Rapid Sequence Induction Strategies Among Critically Injured U.S. Military During the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid sequence intubation of patients experiencing traumatic hemorrhage represents a precarious phase of care, which can be marked by hemodynamic instability and pulseless arrest. Military combat trauma guidelines recommend reduced induction dose and early blood product resuscitation. Few studies have evaluated the role of induction dose and preintubation transfusion on hemodynamic outcomes. We compared rates of postintubation systolic blood pressure (SBP) of < 70 mm Hg, > 30% drop in SBP, pulseless arrest, and mortality at 24 hours and 30 days among patients who did and did not receive blood products before intubation and then examined if induction agent and dose influenced the same outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of battle-injured personnel presenting to surgical care facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2004 and 2018. Those who received blood transfusions, underwent intubation, and had an Injury Severity Score of ≥15 were included. Intubation for primary head, facial, or neck injury, burns, operative room intubations, or those with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in progress were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was performed with unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the five study outcomes among patients who did and did not receive preintubation blood products. The same analysis was performed for patients who received full or excessive versus partial induction agent dose. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients had a mean age of 24.9 (SD 4.5), Injury Severity Score 29.7 (SD 11.2), heart rate 122.8 (SD 24), SBP 108.2 (SD 26.6). Eighty-one (53%) patients received preintubation blood products and had similar characteristics to those who did not receive transfusions. Adjusted multivariate analysis found odds ratios as follows: 30% SBP decrease 9.4 (95% CI 2.3-38.0), SBP < 70 13.0 (95% CI 3.3-51.6), pulseless arrest 18.5 (95% CI 1.2-279.3), 24-hour mortality 3.8 (95% CI 0.7-21.5), and 30-day mortality 1.3 (0.4-4.7). In analysis of induction agent choice and comparison of induction agent dose, no statistically significant benefit was seen. CONCLUSION: Within the context of this historical cohort, the early use of blood products conferred a statistically significant benefit in reducing postintubation hypotension and pulseless arrest among combat trauma victims exposed to traumatic hemorrhage. Induction agent choice and dose did not significantly influence the hemodynamic or mortality outcomes.

Implementing Point-of-Care Troponin Testing in the Emergency Department: Impact on Time to Result.

INTRODUCTION: In the emergency department, troponin assays are commonly used and essential in the evaluation of chest pain and diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. This study was designed to assess the potential impact of implementing point-of-care troponin testing by comparing the time to point-of-care laboratory result and time to conventional laboratory result. METHODS: The study enrolled 60 ED patients deemed to need a troponin test in the evaluation of low-risk chest pain (HEART score <4 based on history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors). Point-of-care troponin testing was performed with the same blood sample obtained for a conventional troponin assay. If the provider determined that the patient required 2 troponin tests, the second laboratory draw was used in the data collection. This was to correlate the time of laboratory result to time of disposition. RESULTS: Of the 60 subjects enrolled, 2 subjects were excluded because of user errors with the point-of-care testing equipment and 2 others for not meeting inclusion criteria on later review. The median times for the point-of-care troponin and conventional troponin assays were 11:00 minutes (interquartile range 10:00-15:30) and 40:00 minutes (interquartile range 31:30-52:30), respectively; P < 0.001. There were 3 extreme outliers from the conventional troponin assay that significantly skewed the distribution of the mean, making the median the more accurate assessment of the central tendency. DISCUSSION: Point-of-care troponin testing provided results in a median time 29 minutes quicker than the conventional troponin assay. This result is statistically significant and has the potential to greatly improve time to disposition in all patients with chest pain requiring a troponin assay.