[Optimized resource mobilization and quality of treatment of severely injured patients through a structured trauma room alarm system].

Background: The treatment of severely injured patients in the trauma resuscitation unit (TRU) requires an interdisciplinary and highly professional trauma team approach. The complete team needs to be waiting for the patient in the TRU on arrival. Treating severely injured patients in the TRU, the trauma team connects the initial preclinical emergency stabilization with the subsequent sophisticated treatment. Thus, the trauma team depends on concise information from the emergency personnel at the scene to provide its leader with further information as well as an accurate alarm including all departments necessary to stabilize the patient in the TRU.

Method: Aiming at an accurate and most efficient trauma team alarm, this study was designed to provide and analyze an alarm system which mobilizes the trauma team in a stepwise fashion depending on the pattern of injuries and the threat to life. The trauma team alarm system was analyzed in a prospective data acquisition at a level I trauma center over a period of 12 months. Evaluation followed the acquisition phase and provided comparison to the status prior to the establishment of the alarm system. All items underwent statistical testing using t‑tests (p < 0.05).

Results: The data of 775 TRU patients showed a significant reduction of false information on the patients status prior to arrival. It also showed an increase in punctual arrival in the TRU of the emergency teams. False alarms were significantly reduced (from 11.9% to 2.7%, p > 0.01). The duration from arrival of the patient in the TRU to the initial multislice computed tomography (CT) scan was reduced by 6 min while the total period of treatment in the TRU was reduced by 17 min. After the alarm system to gradually mobilize the trauma team was put into action, team members left the TRU if unneeded prior to finishing the initial treatment in only 4% of the cases. The patient fatality rate was 8.8% (injury severity score, ISS = 23 points) after establishment of the alarm system compared to 12.9% (ISS = 25 points) before.

Conclusion: The implementation of an accurate and patient status-based alarm system to mobilize the trauma team can improve the quality of treatment while the duration of treatment of the severely injured patients in the TRU can be decreased. It also provides a most efficient mobilization of personnel resources while sustaining patient safety.