Variation in the utilization of angioembolization for splenic injury in hospitals: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Japan.

Aim: Substantial variations in the utilization of angioembolization have been reported internationally. However, the existence of variations in the utilization of angioembolization in Japan is currently unknown. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from a nationwide trauma registry in Japan. Of the 4,896 registered adult patients with splenic injury, we investigated 3,319 patients in the top 25% of the hospitals that registered the highest number of splenic injury patients in the Japan Trauma Data Bank. The primary outcome of this study was initial angioembolization. We calculated the expected initial angioembolization rates using multiple regression analysis adjusted for patient factors. In addition, we evaluated the range of observed-to-expected initial splenic angioembolization ratio for each hospital. Moreover, we assessed whether this ratio was increased with time. Results: The frequency of initial splenic angioembolization ranged from 0% to 52%. The median expected initial angioembolization rate, calculated through multiple logistic regression analysis, was 19.7%. The observed-to-expected initial splenic angioembolization ratio for each hospital ranged from 0 to 2.36. The observed initial angioembolization rate tended to increase with time (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Despite adjustment for patient factors, substantial variations were observed in the utilization of splenic angioembolization among hospitals in Japan.

Delayed embolization associated with increased mortality in pelvic fracture with hemodynamic stability at hospital arrival.

BACKGROUND: Embolization is widely used for controlling arterial hemorrhage associated with pelvic fracture. However, the effect of a delay in embolization among hemodynamically stable patients at hospital arrival with a pelvic fracture is unknown. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the association between the time to embolization and mortality in hemodynamically stable patients at hospital arrival with a pelvic fracture. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was undertaken using data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank between 2004 and 2018. Hemodynamically, stable patients with a pelvic fracture who underwent an embolization within 3 h were divided into six groups of 30-min blocks of time until pelvic embolization (0-30, 30-60, 60-90, 90-120, 120-150, and 150-180 min). We compared the adjusted 30-day mortality rate according to time to embolization. RESULTS: We studied 620 hemodynamically stable patients with a pelvic fracture who underwent pelvic embolization within 3 h of hemorrhage. The median age was 68 (48-79) years and 55% were male. The median injury severity score was 26 (18-38). Thirty-day mortality was 8.9% (55/620) and 24-h mortality was 4.2% (26/619). A Cochran-Armitage test showed that a 30-min delay for embolization was associated with increased 30-day (p = 0.0186) and 24-hour (p = 0.033) mortality. Mortality within 0-30 min to embolization was 0%. The adjusted 30-day mortality rate increased with delayed embolization and was up to 17.0% (10.2-23.9) for the 150-180 min group. CONCLUSION: Delayed embolization was associated with increased mortality in pelvic fracture with hemodynamic stability at hospital arrival. When you decide to embolize pelvic fracture patients, the earlier embolization may be desirable to promote improved survival regardless of hemodynamics.

Embolization versus Surgery for Stabilized Patients with Solid Organ Injury.

PURPOSE: To compare embolization with laparotomy for the management of hemodynamically unstable patients with solid organ injury who responded to initial resuscitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from a Japanese nationwide trauma registry were analyzed. Included were hemodynamically unstable patients (systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg and blood transfusion within the first 24 hours) whose initial computed tomography assessment confirmed the presence of solid organ injuries (liver and/or spleen). A total of 224 patients were included (median age: 53 years, interquartile range: 32-69; 73.3% male; liver injury = 131 [58%] and spleen injury = 98 [44%]; median organ injury scale: 3, interquartile range: 3-4; median injury severity score: 19, interquartile range: 16-25). Patients who underwent embolization were compared with those who underwent laparotomy. The primary outcome was in-hospital survival. The data were evaluated using a propensity score matching analysis. RESULTS: Laparotomy and embolization were performed in 133 (59.1%) and 91 (40.4%) patients, respectively. Of those, 111 (84%) and 84 (92%) patients achieved in-hospital survival after laparotomy and embolization, respectively. No significant difference in in-hospital survival (P = .053) was noted. The propensity score matching model did not reveal a significant difference in in-hospital survival (P = .276). CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was observed between embolization and laparotomy in terms of in-hospital survival among unstable patients who responded to initial resuscitation with solid organ injury.

