Cohort Of Trauma Patients Research Articles

Time Course and Diagnostic Accuracy of Glial and Neuronal Blood Biomarkers GFAP and UCH-L1 in a Large Cohort of Trauma Patients With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Papa L, Brophy GM, Welch RD, et al. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73:551-560

Time Course and Diagnostic Accuracy of Glial and Neuronal Blood Biomarkers GFAP and UCH-L1 in a Large Cohort of Trauma Patients With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Papa L, Brophy GM, Welch RD, et al. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73:551-560

Initial impact of the Affordable Care Act on an Ohio Level I trauma center.

Hospital financial pressures and inadequate reimbursement contribute to the closure of trauma centers. Uninsured patients contribute significantly to the burden of trauma center costs. The Affordable Care Act implemented changes in 2014 to provide health care coverage for all Americans. This study analyzes the impact of the recent health care changes on an Ohio Level I trauma center financials. We conducted an analysis of trauma charges, reimbursement, and supplemental payments at an Ohio Level I trauma center. A 3-year trauma patient cohort (2012-2014) was selected and grouped by reimbursement source (Medicare, Medicaid, other government, commercial, and self-pay/charity). A total of 9,655 patients were reviewed. Data were collected with the Transition Systems Inc. accounting system and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. For trauma cases, the percentage of self-pay/charity patients decreased during the 2012 to 2014 period (15.1%, 15%, to 6.4%, respectively), while the percentage of Medicaid decreased from 2012 to 2013 followed by a large increase in 2014 (15.4%, 13.9%, to 24.3%, respectively). The percentage of commercially insured patients decreased slightly from 2012 to 2014 (34.2%, 32.3%, to 30.7%, respectively). Uninsured charges decreased notably (approximately $22.5 million and $21 million for 2012-2013 to approximately $8.6 million in 2014). Medicaid charges decreased from 2012 to 2013, followed by a rebound in 2014 ($50.7 million in 2012 to $37.3 million in 2013 to $54.3 million in 2014). The percentage of total charges for self-pay/charity decreased (9.5%, 10.1%, to 4.1%). The percentage of total charges for Medicaid increased (21.4%, 18.0%, to 25.9%). Mean Medicaid reimbursement per patient decreased ($19,000, $14,000, to $13,000). Mean reimbursement per uninsured patient did not vary significantly among years. Total hospital supplemental payments (trauma and nontrauma combined) decreased ($47.6 million, $49 million, to $39.2 million). In the first year following the changes implemented by the Affordable Care Act, our hospital saw self-pay/charity charges decrease, Medicaid charges increase, and total hospital supplemental payments decrease. In addition, there was a small, yet noteworthy, downward trend in the number of commercially insured patients. Although more data collection and analysis are needed, this initial financial evaluation of a Level I trauma center following the Affordable Care Act provides insight into insurance trends.

