Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage Research Articles

Early Point-of-Care Thromboelastometry Reduces Mortality in Patients with Severe Trauma and Risk of Transfusion: An Analysis Based on the TraumaRegister DGU®.

Background: Thromboelastometry like ROTEM® is a point-of-care method used to assess the coagulation status of patients in a rapid manner being particularly useful in critical care settings, such as trauma, where quick and accurate assessment of coagulation can guide timely and appropriate treatment. Currently, this method is not yet comprehensively available with sparse data on its effectiveness in resuscitation rooms. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of early thromboelastometry on the probability of mass transfusions and mortality of severely injured patients. Methods: The TraumaRegister DGU® was retrospectively analyzed for severely injured patients (2011 until 2020) with information available regarding blood transfusions and Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score components. Patients with an estimated risk of mass transfusion >2% were included in a matched-pair analysis. Cases with and without use of ROTEM® diagnostic were matched based on risk categories for mass transfusion. A total of 1722 patients with ROTEM® diagnostics could be matched with a non-ROTEM® patient with an identical risk category. Adult patients (≥16) admitted to a trauma center in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland with Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale severity ≥3 were included. Results: A total of 83,798 trauma victims were identified after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. For 7740 of these patients, the use of ROTEM® was documented. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) in patients with ROTEM® was 24.3 compared to 19.7 in the non-ROTEM® group. The number of mass transfusions showed no significant difference (14.9% ROTEM® group vs. 13.4% non-ROTEM® group, p = 0.45). Coagulation management agents were given significantly more often in the ROTEM® subgroup. Mortality in the ROTEM® group was 4.1% less than expected (estimated mortality based on RISC II 34.6% vs. observed mortality 30.5% (n = 525)). In the non-ROTEM® group, observed mortality was 1.6% less than expected. Therefore, by using ROTEM® analysis, the expected mortality could be reduced by 2.5% (number needed to treat (NNT) 40; SMR of ROTEM® group: 1:0.88; SMR of non-ROTEM® group: 1:0.96; p = 0.081). Conclusions: Hemorrhage is still one of the leading causes of death of severely injured patients in the first hours after trauma. Early thromboelastometry can lead to a more targeted coagulation management, but is not yet widely available. This study demonstrated that ROTEM® was used for the more severely injured patients and that its use was associated with a less than expected mortality as well as a higher utilization of hemostatic products.

Abstract 373: Traumatic Bleeding Severity Score: An External Validation Study for the Predictive Accuracy of the Need for Massive Transfusion

Background: The Traumatic Bleeding Severity Score (TBSS) was developed to predict the need for massive transfusion (MT). The aim of this study was to conduct the first external validation study about the TBSS in Japan, and to compare its prediction value to other pre-existing MT prediction scores. Methods: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted in Japan (Japanese observational study for coagulation and Thrombolysis in Early Trauma 2 : J-OCTET 2). Twenty-five tertiary critical care centers in Japan participated in this study, and severe trauma patients (Injury Severity Score : ISS ≥ 16) admitted from 2018 to 2019 were enrolled. At the analysis of the TBSS external validation, patients with isolated head injuries were excluded from the analysis. In this study, MT was defined as 10 units or more of red blood cells transfusion within 24 hours from injuries. The TBSS on admission was retrospectively calculated and its accuracy in predicting MT was analyzed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). To compare the predictive value between the TBSS and the pre-existing scores, the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score (TASH score) and the Assessment of Blood Consumption score (ABC score) on admission was similarly calculated, and the ROC comparison analysis was performed. Results: Totally, 1202 severely injured trauma patients were enrolled in the J-OCTET 2 study, and 889 patients were analyzed after the matching of the exclusion criteria. The median age was 66 years (IQR: 47-77), 71.4 % was male, 97.9% was blunt trauma, median ISS was 22 (IQR:16-29), and 13.8% received MT. The AUROC of the TBSS for was 0.848 (95% CI:0.81-0.88). According to the ROC comparison, the AUROC of the TASH score was 0.848 (95% CI: 0.81-0.88) and there was no significant difference between both prediction scores. (Bonferroni adjusted p=1.00). The AUROC of the ABC score was 0.751(95% CI: 0.70-0.80), which was significantly lower to TBSS’s (Bonferroni adjusted p<0.01). Conclusion: This TBSS external validation study showed that the accuracy of TBSS in the MT prediction was moderate accuracy. The predictive value of the TBSS was comparable to that of the TASH score and superior to the ABC score.

