Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score outperforms traditional methods of risk stratification in trauma.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of trauma patients at risk for inhospital mortality may facilitate goal-directed resuscitation and secondary triage to improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare prognostic accuracies of the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score, ED Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and ED base deficit and ED lactate for inhospital mortality in adult trauma patients. METHODS: Consecutive adult trauma patients from 2005 to 2008 from the Denver Health Trauma Registry were included. Prognostic accuracies of the Denver ED TOF Score, ED SOFA score, ED base deficit, and ED lactate for inhospital mortality were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Of the 4355 patients, the median age was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR], 26-51 years), median Injury Severity Score was 9 (IQR, 4-16), and 81% had blunt mechanisms. In addition, 38% (1670 patients) were admitted to the intensive care unit with a median intensive care unit length of stay of 2.5 days (IQR, 1-8 days), and 3% (138 patients) died. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the Denver ED TOF, ED lactate, ED base deficit, and ED SOFA were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.96), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91), 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78-0.86), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.73-0.82), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Denver ED TOF Score more accurately predicts inhospital mortality in adult trauma patients compared to the ED SOFA score, ED base deficit, or ED lactate. The Denver ED TOF Score may help identify patients early who are at risk for mortality, allowing for targeted resuscitation and secondary triage to improve outcomes.

False-negative FAST examination: associations with injury characteristics and patient outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) is widely used for evaluating patients with blunt abdominal trauma; however, it sometimes produces false-negative results. Presenting characteristics in the emergency department may help identify patients at risk for false-negative FAST result or help the physician predict injuries in patients with a negative FAST result who are unstable or deteriorate during observation. Alternatively, false-negative FAST may have no clinical significance. The objectives of this study are to estimate associations between false-negative FAST results and patient characteristics, specific abdominal organ injuries, and patient outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study including consecutive patients who presented to an urban Level I trauma center between July 2005 and December 2008 with blunt abdominal trauma, a documented FAST, and pathologic free fluid as determined by computed tomography, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, laparotomy, or autopsy. Physicians blinded to the study purpose used standardized abstraction methods to confirm FAST results and the presence of pathologic free fluid. Multivariable modeling was used to assess associations between potential predictors of a false-negative FAST result and false-negative FAST result and adverse outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period, 332 patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 32 years (interquartile range 23 to 45 years), 67% were male patients, the median Injury Severity Score was 27 (interquartile range 17 to 41), and 162 (49%) had a false-negative FAST result. Head injury was positively associated with false-negative FAST result (odds ratio [OR] 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5 to 15.7), whereas severe abdominal injury was negatively associated (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1 to 0.5). Injuries to the spleen (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.24 to 0.66), liver (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.61), and abdominal vasculature (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.38) were also negatively associated with false-negative FAST result. False-negative FAST result was not associated with mortality (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.9), prolonged ICU length of stay (relative risk 0.88; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.12), or total hospital length of stay (relative risk 0.92; 95% CI 0.76 to 1.12). However, patients with false-negative FAST results were substantially less likely to require therapeutic laparotomy (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.52). CONCLUSION: Patients with severe head injuries and minor abdominal injuries were more likely to have a false-negative than true-positive FAST result. On the other hand, patients with spleen, liver, or abdominal vascular injuries are less likely to have false-negative FAST examination results. Adverse outcomes were not associated with false-negative FAST examination results, and in fact patients with false-negative FAST result were less likely to have a therapeutic laparotomy. Further studies are needed to assess the strength of these findings.

Validation of the Simplified Motor Score in the out-of-hospital setting for the prediction of outcomes after traumatic brain injury.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is widely used to assess patients with head injury but has been criticized for its complexity and poor interrater reliability. A 3-point Simplified Motor Score (SMS) (defined as obeys commands=2, localizes pain=1, and withdraws to pain or worse=0) was created to address these limitations. Our goal is to validate the SMS in the out-of-hospital setting, with the hypothesis that it is equivalent to the GCS score for discriminating brain injury outcomes. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of an urban Level I trauma registry. Four outcomes and their composite were studied: emergency tracheal intubation, clinically meaningful brain injury, need for neurosurgical intervention, and mortality. The out-of-hospital GCS score and SMS were evaluated by comparing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve with a paired nonparametric approach. Multiple imputation was used for missing data. A clinically significant difference in areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve was defined as greater than or equal to 0.05, according to previous literature. RESULTS: We included 19,408 patients, of whom 18% were tracheally intubated, 18% had brain injuries, 8% required neurosurgical intervention, and 6% died. The difference between the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the out-of-hospital GCS score and SMS was 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.01 to 0.11) for emergency tracheal intubation, 0.05 (95% CI 0 to 0.09) for brain injury, 0.04 (95% CI -0.01 to 0.09) for neurosurgical intervention, 0.08 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.15) for mortality, and 0.05 (95% CI 0 to 0.10) for the composite outcome. CONCLUSION: In this external validation, SMS was similar to the GCS score for predicting outcomes in traumatic brain injury in the out-of-hospital setting.