Blood Test May Detect Concussions Days Later

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Research NewsFull AccessBlood Test May Detect Concussions Days LaterNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:20 May 2016https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.5a18AbstractThe levels of two proteins activated after a head injury—GFAP and UCHL—may be predictive of whether an individual had a concussive event.Following a concussion, it can take days for symptoms to arise that would lead a patient to seek help; by then, the underlying lesions of the impact may have healed enough to make it difficult to confirm the concussion with a brain scan. A study published March 28 in JAMA Neurology suggests a blood test may be able to detect evidence of a concussion up to one week after the injury occurred.“Not only could this simple test greatly expand the window for diagnosing concussions, it could make CT scans unnecessary for many people, which reduces their exposure to radiation,” said Linda Papa, M.D., a physician at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Orlando Regional Medical Center and lead author of the study. Pediatric patients could especially benefit, she told Psychiatric News, as they are particularly vulnerable to radiation damage. Papa added that minimizing computed tomography (CT) scans would save time and money and keep these machines available for people who really need them.Previous studies by Papa and her team found that changes in two proteins—glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1)—following head trauma injury can help to differentiate the patients in need of a neurosurgical intervention from others. (Both of these proteins are known to become elevated in the brain after a head injury, and both can also pass the blood-brain barrier.) In the current study, her group set out to better quantify the presence of these proteins over time, while also testing whether their diagnostic value could extend to predicting the presence of a concussion. They took periodic blood samples from 584 adult patients who had been admitted to the Orlando Health trauma center from 2010 to 2014 (325 of whom were diagnosed with a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury) over a week-long period (the first samples were taken within four hours of the injury). Almost all the patients with mild to moderate TBI had a CT scan to confirm the concussion.They found that both proteins became elevated in the blood within the first hour, though their time courses differed after that; UCH-L1 peaked at eight hours after injury and then declined rapidly over 48 hours, while GFAP levels peaked at 20 hours post-injury and then declined steadily over 72 hours.“And we generally saw that the more severe the injury, the higher the levels of these markers, which makes them very objective measures of trauma severity,” Papa said.In terms of predictive value, GFAP proved better at identifying mild to moderate TBI, with accuracy values ranging from 80 to 97 percent over the seven-day screening period (the test was most accurate 36 to 60 hours after injury). UCH-L1 was not as accurate, ranging from 31 percent to 77 percent over the seven-day period (the test was most accurate in the first eight hours). These protein signatures may also offer clues about long-term outcomes. “After we diagnose concussion patients and send them home, about 70 percent or so will be fine in the long term, but the rest will have recurring problems like headaches and irritability,” she said. “It would be great if we could anticipate potential problems and those patients could come back more regularly, but at this point, however, we can’t tell which patients are which.” Her team is continuing to monitor the outcomes of the study patients to see how they recover and if their previous GFAP and/or UCH-L1 readings correlate with how they feel six months after the injury.This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. ■An abstract of “Time Course and Diagnostic Accuracy of Glial and Neuronal Blood Biomarkers GFAP and UCH-L1 in a Large Cohort of Trauma Patients With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury” can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived

Time Course and Diagnostic Accuracy of Glial and Neuronal Blood Biomarkers GFAP and UCH-L1 in a Large Cohort of Trauma Patients With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) have been widely studied and show promise for clinical usefulness in suspected traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion. Understanding their diagnostic accuracy over time will help translate them into clinical practice. To evaluate the temporal profiles of GFAP and UCH-L1 in a large cohort of trauma patients seen at the emergency department and to assess their diagnostic accuracy over time, both individually and in combination, for detecting mild to moderate TBI (MMTBI), traumatic intracranial lesions on head computed tomography (CT), and neurosurgical intervention. This prospective cohort study enrolled adult trauma patients seen at a level I trauma center from March 1, 2010, to March 5, 2014. All patients underwent rigorous screening to determine whether they had experienced an MMTBI (blunt head trauma with loss of consciousness, amnesia, or disorientation and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 9-15). Of 3025 trauma patients assessed, 1030 met eligibility criteria for enrollment, and 446 declined participation. Initial blood samples were obtained in 584 patients enrolled within 4 hours of injury. Repeated blood sampling was conducted at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120, 132, 144, 156, 168, and 180 hours after injury. Diagnosis of MMTBI, presence of traumatic intracranial lesions on head CT scan, and neurosurgical intervention. A total of 1831 blood samples were drawn from 584 patients (mean [SD] age, 40 [16] years; 62.0% [362 of 584] male) over 7 days. Both GFAP and UCH-L1 were detectible within 1 hour of injury. GFAP peaked at 20 hours after injury and slowly declined over 72 hours. UCH-L1 rose rapidly and peaked at 8 hours after injury and declined rapidly over 48 hours. Over the course of 1 week, GFAP demonstrated a diagnostic range of areas under the curve for detecting MMTBI of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.69-0.77) to 0.94 (95% CI, 0.78-1.00), and UCH-L1 demonstrated a diagnostic range of 0.30 (95% CI, 0.02-0.50) to 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53-0.81). For detecting intracranial lesions on CT, the diagnostic ranges of areas under the curve were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.67-0.92) to 0.97 (95% CI, 0.93-1.00)for GFAP and 0.31 (95% CI, 0-0.63) to 0.77 (95% CI, 0.68-0.85) for UCH-L1. For distinguishing patients with and without a neurosurgical intervention, the range for GFAP was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.79-1.00) to 1.00 (95% CI, 1.00-1.00), and the range for UCH-L1 was 0.50 (95% CI, 0-1.00) to 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83-1.00). GFAP performed consistently in detecting MMTBI, CT lesions, and neurosurgical intervention across 7 days. UCH-L1 performed best in the early postinjury period.

