Military Trauma Research Articles

Developing a National Trauma Research Action Plan: Results from the acute resuscitation, initial patient evaluation, imaging, and management research gap Delphi survey.

Injury is the leading cause of death in patients aged 1 to 45 years and contributes to a significant public health burden for individuals of all ages. To achieve zero preventable deaths and disability after injury, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine called for the development of a National Trauma Research Action Plan to improve outcomes for military and civilian trauma patients. Because rapid resuscitation and prompt identification and treatment of injuries are critical in achieving optimal outcomes, a panel of experts was convened to generate high-priority research questions in the areas of acute resuscitation, initial evaluation, imaging, and definitive management on injury. Forty-three subject matter experts in trauma care and injury research were recruited to perform a gap analysis of current literature and prioritize unanswered research questions using a consensus-driven Delphi survey approach. Four Delphi rounds were conducted to generate research questions and prioritize them using a 9-point Likert scale. Research questions were stratified as low, medium, or high priority, with consensus defined as ≥60% of panelists agreeing on the priority category. Research questions were coded using a taxonomy of 118 research concepts that were standard across all National Trauma Research Action Plan panels. There were 1,422 questions generated, of which 992 (69.8%) reached consensus. Of the questions reaching consensus, 327 (33.0%) were given high priority, 621 (62.6%) medium priority, and 44 (4.4%) low priority. Pharmaceutical intervention and fluid/blood product resuscitation were most frequently scored as high-priority intervention concepts. Research questions related to traumatic brain injury, vascular injury, pelvic fracture, and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis were highly prioritized. This research gap analysis identified more than 300 high-priority research questions within the broad category of Acute Resuscitation, Initial Evaluation, Imaging, and Definitive Management. Research funding should be prioritized to address these high-priority topics in the future.

The Role of Whole Blood Transfusions in Civilian Trauma: A Review of Literature in Military and Civilian Trauma.

Resuscitation techniques for the management of adult trauma patients have evolved over the 20th century. Whole blood transfusions were previously used as the standard of care, whereas blood component therapy is the current method employed across most trauma centers across the United States. Prior to the transition, no studies were conducted to show improved efficacy of hemostatic potential in trauma patients. Recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have challenged the dogma that whole blood transfusions are not the standard of care and have shown potential as the superior transfusion product for adult trauma patients. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive review and elucidate if whole blood transfusions have a role in civilian trauma patients based upon recent military medical literature and civilian pilot studies using whole blood transfusions.

From battlefield to civilian emergency pre‑hospital care practice: lessons of modern warfare. Part i: external hemorrage arrest

An experience of external hemorrhage arrest in combat casualties of XXI century military conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan) and the results of application of this experience in сivilian emergency pre‑hospital care practice are presented in the review. Data from PubMed, Cochrane Library and other free Internet resources since 2001 to 2021 were analyzed. High effectiveness and safety of modern tourniquets and hemostatic dressings use for hemorrhage arrest both in military and civilian trauma patients were established. The first promising results of application of new perspective hemostatic devices for «non tourniquetable» hemorrhages are presented as well.

Development of an Animal Model of Military-Relevant Traumatic Stress.

Acute Stress Reactions (ASRs) affect a subgroup of individuals who experience traumatic stress. In the context of military operations, such reactions are often termed Combat and Operational Stress Reactions (COSRs). COSRs not only encompass all symptoms of ASRs but also include additional symptoms related to military combat and may develop at a rate higher than the general public experiences ASRs. Despite an obvious need, there are currently no approved pharmacologic treatments or guidelines for ASR and/or COSR. Preclinical rodent stress models and behavioral assessments are used to evaluate pharmacotherapies and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Here, we combined established traumatic stress models to develop a model of traumatic stress relevant to military trauma exposure and measured behavioral outcomes that reflect outcomes observed in ASRs and COSRs. Adult male rats underwent exposure to either a combination of two or three traumatic stress exposures (e.g., predator exposure, underwater trauma (UWT), and/or inescapable shock) or control procedures. Behavioral performance on the open field, elevated plus maze, and acoustic startle response (SR) was then assessed 24- and 48-hours following stress/control procedures. In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to a two-stressor model, where predator exposure was coupled with UWT. Minor behavioral deficits were observed in SR for stress-exposed rats as compared to controls. In Experiment 2, inescapable shock was added to predator exposure and UWT. Behavioral performance deficits were observed across all behavioral tests. In Experiment 3, procedures from Experiment 2 were repeated with the only major modification being a shortened predator exposure duration, which resulted in performance deficits in SR only. We found that the three-stressor model of Experiment 2 resulted in the greatest overall behavioral disturbance (both in the number of variables and magnitude of stress effects). Interestingly, behavioral deficits elicited from the shorter predator exposure were distinct from those observed with longer predator exposure times. Together, these results generally suggest that combined preclinical stressors with military-relevant elements result in behavioral performance deficits reflective of post-trauma phenotypes in Soldiers. The present findings support the use of both physical and psychological stressors to model operationally relevant traumatic stress exposure.