Severe trauma patient volume was associated with decreased mortality.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the severe trauma patient volume and outcomes is still being debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between severe trauma patient volume, hospital mortality, and door-to-definitive treatment time. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that used recorded data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank. We included severe trauma patients who had an Injury Severity Score greater than 16. Hospitals were categorized according to their annual severe trauma patient volume: low volume, 1-49 (reference), medium volume, 50-99, and high volume, ≥ 100]. The association of volume categories with in-hospital mortality was evaluated by use of a mixed-effects model adjusted for patient demographics and trauma severity. Additionally, the association of volume categories with in-hospital mortality among subgroups and with door-to-definitive treatment time were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 74,957 severe trauma patients from 213 hospitals were analyzed. In-hospital mortality was 15.7%, 15.2%, and 12.8% in the low volume, medium volume, and high volume groups, respectively. High volume was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality compared to low volume (odds ratio = 0.757, 95% confidence interval = 0.626-0.916). However, medium volume was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality. Among subgroups, high volume was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality only in the probability of survival ≥ 0.5. Door-to-definitive treatment time was decreased in high volume, however, high volume was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality among the patients who underwent definitive treatment and the patients whose ps < 0.5. CONCLUSIONS: Severe trauma patient volume was associated with decreased mortality by decreasing preventable trauma death.

Severe liver trauma among pediatric patients in the Japan Trauma Registry.

Background: Limited information exists regarding the clinical characteristics, management practices, and outcomes of pediatric patients with liver injury in Japan. The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics, management, and outcome of pediatric patients with liver injury in Japan. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study using data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank between 2004 and 2018. Pediatric patients with liver injury were classified into the following management groups: nonoperative management (NOM); NOM with angioembolization (AE); operative management (OM). The primary outcome was in-hospital survival, and the secondary outcomes were dispositions, hospital length of stay (LOS), and rate of discharge to home. Results: There were 308 pediatric patients with severe liver injury (organ injury scale grades ≥Ⅲ) during the study period; 135 patients had isolated liver injury and 173 patients had non-isolated liver injury. The rates of NOM, NOM with AE, and OM among all patients were 65%, 23%, and 12%, respectively. AE was highly used both in patients with isolated liver injury (27%) and non-isolated liver injury (22%). In-hospital survival of patients with isolated liver injury and those with non-isolated liver injury were 99% and 88%, respectively. Regarding secondary outcomes among patients with isolated liver injury, 82% were admitted to the intensive care unit. LOS was 11 (8-14) days and 82% were discharged to home. Conclusions: Our retrospective observational study showed that management of pediatric patients with severe liver injury in Japan was characterized by high utilization of AE. The in-hospital survival rate in Japan was comparable with that of other developed countries.

Isolated high-grade splenic injury among pediatric patients in Japan: Nationwide descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists regarding the clinical characteristics, management practice, and outcomes of pediatric patients with isolated splenic injury in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics, management, and outcomes, such as survival and splenic salvage rate of pediatric patients with isolated splenic injury in Japan. METHOD: This study was a multicenter retrospective cohort study using patient data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank (JTDB) collected between 2004 and 2018. Pediatric patients with isolated high-grade splenic injury whose abbreviated injury scale≥3 were classified according to management groups: nonoperative management (NOM); NOM with splenic artery embolization (SAE); and operative management (OM). The primary outcome was in-hospital survival and the secondary outcomes were splenic salvage rate, hospital length of stay (LOS), rate of discharging to home, and complications. RESULTS: There were 230 pediatric patients with isolated high-grade splenic injury during the study period. Of these, 156 (68%) were managed by NOM, 62 (27%) were managed by NOM with SAE, and 12 (5.2%) were managed by OM. No pediatric patient with isolated high-grade splenic injury died between 2004 and 2018 in Japan, and the splenic salvage rate was 97%. CONCLUSION: We identified a high survival rate and splenic salvage rate among pediatric patients with isolated high-grade splenic injury in Japan. SAE was often used, in contrast with previous reports. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta may contribute to improved survival.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an increasingly used trauma resuscitation procedure, however, there are no reports of whether or not the survival of patients treated with REBOA increases over time. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study from a nationwide trauma registry in Japan was conducted between 2004 and 2015. Patients treated with REBOA were divided into three calendar year periods: early-period (2004-2007), mid-period (2008-2011), and late-period (2012-2015). The primary outcome of in-hospital survival was compared between the periods (early-period: reference) using mixed effects logistic regression analysis after adjustment for characteristics, trauma severity, and therapeutic choices. RESULTS: Of 236,698 trauma patients, 633 patients treated with REBOA were analyzed. Distribution of the patients across periods was as follows: early-period (91), mid-period (276), and late-period (266). In-hospital survival was 39, 49, and 60% in the early-period, mid-period, and late-period, respectively. In regression modeling, the late-period (OR = 2.976, 95% CI = 1.615-5.482) was associated with improved in-hospital survival compared to the early-period, however, the mid-period (OR = 1.614, 95% CI = 0.898-2.904) was not associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of patients treated with REBOA during the late-period improved compared with survival during the early-period, after adjustment for characteristics, trauma severity, and therapeutic choices. REBOA may be one of the important factors related to progression of modern trauma treatment.