A Geospatial Analysis of Severe Firearm Injuries Compared to Other Injury Mechanisms: Event Characteristics, Location, Timing, and Outcomes.

Relatively little is known about the context and location of firearm injury events. Using a prospective cohort of trauma patients, we describe and compare severe firearm injury events to other violent and nonviolent injury mechanisms regarding incident location, proximity to home, time of day, spatial clustering, and outcomes. This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of injured children and adults with hypotension or Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 8, injured by one of four primary injury mechanisms (firearm, stabbing, assault, and motor vehicle collision [MVC]) who were transported by emergency medical services to a Level I or II trauma center in 10 regions of the United States and Canada from January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011. We used descriptive statistics and geospatial analyses to compare the injury groups, distance from home, outcomes, and spatial clustering. There were 2,079 persons available for analysis, including 506 (24.3%) firearm injuries, 297 (14.3%) stabbings, 339 (16.3%) assaults, and 950 (45.7%) MVCs. Firearm injuries resulted in the highest proportion of serious injuries (66.3%), early critical resources (75.3%), and in-hospital mortality (53.5%). Injury events occurring within 1 mile of a patient's home included 53.9% of stabbings, 49.2% of firearm events, 41.3% of assaults, and 20.0% of MVCs; the non-MVC events frequently occurred at home. While there was geospatial clustering, 94.4% of firearm events occurred outside of geographic clusters. Severe firearm events tend to occur within a patient's own neighborhood, often at home, and generally outside of geospatial clusters. Public health efforts should focus on the home in all types of neighborhoods to reduce firearm violence.

Prediction of intra-hospital mortality after severe trauma: which pre-hospital score is the most accurate?

Computing trauma scores in the field allows immediate severity assessment for appropriate triage. Two pre-hospital scores can be useful in this context: the Triage-Revised Trauma Score (T-RTS) and the Mechanism, Glasgow, Age and arterial Pressure (MGAP) score. The Trauma Revised Injury Severity Score (TRISS), not applicable in the pre-hospital setting, is the reference score to predict in-hospital mortality after severe trauma. The aim of this study was to compare T-RTS, MGAP and TRISS in a cohort of consecutive patients admitted in the Trauma system of the Northern French Alps(TRENAU). From 2009 to 2011, 3260 patients with suspected severe trauma according to the Vittel criteria were included in the TRENAU registry. All data necessary to compute T-RTS, MGAP and TRISS were collected in patients admitted to one level-I, two level-II and ten level-III trauma centers. The primary endpoint was death from any cause during hospital stay. Discriminative power of each score to predict mortality was measured using receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. To test the relevancy of each score for triage, we also tested their sensitivity at usual cut-offs. We expected a sensitivity higher than 95% to limit undertriage. The TRISS score showed the highest area under the ROC curve (0.95 [CI 95% 0.94-0.97], p<0.01). Pre-hospital MGAP score had significantly higher AUC compared to T-RTS (0.93 [CI 95% 0.91-0.95] vs 0.86 [CI 95% 0.83-0.89], respectively, p<0.01). MGAP score<23 had a sensitivity of 88% to detect mortality. Sensitivities of T-RTS<12 and TRISS<0.91 were 79% and 87%, respectively. Pre-hospital calculation of the MGAP score appeared superior to T-RTS score in predicting intra-hospital mortality in a cohort of trauma patients. Although TRISS had the highest AUC, this score can only be available after hospital admission. These findings suggest that the MGAP score could be of interest in the pre-hospital setting to assess patients' severity. However, its lack of sensitivity indicates that MGAP should not replace the decision scheme to direct the most severe patients to level-I trauma center.

Improving the prediction of mortality and the need for life-saving interventions in trauma patients using standard vital signs with heart-rate variability and complexity.