Pro-Con Debate: Prehospital Blood Transfusion-Should It Be Adopted for Civilian Trauma?

Exsanguination is the leading cause of death in severely injured patients; nevertheless, prehospital blood transfusion (PHT) remains a controversial topic. Here, we review the pros and cons of PHT, which is now routine in treatment of military trauma patients in the civilian setting. While PHT may improve survival in those who suffer blunt injury or require prolonged transport from the site of injury, PHT for civilian trauma generally is not supported by high-quality evidence. This article was originally presented as a pro-con debate at the 2020 meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care.

The Role of the Insula in Classical and Dissociative PTSD: A Double Case Study

ABSTRACT Two service members were diagnosed with PTSD due to military trauma exposure. One presented with the classical manifestation; the other presented with the dissociative subtype. A statistical map revealed anterior localization of insula connectivity in the classical PTSD patient and posterior localization in the dissociative PTSD patient. These differences suggest that dissociative PTSD may be identified, understood, and treated as a disorder related to increased posterior insula connectivity. This double case study provides preliminary evidence for a concrete neuroanatomical discrepancy between insula function in classical and dissociative PTSD that may help explain the emergence of different coping strategies.

Use of Haemostatic Devices for the Control of Junctional and Abdominal Traumatic Haemorrhage: A Systematic Review

Catastrophic haemorrhage accounts for up to 40% of global trauma related mortality and is the leading cause of preventable deaths on the battlefield. Controlling abdominal and junctional haemorrhage is challenging, especially in the pre-hospital setting or ‘under fire’, yet there is no haemostatic agent which satisfies the seven characteristics of an ‘ideal haemostat’. We conducted a systematic search of Embase, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Web of Science to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of three types of haemostatic devices. Participants included any trauma patient in a pre-hospital setting, perfused human cadavers, or healthy human volunteer simulations. The haemostatic devices reviewed were REBOA, iTClampTM, and four junctional tourniquets: AAJT, CRoC, JETT, and SJT. The SJT had the best user survey performance of the junctional tourniquets, and the four junctional tourniquets had an overall efficacy of 26.6–100% and an application time of 10–203 s. The iTClampTM had an efficacy of 60–100% and an application time of 10–60 s. REBOA had an efficacy of 71–100% and an application time ranging from 5 min to >80 min. In civilian and military trauma patients the use of junctional tourniquets, iTClamp, or REBOA, mortality varied from 0–100%. All of these studies were deemed low to very low in quality, hence the reliability of data presented in each of the studies is called into question. We conclude that despite limited data for these devices, their use in the pre-hospital environment or ‘under fire’ is feasible with the correct training, portable imaging, and patient selection algorithms. However, higher quality studies are required to confirm the true efficacy of these devices.

Advances in Hemostatic Wound Dressings: Clinical Implications and Insight.

Hemorrhagic shock is one of the leading causes of prehospital death in the armed forces. In this state, the body begins to shut down because of blood volume depletion. In both civilian and military trauma, a significant number of hemorrhage deaths occur in the first several hours after injury. Researchers all over the globe are working to develop relatively inexpensive and easy-to-transport products to prevent soldiers from going into hemorrhagic shock. For example, many advances have been made during the last several years toward the development of ideal hemostatic dressings. No current hemostatic agents meet all of the requirements, but the ideal dressing would fulfill many important measures: minimizes or stops blood flow within minutes, contains hemostatic agents to enhance blood clotting, is easy to apply, does not need preapplication preparation, has a reasonably long shelf life, is safe to use, prevents bacterial or viral transmission, is stable at extreme temperatures, and is inexpensive. For this literature review, the authors conducted an extensive search of academic scientific databases for relevant keywords and assessed and summarized the results. This review aimed to identify recent advances in hemostatic wound dressings; summarize the currently available dressings and their supporting literature; and discuss the compositions, mechanisms of action, and clinical relevance of each category of dressing. In addition, case studies and suggestions for future research into hemorrhage control with new hemostatic agents are provided.