The off-hour effect among severe trauma patients: a nationwide cohort study in Japan.

PURPOSE: To assess whether there are temporal differences altering the clinical outcomes of severe trauma patients in Japan. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that used recorded data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank. Severe trauma patients who had an injury severity score of greater than 16 were included. The hospital arrival time was categorized into daytime (8 a.m.-7:59 p.m.) and nighttime (8 p.m.-7:59 a.m.). The hospital arrival day of the week was categorized into business days and non-business days. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 65,136 severe trauma patients were analyzed. In-hospital mortality was 15.6% in the daytime and 14.4% in the nighttime, and 15.5%, and 14.6% on business days and non-business days, respectively. Nighttime was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality compared to daytime (odds ratio = 0.817, 95% confidence interval = 0.764-0.874) and a non-business day was not associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a negative off-hour effect on in-hospital mortality among severe trauma patients.

Levels of Catecholamines in the Plasma of Patients with Cardiopulmonary Arrest.

So far, there remains a controversy regarding the efficacy of epinephrine (Ep) in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). In this study, we evaluated the importance of the plasma levels of catecholamines prior to the administration of Ep in patients with CPA. Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) who were transferred to Gunma University Hospital were enrolled prospectively between July 2014 and July 2017. The levels of catecholamines [Ep, norepinephrine (NEp), and dopamine] and vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) in the plasma were measured using blood samples of cardiogenic patients with OHCA not treated with Ep. Patients were divided into two groups: the return of spontaneous circulation [ROSC (+) ] group and the no return of spontaneous circulation [ROSC (-) ] group. The plasma levels of these agents and the conditions of resuscitation were compared between these two groups. 48 patients with cardiogenic CPA had not been treated with Ep prior to obtaining the blood samples. The ROSC (+) and ROSC (-) groups included 14 and 34 patients, respectively. The frequency of prehospital defibrillation was significantly higher in the ROSC (+) group. However, the prehospital resuscitation time was significantly shorter in the ROSC (+) group. Moreover, the levels of Ep and NEp in the plasma were significantly lower in the ROSC (+) group. The increased levels of Ep in the plasma may not be associated with the acquisition of ROSC in patients with cardiogenic CPA.

Prediction of arterial extravasation in pelvic fracture patients with stable hemodynamics using coagulation biomarkers.

Background: Determining the presence of an active arterial hemorrhage in the acute phase is important as a treatment strategy in patients with pelvic fracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether coagulation biomarkers could predict arterial extravasation, especially in pelvic fracture patients with stable hemodynamics. Methods: We studied patients with a pelvic fracture who had a systolic blood pressure above 90 mmHg and lactate level less than 5.0 mmol/L on hospital arrival. Patients were divided into two groups: those with arterial extravasation on enhanced computed tomography (CT) or angiography (extravasation [+] group) and those without arterial extravasation (extravasation [-] group). Coagulation biomarkers measured on arrival were statistically compared between the two groups. Predictive ability of arterial extravasation using coagulation biomarkers was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic analyses provided area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and diagnostic indicators with optimal cutoff point including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Results: Sixty patients were analyzed. Fibrin degradation products (FDP), D-dimer, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR), and the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen were significantly higher in the extravasation (+) group than in the extravasation (-) group (FDP, 242 µg/mL [145-355] vs. 96 µg/mL [58-153]; D-dimer, 81 µg/mL [41-140] vs. 39 µg/mL [21-75]; PT-INR, 1.09 [1.05-1.24] vs. 1.02 [0.98-1.08]; and ratio of FDP to fibrinogen, 1.06 [0.85-2.01] vs. 0.46 [0.25-0.74]). The highest AUROC was with a ratio of FDP to fibrinogen of 0.777 (95% confidence interval, 0.656-0.898), and the highest predictive ability in terms of DOR was with a ratio of FDP to fibrinogen (sensitivity, 0.76; specificity, 0.76; DOR 9.90). Conclusion: Coagulation biomarker could predict of arterial extravasation in pelvic fracture patients with stable hemodynamics.