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using traditional and new vital signs (heart rate variability and complexity [HRV, HRC]) for predicting mortality and the need for life-saving interventions (LSIs) in prehospital trauma patients. Our hypothesis was that statistical regression models using traditional and new vital signs would be superior in predictive performance over models using standard vital signs alone. This study involved 108 prehospital trauma patients transported from the point of injury via helicopter. Heart rate variability and HRC were calculated using criterion standard R-R interval sequences manually verified from the patients' electrocardiograms. Means and standard deviations for vital signs, HRV, HRC, and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores were obtained for nonsurvivors versus survivors and LSI versus non-LSI patient groups and then compared using Wilcoxon statistical tests. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were also obtained to compare different regression models for predicting mortality and the need for LSIs. Seventeen patients (16%) died. Eighty-two patients (76%) received a total of 142 LSIs. Receiver-operating characteristic curves demonstrated better prediction of mortality and LSI needs using heart rate and HRC (area under the curve [AUC]; AUCs, 0.86 and 0.86) than using heart rate alone (AUCs, 0.79 and 0.57). Likewise, receiver-operating characteristic curves demonstrated better prediction using total GCS score and HRC (AUCs, 0.82 and 0.97) than using total GCS score (AUCs, 0.81 and 0.91). Similar results were obtained for heart rate and HRV (AUCs, 0.86 and 0.73). The major implication of this study was that traditional and new vital signs (HRV and HRC) should be used simultaneously to improve prediction of mortality and the need for LSIs in prehospital trauma patients during all echelons of trauma care. Improvements in the timely use and diagnostic accuracy of transportable vital signs monitors will require use of traditional and new vital signs from the trauma patient cohort.

Effects of Sequence Variations in Innate Immune Response Genes on Infectious Outcome in Trauma Patients: A Comprehensive Review.

Infectious complications, sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) remain important causes for morbidity and mortality in patients who survive the initial trauma. Increasing evidence suggests that genetic variants, particularly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are critical determinants for interindividual differences in both inflammatory responses and clinical outcome in sepsis patients. Although the effect of SNPs on sepsis and MODS has been studied in many populations and diseases, this review aimed to summarize the current knowledge on the effect of SNPs on infectious complication specifically in trauma patients. A review of available literature was performed in PubMed database. The following genes have been studied in populations of trauma patients: CD14, HMGB1, IFNG, IL1A, IL1B, IL1RN, IL4, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL17F, IL18, MBL2, MASP2, FCN2, TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR9, TNF, LTA, GR, MYLK, NLRP3, PRDX6, RAGE, HSPA1B, HSPA1L, HSP90, SERPINE1, IRAK1, IRAK3, VEGFA, LY96, ANGPT2, LBP, MicroRNA, and mtDNA. In this review, we discuss the genes of the Pattern Recognition Receptors, Signal Transducing Adaptor Proteins, and Inflammatory Cytokines of the innate immune system. A number of genetic variations have so far been studied in cohorts of trauma patients. Studies are often unique and numbers sometimes small. No definitive conclusions can be reached at this time about the influence of specific sequence variations on outcome in trauma patients.

Esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (ECRG4) interactions with the innate immunity receptor complex

The human c2orf40 gene encodes a tumor suppressor gene called esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (ECRG4) with pro- and anti-inflammatory activities that depend on cell surface processing. Here, we investigated its physical and functional association with the innate immunity receptor complex. Interactions between ECRG4 and the innate immunity receptor complex were assessed by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and co-immunoprecipitation. Phage display was used for ligand targeting to cells that overexpress the TLR4-MD2-CD14. Immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemical studies demonstrate a physical interaction between ECRG4 and TLR4-MD2-CD14 on human granulocytes. Flow cytometry shows ECRG4 on the cell surface of a subset of CD14(+) and CD16(+) leukocytes. In a cohort of trauma patients, the C-terminal 16 amino acid domain of ECRG4 (ECRG4(133-148)) appears to be processed and shed, presumably at a thrombin-like consensus sequence. Phage targeting this putative ligand shows that this peptide sequence internalizes into cells through the TLR4/CD14/MD2 complex, but modulates inflammation through non-canonical, NFκB signal transduction. ECRG4 is present on the surface of human monocytes and granulocytes. Its interaction with the human innate immunity receptor complex supports a role for cell surface activation of ECRG4 during inflammation and implicates this receptor in its mechanism of action.