Impact of Military Service in Vietnam on Coping and Health Behaviors of Aging Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Many Vietnam War veterans who experienced military trauma still exhibit PTSD symptomatology. Little is known about how new stressful situations, like the COVID-19 pandemic, affect previously traumatized people or whether they will react differently to them. We explore whether military combat experiences in Vietnam affect veterans' perceived abilities to cope with COVID-19 and whether current PTSD symptoms and later-adulthood reengagement with trauma memories are related to coping. We examine the extent that current PTSD symptoms and trauma reengagement relate to preventive practices. Participants were part of a randomly sampled cohort of American Legionnaires who responded to two previous surveys (1984, 1998), were born 1945-1953 and deployed to Vietnam 1963-1973, thus representing an aging veteran population. A survey supplement assessed coping with the pandemic and adherence to public health guidelines. The response rate was 74% (N = 507); 422 (61.6%) completed the COVID-19 supplement. Military experiences were found to affect coping with 41.4% reporting they affected ability to cope with COVID-19. Medium- and high-combat veterans were more likely to report that military experience affected coping than low-combat (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.51–3.96; 2.6, 95% CI 1.41–4.61, respectively). Those with high PTSD scores had 7.7-fold (95% CI 4.3–13.17) increased likelihood of reporting that their coping was affected, compared to low-PTSD scorers. Few adopted social distancing (4%), staying at home (17%), or ceasing usual activities (32%); high-combat veterans were least likely to stay home. Veterans who practiced handwashing, sanitizer use, mask-wearing, and surface disinfection had significantly higher PTSD scores than those who did not. Veterans with higher scores on the LOSS-SF scale associated more reengagement with trauma memories and were more likely to engage in personal preventive strategies. Analysis of open-ended responses supported these findings. We conclude that fifty years after returning from Vietnam, PTSD scores were high for high-combat veterans, suggestive of PTSD diagnosis. Military experiences affected coping with COVID both positively and negatively, and may have helped instill useful personal health behaviors. Veterans, especially those with PTSD symptomatology, may have special needs during stressful times, like the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting compliance with recommended practices, as well as their overall health and well-being.

Anastomotic Outcomes in Military Exploratory Laparotomies in the Modern Combat Era.

Intestinal anastomoses in military settings are performed in severely injured patients who often undergo damage control laparotomy in austere environments. We describe anastomotic outcomes of patients from recent wars. Military personnel with combat-related intra-abdominal injuries (June 2009-December 2014) requiring laparotomy with resection and anastomosis were analyzed. Patients were evacuated from Iraq or Afghanistan to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (Germany) before being transferred to participating U.S. military hospitals. Among 341 patients who underwent 1053 laparotomies, 87 (25.5%) required ≥1 anastomosis. Stapled anastomosis only was performed in 57.5% of patients, while hand-sewn only was performed in 14.9%, and 9.2% had both stapled and hand-sewn techniques (type unknown for 18.4%). Anastomotic failure occurred in 15% of patients. Those with anastomotic failure required more anastomoses (median 2 anastomoses, interquartile range [IQR] 1-3 vs. 1 anastomosis, IQR 1-2, P = .03) and more total laparotomies (median 5 laparotomies, IQR 3-12 vs. 3, IQR 2-4, P = .01). There were no leaks in patients that had only hand-sewn anastomoses, though a significant difference was not seen with those who had stapled anastomoses. While there was an increasing trend regarding surgical site infections (SSIs) with anastomotic failure after excluding superficial SSIs, it was not significant. There was no difference in mortality. Military trauma patients have a similar anastomotic failure rate to civilian trauma patients. Patients with anastomotic failure were more likely to have had more anastomoses and more total laparotomies. No definitive conclusions can be drawn about anastomotic outcome differences between hand-sewn and stapled techniques.

