Association between timing of operative interventions and mortality in emergency general surgery.

Background: Emergency general surgery (EGS) often demands timely interventions, yet data for triage and timing are limited. This study explores the relationship between hospital arrival-to-operation time and mortality in EGS patients.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study using an EGS registry at four hospitals, enrolling adults who underwent operative intervention for a primary American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-defined EGS diagnosis between 2021 and 2023.

The difficult cholecystectomy: What you need to know.

This review discusses the grading of cholecystitis, the optimal timing of cholecystectomy, adopting a culture of safe cholecystectomy, understanding the common error traps that can lead to intraoperative complications, and how to avoid them. 1-28 The Tokyo Guidelines, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Nassar, and Parkland scoring systems are discussed. The patient factors, physiologic status, and operative findings that predict a difficult cholecystectomy or conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy are reviewed.

Using a theory-based, customized video game as an educational tool to improve physicians' trauma triage decisions: study protocol for a randomized cluster trial.

Background: Transfer of severely injured patients to trauma centers, either directly from the field or after evaluation at non-trauma centers, reduces preventable morbidity and mortality. Failure to transfer these patients appropriately (i.e.

Evaluating potential disparities in geospatial access to American College of Surgeons/American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-verified emergency general surgery centers.

Background: The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the American College of Surgeons have recently introduced emergency general surgery (EGS) center verification, which could enhance patient outcomes. Distance and resource availability may affect access to these centers, which has been linked to higher mortality. Although many patients can receive adequate care at community centers, those with critical conditions may require specialized treatment at EGS-verified centers.

ECLAPTE: Effective Closure of LAParoTomy in Emergency-2023 World Society of Emergency Surgery guidelines for the closure of laparotomy in emergency settings.

Laparotomy incisions provide easy and rapid access to the peritoneal cavity in case of emergency surgery. Incisional hernia (IH) is a late manifestation of the failure of abdominal wall closure and represents frequent complication of any abdominal incision: IHs can cause pain and discomfort to the patients but also clinical serious sequelae like bowel obstruction, incarceration, strangulation, and necessity of reoperation. Previous guidelines and indications in the literature consider elective settings and evidence about laparotomy closure in emergency settings is lacking.

Optimal Prehospital Crystalloid Resuscitation Volume in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock.

Background: Prehospital resuscitation guidelines vary widely, and blood products, although likely superior, are not available for most patients in the prehospital setting. Our objective was to determine the prehospital crystalloid volume associated with the lowest mortality among patients in hemorrhagic shock.

Study Design: This is a secondary analysis of the Prehospital Air Medical Plasma trial.

Direct Trauma Center Access by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services is Associated With Improved Survival After Severe Injury.

Objective: Evaluate the association of survival with helicopter transport directly to a trauma center compared with ground transport to a non-trauma center (NTC) and subsequent transfer.

Summary Background Data: Helicopter transport improves survival after injury. One potential mechanism is direct transport to a trauma center when the patient would otherwise be transported to an NTC for subsequent transfer.

Acute mesenteric ischemia: updated guidelines of the World Society of Emergency Surgery.

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a group of diseases characterized by an interruption of the blood supply to varying portions of the intestine, leading to ischemia and secondary inflammatory changes. If untreated, this process may progress to life-threatening intestinal necrosis. The incidence is low, estimated at 0.

WSES guidelines on blunt and penetrating bowel injury: diagnosis, investigations, and treatment.

The aim of this paper was to review the recent literature to create recommendations for the day-to-day diagnosis and surgical management of small bowel and colon injuries. Where knowledge gaps were identified, expert consensus was pursued during the 8th International Congress of the World Society of Emergency Surgery Annual (September 2021, Edinburgh). This process also aimed to guide future research.

Prehospital low titer group O whole blood is feasible and safe: Results of a prospective randomized pilot trial.

Introduction: Low titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) resuscitation is increasingly common in both military and civilian settings. Data regarding the safety and efficacy of prehospital LTOWB remain limited.

Methods: We performed a single-center, prospective, cluster randomized, prehospital through in-hospital whole blood pilot trial for injured air medical patients.

WSES/GAIS/WSIS/SIS-E/AAST global clinical pathways for patients with skin and soft tissue infections.

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) encompass a variety of pathological conditions that involve the skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue, fascia, or muscle, ranging from simple superficial infections to severe necrotizing infections.Together, the World Society of Emergency Surgery, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery, the Surgical Infection Society-Europe, The World Surgical Infection Society, and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma have jointly completed an international multi-society document to promote global standards of care in SSTIs guiding clinicians by describing reasonable approaches to the management of SSTIs.An extensive non-systematic review was conducted using the PubMed and MEDLINE databases, limited to the English language.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections, the Challenge Remains.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections (NSTIs) are uncommon rapidly spreading infection of the soft tissues for which prompt surgical treatment is vital for survival. Currently, even with sufficient awareness and facilities available, ambiguous symptoms frequently result in treatment delay. To illustrate the heterogeneity in presentation of NSTIs and the pitfalls entailing from this heterogeneity.

WSES/GAIS/SIS-E/WSIS/AAST global clinical pathways for patients with intra-abdominal infections.

Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in hospitals worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs include early recognition, adequate source control, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and prompt physiologic stabilization using a critical care environment, combined with an optimal surgical approach. Together, the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery (GAIS), the Surgical Infection Society-Europe (SIS-E), the World Surgical Infection Society (WSIS), and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) have jointly completed an international multi-society document in order to facilitate clinical management of patients with IAIs worldwide building evidence-based clinical pathways for the most common IAIs.

Anorectal emergencies: WSES-AAST guidelines.

Anorectal emergencies comprise a wide variety of diseases that share common symptoms, i.e., anorectal pain or bleeding and might require immediate management.

Acute abdomen in the immunocompromised patient: WSES, SIS-E, WSIS, AAST, and GAIS guidelines.

Immunocompromised patients are a heterogeneous and diffuse category frequently presenting to the emergency department with acute surgical diseases. Diagnosis and treatment in immunocompromised patients are often complex and must be multidisciplinary. Misdiagnosis of an acute surgical disease may be followed by increased morbidity and mortality.

Diagnosis and management of small bowel obstruction in virgin abdomen: a WSES position paper.

Background: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common surgical emergency, causing high morbidity and healthcare costs. The majority of SBOs are caused by adhesions that result from previous surgeries. Bowel obstruction, however, also occurs in patients without previous operation or known pathology, a so called virgin abdomen.

Making the call in the field: Validating emergency medical services identification of anatomic trauma triage criteria.

Background: The National Field Triage Guidelines were created to inform triage decisions by emergency medical services (EMS) providers and include eight anatomic injuries that prompt transportation to a Level I/II trauma center. It is unclear how accurately EMS providers recognize these injuries. Our objective was to compare EMS-identified anatomic triage criteria with International Classification of Diseases-10th revision (ICD-10) coding of these criteria, as well as their association with trauma center need (TCN).

Trauma quality indicators: internationally approved core factors for trauma management quality evaluation.

Introduction: Quality in medical care must be measured in order to be improved. Trauma management is part of health care, and by definition, it must be checked constantly. The only way to measure quality and outcomes is to systematically accrue data and analyze them.

Geospatial assessment of helicopter emergency medical service overtriage.

Background: Despite evidence of benefit after injury, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) overtriage remains high. Scene and transfer overtriage are distinct processes. Our objectives were to identify geographic variation in overtriage and patient-level predictors, and determine if overtriage impacts population-level outcomes.