Non-operative management of blunt hepatic trauma: Does angioembolization have a major impact?

A paradigm shift toward non-operative management (NOM) of blunt hepatic trauma has occurred. With advances in percutaneous interventions, even severe liver injuries are being managed non-operatively. However, although overall mortality is decreased with NOM, liver-related morbidity remains high. This study was undertaken to explore the morbidity and mortality of blunt hepatic trauma in the era of angioembolization (AE). A retrospective cohort of trauma patients with blunt hepatic injury who were assessed at our centre between 1999 and 2011 were identified. Logistic regression was undertaken to identify factors increasing the likelihood of operative management (OM) and mortality. We identified 396 patients with a mean ISS of 33 (± 14). Sixty-two (18%) patients had severe liver injuries (≥ AAST grade IV). OM occurred in 109 (27%) patients. Logistic regression revealed high ISS (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.05-1.10), and lower systolic blood pressure on arrival (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97-0.99) to be associated with OM. The overall mortality was 17%. Older patients (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.03-1.07), those with high ISS (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.08-1.14) and those requiring OM (OR 2.89; 95% CI 1.47-5.69) were more likely to die. Liver-related morbidities occurred in equal frequency in the OM (23%) and AE (29%) groups (p = 0.32). Only 3% of those with NOM experienced morbidity. The majority of patients with blunt hepatic trauma can be successfully managed non-operatively. Morbidity associated with NOM was low. Patients requiring AE had morbidity similar to OM.

Clinical outcomes in patients on preinjury ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury

BackgroundThe aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients on preinjury Ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury. MethodsWe performed a 2-year analysis of all patients on prehospital Ibuprofen with traumatic brain injury and intracranial hemorrhage. Patients on preinjury Ibuprofen were matched using propensity score matching to patients not on Ibuprofen in a 1:2 ratio for age, Glasgow Coma Scale, head-abbreviated injury scale, injury severity score, International Normalized Ratio, and neurologic examination. Outcome measures were progression on repeat head computed tomography (RHCT) and neurosurgical intervention. ResultsA total of 195 matched (Ibuprofen 65, no-Ibuprofen 130) patients were included. There was no difference in the progression on RHCT (Ibuprofen 18% vs no-Ibuprofen 24%; P = .50). The neurosurgical intervention rate was 18.9% (n = 37). There was no difference for need for neurosurgical intervention (26% vs 16%; P = .10) between the 2 groups. ConclusionsIn a matched cohort of trauma patients, preinjury Ibuprofen use was not associated with progression of initial intracranial hemorrhage and the need for neurosurgical intervention. Preinjury use of Ibuprofen as an independent variable should not warrant the need for a routine RHCT scan.

Reduced incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients: A new insight into the efficacy of the ventilator care bundle

Introduction: There has been a dramatic recent increase in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We investigated the effect of implementation of a ventilator care bundle on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in a cohort of trauma patients. Methods: A ventilator care bundle was implemented after a 7-month baseline period. Ventilator-associated pneumonia rates, rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus acquisition, rates of vancomycin administration, intensive care unit lengths of stay, and durations of mechanical ventilation were prospectively recorded for 10 months. Results: Use of a ventilator care bundle was associated with a reduced incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia from 42 cases per 1000 ventilator days (95% confidence interval: 17–83) in the pre-intervention group to 19 (95% confidence interval: 11–34) cases per 1000 ventilator days in the post-intervention group ( p = 0.04). The rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus acquisition was significantly different in the pre-intervention group (27%) and the post-intervention group (3.9%) ( p &lt; 0.001). Relative to the pre-intervention period, there was a significant reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation ( p = 0.03) and length of intensive care unit stay during the post-intervention period ( p = 0.015). Conclusion: The incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus-ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients could be reduced by implementation of a ventilator care bundle.