Elevated international normalized ratio is correlated with large volume transfusion in pediatric trauma patients

BackgroundPediatric trauma patients may benefit from a balanced transfusion strategy, however, determining when to activate massive transfusion protocols remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to explore whether certain scoring systems can predict the need for large volume transfusion. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of pediatric trauma patients who presented to our center and required a transfusion of packed red blood cells. Baseline laboratory and clinical data were used to calculate Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score and a previously reported composite of acidosis and coagulopathy. ResultsWe identified 518 pediatric trauma patients who presented to our center between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2018. These patients were less than 18 years of age (mean 9.6 years) and had an injury severity score ranging from 1 to 50 (mean 11.3). Forty-three patients (8.3%) received a transfusion within 24 hours of presentation, ranging from 4 to 139 mL/kg of packed red blood cells (mean 23.1 mL/kg). Transfusion volume was associated with acidosis and coagulopathy scores (r = 0.37, p = 0.033) and international normalized ratio (INR) (r = 0.34, p = 0.03) but not TASH (p = 0.72). Patients with INR≥1.3 received a higher mean volume of packed red cells compared to those with normal values (34 versus 18 mL/kg, p = 0.046). ConclusionPediatric trauma patients who undergo transfusion of packed red blood cells are likely to require large volume transfusion if their baseline INR is ≥1.3. These patients may benefit from a balanced transfusion strategy, such as utilization of massive transfusion protocols or whole blood.

Early packed red blood cell transfusion in major trauma patients: Evaluation and comparison of different prediction scores for massive transfusion.

Our study sought to evaluate and compare different prediction scores for massive transfusion in-hospital packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions. Between January 2013 and December 2018, 1843 trauma patients were enrolled in the registry of a level-1 trauma centre. All prehospital and in-hospital variables needed to calculate the Shock Index and RED FLAG, Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) and Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) scores were prospectively collected in the registry. The primary endpoint was the initiation of transfusion within the first hour of the patient's arrival at the hospital. A total of 1767 patients were included for analysis with a mean age of 43 years (±19) and a mean Injury Severity Score of 15 (±14). The in-hospital TASH score had the highest predictive performance overall (area under the curve [AUC]=0.925, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.904-0.946]), while the RED FLAG score (AUC=0.881, 95% CI [0.854-0.908]) had the greatest prehospital predictive performance compared to the ABC score (AUC=0.798, 95% CI [0.759-0.837]) and Shock Index (AUC=0.795, 95% CI [0.752-0.837]). Using their standard thresholds, the RED FLAG score was the most efficient in predicting early transfusion (sensitivity: 87%, specificity: 76%, positive predictive value: 25%, negative predictive value: 99%, Youden index: 0.63). The RED FLAG score appears to outperform both the ABC score and the Shock Index in predicting early in-hospital transfusion in trauma patients managed by pre-hospital teams. If adopted, this score could be used to give advance warning to trauma centres or even to initiate early transfusion during pre-hospital care.

Validation of the mTICCS Score as a Useful Tool for the Early Prediction of a Massive Transfusion in Patients with a Traumatic Hemorrhage.