Validation and refinement of a rule to predict emergency intervention in adult trauma patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Trauma centers use "secondary triage" to determine the necessity of trauma surgeon involvement. A clinical decision rule, which includes penetrating injury, an initial systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg, or an initial pulse rate greater than 100 beats/min, was developed to predict which trauma patients require emergency operative intervention or emergency procedural intervention (cricothyroidotomy or thoracotomy) in the emergency department. Our goal was to validate this rule in an adult trauma population and to compare it with the American College of Surgeons' major resuscitation criteria. METHODS: We used Level I trauma center registry data from September 1, 1995, through November 30, 2008. Outcomes were confirmed with blinded abstractors. Sensitivity, specificity, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Our patient sample included 20,872 individuals. The median Injury Severity Score was 9 (interquartile range 4 to 16), 15.3% of patients had penetrating injuries, 13.5% had a systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg, and 32.5% had a pulse rate greater than 100 beats/min. Emergency operative intervention or procedural intervention was required in 1,099 patients (5.3%; 95% CI 5.0% to 5.6%). The sensitivities and specificities of the rule and the major resuscitation criteria for predicting emergency operative intervention or emergency procedural intervention were 95.6% (95% CI 94.3% to 96.8%) and 56.1% (95% CI 55.4% to 56.8%) and 85.5% (95% CI 83.3% to 87.5%) and 80.9% (95% CI 80.3% to 81.4%), respectively. CONCLUSION: This new rule was more sensitive for predicting the need for emergency operative intervention or emergency procedural intervention directly compared with the American College of Surgeons' major resuscitation criteria, which may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of trauma triage.

Validation of the Simplified Motor Score for the prediction of brain injury outcomes after trauma.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is widely used in the initial evaluation of patients with traumatic brain injury. This 15-point score, however, has been criticized as unnecessarily complex. Recently, a 3-point Simplified Motor Score (defined as obeys commands=2; localizes pain=1; withdrawals to pain or worse=0) was developed from the motor component of the GCS and was found to have a similar test performance for predicting outcomes after traumatic brain injury when compared with the GCS score as the criterion standard. The purpose of this study was to validate the Simplified Motor Score in a large heterogeneous trauma population. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a prospectively maintained trauma registry with consecutive trauma patients who presented to a Level I trauma center from 1995 through 2004. Test performance of the GCS and the Simplified Motor Score relative to 4 clinically relevant traumatic brain injury outcomes (emergency intubation, clinically significant brain injury, neurosurgical intervention, and mortality) was evaluated with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). RESULTS: Of 21,170 patients included in the analysis, 18% underwent emergency intubation, 14% had clinically significant brain injuries, 7% underwent neurosurgical intervention, and 5% died. The AUCs for the GCS and its components ranged from 0.76 to 0.92 across the 4 outcome measures. The AUCs for the Simplified Motor Score ranged from 0.71 to 0.89, and the relative differences from the GCS AUCs ranged from 3% to 7%, with a median difference of 5%. CONCLUSION: In this external validation study, the 3-point Simplified Motor Score demonstrated similar test performance when compared with the 15-point GCS score and its components for the prediction of 4 clinically important traumatic brain injury outcomes.

How well do paramedics predict admission to the hospital? A prospective study.

A study was designed to determine whether paramedics accurately predict which patients will require admission to the hospital, and in those requiring admission, whether they will need a ward bed or intensive care unit (ICU) monitoring. This prospective, cross-sectional study of consecutive Emergency Medical Service (EMS) transport patients was conducted at an urban city hospital. Paramedics were asked to predict if the patient they were transporting would require admission to the hospital, and if so, whether that patient would be admitted to a ward bed or require an ICU bed. Predictions were compared to actual patient disposition. During the study period, 1349 patients were transported to our hospital. Questionnaires were submitted in 985 cases (73%) and complete data were available for 952 (97%) of these patients. Paramedics predicted 202 (22%) patients would be admitted to the hospital, of whom 124 (61%) would go the ward and 78 (39%) would require intensive care. The actual overall admission rate was 21%, although the sensitivity of predicting any admission was 62% with a positive prediction value (PPV) of 59%. Further, the paramedics were able to predict admission to intensive care with a sensitivity of 68% and PPV of 50%. It is concluded that paramedics have very limited ability to predict whether transported patients require admission and the level of required care. In our EMS system, the prehospital diversion policies should not be based solely on paramedic determination.