The Effect of Pre-Injury Anti-Platelet Therapy on the Development of Complications in Isolated Blunt Chest Wall Trauma: A Retrospective Study

IntroductionThe difficulties in the management of the blunt chest wall trauma patient in the Emergency Department due to the development of late complications are well recognised in the literature. Pre-injury anti-platelet therapy has been previously investigated as a risk factor for poor outcomes following traumatic head injury, but not in the blunt chest wall trauma patient cohort. The aim of this study was to investigate pre-injury anti-platelet therapy as a risk factor for the development of complications in the recovery phase following blunt chest wall trauma.MethodsA retrospective study was completed in which the medical notes were analysed of all blunt chest wall trauma patients presenting to a large trauma centre in Wales in 2012 and 2013. Using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, pre-injury platelet therapy was investigated as a risk factor for the development of complications following blunt chest wall trauma. Previously identified risk factors were included in the analysis to address the influence of confounding.ResultsA total of 1303 isolated blunt chest wall trauma patients presented to the ED in Morriston Hospital in 2012 and 2013 with complications recorded in 144 patients (11%). On multi-variable analysis, pre-injury anti-platelet therapy was found to be a significant risk factor for the development of complications following isolated blunt chest wall trauma (odds ratio: 16.9; 95% confidence intervals: 8.2–35.2). As in previous studies patient age, number of rib fractures, chronic lung disease and pre-injury anti-coagulant use were also found to be significant risk factors.ConclusionsPre-injury anti-platelet therapy is being increasingly used as a first line treatment for a number of conditions and there is a concurrent increase in trauma in the elderly population. Pre-injury anti-platelet therapy should be considered as a risk factor for the development of complications by clinicians managing blunt chest wall trauma.

Postdischarge nonmedical use of prescription opioids in at-risk drinkers admitted to urban Level I trauma centers

Nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NM-POs) has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Unintentional overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999. Herein, we examine NM-POs and their associated risk factors among two cohorts of trauma patients with at-risk drinking. This secondary analysis examines NM-PO from two separate randomized trials that delivered brief alcohol interventions to patients in urban Level I trauma centers. In the first study, data were collected from 1,493 injured patients at a single trauma center, and in the second study, data were collected from 596 injured patients at two trauma centers. All participants were considered at-risk drinkers because they were admitted for an alcohol related injury as indicated by a positive blood alcohol concentration and/or self-reported heavy drinking. In Study 1, NM-PO nearly doubled from 5.2% before admission to 9.8% at 6 months after discharge. At 12 months after discharge, those who reported NM-PO (odds ratio [OR], 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-4.15) and drug use (OR, 2.62, 95% CI, 1.70-4.04) before admission had the highest odds for postdischarge NM-PO. In Study 2, NM-PO increased from 5.2% before admission to 6.8% at 12 months after discharge. At 12 months after discharge, those who reported NM-PO (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.10-6.66) or drug use (OR, 4.05; 95% CI, 2.00-8.21) before admission had the highest odds for postdischarge NM-PO. The results suggest that there is an increased risk of postdischarge NM-PO among injured patients with at-risk drinking, particularly among those with a recent history of drug use or NM-PO. Cautious, evidence-based opioid prescribing may reduce exposure to prescription opioids in high-risk patients, risk of subsequent misuse, and possible diversion. Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level II.

Glycated hemoglobin A: A predictor of outcome in trauma admissions to intensive care unit

Background and Aim:Although large studies have demonstrated the association between hyperglycemia and adverse intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes, it is yet unclear which subset of patients benefit from tight sugar control in ICU. Recent evidence suggests that stress induced hyperglycemia (SIH) and co-incidentally detected diabetes mellitus are different phenomena with different prognoses. Differentiating SIH from diabetic hyperglycemia is challenging in ICU settings. We followed a cohort of trauma patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) to evaluate if initial glycated hemoglobin A (HbA1c) level predicts the outcome of admission.Materials and Methods:A cohort of 120 consecutive admissions to SICU following trauma were recruited and admission blood sugar and HbA1c were measured. Outcomes were prospectively measured by blinded ICU doctors. A logistic regression model was developed to assess if HbA1c predicts poor outcomes in these settings.Results:Nearly 24% of the participants had HbA1c ≥ 6. Those with HbA1c ≥ 6 had 3.14 times greater risk of poor outcome at the end of hospital stay when compared to those with HbA1c < 6 and this risk increased to an odds ratio of 4.57 on adjusting for other significant predictors: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, injury severity score, admission blood sugar and age at admission.Conclusions:Substantial proportion of trauma admissions has underlying diabetes. HbA1c, a measure of pre admission glycaemic status is an important predictor of ICU outcome in trauma patients.

