to their anatomical location, associated injuries are very common. Mortality is primarily related to associated injuries, but morbidity remains high even in isolated injuries. Optimal management of duodeno-bilio-pancreatic injuries is dictated primarily by hemodynamic stability, clinical presentation, and grade of injury. Endoscopic and percutaneous interventions have increased the ability to non-operatively manage these injuries. Late diagnosis and treatment are both associated to increased morbidity and mortality. Sequelae of late presentations of pancreatic injury and complications of severe pancreatic trauma are also increasingly addressed endoscopically and with interventional radiology procedures. However, for moderate and severe extrahepatic biliary and severe duodeno-pancreatic injuries, immediate operative intervention is preferred as associated injuries are frequent and commonly present with hemodynamic instability or peritonitis. The aim of this paper is to present the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) duodenal, pancreatic, and extrahepatic biliary tree trauma management guidelines.

Defining degree of aortic occlusion for partial-REBOA: A computed tomography study on large animals.

INTRODUCTION: Partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (P-REBOA) is a modified REBOA technique designed to help ameliorate ischemia-reperfusion injury. The balloon is partially deflated, allowing a proportion of aortic flow distal to the balloon. The aim of this study is to use an ovine model of haemorrhagic shock to correlate the degree of occlusion to several hemodynamic indices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six sheep weighing 35-46 kg underwent a controlled venous haemorrhage inside a CT scanner until the systolic arterial pressure (AP) dropped to <90 mmHg. A balloon positioned in an aortic zone I was incrementally filled with 1 mL of saline, with serial measurement of the proximal (carotid artery) and distal (femoral artery) mean APs (MAP) and intra-balloon pressure (IBP), along with CT imaging, following each inflation, until full occlusion was achieved. RESULTS: A diameter of the aorta at zone I was 16.0 (15.7-17.2) mm, with a cross-sectional area of 212 (194-233) mm2. Median volume of saline injected into the balloon until total occlusion was 7.0 (6.3-8.5) mL. During gradual balloon inflation, proximal MAP increased and distal MAP decreased proportionate to the degree of occlusion, in a linear fashion (proximal: r2 = 0.85, p < 0.001; distal: r2 = 0.95, p < 0.001). The femoral/carotid (F/C) pressure gradient also demonstrated a linear trend (r2 = 0.90, p < 0.001). The relationship between percentage occlusion and IBP was sigmoid. MAP values became significantly different at 40-49% occlusion and more (p < 0.01). Furthermore, a drop in the distal pulse pressure from 7.0 (5.5-16.5) to 2.0 (1.5-5.0) mmHg was observed at 80% occlusion. All animals had femoral pulse pressure <5 mmHg at 80% of occlusion and more, which also coincided with the observed loss of pulsatility of the femoral wave-form. CONCLUSION: Serial CT angiography at an ovine model of haemorrhagic shock demonstrates a correlation between the femoral MAP, F/C pressure gradient and degree of zone I P-REBOA during the staged partial aortic occlusion. These parameters should be considered potential parameters to define the degree of P-REBOA during animal research and clinical practice.

The pitfalls of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta: Risk factors and mitigation strategies.

Despite technological advancements, REBOA is associated with significant risks due to complications of vascular access and ischemia-reperfusion. The inherent morbidity and mortality of REBOA is often compounded by coexisting injury and hemorrhagic shock. Additionally, the potential for REBOA-related injuries is exaggerated due to the growing number of interventions being performed by providers who have limited experience in endovascular techniques, inadequate resources, minimal training in the technique, and who are performing this maneuver in emergency situations. In an effort to ultimately improve outcomes with REBOA, we sought to compile a list of complications that may be encountered during REBOA usage. To address the current knowledge gap, we assembled a list of anecdotal complications from high-volume REBOA users internationally. More importantly, through a consensus model, we identify contributory factors that may lead to complications and deliberate on how to recognize, mitigate, and manage such events. An understanding of the pitfalls of REBOA and strategies to mitigate their occurrence is of vital importance to optimize patient outcomes.

Splenic trauma: WSES classification and guidelines for adult and pediatric patients.

Spleen injuries are among the most frequent trauma-related injuries. At present, they are classified according to the anatomy of the injury. The optimal treatment strategy, however, should keep into consideration the hemodynamic status, the anatomic derangement, and the associated injuries. The management of splenic trauma patients aims to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiopathology especially considering the modern tools for bleeding management. Thus, the management of splenic trauma should be ultimately multidisciplinary and based on the physiology of the patient, the anatomy of the injury, and the associated lesions. Lastly, as the management of adults and children must be different, children should always be treated in dedicated pediatric trauma centers. In fact, the vast majority of pediatric patients with blunt splenic trauma can be managed non-operatively. This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) classification of splenic trauma and the management guidelines.

Field and en route resuscitative endovascular occlusion of the aorta: A feasible military reality?

BACKGROUND: Severe noncompressible torso hemorrhage remains a leading cause of potentially preventable death in modern military conflicts. Resuscitative endovascular occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has demonstrated potential as an effective adjunct to the treatment of noncompressible torso hemorrhage in the civilian early hospital and even prehospital settings-but the application of this technology for military prehospital use has not been well described. We aimed to assess the feasibility of both field and en route prehospital REBOA in the military exercise setting, simulating a modern armed conflict. METHODS: Two adult male Sus Scrofa underwent simulated junctional combat injury in the context of a planned military training exercise. Both underwent zone I REBOA in conjunction with standard tactical combat casualty care interventions-one during point of injury care and the other during en route flight care. Animals were sequentially evacuated to two separate forward surgical teams by rotary wing platform where the balloon position was confirmed by chest x-ray. Animals then underwent different damage control thoracic and abdominal procedures before euthanasia. RESULTS: The first swine underwent immediate successful REBOA at the point of injury 7 minutes and 30 seconds after the injury. It required 6 minutes total from initiation of procedure to effective aortic occlusion. Total occlusion time was 60 minutes. In the second animal, the REBOA placement procedure was initiated immediately after take off (17 minutes and 40 seconds after the injury). Although the movements and vibration of flight were not significant impediments, we only succeeded to put a 6-French (Fr) sheath into a femoral artery during the 14 minutes flight due to lighting and visualization challenges. After the sheath had been upsized in the forward surgical team, the REBOA catheter was primarily placed in zone I followed by its replacement to zone III. Both animals survived to study completion and the termination of training. No complications were observed in either animal. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential feasibility of REBOA for use during tactical field and en route (flight) care of combat casualties. Further study is needed to determine the optimal training and utilization protocols required to facilitate the effective incorporation of REBOA into military prehospital care capabilities.

Development of an ovine model of occlusive arterial injury for the evaluation of endovascular interventions.

Endovascular intervention for occlusive arterial trauma is becoming more common in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to present an ovine model of extremity arterial injury for use in future endovascular translational research. Animals under general anesthesia had their left superficial femoral artery exposed, which was bluntly injured over a 2-cm section using a hemostat and injection of air. Occlusion was confirmed on angiography and the flow characteristics measured by ultrasonography. Of five animals enrolled, four occluding lesions were created successfully. Post injury, there was a significant reduction in the median (interquartile range) systolic velocity (cm/sec) on the left (injury) compared to the right (control) side (3.5 (0-16.5) vs. 29 (23.8-43.3); p < 0.001). The ovine superficial femoral artery can be used to consistently produce an occlusive lesion that is suitable for use in the future evaluation of endovascular trauma interventions.