Efficacy of intranasal naloxone as a needleless alternative for treatment of opioid overdose in the prehospital setting.

Prehospital providers are at increased risk for blood-borne exposure and disease due to the nature of their environment. The use if intranasal (i.n.) medications in high-risk populations may limit this risk of exposure. To determine the efficacy of i.n. naloxone in the treatment of suspected opiate overdose patients in the prehospital setting, a prospective, nonrandomized trial of administering i.n. naloxone by paramedics to patients with suspected opiate overdoses over a 6-month period was performed. All adult patients encountered in the prehospital setting as suspected opiate overdose (OD), found down (FD), or with altered mental status (AMS) who met the criteria for naloxone administration were included in the study. i.n. naloxone (2 mg) was administered immediately upon patient contact and before i.v. insertion and administration of i.v. naloxone (2 mg). Patients were then treated by EMS protocol. The main outcome measures were: time of i.n. naloxone administration, time of i.v. naloxone administration, time of appropriate patient response as reported by paramedics. Ninety-five patients received i.n. naloxone and were included in the study. A total of 52 patients responded to naloxone by either i.n. or i.v., with 43 (83%) responding to i.n. naloxone alone. Seven patients (16%) in this group required further doses of i.v. naloxone. In conclusion, i.n. naloxone is a novel alternative method for drug administration in high-risk patients in the prehospital setting with good overall effectiveness. The use of this route is further discussed in relation to efficacy of treatment and minimizing the risk of blood-borne exposures to EMS personnel.

Prediction of postinjury multiple-organ failure in the emergency department: development of the Denver Emergency Department Trauma Organ Failure score.

BACKGROUND: Multiple-organ failure (MOF) is common among the most seriously injured trauma patients. The ability to easily and accurately identify trauma patients in the emergency department at risk for MOF would be valuable. The aim of this study was to derive and internally validate an instrument to predict the development of MOF in adult trauma patients using clinical and laboratory data available in the emergency department. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive adult trauma patients from 2005 to 2008 from the Denver Health Trauma Registry, a prospectively collected database from an urban Level 1 trauma center. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a clinical prediction instrument. The outcome was the development of MOF within 7 days of admission as defined by the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. A risk score was created from the final regression model by rounding the regression ß coefficients to the nearest integer. Calibration and discrimination were assessed using 10-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: A total of 4,355 patients were included in this study. The median age was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR], 26-51 years), and 72% were male. The median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 9 (IQR, 4-16), and 78% of the patients had blunt injury mechanisms. MOF occurred in 216 patients (5%; 95% confidence interval, 4-6%). The final risk score included patient age, intubation, systolic blood pressure, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count and ranged from 0 to 9. The prevalence of MOF increased in an approximate exponential fashion as the score increased. The model demonstrated excellent calibration and discrimination (calibration slope, 1.0; c statistic, 0.92). CONCLUSION: We derived a simple, internally valid instrument to predict MOF in adults following trauma. The use of this score may allow early identification of patients at risk for MOF and result in more aggressive targeted resuscitation and improved resource allocation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III.