Quantitative investigation of the impact of noise on heart rate variability and complexity analysis in trauma patients

Objectives: Despite extensive studies in the past few decades on the significance and meaning of the many different measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate complexity (HRC), few studies exist to assess the influence of noise on these measures. The aims of this study were to review selected measures of HRV and HRC and investigate how noise affects these calculations, particularly in trauma patients who received at least 1 life-saving intervention (LSI) vs. those who received none. Methods: A total of 108 prehospital trauma patients with blunt or penetrating injuries admitted to a level I trauma center in Houston, TX, were selected based upon availability of electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform data and manual verification of all R-R interval (RRI) sequences. Eighty-two patients received at least 1 LSI, whereas the remaining 26 patients received none. Electrocardiograms were approximately 15 to 20 minutes long and acquired at a sampling frequency of 375 Hz. Noise was defined to be any source that alters the true RRI sequence of an ECG and, consequently, modifies calculation of an ECG-derived metric. Noise was both simulated and naturally obtained. Artificial modifications of RRI sequences corresponding to patient records were carried out by dropping every Mth multiple of the true RRI sequence for M= 10, 9, ., 1. Furthermore, ECGs of patient records were loaded into an in-house-developed R-wave detection algorithm to produce detected RRI sequences. Selected metrics were calculated afterwards, and means between LSI and non-LSI patient groups were then compared using Wilcoxon tests. The criterion standard for obtaining true means was manual verification of R waves and subsequent metric calculations. Results: There were no significant differences between LSI and nonLSI patients in age, sex, and transport time. 82 patients underwent 142 LSIs. Mean age was 37±14, 76% were male, 86% had blunt injury, and injury severity score was 17 ± 11. Furthermore, numerical relationships between mean values of patient groups were preserved, regardless of amount of noise (LSI vs non-LSI; sample entropy: 0.8 ± 0.3, 1.1±0.4, P= .002; quadratic sample entropy: 3.0±0.9, 3.5± 0.7, P = .004; multiscale entropy: 0.5 ± 0.4, 1.0 ± 0.6, P = .001; Poincare variability ratio: 0.5 ± 0.2, 0.4 ± 0.2, P = .370; fractal scaling exponent: 1.0 ± 0.2, 0.9 ± 0.2, P = .101; autocorrelation coefficient: 0.1 ± 0.1, 0.1 ± 0.0, P = .004; degree of nonstationarity: 0.7 ± 0.2, 0.6 ± 0.2, P= .039; SD: 45.8 ± 60.6, 40.4 ± 25.7, P= .309; successive differences: 44.5 ± 70.3, 35.7 ± 31.3, P= .454). However, there were only statistical differences (P b .01) between groups for entropy measures and autocorrelation. Importantly, P values for sample and multiscale entropy were the lowest of all measures. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that under some noisy environments, selected measures of HRV and HRC can still discriminate between patient groups. In particular, sample and multiscale entropy have predictive power and promising clinical use for the trauma patient cohort.

Impact of Hormonal Protection in Blunt and Penetrating Trauma: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank

Over the last decade, gender and age-related hormonal status of trauma patients have been increasingly recognized as outcome factors. In the present study, we examine a large cohort of trauma patients to better appraise the effects of gender and age on patient outcome after blunt and penetrating trauma. We hypothesize that adult females are at lower risk for complications and mortality relative to adult males after both blunt and penetrating trauma. A retrospective analysis was conducted of the National Trauma Data Bank examining hormonally active females for advantages in survival and outcome after blunt and/or penetrating trauma. Over 1.4 million incident trauma cases were identified between 2002 and 2006. Multiple logistic regressions were calculated for associations between gender and outcome, stratified by injury type, age, comorbidity, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and complications. Risk factors associated with mortality in our multiple logistic regression analyses included: penetrating trauma (odds ratio [OR, 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.27 to 2.36); adult male (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.41 to 1.49); and ISS 15 or greater (OR, 14.68; 95% CI, 14.38 to 14.98). Adult females demonstrated a survival advantage over adult males (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.71). Adult females with ISS less than 15 demonstrated a distinct survival advantage compared with adult males after both blunt and penetrating trauma. These results warrant further investigation into the role of sex hormones in trauma.

