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Katzenschlager S, Schneider NRE, Weilbacher F, Weigand MA, Popp E. Evaluating time until ligation in a novel tourniquet - A crossover randomized-controlled trial. Am J Emerg Med 2024; 79:97-104. [PMID: 38412670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2024.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIM Severe external hemorrhage is a significant reason for morbidity and mortality in adults; thus, the swift and correct application of a tourniquet by laypersons can be lifesaving. We conducted this randomized-controlled cross-over study to investigate the use of a novel tourniquet. METHODS Participants were recruited at the Heidelberg University Hospital. Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years old with a medical background but without prior experience in applying a tourniquet. Participants were 1:1 randomized to the intervention group (PAX tourniquet) or the control group (SAM or CAT tourniquet). In the control group, participants underwent another randomization to either the SAM or CAT tourniquet without a predefined allocation ratio. Hyperspectral measurements were undertaken (i) before ligation, (ii) 30 s after ligation, and (iii) 30 s after the reopening of the tourniquet. The primary outcome was time until ligation before crossover between the respective groups. The analysis of secondary endpoints included all attempts to assess a possible learning effect, intraoperator variability, and hyperspectral measurements. Participants were crossed to the other study group after a brief wash-out phase. RESULTS In total, 50 participants were recruited, resulting in 100 attempts. A success rate of 98% was observed across the study population. Time until ligation was 49 s and 56 s (p = 0.572) in the intervention and control group, respectively. However, there was a significant difference between the PAX and SAM (54 vs 75 s; p = 0.037) and the SAM and CAT tourniquet (75 vs. 47 s; p = 0.015). Further, we observed a significant learning effect in participants allocated to the control group first, with a median reduction of 9 s in the time until ligation. Hyperspectral measurements showed a significant decrease in perfusion and tissue oxygenation after ligation. Further, a significant increase in perfusion and tissue oxygenation was found after reopening the tourniquet compared to the baseline measurement. CONCLUSION The novel PAX tourniquet can be applied quickly and effectively by medical personnel without prior experience in applying a tourniquet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niko R E Schneider
- University of Southampton, Medical Faculty Campus Kassel, Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine.
| | - Frank Weilbacher
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Anesthesiology.
| | - Markus A Weigand
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Anesthesiology.
| | - Erik Popp
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Anesthesiology.
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Levy MJ, Garfinkel EM, May R, Cohn E, Tillett Z, Wend C, Sikorksi RA, Troncoso R, Jenkins JL, Chizmar TP, Margolis AM. Implementation of a prehospital whole blood program: Lessons learned. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2024; 5:e13142. [PMID: 38524357 PMCID: PMC10958095 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.13142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Early blood administration by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to patients suffering from hemorrhagic shock improves outcomes. Prehospital blood programs represent an invaluable resuscitation capability that directly addresses hemorrhagic shock and mitigates subsequent multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Prehospital blood programs must be thoughtfully planned, have multiple safeguards, ensure adequate training and credentialing processes, and be responsible stewards of blood resources. According to the 2022 best practices model by Yazer et al, the four key pillars of a successful prehospital program include the following: (1) the rationale for the use and a description of blood products that can be transfused in the prehospital setting, (2) storage of blood products outside the hospital blood bank and how to move them to the patient in the prehospital setting, (3) prehospital transfusion criteria and administration personnel, and (4) documentation of prehospital transfusion and handover to the hospital team. This concepts paper describes our operational experience using these four pillars to make Maryland's inaugural prehospital ground-based low-titer O-positive whole blood program successful. These lessons learned may inform other EMS systems as they establish prehospital blood programs to help improve outcomes and enhance mass casualty response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Levy
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
- Office of the Medical DirectorMaryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services SystemsBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Eric M. Garfinkel
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
| | - Robert May
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
| | - Eric Cohn
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
| | - Zachary Tillett
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
| | - Christopher Wend
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Robert A Sikorksi
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Ruben Troncoso
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - J. Lee Jenkins
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Timothy P. Chizmar
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Office of the Medical DirectorMaryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services SystemsBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Asa M. Margolis
- Department of Emergency MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Fire and Rescue ServicesHoward County GovernmentMarriottsvilleMarylandUSA