The modified Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy Clinical Score (mTICCS) presents a new scoring system for the early detection of the need for a massive transfusion (MT). While validated in a large trauma cohort, the comparison of mTICCS to established scoring systems is missing. This study therefore validated the ability of six scoring systems to stratify patients at risk for an MT at an early stage after trauma. A dataset of severely injured patients (ISS ≥ 16) derived from the database of a level I trauma center (2010–2015) was used. Scoring systems assessed were Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score, Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) score, Larson score, Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) score, Emergency Transfusion Score (ETS), and mTICCS. Demographics, diagnostic data, mechanism of injury, injury pattern (graded by AIS), and outcome (length of stay, mortality) were analyzed. Scores were calculated, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were evaluated. From the AUCs, the cut-off point with the best relationship of sensitivity-to-specificity was used to recalculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV). A total of 479 patients were included; of those, blunt trauma occurred in 92.3% of patients. The mean age of patients was 49 ± 22 years with a mean ISS of 25 ± 29. The overall MT rate was 8.4% (n = 40). The TASH score had the highest overall accuracy as reflected by an AUC of 0.782 followed by the mTICCS (0.776). The ETS was the most sensitive (80%), whereas the TASH score had the highest specificity (82%) and the PWH score had the lowest (51.83%). At a cut-off > 5 points, the mTICCS score showed a sensitivity of 77.5% and a specificity of 74.03%. Compared to sophisticated systems, using a higher number of weighted variables, the newly developed mTICCS presents a useful tool to predict the need for an MT in a prehospital situation. This might accelerate the diagnosis of an MT in emergency situations. However, prospective validations are needed to improve the development process and use of scoring systems in the future.

Estudio piloto sobre escalas predictivas de transfusión masiva: ¿iguales en el paciente traumático que en el médico?

Introduction and objectivesMassive bleeding and associated coagulation disorders are one of the main causes of mortality in critically ill patients. Current studies claim that the majority of massive bleeding is due to traumatic injury, but there is a lack of data about predictive scales and massive transfusion (MT) protocols in non-trauma patients. The objective of this study is to assess the applicability of using the massive transfusion prediction scores of trauma patients in non-trauma patients. MethodsA retrospective exploratory cohort study was conducted between January-December 2017 that included patients older than 18 years admitted to a multidisciplinary ICU of a tertiary hospital for non-traumatic diseases that required MT. An analysis was performed on the relationship between haemodynamic variables (blood pressure and heart rate), biochemistry (lactate, base excess, urea, creatinine, prothrombin activity, thromboplastin activity, INR), as well as the diagnostic group on admission and its association with MT. ResultsA total of 72 patients were included, of which 50 (69.44%) were male. The mean age was 64.33 years. No statistical significance was found in the analysis between the risk factors considered: age, gender, and cardiology history. The mortality was 82%. No statistical significance was found between mortality and haemodynamic variables, biochemical analytical results, or with the TASH (Trauma Associated Severe Haemorrhage score) and the ABC (Assessment of Blood Consumption) score. ConclusionsThe predictive scales used in the trauma scenario are not valid for non-trauma scenarios and would need to be modified. The association of MT with a mortality increase is confirmed.

Systematic reviews of scores and predictors to trigger activation of massive transfusion protocols.

The use of massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) in the resuscitation of hemorrhaging trauma patients ensures rapid delivery of blood products to improve outcomes, where the decision to trigger MTPs early is important. Scores and tools to predict the need for MTP activation have been developed for use to aid with clinical judgment. We performed a systematic review to assess (1) the scores and tools available to predict MTP in trauma patients, (2) their clinical value and diagnostic accuracies, and (3) additional predictors of MTP. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to June 2017. All studies that utilized scores or predictors of MTP activation in adult (age, ≥18 years) trauma patients were included. Data collection for scores and tools included reported sensitivities and specificities and accuracy as defined by the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic. Forty-five articles were eligible for analysis, with 11 validated and four unvalidated scores and tools assessed. Of four scores using clinical assessment, laboratory values, and ultrasound assessment the modified Traumatic Bleeding Severity Score had the best performance. Of those scores, the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score is most well validated and has higher area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic than the Assessment of Blood Consumption and Prince of Wales scores. Without laboratory results, the Assessment of Blood Consumption score balances accuracy with ease of use. Without ultrasound use, the Vandromme and Schreiber scores have the highest accuracy and sensitivity respectively. The Shock Index uses clinical assessment only with fair performance. Other clinical variables, laboratory values, and use of point-of-care testing results were identified predictors of MTP activation. The use of scores or tools to predict MTP need to be individualized to hospital resources and skill set to aid clinical judgment. Future studies for triggering nontrauma MTP activations are needed. Systematic review, level III.

