STudy to ActivelY WARM trauma patients (STAY WARM): a pilot study assessing feasibility of self-warming blankets in patients requiring a massive hemorrhage protocol activation.

Purpose: Massively bleeding trauma patients often arrive to intensive care units hypothermic. Active warming blankets have shown promise in reducing hypothermia in the pre-hospital setting, but less is known about their in-hospital use. The aim of this pilot evaluation was to understand the feasibility of the Ready-Heat blanket in a level 1 trauma centre to improve the management of hypothermia in massively bleeding trauma patients.

Moving the needle on time to resuscitation: An EAST prospective multicenter study of vascular access in hypotensive injured patients using trauma video review.

Background: Vascular access in hypotensive trauma patients is challenging. Little evidence exists on the time required and success rates of vascular access types. We hypothesized that intraosseous (IO) access would be faster and more successful than peripheral intravenous (PIV) and central venous catheter (CVC) access in hypotensive patients.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning for hemorrhagic trauma care.

Artificial intelligence (AI), a branch of machine learning (ML) has been increasingly employed in the research of trauma in various aspects. Hemorrhage is the most common cause of trauma-related death. To better elucidate the current role of AI and contribute to future development of ML in trauma care, we conducted a review focused on the use of ML in the diagnosis or treatment strategy of traumatic hemorrhage.

Massive Hemorrhage Protocol: A Practical Approach to the Bleeding Trauma Patient.

Damage-control resuscitation is the standard of care for the hemorrhaging trauma patient. This approach combines rapid hemostasis and early-ratio-based blood product administration. These patients often require initiation of a massive hemorrhage protocol to support the systematic and coordinated delivery of care during this critical phase of resuscitation.

The involvement of trauma survivors in hospital-based injury prevention, violence intervention and peer support programs: A scoping review.

Background: Despite decades-long involvement of trauma survivors in hospital-based program delivery, their roles and impact on trauma care have not been previously described. We aimed to characterize the literature on trauma survivor involvement in hospital-based injury prevention, violence intervention and peer support programs to map what is currently known and identify future research opportunities.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology.

Evaluating the Tactical Combat Casualty Care principles in civilian and military settings: systematic review, knowledge gap analysis and recommendations for future research.

Objectives: The Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines detail resuscitation practices in prehospital and austere environments. We sought to review the content and quality of the current TCCC and civilian prehospital literature and characterize knowledge gaps to offer recommendations for future research.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies assessing intervention techniques and devices used in civilian and military prehospital settings that could be applied to TCCC guidelines.

Protocol for a multicentre, randomised, parallel-control, superiority trial comparing administration of clotting factor concentrates with a standard massive haemorrhage protocol in severely bleeding trauma patients: the FiiRST 2 trial (a 2020 EAST multicentre trial).

Introduction: Acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) in bleeding trauma patients increase in-hospital mortality. Fibrinogen concentrate (FC) and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) are two purified concentrates of clotting factors that have been used to treat ATC. However, there is a knowledge gap on their use compared with the standard of care, the transfusion of plasma.

Primary aeromedical retrieval crew composition: Do different teams impact clinical outcomes? A descriptive systematic review.

Objectives: Military Forward Aeromedical Evacuation and civilian Helicopter Emergency Medical Services are widely used to conduct Primary Aeromedical Retrieval. Crew composition in Primary Aeromedical Retrieval missions varies considerably. The ideal composition is unknown.

Cryoprecipitate transfusion in bleeding patients.

Objectives: The management of acquired coagulopathy in multiple clinical settings frequently involves fibrinogen supplementation. Cryoprecipitate, a multidonor product, is widely used for the treatment of acquired hypofibrinogenemia following massive bleeding, but it has been associated with adverse events. We aimed to review the latest evidence on cryoprecipitate for treatment of bleeding.

Clinical handover from emergency medical services to the trauma team: A gap analysis.

Objectives: There has been limited evaluation of handover from emergency medical services (EMS) to the trauma team. We sought to characterize these handover practices to identify areas of improvement and determine if handover standardization might be beneficial for trauma team performance.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected over a nine-week period by a trained observer at a Canadian level one trauma centre.

Does the evidence support the importance of high transfusion ratios of plasma and platelets to red blood cells in improving outcomes in severely injured patients: a systematic review and meta-analyses.

Background: Deaths by exsanguination in trauma are preventable with hemorrhage control and resuscitation with allogeneic blood products (ABPs). The ideal transfusion ratio is unknown. We compared efficacy and safety of high transfusion ratios of FFP:RBC and PLT:RBC with low ratios in trauma.

Quality of Reporting on Guideline, Protocol, or Algorithm Implementation in Adult Trauma Centers: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To appraise the quality of reporting on guideline, protocol, and algorithm implementations in adult trauma settings according to the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0).

