Choosing wisely: A prospective study of direct to operating room trauma resuscitation including real-time trauma surgeon after-action review.

INTRODUCTION: Although several centers have direct to operating room (DOR) resuscitation programs, there are no published prospective studies on optimal patient selection, interventions, outcomes, or real-time surgeon assessments. METHODS: Direct to operating room cases for 1 year were prospectively enrolled. Demographics, injury types/severity, triage criteria, interventions, and outcomes including Glasgow Outcome Scale score were collected. Detailed time-to-event and sequence data on initial lifesaving interventions (LSIs) or emergent surgeries were analyzed. A structured real-time attending surgeon assessment tool for each case was collected. Direct to operating room activation criteria were grouped into categories: mechanism, physiology, injury pattern, or emergency medical services (EMS) suspicion. RESULTS: There were 104 DOR cases: male, 84%; penetrating, 80%; and severely injured (Injury Severity Score, >15), 39%. The majority (65%) required at least one LSI (median of 7 minutes from arrival), and 41% underwent immediate emergent surgery (median, 26 minutes). Blunt patients were more severely injured and more likely to undergo LSI (86% vs. 59%) but less likely to require emergent surgery (19% vs. 47%, all p < 0.05). Analysis of DOR criteria categories showed unique patterns in each group for interventions and outcomes, with EMS suspicion associated with the lowest need for DOR. Surgeon assessment tool results found that DOR was indicated in 84% and improved care in 63%, with a small subset identified (9%) where DOR had a negative impact. CONCLUSION: Direct to operating room resuscitation facilitated timely emergent interventions in penetrating truncal trauma and a select subset of critically ill blunt patients. Unique intervention/outcome profiles were identified by activation criteria groups, with little utility among activations for EMS suspicion. Real-time surgeon assessment tool identified high- and low-yield DOR groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prospective observational study, level III.

Direct to operating room trauma resuscitation decreases mortality among severely injured children.

BACKGROUND: Expediting evaluation and intervention for severely injured patients has remained a mainstay of advanced trauma care. One technique, direct to operating room (DOR) resuscitation, for selective adult patients has demonstrated decreased mortality. We sought to investigate the application of this protocol in children. METHODS: All DOR pediatric patients from 2009 to 2016 at a pediatric Level I trauma center were identified. Direct to OR criteria included penetrating injury, chest injuries, amputations, significant blood loss, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and surgeon discretion. Demographics, injury patterns, interventions, and outcomes were analyzed. Observed mortality was compared with expected mortality, calculated using Trauma Injury Severity Score methodology, with two-tailed t tests, and a p value less than 0.5 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of 2,956 total pediatric trauma activations, 82 (2.8%) patients (age range, 1 month to 17 years) received DOR resuscitation during the study period. The most common indications for DOR were penetrating injuries (62%) and chest injuries (32%). Forty-four percent had Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 15, 33% had Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 8 or less, and 9% were hypotensive. The most commonly injured body regions were external (66%), head (34%), chest (30%), and abdomen (27%). Sixty-seven (82%) patients required emergent procedural intervention, most commonly wound exploration/repair (35%), central venous access (22%), tube thoracostomy (19%), and laparotomy (18%). Predictors of intervention were ISS greater than 15 (odds ratio, 14; p = 0.013) and GCS < 9 (odds ratio = 8.5, p = 0.044). The survival rate to discharge for DOR patients was 84% compared with an expected survival of 79% (Trauma Injury Severity Score) (p = 0.4). The greatest improvement relative to expected mortality was seen in the subgroup with penetrating trauma (84.5% vs 74.4%; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: A selective policy of resuscitating the most severely injured children in the OR can decrease mortality. Patients suffering penetrating trauma with the highest ISS, and diminished GCS scores have the greatest benefit. Trauma centers with appropriate resources should evaluate implementing similar policies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic tests or criteria, level II.

Bowel Necrosis and 3 Limb Amputation From High-Voltage Electrical Injury.

The objective of this study was to report the case and multidisciplinary management of a 44-year-old man with 40% TBSA third- and fourth-degree burns sustained during high-voltage electrical injury including 3 limb amputation and bowel necrosis requiring small bowel resection. This study is a case report and review of the literature. A 44-year-old man was brought to the Emergency Department with 40% TBSA third- and fourth-degree burns sustained during accidental contact with high-voltage electric current. He had multisystem injury including injuries to 3 of his extremities ultimately requiring a forequarter amputation of the left upper extremity and guillotine amputations of his bilateral lower extremities. He also sustained a visceral injury and underwent small bowel resection. While amputations are very common in electrical burn injuries, visceral electrical injuries are not. High-voltage electrical injuries are devastating multisystem insults that require multidisciplinary critical and operative care.

A decade of experience with a selective policy for direct to operating room trauma resuscitations.