The Predictive Role of Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in Blood Transfusion in Multiple Trauma

Background: To reduce mortality in patients with multiple-trauma, rapid diagnosis for blood transfusion is of great importance. Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the predictive role of red cell distribution width (RDW) in comparison with other multivariate systems to determine the need for blood transfusions in patients with trauma referred to hospital. Methods: The follow-up study was conducted on patients with multiple-trauma aged ≥ 18 years with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 referred to the emergency department within the study period. All patients were evaluated based on the ATLS (the advanced trauma life support) guideline; then, blood samples were taken at arrival and 24 hours later to measure RDW. According to the questionnaire, age, gender, ISS, RTS (the revised trauma score), and TASH (the trauma-associated severe hemorrhage) score were recorded by a senior emergency medicine resident. Results: Finally, 200 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 87 (43.5%) received blood transfusion. In the univariate analysis, there was a significant association between the first-day RDW, ∆ RDW (RDW on arrival - the first-day RDW), ISS, RTS, and TASH score, and blood transfusion. However, in the multivariate analysis, only TASH had a significant relationship with the need for blood transfusion (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: In multiple trauma patients, rapid diagnosis of hemorrhage and the need for blood transfusion is crucial. Monitoring the patients based on the RDW test is not helpful in predicting the need for blood transfusion. Multivariate systems such as TASH score are more valuable in determining the need for blood transfusion.

Prediction of massive bleeding in a prehospital setting: Validation of six scoring systems

ObjectiveTo validate the diagnostic ability of six different scores to predict massive bleeding in a prehospital setting. DesignRetrospective cohort. SettingPrehospital attention of patients with severe trauma. SubjectsSubjects with more than 15 years, a history of severe trauma (defined by code 15 criteria), that were initially assisted in a prehospital setting by the emergency services between January 2010 and December 2015 and were then transferred to a level one trauma center in Madrid. VariablesTo validate: 1. Trauma Associated Severe Haemorrhage Score. 2. Assessment of Blood Consumption Score. 3. Emergency Transfusión Score. 4. Índice de Shock. 5. Prince of Wales Hospital/Rainer Score. 6. Larson Score. Results548 subjects were studied, 76.8% (420) were male, median age was 38 (interquartile range [IQR]: 27–50). Injury Severity Score was 18 (IQR: 9–29). Blunt trauma represented 82.5% (452) of the cases. Overall, frequency of MB was 9.2% (48), median intensive care unit admission days was 2.1 (IQR: 0.8–6.2) and hospital mortality rate was 11.2% (59). Emergency Transfusión Score had the highest precisions (AUC 0.85), followed by Trauma Associated Severe Haemorrhage score and Prince of Wales Hospital/Rainer Score (AUC 0.82); Assessment of Blood Consumption Score was the less precise (AUC 0.68). ConclusionIn the prehospital setting the application of any of the six scoring systems predicts the presence of massive hemorrhage and allows the activation of massive transfusion protocols while the patient is transferred to a hospital.

The Value of Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) and Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) in Predicting Hospital Mortality in Multiple Trauma Patients.

Objective: To investigate the role of red cell distribution width (RDW) in comparison with Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) system in predicting the mortality of multiple trauma patients, referred to the hospital emergency department.Methods:This follow-up study was conducted on multiple trauma patients (age ≥ 18 years) with Injury Severity Scores (ISS) of ≥ 16, who were referred to the emergency department from March 1, 2017, to December 1, 2017. First, all patients were evaluated based on the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines, and then, their blood samples were sent for RDW measurements at baseline and 24 hours after admission. The ISS, Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and TASH were measured in the follow-ups and recorded by third-year emergency medicine residents. Hospital mortality was considered as the outcome of the study.Results:In this study, 200 out of 535 multiple trauma patients were recruited. The frequency of hospital mortality was 19 (9.5%). In the univariate analysis, there was no significant relationship between hospital mortality and RDW at baseline, RDW on the first day, and ΔRDW (RDW at baseline - RDW on the first day), unlike ISS, RTS, TASH (p=0.97, P= 0.28, and p=0.24, respectively). On the other hand, in the multivariate analysis, ISS, RTS, and TASH showed a significant relationship with hospital mortality. The greatest area under the ROC curve (AUC) was attributed to TASH and RTS systems (0.94 and 0.93, respectively). Conclusion:TASH scoring system, which was mainly designed to predict the need for massive transfusion, may be of prognostic value for hospital mortality in multiple trauma patients, similar to ISS and RTS scoring systems.