Background: At present we do not know if published reports of guideline implementations in trauma settings are of sufficient quality to facilitate replication by other centers wishing to implement the same or similar guidelines.

What is the quality of reporting on guideline, protocol or algorithm implementation in adult trauma centres? Protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) is mandatory in trauma centres but there is no prescription for doing successful QI. Considerable variation in implementation strategies and inconsistent use of evidence-based protocols therefore exist across centres. The quality of reporting on these strategies may limit the transferability of successful initiatives across centres.

Systematic Review of Human and Animal Studies Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Acetylcysteine (NAC) and Acetylcysteine Amide (NACA) in Traumatic Brain Injury: Impact on Neurofunctional Outcome and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.

Background: No new therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been officially translated into current practice. At the tissue and cellular level, both inflammatory and oxidative processes may be exacerbated post-injury and contribute to further brain damage. acetylcysteine (NAC) has the potential to downregulate both processes.

The Value of Live Tissue Training for Combat Casualty Care: A Survey of Canadian Combat Medics With Battlefield Experience in Afghanistan.

Introduction: The optimum method for training military personnel for combat casualty care is unknown. In particular, there is debate regarding the incremental benefit of live animal tissue training (LTT) over inanimate human patient simulators (HPSs). Although both LTT and HPS are currently used for predeployment training, the efficacy of these models has not been established.

Efficacy and safety of the drugs used to reverse direct oral anticoagulants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are effective and safe for prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic phenomena. However, managing DOACs during bleeding emergencies is challenging. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on studies addressing efficacy and safety of the drugs used for reversal of DOACs.

Catecholamines as outcome markers in isolated traumatic brain injury: the COMA-TBI study.

Background: Elevated catecholamine levels might be associated with unfavorable outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the association between catecholamine levels in the first 24 h post-trauma and functional outcome in patients with isolated moderate-to-severe TBI.

Methods: A cohort of 174 patients who sustained isolated blunt TBI was prospectively enrolled from three Level-1 Trauma Centers.

A systematic review on the rotational thrombelastometry (ROTEM®) values for the diagnosis of coagulopathy, prediction and guidance of blood transfusion and prediction of mortality in trauma patients.

Introduction: Viscoelastic assays have been promoted as an improvement over traditional coagulation tests in the management of trauma patients. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) has been used to diagnose coagulopathy and guide hemostatic therapy in trauma. This systematic review of clinical studies in trauma investigates the ROTEM® parameters thresholds used for the diagnosing coagulopathy, predicting and guiding transfusion and predicting mortality.

Fresh whole blood transfusion capability for Special Operations Forces.

Fresh whole blood (FWB) transfusion is an option for providing volume and oxygen carrying capacity to bleeding Special Operations soldiers who are injured in an austere environment and who are far from a regular blood bank. Retrospective data from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan show an association between the use of FWB and survival. We reviewed the literature to document the issues surrounding FWB transfusion to Special Operations soldiers in the austere environment and surveyed the literature regarding best practice guidelines for and patient outcomes after FWB transfusions.

Current use of live tissue training in trauma: a descriptive systematic review.

Background: Growing public concern for animal welfare, advances in computerized simulation and economic barriers have drawn a critical eye to the use of live tissue training (LTT) in trauma skills acquisition. As a consequence, other simulation methods have replaced LTT, for example, in the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. Owing to the lack of clear conclusions in the literature, we conducted a systematic review to determine the value of LTT alone and in comparison to other simulation methods in trauma.

Effect of thromboelastography (TEG®) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) on diagnosis of coagulopathy, transfusion guidance and mortality in trauma: descriptive systematic review.

Introduction: The understanding of coagulopathies in trauma has increased interest in thromboelastography (TEG®) and thromboelastometry (ROTEM®), which promptly evaluate the entire clotting process and may guide blood product therapy. Our objective was to review the evidence for their role in diagnosing early coagulopathies, guiding blood transfusion, and reducing mortality in injured patients.

Methods: We considered observational studies and randomized controlled trials (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases) to February 2014 that examined TEG®/ROTEM® in adult trauma patients.

Thrombelastography (TEG®): practical considerations on its clinical use in trauma resuscitation.

Background: Thrombelastography is a laboratorial test that measures viscoelastic changes of the entire clotting process. There is growing interest in its clinical use in trauma resuscitation, particularly for managing acute coagulopathy of trauma and assisting decision making concerning transfusion. This review focuses on the clinical use of thrombelastography in trauma, with practical points to consider on its use in civilian and military settings.

Uncomplicated acute cholecystitis: early or delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Recent meta-analyses suggested that early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (within 1 week of symptom onset) for uncomplicated acute gallbladder disease is safe and feasible. However, surveys on surgical practices indicated that early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed by only a minority of surgeons. Furthermore, the exact time-point for performing this procedure as well as its cost-effectiveness remain a matter of debate.