Use of Vasopressor Increases the Risk of Mortality in Traumatic Hemorrhagic Shock: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the possible association of vasopressor use with mortality in traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients at 260 emergency hospitals in Japan between 2004 and 2015. PATIENTS: Three-thousand five-hundred fifty-one traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients who had systolic hypotension (< 90 mm Hg) on arrival at the emergency department and a blood transfusion received within the first 24 hours. INTERVENTIONS: The use of vasopressor for traumatic hemorrhagic shock within the first 24 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among 236,698 trauma patients, 3,551 were included in the study. Overall, 198 of 459 patients (43%) in the vasopressor+ group expired compared with 481 of 3,092 patients (16%) in the vasopressor- group. Use of vasopressor had an odds ratio of 2.172 (95% CI, 1.666-2.833) for in-hospital mortality adjusted for age, gender, year of onset, cause of injury, mechanism of injury, vital signs at the emergency department, Injury Severity Score, use of prehospital IV fluid, and volume of blood transfusion within the first 24 hours. In the propensity score-matched cohort and two subgroup analyses (massive transfusion and survivable injury models), use of vasopressor was associated with higher mortality (odds ratio, 2.168; 95% C, 1.442-3.320), (odds ratio, 2.029; 95% CI, 1.414-2.911; massive transfusion model), and (odds ratio, 1.959; 95% CI, 1.364-2.814; survivable injury model). CONCLUSIONS: Use of vasopressor for traumatic hemorrhagic shock was associated with mortality after controlling for biases (trauma severity; volume of fluid resuscitation).

Report of Four Cases with Equestrian Injury: Therapeutic Approach and Outcome.

Equestrianism is associated with a risk of severe trauma due to falls and/or direct injury from the horse, depending on the mechanism of injury. This article presents four cases of equestrian injury treated in Gunma University Hospital: Case 1: hepatic injury (fall and kick by the horse); Case 2: left hemopneumothorax and pulmonary contusion with multiple rib fractures (fall and trampling by the horse); Case 3: lumbar compression fracture (fall); and Case 4: scrotum injury (horse bite). Equestrian injuries may be high-energy traumas. Therefore, adhering to relevant primary care guidelines may prevent mortality by trauma.

Successful Endovascular Therapy in an Elderly Patient with Severe Hemorrhage Caused by Traumatic Injury.

An 85-year-old female suffered pelvic fracture, multiple rib fractures, right hemopneumothorax, and blunt abdominal aortic injury in a traffic accident. After transfer to our hospital, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed immediately for hemorrhage from the bilateral internal iliac arteries. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) after TAE showed an increase of hematoma and extravasation at the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Therefore, emergency abdominal endovascular aortic repair was performed on the same day. On the 3rd day after transfer, metabolic acidosis worsened suddenly, and enhanced CT revealed intestinal necrosis. Emergency surgery for the intestinal necrosis was performed. The patient was transferred to the previous hospital on the 31st day after transfer. Endovascular treatment is useful for elderly patients with severe trauma. However, the preservation and/or reconstruction of the blood flow to important organs should be monitored.

Can the Wish to Receive Intensive Treatment in Elderly Patients with Respiratory Tract Infection Be Predicted?

Objective Almost no Japanese elderly patients have an advance directive (AD). Our aim was to determine whether or not the wish to receive intensive care in elderly patients with respiratory tract infection could be predicted from the prehospital data. Methods In this retrospective study, we reviewed patients ≥65 years of age with respiratory tract infection who had been transferred to our hospital by ambulance between September 2014 and August 2016. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they wished to receive intensive treatment. We placed patients without a wish to receive intensive treatments (WITs) in Group A and patients with a WITs in Group B. We then analyzed parameters that could be determined in the prehospital phase and compared the findings between the groups. Results Thirty-seven patients were in Group A, and 67 patients were in Group B. None of the patients in this study had an AD. There were significant differences in the age, rate of residence in an extended care facility, frequency of inability to care for oneself fully, frequency of dementia, number of prescribed drugs, and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) on a univariate analysis. A logistic regression analysis showed that the inability to care for oneself fully [odds ratio (OR): 4.521, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.024-10.096, p<0.001] and a low GCS (OR 0.885, 95%CI 0.838-0.935, p<0.001) were related to a WITs. Conclusion Elderly patients who are unable to care for themselves and who have a low GCS in the prehospital stage are likely not to want intensive treatment.