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Steins K, Goolsby C, Grönbäck AM, Charlton N, Anderson K, Dacuyan-Faucher N, Prytz E, Andersson Granberg T, Jonson CO. Recommendations for Placement of Bleeding Control Kits in Public Spaces-A Simulation Study. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2023; 17:e527. [PMID: 37852924 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2023.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Bleeding control measures performed by members of the public can prevent trauma deaths. Equipping public spaces with bleeding control kits facilitates these actions. We modeled a mass casualty incident to investigate the effects of public bleeding control kit location strategies. METHODS We developed a computer simulation of a bomb exploding in a shopping mall. We used evidence and expert opinion to populate the model with parameters such as the number of casualties, the public's willingness to aid, and injury characteristics. Four alternative placement strategies of public bleeding control kits in the shopping mall were tested: co-located with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) separated by 90-second walking intervals, dispersed throughout the mall at 10 locations, located adjacent to 1 exit, located adjacent to 2 exits. RESULTS Placing bleeding control kits at 2 locations co-located with AEDs resulted in the most victims surviving (18.2), followed by 10 kits dispersed evenly throughout the mall (18.0). One or 2 kit locations placed at the mall's main exits resulted in the fewest surviving victims (15.9 and 16.1, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Co-locating bleeding control kits with AEDs at 90-second walking intervals results in the best casualty outcomes in a modeled mass casualty incident in a shopping mall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisjanis Steins
- Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Sweden
| | - Craig Goolsby
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Nathan Charlton
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin Anderson
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nicole Dacuyan-Faucher
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Erik Prytz
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Linköping University, Sweden
- Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden
| | | | - Carl-Oscar Jonson
- Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden
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McCarthy EM, Burns K, Schuster KM, Cone DC. Tourniquet Use in the Prehospital Setting. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2023; 28:531-535. [PMID: 37486096 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2240383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tourniquets are a mainstay of life-saving hemorrhage control. The US military has documented the safety and effectiveness of tourniquet use in combat settings. In civilian settings, events such as the Boston Marathon bombing and mass shootings show that tourniquets are necessary and life-saving entities that must be used correctly and whenever indicated. Much less research has been done on tourniquet use in civilian settings compared to military settings. The purpose of this study is to describe the prehospital use of tourniquets in a regional EMS system served by a single trauma center. METHODS All documented cases of prehospital tourniquet use from 2015 to 2020 were identified via a search of EMS, emergency department, and inpatient records, and reviewed by the lead investigator. The primary outcomes were duration of tourniquet placement, success of hemorrhage control, and complications; secondary outcomes included time of day (by EMS arrival time), transport interval, extremity involved, who placed/removed the tourniquet, and mechanism of injury. RESULTS Of 182 patients with 185 tourniquets applied, duration of application was available for 52, with a median (IQR) of 43 (56) minutes. Hemorrhage control was achieved in all but two cases (96%). Three cases (5.8%) required more than one tourniquet. Complications included five cases of temporary paresthesia, one case of ecchymosis, two cases of fasciotomy, and two cases of compression nerve injury. The serious complication rate was 7.7% (4/52). Time of day was daytime (08:01-16:00) = 15 (31.9%), evening (16:01-00:00) = 27 (57.4%), and night (00:01- 08:00) = 5 (10.6%). The median transport interval was 22 (IQR 5] minutes. The limbs most often injured were the left and right upper extremities (15 each). EMS clinicians and police officers were most often the tourniquet placers. Common mechanisms of injury included gunshot wounds, motorcycle accidents, and glass injuries. CONCLUSION Tourniquets used in the prehospital setting have a high rate of hemorrhage control and a low rate of complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M McCarthy
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kevin Burns
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - David C Cone
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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Greenstein R, Nawrocki P, Nesbit C. Bottle it up: Prehospital management of an AV fistula bleed using a bottle cap: A case report. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 67:197.e1-197.e2. [PMID: 36933987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemorrhage from arteriovenous fistula sites is a known complication with potentially fatal consequences. The management of AV fistula hemorrhage has historically included direct pressure, tourniquet use, and/or surgical management. We describe a case of a 71-year-old female with hemorrhage from an AV fistula site that was successfully managed in the prehospital setting using a simple bottle cap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Greenstein
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
| | - Philip Nawrocki
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Chadd Nesbit
