Injury outcomes across Canadian trauma systems: a historical cohort study.

Purpose: Most North American trauma systems have designated trauma centres (TCs) including level I (ultraspecialized high-volume metropolitan centres), level II (specialized medium-volume urban centres), and/or level III (semirural or rural centres). Trauma system configuration varies across provinces and it is unclear how these differences influence patient distributions and outcomes. We aimed to compare patient case mix, case volumes, and risk-adjusted outcomes of adults with major trauma admitted to designated level I, II, and III TCs across Canadian trauma systems.

A novel computerized approach to scoping reviews using Synthesis software: the first 15 years of The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Scoping reviews of innovations in health care characterized by large numbers and types of publications present a unique challenge. A novel software application, Synthesis, can efficiently scan the literature to map the evidence and inform practice. We applied Synthesis to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), a high-quality database designed to measure risk-adjusted 30-day surgical outcomes for national and international benchmarking.

Validation of Quality Indicators Targeting Low-Value Trauma Care.

Importance: Reducing low-value care has the potential to improve patient experiences and outcomes and free up health care resources. Sixteen quality indicators were recently developed targeting reductions in low-value trauma care based on a synthesis of the best available evidence, expert consensus, and patient preferences.

Objective: To assess the validity of quality indicators on low-value trauma care using trauma registry data.

Quality Indicators Targeting Low-Value Clinical Practices in Trauma Care.

Importance: The use of quality indicators has been shown to improve injury care processes and outcomes. However, trauma quality indicators proposed to date exclusively target the underuse of recommended practices. Initiatives such as Choosing Wisely publish lists of practices to be questioned, but few apply to trauma care, and most have not successfully been translated to quality indicators.

Peri-Operative Care.

In the history of surgery, 1911 was a sentinel year [...

Parasternal intercostal, costal, and crural diaphragm neural activation during hypercapnia.

The parasternal intercostal is an obligatory inspiratory muscle working in coordination with the diaphragm, apparently sharing a common pathway of neural response. This similarity has attracted clinical interest, promoting the parasternal as a noninvasive alternative to the diaphragm, to monitor central neural respiratory output. However, this role may be confounded by the distinct and different functions of the costal and crural diaphragm.

Value of repeat CT for nonoperative management of patients with blunt liver and spleen injury: a systematic review.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of routine repeat computed tomography (CT) for nonoperative management (NOM) of adults with blunt liver and/or spleen injury.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental and observational studies of repeat CT in adult patients with blunt abdominal injury. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central from their inception to October 2020 using Cochrane guidelines.

Esophageal Cooling for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Feasibility Study.

Targeted temperature management (TTM) is a recognized treatment to decrease mortality and improve neurological function in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. An esophageal cooling device (ECD) has been studied in animal models, but human data are limited. An ECD appears to offer similar benefits to intravascular cooling catheters, with potentially less risk to the patient.

Allocation of intensive care resources during an infectious disease outbreak: a rapid review to inform practice.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed sustained demand on health systems globally, and the capacity to provide critical care has been overwhelmed in some jurisdictions. It is unknown which triage criteria for allocation of resources perform best to inform health system decision-making. We sought to summarize and describe existing triage tools and ethical frameworks to aid healthcare decision-making during infectious disease outbreaks.

Low-Value Clinical Practices in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury: An Umbrella Review.

Despite numerous interventions and treatment options, the outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have improved little over the last 3 decades, which raises concern about the value of care in this patient population. We aimed to synthesize the evidence on 14 potentially low-value clinical practices in TBI care. Using umbrella review methodology, we identified systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of 14 potentially low-value practices in adults with acute TBI.

Complications of appendectomy and cholecystectomy in acute care surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Acute care surgery (ACS) was initiated two decades ago to address timeliness and quality in emergency general surgery. We hypothesized that ACS has improved the management of acute appendicitis and biliary disease.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of outcome studies for emergent appendectomy and cholecystectomy from 1966 to 2017, comparing studies prior to and following ACS implementation, were performed.

Thrombolysis of Postoperative Acute Pulmonary Embolism with a Thrombus in Transit.

Right heart thrombus in transit clot (RHTT) associated with a pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a rare but potentially fatal diagnosis. Early diagnosis and immediate intervention are crucial. This report describes the case of a healthy, physically active 32-year-old female who presented 19 days postoperatively, following an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and partial lateral meniscectomy with a saddle PE, RHTT, and right ventricular (RV) strain.

A 30-day prospective audit of all inpatient complications following acute care surgery: How well do we really perform?