BACKGROUND: The standard paradigm for acutely injured patients involves evaluation in an emergency department (ED). Our center has employed a policy for bypassing the ED and proceeding directly to the operating room (OR) based on prehospital criteria. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of all trauma patients admitted "direct to OR" (DOR) over 10 years. Demographics, injury patterns, prehospital, and in-hospital data were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 1,407 patients admitted as DOR resuscitations. Almost half (47%) had a penetrating mechanism, and 54% had chest or abdominal injury. The mean Injury Severity Score was 19, with altered mentation (Glasgow coma score [GCS] <9) in 20% and hypotension in 16%. Most patients (68%) required surgical intervention, and 33% required emergency surgery operations (abdominal [70%] followed by thoracic [22%] and vascular [4%]). The median time to intervention was 13 minutes. Mortality was significantly lower than predicted (5% vs 10%). Independent predictors of emergent surgical intervention were a penetrating truncal injury (odds ratio = 9.9), GCS <9 (odds ratio = 1.9), and hypotension (odds ratio = 1.8). DISCUSSION: Our DOR protocol identified a severely injured cohort at high risk for requiring surgery with improved observed survival. High-yield triage criteria for DOR admission include a penetrating truncal injury, hypotension, and a severely altered mental status.

Effects of sentinel lymph node biopsy on surgical residency training.

Axillary node dissection (AND) is an integral part of surgical training. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLN) was introduced into our residency in 1997. Our purpose in this study was to evaluate the impact of SLN on AND experience. AND/SLN operative experience of residents and attendings at our residency was reviewed using resident case-logs and questionnaires from 2002 and 2005. The perception of performing and teaching AND was assessed. Thirty-three residents and 24 attendings participated. Graduating chiefs from the class of 2000 performed no SLN, which increased to 4.25 in 2002 and to 8.5 in 2005. In contrast, graduating chiefs performed 25 AND in 2000, which decreased to 16.5 in 2002 and to 13.25 in 2005. The majority of the residents felt that AND was a senior level case (56% postgraduate year [PGY] I and II and 87% PGY III-V). The majority of the residents felt that SLN was a junior level case (89% PGY I and II and PGY III-V). Fifty-six per cent of PGY III-V felt that SLN introduction negatively impacted their ability to perform AND. Attendings cited 15 and 24 AND before feeling comfortable performing and teaching the procedure to a resident. Since the introduction of SLN into our residency, the number of AND has decreased, with senior residents feeling that SLN has decreased their ability to perform AND. As fewer AND are performed than our attendings cite to feel comfortable, future residents may not be competent to perform or teach AND.

Follow-up recommendations for benign breast biopsies.

Histologically proven benign breast disease increases a woman's relative risk for subsequent cancer development. Yet follow-up guidelines for mammogram and clinical breast examination after a benign breast biopsy are lacking. Our objective was to determine if increased surveillance is indicated following a benign breast biopsy. Following institutional review board approval, a retrospective database review was conducted of prospectively gathered patients who had a benign breast biopsy (core or excisional) for an abnormality detected on mammogram, ultrasound, or clinical breast examination. Follow-up, for all subjects, was a clinical breast examination and mammogram or ultrasound at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after benign breast biopsy by a breast surgeon. End points were the need for additional biopsies or cancer detection. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-squared analysis. From January 2000 to July 2003, 156 patients age 18-86 years had a benign breast biopsy. During the 2 year follow-up, 20 patients (13%) required a subsequent biopsy. No significant difference was observed in mean age, race, menarche, menopause, parity, age at first live birth, use of oral contraceptives, history of prior biopsy, or the pathology of the initial lesion between those who needed a subsequent biopsy and those who did not. Seven excisional biopsies were performed (one at 6 months, four at 1 year, and two at 2 years follow-up) for growth of the benign breast biopsy lesion, and pathology remained concordant with the original diagnosis. Thirteen biopsies were done for new findings on mammogram or ultrasound. Three of these (1.9%) yielded a cancer diagnosis (one at 6 months, one at 1 year, and one at 2 years follow-up). No new lesions were identified on follow-up by clinical breast examination alone. Increased surveillance following a benign breast biopsy is necessary because of the increased need for subsequent biopsy or risk of cancer development. This should include imaging (mammography or ultrasound) and a clinical breast examination 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after a benign breast biopsy.

Histiocytosis X: acute disseminated variant

The clinical course of a 14-year-old girl with the acute disseminated variant of histiocytosis X is described. The aetiology and its relationship to eosinophilic granuloma of bone and to the chronic disseminated variant ("Hand-Schuller-Christian disease") are reviewed and the pathogenesis of the haematological changes is discussed (AU)

The pattern of fatal cerebrovascular disease in Jamaica

The data presented shows that the pattern of fatal cerebrovascular disease as seen at necropsy in Jamaica is very different from that in comparable studies in white communities. In a 15-year period (1952-1967) cerebro-vascular disorders accounted for 296 (9.9 percent) of all adult necropsies performed in a large general teaching hospital. Of these no less than 77 percent were due to haemorrhage whereas only 23 percent were due to infarction. This high incidence of haemorrhagic strokes probably reflects the high incidence of hypertension which has been shown to exist on the Island. 89 percent of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhages are associated with hypertension and there is a far lower proportion of hind brain as compared with cerebral hemisphere haemorrhages. A small but significant group appears to be due to hypertension occurring during or shortly after childbirth. Subarachnoid haemorrhages due to rupture of berry aneurysms of the circle of Willis also present unusual features. 70 percent of all such aneurysms occur at the junction of the internal carotid arteries and their branches whereas middle cerebral and anterior communicating artery aneurysms are relatively uncommon. Multiple aneurysms of the Willisian vessels and intracerebral extensions of haemorrhages from ruptured aneurysms also appear to be far less common than generally reported elsewhere.Cerebral infarction due to atheroma and thrombosis is rare - only 54 cases being encountered during the period under consideration. This is even more surprising in view of the fact that cerebral artery atheroma is probably as common as in North America and Europe (Summary)