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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Nichols R, Horstman J. Recommendations for Improving Stop the Bleed: A Systematic Review. Mil Med 2022; 187:e1338-e1345. [PMID: 35084491 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In response to mass casualty events, The Hartford Consensus brought together subject matter experts across multiple disciplines in health care and public safety to create guidelines and publications intended to improve survivability in active shooter events. Among the recommendations was the earlier recognition and treatment application of life-threatening hemorrhage control. These recommendations culminated in efforts to create the Stop the Bleed Campaign, which aims to empower the layperson to render aid in a life-threatening bleeding emergency. As of February 2020, the program has held over 86,000 courses, trained over 1.4 million attendees, and over 77,000 instructors since its inception. In addition to spreading within the United States, American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed (StB) classes have been held in 118 different countries. This systematic narrative review aims to answer the following research question: What does the ACS StB Initiative do well, and where can it improve? MATERIALS AND METHODS The following search terms were utilized: "Stop the Bleed," "American College of Surgeons," "bleeding control," "first-aid," tourniquet, "wound pack," "direct pressure" hemorrhage, and bystander. The inclusion criteria were that the article needed to speak to the program or some aspect of bystander first aid, the article needed to be in a civilian setting, the article needed to be more than a case study or overview, and the first aid tools needed to be in the StB curriculum. 4 databases were searched, which produced 138 articles for screening. One hundred four full-text articles were able to be retrieved, and 56 articles were determined to meet the inclusion criteria once the full text was reviewed. RESULTS Fifty-six articles were included in the final review and were placed into the following categories: Needs Within the Community, Confidence and Knowledge, Training Modalities, Barriers and Gaps in Training, Instructor Selection, Skill Retention, and Patient Outcomes. The articles were then organized into each outcome for synthesis and reporting of the results. The program overwhelmingly improves short-term confidence, but gaps in skill retention, data collection on patient outcomes, and settings that would benefit were identified. CONCLUSION StB is an effective tool in building confidence in laypersons, which is its biggest strength. A review of the literature shows several areas where the curriculum and materials could be better developed. Research can also be further refined to better quantify the program's impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoma Nichols
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202-2131, USA
| | - Jordan Horstman
- Kansas City University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University, Kansas City, MO 64106, USA
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Goolsby C, Schuler K, Rodzik R, Charlton N, Lala V, Anderson K, Pellegrino J. The FAST VIP (First Aid for Severe Trauma “Virtual” in-Person) Educational Study. West J Emerg Med 2021; 22:951-957. [PMID: 35354006 PMCID: PMC8328158 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2021.2.50033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Trauma is the leading cause of death for young Americans. Increased school violence, combined with an emphasis on early hemorrhage control, has boosted demand to treat injuries in schools. Meanwhile, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made educating the public about trauma more difficult. A federally funded high school education program in development, called First Aid for Severe Trauma™ (FAST™), will teach students to aid the severely injured. The program will be offered in instructor-led, web-based, and blended formats. We created a program to prepare high school teachers to become FAST instructors via “virtual” in-person (VIP) instruction. We used a webinar followed by VIP skills practice, using supplies shipped to participants’ homes. To our knowledge, no prior studies have evaluated this type of mass, widely distributed, VIP education. Methods This study is a prospective, single-arm, educational cohort study. We enrolled a convenience sample of all high school teachers attending FAST sessions at the Health Occupations Students of America–Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference. Half of the participants were randomized to complete the Stop the Bleed Education Assessment Tool (SBEAT) prior to the webinar, and the other completed it afterward; SBEAT is a validated tool to measure learning of bleeding competencies. We then performed 76 VIP video-training sessions from June–August 2020. The FAST instructors assessed each participant’s ability to apply a tourniquet and direct pressure individually, then provided interactive group skills training, and finally re-evaluated each participant’s performance post-training. Results A total of 190 (96%) participants successfully applied a tourniquet after VIP training, compared to 136 (68%) prior to training (P < 0.001). Participants significantly improved their ability to apply direct pressure: 116 (56%) pre-assessment vs 204 (100%) post-assessment (P < 0.001). The mean score for the SBEAT increased significantly from pre-training to post-training: 2.09 with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.97 to 2.55 post-training with a SD of 0.72 (P < 0.001). Conclusion This study suggests that a webinar combined with VIP training is effective for teaching tourniquet and direct-pressure application skills, as well as life-threatening bleeding knowledge. VIP education may be useful for creating resuscitative medicine instructors from distributed locations, and to reach learners who cannot attend classroom-based instruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Goolsby
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Military & Emergency Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Keke Schuler
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Raphaelle Rodzik
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nathan Charlton
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Vidya Lala
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kevin Anderson
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey Pellegrino
- University of Akron, Department of Disaster Sciences and Emergency Services, Akron, Ohio
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