Safety of prehospital intravenous fentanyl for adult trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the safety of intravenous fentanyl for adult trauma patients in the prehospital setting. Our objective was to study the hemodynamic effect of prehospital intravenous fentanyl in initially normotensive adult trauma patients. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare adult trauma patients who received intravenous fentanyl and those who did not receive fentanyl in a large regional prehospital system and its affiliated Level I trauma center. Emergent adult trauma patients were included with an initial prehospital Glasgow Coma Scale score of ≥13 and systolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg. Patients were stratified into two groups, those who received a single dose of intravenous fentanyl (100 µg) and those who did not. The outcome was initial emergency department (ED) shock index (heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure). Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the effect of fentanyl on ED shock index while adjusting for prehospital shock index, age, gender, Trauma Injury Severity Score, and the propensity for receiving fentanyl. RESULTS: Seven hundred sixty-three patients were included, of whom 217 (28%) received fentanyl. The groups had comparable demographics (age, gender, and race/ethnicity) but different clinical characteristics (ED vital signs, Injury Severity Score, mechanism, and ED disposition). The adjusted ED shock index of fentanyl patients improved (-0.03; 95% confidence interval: -0.05 to 0.00; p = 0.02) compared with no fentanyl. CONCLUSION: Prehospital intravenous fentanyl did not adversely affect the initial ED shock index in adult trauma patients. Additional research should be performed to confirm and extend our findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in denver, colorado: epidemiology and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The annual incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) in the United States is approximately 6 per 10,000 population and survival remains low. Relatively little is known about the performance characteristics of a two-tiered emergency medical services (EMS) system split between fire-based basic life support (BLS) dispersed from fixed locations and hospital-based advanced life support (ALS) dispersed from nonfixed locations. The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of OOHCA in Denver, Colorado, and to define the prevalence of survival with good neurologic function in the context of this particular EMS system. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study using standardized abstraction methodology. A two-tiered hospital-based EMS system for the County of Denver and 10 receiving hospitals were studied. Consecutive adult patients who experienced nontraumatic OOHCA from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2004, were enrolled. Demographic, prehospital arrest characteristics, treatment data, and survival data using the Utstein template were collected. Good neurologic survival was defined by a Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) score of 1 or 2. RESULTS: During the study period, 1,985 arrests occurred. Of these, 715 (36%) had attempted resuscitation by paramedics and constitute our study sample. The median age was 65 years (interquartile range = 52-78 years), 69% were male, 41% had witnessed arrest, 25% had bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed, and 30% had ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) as their initial rhythm. Of the 715 patients, 545 (76%) were transported to a hospital, 223 (31%) had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 175 (25%) survived to hospital admission, 58 (8%) survived to hospital discharge, and 42 (6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4% to 8%) had a good neurologic outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in Denver, Colorado, is similar to that of other United States communities. This finding provides the basis for future epidemiologic and health services research in the out-of-hospital and ED settings in our community.

An evaluation of out-of-hospital advanced airway management in an urban setting.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the success and complication rates associated with endotracheal intubation in an urban emergency medical services (EMS) system. METHODS: This study evaluated consecutive airway interventions between March 2001 and May 2001 performed by paramedics from the Denver Health Paramedic Division in Denver, Colorado. Patients were identified and enrolled prospectively with the identification of all patients for whom intubation was attempted. A retrospective chart review of the emergency department (ED), intensive care unit, other hospital records, and the coroner's records was then conducted with the intent of identifying all complications related to attempted intubation, including the placement of each endotracheal tube. RESULTS: A total of 278 patients were included in this study. Of these, 154 (55%) had an initial nasal intubation attempt, and 124 (45%) had an initial oral intubation attempt. Of the 278 patients for whom an intubation was attempted, 234 (84%, 95% CI = 77% to 88%) were reported by paramedics to be successfully intubated. Of 114 nasal intubations reported as successful by paramedics, two (2%; 95% CI = 0.2% to 6%) were found to be misplaced. Of the 120 oral intubations reported as successful by paramedics, one (1%; 95% CI = 0.02% to 5%) was found to be misplaced. Of the 278 patients, 22 (8%; 95% CI = 5% to 12%) had complications; three (1%; 95% CI = 0.2% to 3%) endotracheal tubes were incorrectly positioned, two (0.7%; 95% CI = 0.08% to 3%) of which were undetected esophageal intubations and one (0.4%; 95% CI = 0 to 2%) of which was in the posterior pharynx. CONCLUSIONS: Reasonable success and complication rates of endotracheal intubation in the out-of-hospital setting can be achieved in a busy, urban EMS system without the assistance of medications.

Emergency medical vehicle collisions and potential for preventive intervention.

BACKGROUND: Emergency medical vehicle collisions (EMVCs) cause significant injury, death, and property damage every year in the United States and result in significant delays in transporting patients to the hospital. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with EMVCs that are potentially amenable to preventive intervention. METHODS: The authors reviewed data from the Paramedic Division of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority (DHHA) on all EMVCs occurring from 1989 through 1997. RESULTS: A T-bone mechanism, collision at an intersection, and alcohol intoxication of the civilian driver were all significant predictors of collisions resulting in injury (odds ratios of 29.7, 4.3 and 6.1, respectively, p<0.05, multiple logistic regression). Although only 75% of the division's responses are run with warning lights and sirens (WLS), a disproportionate 91% of response mode collisions were during a WLS response. The responsible EMV driver had a history of multiple EMVCs in 71% of the collisions. CONCLUSIONS: Potential interventions suggested by this study include the need for EMV drivers to visually clear the intersection before entering it, alerting other drivers with visual and auditory warning systems, and attempting to make eye contact with them at an intersection. The authors recommend continued public education regarding the risks of drunk driving. The authors feel that the WLS driving mode is best reserved for patients in whom the benefits of shorter response and return times outweigh the risk of collision. Finally, the authors advocate careful review of drivers' collision history, frequent emergency vehicle operator's course retraining, and appropriate discipline when necessary.