Military Dataset Processing Approaches or Trauma Risk Mitigation in Machine Learning Practitioners

To develop new computer vision capabilities leveraging artificial intelligence, we will increasingly need to use operationally realistic training and validation datasets. Although operational full motion video and imagery datasets present information regarding their provenance and classification level, these designations are often not indicative of the presence of potentially offensive or traumatizing content. As machine learning and data scientists increasingly need to work with operational unsanitized operational video and imagery data, they will have a higher risk of being exposed to sensitive and traumatic content. In this paper, we first raise awareness about this risk within the Defense community. Then, we propose several approaches for mitigating machine learning practitioner's exposure to offensive and traumatizing media, including dataset preprocessing procedures and viewing tool design considerations.

The Place of Imaging in Ballistic Trauma about 54 Cases in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of medical imaging in the management of ballistic trauma in the experience of the Burkina Faso Army Health Service. Methods: This was a retrospective, prospective, cross-sectional study of 54 cases of ballistic trauma that occurred in Burkinabe military personnel on Burkinabe territory between January 2016 and October 2019 and were managed by the Burkina Faso Army Health Service. Results: The mean age of the ballistic trauma victims was 28.9 years. The patients were all male. Multiple injuries were present in 19% of cases. The limbs were predominantly affected, followed by the trunk. Medical imaging was used both for the initial assessment and for the search for complications and follow-up after treatment. Standard radiography was the most commonly used modality followed by CT scan, particularly for the search for visceral lesions or for a more precise bone assessment. Ultrasound (E. FAST) was sometimes used. Magnetic resonance imaging was rarely used because of the ferromagnetic projectiles often present in ballistic trauma patients. Conclusion: Medical imaging has an important place in the management of military ballistic trauma.

Warfighter Advance: The ADVANCE 7-Day

The author describes her early acquaintance with Adlerian practice while studying for clinical practice as a U.S. Navy officer. She describes the impact on her by juxtaposing it to the heavily burdened medical model of therapy she found herself in as she completed studies. She also describes her experience of providing psychological care during military service, which led her, upon completion of duty assignment, to develop Warfighter Advance. The author describes the effort to create a non-medicine-oriented psychological support program to bring sufferers from military trauma back to their best selves. She portrays the program as an amalgam of her Adlerian upbringing, U.S. Navy core values, and undergraduate training in theater “to build a viable and life-saving alternative” to medicinal dependence for dealing with war trauma.

Use of mini-fragment plates in fracture fixation

Background: Over the last two decades improved research in basic sciences has resulted in a better understanding of pathomechanics of skeletal injury. Today we have modern implants and instrumentation which can allow fracture fixation while minimizing soft tissue trauma. The use of mini fragment low profile locking plates is one such technique that is now increasingly being used to implement fragment specific fracture fixation in skeletal injuries. Methods: At our level III military trauma centre we introduced the use of mini fragment plates in all types of fracture types in 2019 and over the next twelve months we prospectively recorded data of 44 fracture cases of various long and small bones. We have used these plates with different objectives in various intraarticular, metaphyseal or diaphyseal fractures in a manner to augment, supplement or substitute the use of larger implants. We have described the exact method of use in each case. Results: Out of 44 cases in 42 we achieved fracture union with no loss of reduction and in one case there was a failure of fixation and in one case infected nonunion. Conclusion: Mini-fragment plates are a very efficient tool available to carry out reduction and fixation of many fracture types and should be kept as a part of instrumentation and implant set for all cases of fracture fixation.

РОЛЬ ТА МІСЦЕ «DAMAGE CONTROL SURGERY» У ВІЙСЬКОВІЙ ЛІКУВАЛЬНО-ЕВАКУАЦІЙНІЙ ДОКТРИНІ ПІД ЧАС БОЙОВИХ ДІЙ В СУЧАСНІЙ ВІЙНІ.