Evaluation of Prince of Wales Hospital score in predicting massive blood transfusion in trauma

Objective To evaluate the performance of Prince of Wales Hospital score (PWH score) in predicting the need for massive transfusion (MT) and comparing its performance with Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) score and the Trauma-associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score. Background Because of the great risk of massive bleeding that may be life-threatening especially if uncontrolled, early prediction of ongoing bleeding and the need for MT reduce mortality of polytraumatized patients. PWH score was developed for the purpose of early prediction of need of MT. Patients and methods This is a prospective comparative study done on 61 polytraumatized patients, with Injury Severity Score more than or equal to 16, who presented to the Emergency Department of Menoufia University Hospital during the period from September 2017 to September 2018. PWH score was applied to assess its performance and comparing it with ABC and TASH scores. Results PWH, TASH, and ABC scores were applied on 61 patients with trauma meeting inclusion criteria to predict the need for MT. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.92 for PWH score, 0.96 for TASH score, and 0.72 for ABC score. PWH was better in performance than ABC score, and TASH score was the most accurate and specific. Conclusion The results of this study support that TASH score has greater area under the (receiver operating characteristics) curve than PWH and ABC scores and is more accurate than both of them at cutoff point of more than or equal to 13.5. PWH performs better than ABC score at cutoff point of more than or equal to 4.5 for PWH and cutoff point of more than or equal to 1.5 for ABC score.

Application of a recursive partitioning decision tree algorithm for the prediction of massive transfusion in civilian trauma: the MTPitt prediction tool

A supervised machine learning algorithm was used to generate decision trees for the prediction of massive transfusion at a Level 1 trauma center. Trauma patients who received at least one unit of RBCs and/or low-titer group O whole blood between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, were included. Massive transfusion was defined as the transfusion of 10 or more units of RBCs and/or low-titer group O whole blood in the first 24 hours of admission. A recursive partitioning algorithm was used to generate two decision trees for prediction of massive transfusion using a training data set (n = 550): the first, MTPitt, was based on demographic and clinical parameters, and the second, MTPitt+Labs, also included laboratory data. Decision tree performance was compared with the Assessment of Blood Consumption score and the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score. The incidence of massive transfusion in the validation data set (n = 199) was 7.5%. The MTPitt decision tree had a higher balanced accuracy (81.4%) and sensitivity (86.7%) compared to an Assessment of Blood Consumption Score of 2 or higher (77.9% and 66.7%, respectively) and a Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score of 9 or higher (75.0% and 73.3%, respectively), although the 95% confidence intervals overlapped. Addition of laboratory data to the MTPitt decision tree (MTPitt+Labs) resulted in a higher specificity and balanced accuracy compared to MTPitt without an increase in sensitivity. The MTPitt decisions trees are highly sensitive tools for identifying patients who received a massive transfusion and do not require computational resources to be implemented in the trauma setting.

The TraumaRegister DGU® dataset, its development over 25 years and advances in the care of severely injured patients

Since the publication in 1993, the dataset and documentation form of the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) have continuously evolved. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary the authors have analyzed this evolution in order to reflect it in the light of medical progress in the treatment of the severely injured. Enrolled in the study were 5 reference data entry sheets from the years 1993, 1996, 2002, 2009 and 2016. Every piece of information (item) queried therein was entered into the study database, was categorized by topic and counted for further analysis. The arrangement of the 4‑page data entry form has remained practically unchanged since 1993 and includes an average of 212 items. Atotal of 491 items were identified of which 64 were present throughout every dataset. Based on the average extent of the form this equals aproportion of approximately 30%. The dataset actually shows much more consistency than this number suggests because many changes can be traced back to asmarter design of the data entry form. Most items fell into the categories "results/diagnosis" (143items/29.1%), "coagulation" (104/21.2%) and "surgical approach" (40/8.1%). Many items serve as raw data for the calculation of prognostic risk scores, such as the trauma and injury severity score (TRISS), the revised injury severity classification II (RISCII) and the trauma associated severe hemorrhage (TASH) score. Currently, nine scores can be calculated from the dataset. The members of the working group TraumaRegister all actively participate in the treatment of severely injured patients. For 25years this group has managed to unify the latest medical developments and well-established parameters within the TR-DGU dataset at arelatively constant degree of effort for documentation. Practice in place of theory is the driving force behind this development that serves quality assurance and research in the treatment of severely injured patients.