Background: Acute care surgery (ACS) and emergency general surgery (EGS) services must provide timely care and intervention for patients who have some of the most challenging needs. Patients treated by ACS services are often critically ill and have both substantial comorbidities and poor physiologic reserve. Despite the widespread implemention of ACS/EGS services across North America, the true postoperative morbidity rates remain largely unknown.

Efficacy of a Novel Surgical Manikin for Simulating Emergency Surgical Procedures.

The practical component of the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) course typically includes a TraumaMan® manikin. This manikin is expensive; hence, a low-cost alternative (SurgeMan®) was developed in Brazil. Our primary objective was to compare user satisfaction among SurgeMan, TraumaMan, and porcine models during the course.

Low-value clinical practices in adult traumatic brain injury: an umbrella review protocol.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to 50 000 deaths, 85 000 disabilities and costs $60 billion each year in the USA. Despite numerous interventions and treatment options, the outcomes of TBI have improved little over the last three decades. In a previous scoping review and expert consultation survey, we identified 13 potentially low-value clinical practices in acute TBI.

Distinct neural-mechanical efficiency of costal and crural diaphragm during hypercapnia.

Classic physiology suggests that the two distinct diaphragm segments, costal and crural, are functionally different. It is not known if the two diaphragm muscles share a common neural mechanical activation. We hypothesized that costal and crural diaphragm are recruited differently during hypercapnic stimulated ventilation, and the EMG recordings of the esophageal crural diaphragm segment does not translate to the same level of mechanical shortening for costal and crural segments In 30 spontaneously breathing canines, without confounding anesthetic, we measured directly electrical activity and corresponding mechanical shortening of both the costal and crural diaphragm, at room air and during increasing hypercapnia.

Low-value clinical practices in injury care: A scoping review and expert consultation survey.

Background: Tests and treatments that are not supported by evidence and could expose patients to unnecessary harm, referred to here as low-value clinical practices, consume up to 30% of health care resources. Choosing Wisely and other organizations have published lists of clinical practices to be avoided. However, few apply to injury and most are based uniquely on expert consensus.

A Case Report of Acute Airway Compromise due to Subcutaneous Emphysema.

In the acute management of a trauma patient, airway patency is of utmost importance. The present case describes a male patient who presented with delayed severe upper airway obstruction secondary to massive subcutaneous emphysema following blunt traumatic injury two days previously. Airway compromise is a rarely described but serious complication of subcutaneous emphysema.

Short form version of the Quality of Trauma Care Patient-Reported Experience Measure (SF QTAC-PREM).

Objective: To enable the valid and reliable measurement of patient experiences we previously published a multicenter multi-center validation of the Quality of Trauma Care Patient-Reported Experience Measure (QTAC-PREM). The purpose of this study was to derive a simplified, short form version of the QTAC-PREM to further enhance the feasibility of measuring patient experiences in injury care. To identify candidate items for the short form we reviewed the results of the original multi-center long form validation cohort study, which included 400 injury care patients and their family members recruited from three trauma centers.

Impact of Trauma System Structure on Injury Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The effectiveness of trauma systems in decreasing injury mortality and morbidity has been well demonstrated. However, little is known about which components contribute to their effectiveness. We aimed to systematically review the evidence of the impact of trauma system components on clinically important injury outcomes.

Canadian benchmarks for acute injury care.

Background: Acute care injury outcomes vary substantially across Canadian provinces and trauma centres. Our aim was to develop Canadian benchmarks to monitor mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) for injury admissions.

Methods: Benchmarks were derived using data from the Canadian National Trauma Registry on patients with major trauma admitted to any level I or II trauma centre in Canada and from the following patient subgroups: isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI), isolated thoracoabdominal injury, multisystem blunt injury, age 65 years or older.

Low-value clinical practices in injury care: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Preventable injuries lead to 200 000 hospital stays, 60 000 disabilities, and 13 000 deaths per year in Canada with direct costs of $20 billion. Overall, potentially unnecessary medical interventions are estimated to consume up to 30% of healthcare resources and may expose patients to avoidable harm. However, little is known about overuse for acute injury care.

Impact of trauma system structure on injury outcomes: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Injury represents one of the greatest public health challenges of our time with over 5 million deaths and 100 million people temporarily or permanently disabled every year worldwide. The effectiveness of trauma systems in decreasing injury mortality and morbidity has been well demonstrated. However, the organisation of trauma care varies significantly across trauma systems and we know little about which components of trauma systems contribute to their effectiveness.