Outcomes of traumatic brain injury in Hong Kong: Validation with the TRISS, CRASH, and IMPACT models

We aimed to test prognostic models (the Trauma Injury Severity Score, International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury, and Corticosteroid Randomisation After Significant Head Injury models) for 14-day mortality, 6-month mortality, and 6-month unfavorable outcome in a cohort of trauma patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Hong Kong. We analyzed 661 patients with significant TBI treated in a regional trauma centre in Hong Kong over a 3-year period. The discriminatory power of the models was assessed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. One-sample t-tests were used to compare actual outcomes in the cohort against predicted outcomes. All three prognostic models were shown to have good discriminatory power and no significant systemic over-estimation or under-estimation. In conclusion, all three predictive models are applicable to eligible TBI patients in Hong Kong. These predictive models can be utilized to audit TBI management outcomes for trauma service development in the future.

Predictors of transfer to rehabilitation for trauma patients admitted to a level 1 trauma centre—A model derivation and internal validation study

ObjectiveDetermine the predictors of transfer to rehabilitation in a cohort of trauma patients and derive a risk score based clinical prediction tool to identify such patients during the acute phase of injury management. MethodsTrauma registry data at a single level one trauma centre were obtained for all patients aged between 15 and 65 years admitted due to injury between 2007 and 2011. Multivariable logistic regression with stepwise selection was performed to derive a prediction model for transfer to rehabilitation. The model was tested on a validation dataset using receiver operator characteristic analyses and bootstrap cross validation on the entire dataset. A clinical prediction risk score was developed based on the final model. ResultsThere were 4900 patients included in the study. Variables found to be the strongest predictors of rehabilitation after logistic regression with stepwise selection were pelvic injuries (OR 12.6 95% CI 6.2, 25.2 p<0.001), need for intensive care unit admission (OR 7.2 95% CI 4.2, 12.3 p<0.001) and neurosurgical operation (OR 10.5 95% CI 4.7, 23.1 p<0.001). After bootstrap cross validation the mean AUC was 0.86 (95% CI 0.84, 0.89). The model had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 64%. ConclusionIntensive unit admission, neurosurgical operation, pelvic injuries and other lower limb injuries were the most important predictors of the need for rehabilitation after trauma. The prediction model has good overall sensitivity, discrimination and could be further validated for use in clinical practice.

Lactate clearance as a predictor of mortality in trauma patients

Initial serum lactate has been associated with mortality in trauma patients. It is not known if lactate clearance is predictive of death in a broad cohort of trauma patients. We enrolled 4,742 trauma patients who had an initial lactate measured during a 10-year period. Patients were identified via the trauma registry. Lactate clearance was calculated at 6 hours. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the independent contribution of both initial lactate and lactate clearance with mortality, after adjustment for severity of injury. Initial lactate level was strongly correlated with mortality: when lactate was less than 2.5 mg/dL, 5.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5-6.2%) of patients died; with lactate 2.5 mg/dL to 4.0 mg/dL, mortality was 6.4% (95% CI, 5.1-7.8%); with lactate 4.0 mg/dL or greater, mortality was 18.8% (95% CI, 15.7-21.9%). After adjustment for age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, heart rate, and blood pressure, initial lactate remained independently associated with increased mortality, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.0, 1.5 (95% CI, 1.1-2.0) and 3.8 (95% CI, 2.8-5.3), for lactate less than 2.5 mg/dL, 2.5 mg/dL to 4.0 mg/dL, and 4.0 mg/dL or greater, respectively. Among patients with an initially elevated lactate (≥4.0 mg/dL), lower lactate clearance at 6 hours strongly and independently predicted an increased risk of death. For lactate clearances of 60% or greater, 30% to 59%, and less than 30%, the adjusted odds ratio for death were 1.0, 3.5 (95% CI 1.2-10.4), and 4.3 (95% CI, 1.5-12.6), respectively. Both initial lactate and lactate clearance at 6 hours independently predict death in trauma patients. Prognostic study, level III.