Early identification of trauma patients in need for emergent transfusion: results of a single-center retrospective study evaluating three scoring systems.

The Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy Clinical Score (TICCS) was developed to be calculable on the site of injury to discriminate between trauma patients with or without the need for damage control resuscitation and thus transfusion. This early alert could then be translated to in-hospital parameters at patient arrival. Base excess (BE) and ultrasound (FAST) are known to be predictive parameters for emergent transfusion. We emphasize that adding these two parameters to the TICCS could improve the scoring system predictability. A retrospective study was conducted in the University Hospital of Liège. TICCS was calculated for every patient. BE and FAST results were recorded and points were added to the TICCS according to the TICCS.BE definition (+ 3 points if BE < - 5 and + 3 points in case of a positive FAST). Emergent transfusion was defined as the use of at least one blood product in the resuscitation room. The capacity of the TICCS, the TICCS.BE and the Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) to predict emergent transfusion was assessed. A total of 328 patients were included. Among them, 14% needed emergent transfusion. The probability for emergent transfusion grows with the TICCS and the TICCS.BE values. We did not find a significant difference between the TICCS (AUC 0.73) and the TICCS.BE (AUC 0.76). The TASH proved to be more predictive (AUC 0.89). 66.6% of the patients with a TICCS ≥ 10 and 81.5% with a TICCS.BE ≥ 14 required emergent transfusion. Adding BE and FAST to the original TICCS does not significantly improve the scoring system predictability. A prehospital TICCS > 10 could be used as a trigger for emergent transfusion activation. TASH could then be used at hospital arrival. Prehospital TASH calculation may be possible but should be further investigated. Diagnostic test, level III.

Diagnostic performance of prothrombin time point-of-care to detect acute traumatic coagulopathy on admission: experience of 522 cases in trauma center.

Early identification of acute traumatic coagulopathy is a key challenge during initial management to determine whether to initiate early hemostatic support. We assessed the performance of prothrombin time (PT) at point-of-care in trauma patients to detect moderate and severe coagulopathy on admission. All admitted consecutive trauma patients were analyzed retrospectively between April 2014 and July 2015. PT was measured on admission with both a PT point-of-care device (PTr-CGK) and a standard coagulation test (PTr-STD). The results for PTr-CGK and PTr-STD were compared using analysis of agreement, precision, and accuracy. The diagnostic performance of PTr-CGK to predict coagulopathy was established by analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves. The predictive performance of different thresholds and risk factors for misclassification were also studied. Over a 16-month period, 522 patients were included. PTr-CGK estimated PTr-STD with a bias of 0.00 (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.48 to 0.50) and a precision of 0.25. The optimal threshold was 1.4 to predict severe coagulopathy (sensitivity 81% [95% CI, 68%-94%], negative predictive value 98% [95% CI, 97%-99%]), and 1.2 for moderate coagulopathy (sensitivity 80% [95% CI, 72%-88%], negative predictive value 94% [95% CI, 91%-96%]). A low PTr-CGK in the presence of severity criteria (Injury Severity Score ≥ 16, Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score ≥ 12, hemoglobin level<7 g/dL, fibrinogen level<2 g/L, base deficit ≥ 6 mmol/L) was strongly associated with a false-negative risk. The PT point-of-care device is reliable and accurate for the early identification of coagulopathic trauma patients.

