Trauma Scores Show Limited Utility for Predicting In-Flight Deterioration in Air Medical Patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the utility of the Triage Revised Trauma Score (TRTS), Glasgow Coma Scale/Age/systolic Pressure (GAP) score, and Shock Index (SI) in predicting in-flight hypotension and the need for critical care interventions in air medical trauma patients.

Methods: A retrospective review of 3,582 air medical trauma cases from a 3-year period in Queensland was conducted. An initial TRTS, GAP score, and SI were calculated for each patient, and the lowest in-flight mean arterial pressure and systolic blood pressure were determined. The institution of in-flight critical care interventions was also recorded, including fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, and surgical procedures. The utility of the TRTS, GAP score, and SI for predicting in-flight hypotension was then examined using receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results: All 3 approaches showed minor predictive value, with the GAP score performing slightly better than TRTS and SI for predicting in-flight interventions. The GAP score had a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.76 compared with 0.74 for the TRTS and SI.

Conclusion: No score demonstrated sufficient predictive ability for deterioration in transit to be used clinically.