Introduction: The severity of the combined injury, traumatic shock, blood loss and traumatic prolonged primary surgery are the cause of high mortality injured patients. In civilian medicine, damage control technology is widely used to treat patients with severe polytrauma, which has improved the survival of this group of patients. Objective: Analyze the effectiveness of using "damage control" technology in wounded with polytrauma at the second level of medical care during war conflict in Eastern Ukraine and organization of combat casualty care. Methods: Medical and statistical analysis of the effectiveness medical treatment for patients combat-ralated injuried and polytrauma performed on the basis of a mobile military hospital during 2015-2019 period. Results: In 660 patients with combat multiple and combined injuries and in 1027 - with severe military combined trauma, medical tratment was provide by "damage control" technology. The main task of the first stage of surgery intervention was to stop the bleeding and stabilize the patient condition. 130 patients with intra-abdominal bleeding underwent laparotomy, temporary stop of bleeding, blood sampling for autotransfusion and temporary closure of the abdominal cavity. For the purpose of temporary hemostasis in 15 patients abdominal tamponade was performed, in 26 - liver tamponade, in 24 - splenectomy, in 6 - nephrectomy and in 6 - put the clamps were applied to bleeding vessels. In 14% injured patients definitive stage of surgical procedures were performed at the second level of medical care on the background of abdominal compartment syndrome in 10, visceral edema in 14 and peritonitis in 40 patients. Conclusions: Providing emergency medical treatment, surgical procedures and intensive care at the second level of medical tretment using the technology of "damage control" and timely patients evacuation are the key to reducing mortality and complications of military surgical trauma

Tranexamic acid administration and pulmonary embolism in combat casualties with orthopaedic injuries.

Objectives:In combat casualty care, tranexamic acid (TXA) is administered as part of initial resuscitation effort; however, conflicting data exist as to whether TXA contributes to increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The purpose of this study is to determine what factors increase risk of pulmonary embolism after combat-related orthopaedic trauma and whether administration of TXA is an independent risk factor for major thromboembolic events.Setting:United States Military Trauma Centers.Patients:Combat casualties with orthopaedic injuries treated at any US military trauma center for traumatic injuries sustained from January 2011 through December 2015. In total, 493 patients were identified.Intervention:None.Main Outcome Measures:Occurrence of major thromboembolic events, defined as segmental or greater pulmonary embolism or thromboembolism-associated pulseless electrical activity.Results:Regression analysis revealed TXA administration, traumatic amputation, acute kidney failure, and hypertension to be associated with the development of a major thromboembolic event for all models. Injury characteristics independently associated with risk of major VTE were Injury Severity Score 23 or greater, traumatic amputation, and vertebral fracture. The best performing model utilized had an area under curve = 0.84, a sensitivity=0.72, and a specificity=0.84.Conclusions:TXA is an independent risk factor for major VTE after combat-related Orthopaedic injury. Injury factors including severe trauma, major extremity amputation, and vertebral fracture should prompt suspicion for increased risk of major thromboembolic events and increased threshold for TXA use if no major hemorrhage is present.Level of evidence:III, Prognostic Study

Physical Exercise as Treatment for PTSD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a cluster of physical and psychiatric symptoms following military or civilian trauma. The effect of exercise on PTSD symptoms has previously been investigated in several studies. However, it has not been fully determined what type of exercise most impacts PTSD symptoms. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the effects of different types of exercise on PTSD symptom severity and symptoms of coexisting conditions in adults. Electronic searches were conducted in the databases PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and SportDiscus, from database inception up until February 1, 2021. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials published in English, participants having a PTSD diagnosis or clinically relevant symptoms, and participants randomly allocated to either a non-exercising control group or an exercise group. Data concerning the number of participants, age, exercise type and duration, PTSD symptom severity (primary outcome), and symptoms of coexisting conditions (secondary outcomes) were extracted. The subgroup analysis included high or low training dose, military trauma versus non-military trauma, the type of intervention (yoga versus other exercise), active or passive control condition, group training versus individual exercise, and study quality. The study quality and risk of bias were assessed using grading of recommendation assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. A meta-analysis was performed with a mixed-effects model and restricted maximum likelihood as model estimator, and effect size was calculated as the standardized difference in mean and 95% CI. Eleven studies were included in the present review. Results showed a main random effect of exercise intervention (0.46; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.74) and a borderline significant interaction between more voluminous (>20 hours in total) and less voluminous (≤20 hours in total) exercise interventions (P = .07). No significant findings from the subgroup analysis were reported. The secondary outcome analysis showed a small but significant effect of exercise on depressive symptoms (0.20, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.38), and a larger effect on sleep (0.51, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.73). For substance use (alcohol and drugs combined) and quality of life, we found significant effects of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.98) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.34 to 0.69), respectively. No significant effect was found for anxiety (0.18, 95% CI: -0.15 to 0.51), and no sign of publication bias was found. Exercise can be an effective addition to PTSD treatment, and greater amounts of exercise may provide more benefits. However, as there were no differences found between exercise type, possibly due to the inclusion of a low number of studies using different methodologies, further research should aim to investigate the optimal type, dose, and duration of activity that are most beneficial to persons with PTSD.