Predictive model integrating dynamic parameters for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients: The Dynamic MBT score

BackgroundCurrently existing predictive models for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients had limitations for sequential evaluation of patients and lack of dynamic parameters. ObjectiveTo establish a predictive model for predicting the need of massive blood transfusion major trauma patients, integrating dynamic parameters. DesignMulti-center retrospective cohort study. SettingFour designated trauma centers in Hong Kong. MethodsTrauma patients aged >12years were recruited from the trauma registries from 2005 to 2012. MBT was defined as delivery of ≥10units of packed red cells within 24h. Split sampling method was adopted for model building and validation. Multivariate logistic regression was adopted for model building, with weight assigned based on logarithmic of adjusted odds ratios. The performance of the dynamic MBT score (DMBT) was compared with the PWH score and the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score in the validation data set. Results4991 patients were included in the study. The DMBT was established with 8 parameters: systolic blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, hemoglobin drop within the first 2h, INR, base deficit, unstable pelvic fracture and hemoperitoneum in radiological imaging. At cut-off score of 6 the DMBT achieved sensitivity of 78.2% and specificity of 89.2%. In the validation set, the AUCs of the DMBT, PWH score, and TASH score were 0.907, 0.844, and 0.867 respectively. ConclusionsThe DMBT score allows both snapshot and sequential activation along the trauma care pathway and has better performance than the PWH score and TASH score.

Initiation and Termination of Massive Transfusion Protocols: Current Strategies and Future Prospects.

The advent of massive transfusion protocols (MTP) has had a significant positive impact on hemorrhaging trauma patient morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, societal MTP guidelines and individual MTPs at academic institutions continue to circulate opposing recommendations on topics critical to MTPs. This narrative review discusses up-to-date information on 2 such topics, the initiation and termination of an MTP. The discussion for each begins with a review of the recommendations and supporting literature presented by MTP guidelines from 3 prominent societies, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American College of Surgeons, and the task force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the main components within those recommendations. Societal recommendations on MTP initiation in hemorrhaging trauma patients emphasize the use of retrospectively validated massive transfusion (MT) prediction score, specifically, the Assessment of Blood Consumption and Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage scores. Validation studies have shown that both scoring systems perform similarly. Both scores reliably identify patients that will not require an MT, while simultaneously overpredicting MT requirements. However, each scoring system has its unique advantages and disadvantages, and this review discusses how specific aspects of each scoring system can affect widespread applicability and statistical performance. In addition, we discuss the often overlooked topic of initiating MT in nontrauma patients and the specific tools physicians have to guide the MT initiation decision in this unique setting. Despite the serious complications that can arise with transfusion of large volumes of blood products, there is considerably less research pertinent to the topic of MTP termination. Societal recommendations on MTP termination emphasize applying clinical reasoning to identify patients who have bleeding source control and are adequately resuscitated. This review, however, focuses primarily on the recommendations presented by the Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma's MTP guidelines that call for prompt termination of the algorithm-guided model of resuscitation and rapidly transitioning into a resuscitation model guided by laboratory test results. We also discuss the evidence in support of laboratory result-guided resuscitation and how recent literature on viscoelastic hemostatic assays, although limited, highlights the potential to achieve additional benefits from this method of resuscitation.

Viscoelastic Tissue Plasminogen Activator Challenge Predicts Massive Transfusion in 15 Minutes

Coagulopathy is associated with massive transfusion in trauma, yet most clinical scores to predict this end point do not incorporate coagulation assays. Previous work has identified that shock increases circulating tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). When tPA levels saturate endogenous inhibitors, systemic hyperfibrinolysis can occur. Therefore, the addition of tPA to a patient's blood sample could stratify a patients underlying degree of shock and early coagulation changes to predict progression to massive transfusion. We hypothesized that a modified thrombelastography (TEG) assay with exogenous tPA would unmask patients' impending risk for massive transfusion. Trauma activations were analyzed using rapid TEG and a modified TEG assay with a low and high dose of tPA. Clinical scores (shock index, assessment of blood consumption, and trauma-associated severe hemorrhage) were compared with TEG measurements to predict the need for massive transfusion using areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves. Three hundred and twenty-four patients were analyzed, 17% required massive transfusion. Massive transfusion patients had a median shock index of 1.2, assessment of blood consumption score of 1, and trauma-associated severe hemorrhage score of 12. Rapid TEG and tPA TEG parameters were significantly different in all massive transfusion patients compared with non-massive transfusion patients (all p < 0.02). The low-dose tPA lysis at 30 minutes had the largest the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.86; 95% CI 0.79 to 0.93) for prediction of massive transfusion, similar to international normalized ratio of prothrombin time of 0.86 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.91), followed by trauma-associated severe hemorrhage score (0.83; 95% CI 0.77 to 0.89). Combing trauma-associated severe hemorrhage and tPA-TEG variables results in a positive prediction of massive transfusion in 49% of patients with a 98% negative predictive value. The tPA-TEG identifies trauma patients who require massive transfusion efficiently in a single assay that can be completed in a shorter time than other scoring systems, which has improved performance when combined with international normalized ratio. This new method is consistent with our understanding of the molecular events responsible for trauma-induced coagulopathy.