Efficacy of the Treatment of Elderly Trauma Patients Requiring Intensive Care.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of intensive care for the elderly trauma patients aged 80 years and older. METHODS: Trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) through the emergency room (ER) at our hospital between January 2013 and December 2016 were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: patients aged 80 and older (group E) and <80 years old (group Y). Clinical courses and the total treatment costs were compared between the two groups. Data are shown as median (interquartile range). RESULTS: A hundred and seven trauma patients were included in the study. There were 26 patients in group E and 81 patients in group Y. There was no significant difference in Injury Severity Score (ISS) (group E, 19 (13, 32); group Y, 17 (14, 25); p=0.708); however, the probability of survival (Ps) was significantly lower in group E (group E, 0.895 (0.757, 0.950); group Y, 0.955 (0.878, 0.986); p=0.004). The duration of ICU stay (days) was significantly longer in group E (10 (5, 23)) than in group Y (4 (3, 9); p=0.001), and the total hospital stay (days) was longer in group E (33 (13, 57)) than in group Y (22 (12, 42); p=0.179). The hospital mortality was higher in group E (11.5%) than in group Y (6.2%) without a significant difference (p=0.365). The total treatment costs were significantly higher in group E ($23,558 (12,456, 42,790) with $1 = ¥110.57) than in group Y ($16,538 (7,412, 25,422); p=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly trauma patients require longer-term treatment including ICU stay and greater cost with higher hospital mortality compared with young trauma patients.

Post-traumatic hypopituitarism: report of a child case.

Case: We report a case of post-traumatic hypopituitarism in a 9-year-old boy who was injured in a car accident. Outcome: Post-traumatic hypopituitarism might be caused by moderate to severe head trauma, and while this possibility has recently drawn attention in adults, few reports are available regarding children. Our patient experienced head and facial injury, resulting in post-traumatic hypopituitarism. Six hours after injury he suffered from diabetes insipidus and hormone replacement therapy was started. On day 12 he underwent facial fracture reduction under general anesthesia. On day 24 he was discharged from the hospital. One year after the injury, secretory function and water dehydration tests suggested the possibility of post-traumatic hypopituitarism. Conclusion: We experienced a child case of post-traumatic hypopituitarism. Emergency physicians should pay attention to the possibility of post-traumatic hypopituitarism in cases of traumatic brain injury.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization of a Lumbar Artery Injury with Traumatic Aortic Dissection.

Whole-body-enhanced computed tomography of a septuagenarian woman hit by a truck revealed a traumatic aortic dissection (Stanford B) and arterial bleeding from the right lumbar artery in the right iliopsoas muscle. Angiography revealed an active arterial extravasation from a false lumen of the left lumbar artery. We performed a transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of the right lumbar artery. After fenestration of the intimal flap, the left lumbar artery was successfully selected and embolized; the patient's clinical condition subsequently stabilized. This is the first report of successful treatment of a lumbar artery injury with a traumatic aortic dissection by a TAE.

The Significance of Strong Ion Gap for Predicting Return of Spontaneous Circulation in Patients with Cardiopulmonary Arrest.

Useful parameters that can predict return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) have not been established. We previously reported the usefulness of anion gap (AG) and albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) calculated from a blood sample obtained on arrival at the hospital for the prediction of ROSC. Otherwise, it has been reported that strong ion gap (SIG), which shows the difference between the levels of fully dissociated cations and anions in the serum, is useful to predict the prognosis of critically ill patients. This was a prospective and observational clinical study. Patients with CPA transferred to the emergency department of our hospital between January 2013 and December 2014 were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: patients who obtained ROSC [ROSC(+) group] and those who did not [ROSC(-) group]. We compared AG, ACAG and SIG between the two groups. A total of 170 patients were enrolled. Fifty patients were included in the ROSC(+) group, and the remaining 120 in the ROSC(-) group. Both AG and ACAG were significantly better in the ROSC(+) group; however, there was no significant difference in SIG between the two groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for ROSC of both AG and ACAG were almost the same (0.72 and 0.708, respectively); the AUC of SIG (0.57) was inferior to those of AG and ACAG. Our results suggest that AG and ACAG can better predict ROSC following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with SIG.