Biomarkers in PTSD-susceptible and resistant veterans with war experience of more than ten years ago: FOCUS ON cortisol, thyroid hormones, testosterone and GABA

In the present study we measured the concentrations of cortisol, thyroid hormones, testosterone, and GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) in am blood plasma samples of combatants with an at least 10 year history of military psychological trauma (N = 74) divided in groups that either suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (N = 37) or are resistant (N = 37) as well as in a control group without traumatic experience in the anamnesis, (N = 34). PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS).The results show that the am blood cortisol levels of individuals that were exposed to war zone experiences irrespective susceptibility for or resistance to PTSD were significantly higher than the values observed in the controls. Testosterone levels in PTSD patients differed neither from that observed in PTSD resistant nor control groups. In the resistant group testosterone levels were however significantly higher than in controls. The level of all thyroid hormones did not differ between the study groups. GABA level was significantly lower in the PTSD group compared with healthy controls. In the resistant group blood GABA levels were not significantly different from either PTSD patients or controls.In conclusion, the current data show that cortisol and to some extent testosterone may serve as biomarker of war zone stress per se, even if trauma was experienced at least ten years before, rather than of only PTSD or resistance to PTSD. GABA, in contrast, can be considered a potential marker of the protracted nature of PTSD.

Temporal-spatial organ response after blast-induced experimental blunt abdominal trauma.

Abdominal trauma (AT) is of major global importance, particularly with the increased potential for civil, terroristic, and military trauma. The injury pattern and systemic consequences of blunt abdominal injuries are highly variable and frequently underestimated or even missed, and the pathomechanisms remain still poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the temporal-spatial organ and immune response after a standardized blast-induced blunt AT. Anesthetized mice were exposed to a single blast wave centered on the epigastrium. At 2, 6, or 24h after trauma, abdominal organ damage was assessed macroscopically, microscopically, and biochemically. A higher degree of trauma severity, determined by a reduction of the distance between the epigastrium and blast inductor, was reflected by a reduced survival rate. The hemodynamic monitoring during the first 120min after AT revealed a decline in the mean arterial pressure within the first 80min, whereas the heart rate remained quite stable. AT induced a systemic damage and inflammatory response, evidenced by elevated HMGB-1 and IL-6 plasma levels. The macroscopic injury pattern of the abdominal organs (while complex) was consistent, with the following frequency: liver>pancreas>spleen>left kidney>intestine>right kidney>others>lungs and was reflected by microscopic liver and pancreas damages. Plasma levels of organ dysfunction markers increased during the first 6h after AT and subsequently declined, indicating an early, temporal impairment of the function on a multi-organ level. The established highly reproducible murine blunt AT, with time- and trauma-severity-dependent organ injury patterns, systemic inflammatory response, and impairment of various organ functions, reflects characteristics of human AT. In the future, this model may help to study the complex immuno-pathophysiological consequences and innovative therapeutic approaches after blunt AT.

Machine Learning for Military Trauma: Novel Massive Transfusion Predictive Models in Combat Zones

Damage control resuscitation has become the standard of care in military and civilian trauma. Early identification of blood product requirements may aid in optimizing the clinical decision-making process while improving trauma related outcomes. This study aimed to assess and compare multiple machine learning models for predicting patients athighest risk for massive transfusion on the battlefield. Supervised machine learning approaches using logistic regression, support vector machine, neural network, and random forest techniques were used to create predictive models for massive transfusion using standard prehospital and arrival data points from the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, 2008-2016. Seventy percent of the population was used for model development and performance was validated using the remaining 30%. Models were tested for accuracy and compared by standard performance statistics. A total of 22,158 patients (97% male, 58% penetrating injury, median age 25-29 y/o, average Injury Severity Score 9, with an overall mortality of 3%) were included in the analysis. Massive transfusion was required by 7.4% of patients. Overall accuracy was found to be above 90% in all models tested. Following cross validation and model training, the random forest model outperformed the alternatively tested models for precision, recall, and area under the curve. Machine learning techniques may allow for more optimal and rapid identification of combat trauma patients at highest risk for massive transfusion. These powerful approachesmay uncover novel correlations and help improve triage, activation of massive transfusion resources, and trauma-related outcomes. Further research seeking to optimize and apply these algorithms to trauma-centered research should be pursued.