Early predictors for massive transfusion in older adult severe trauma patients

BackgroundMany scoring systems for the early prediction of the need for massive transfusion (MT) have been reported; in most of these, vital signs are regarded as important. However, the validity of these scoring systems in older patients remains unclear because older trauma patients often present with normal vital signs. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of previously described scoring systems, as well as risk factors that can provide early prediction of the need for MT in older severe trauma patients. MethodsWe prospectively collected data from a cohort of severe trauma patients (ISS ≥16 and age ≥16years) admitted from January 2007 to March 2015. Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH), Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC), and Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) scores were compared between a younger and an older group. Furthermore, the predictors associated with MT in older severe trauma patients were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses. ResultsThe area under the curve (AUC) was significantly smaller for older group than for younger group for all three scoring systems (p<0.05). The most important risk factors to predict the need for MT were related to anatomical factors including FAST results (odds ratio (OR): 5.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.10–14.99), unstable pelvic fracture (OR: 21.56, 95% CI: 6.05–90.78), and long bone open fracture of the lower limbs (OR: 12.21, 95% CI: 4.04–39.09), along with pre-injury anticoagulant agent use (OR: 5.22, 95% CI: 1.30–19.61), antiplatelet agent use (OR: 3.81, 95% CI: 1.57–9.04), lactate levels (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.04–1.39) and shock index (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.05–6.84). Traditional vital signs were not early risk factors. ConclusionWe suggest that MT in older trauma patients should be considered on the basis of anatomical factors, pre-injury anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent use, lactate level and SI even if traditional vital signs are normal.

Relationship between Obesity and Massive Transfusion Needs in Trauma Patients, and Validation of TASH Score in Obese Population: A Retrospective Study on 910 Trauma Patients.

BackgroundPrediction of massive transfusion (MT) is challenging in management of trauma patients. However, MT and its prediction were poorly studied in obese patients. The main objective was to assess the relationship between obesity and MT needs in trauma patients. The secondary objectives were to validate the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score in predicting MT in obese patients and to use a grey zone approach to optimize its ability to predict MT.Methods and FindingsAn observational retrospective study was conducted in a Level I Regional Trauma Center Trauma in obese and non-obese patients. MT was defined as ≥10U of packed red blood cells in the first 24h and obesity as a BMI≥30kg/m². Between January 2008 and December 2012, 119 obese and 791 non-obese trauma patients were included. The rate of MT was 10% (94/910) in the whole population. The MT rate tended to be higher in obese patients than in non-obese patients: 15% (18/119, 95%CI 9‒23%) versus 10% (76/791, 95%CI 8‒12%), OR, 1.68 [95%CI 0.97‒2.92], p = 0.07. After adjusting for Injury Severity Score (ISS), obesity was significantly associated with MT rate (OR, 1.79[95%CI 1.00‒3.21], p = 0.049). The TASH score was higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group: 7(4–11) versus 5(2–10)(p<0.001). The area under the ROC curves of the TASH score in predicting MT was very high and comparable between the obese and non-obese groups: 0.93 (95%CI, 0.89‒0.98) and 0.94 (95%CI, 0.92‒0.96), respectively (p = 0.80). The grey zone ranged respectively from 10 to 13 and from 9 to 12 in obese and non obese patients, and allowed separating patients at low, intermediate or high risk of MT using the TASH score.ConclusionsObesity was associated with a higher rate of MT in trauma patients. The predictive performance of the TASH score and the grey zones were robust and comparable between obese and non-obese patients.