Additional and repeated computed tomography in interfacility trauma transfers: Room for standardization

Are geriatric transfer patients with traumatic brain injury at risk for worse outcomes compared to non-geriatric? Propensity-matched study

OBJECTIVE

To compare outcomes between geriatric and non-geriatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) transferred to trauma center and effects of anticoagulants/antiplatelets (AC/AP) and reversal therapy.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 1,118 patients with TBI transferred from acute care facilities to level 1 trauma center compared in groups: geriatric versus non-geriatric, geriatric with AC/AP therapy versus without, and geriatric AC/AP with AC/AP reversal therapy versus without.

RESULTS

Patients with TBI constituted 54.4% of trauma transfers. Mean transfer time was 3.9 h. Propensity matched by Injury Severity Score and Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) head geriatric compared to non-geriatric patients had more AC/AP use (53.9% vs 8.8%), repeat head computed tomography (93.7% vs 86.1%), intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (57.4% vs 45.7%) and mortality (9.8% vs 3.2%), all p < 0.004. Patients on AC/AP versus without had more ICU admissions (69.1% vs 51.8%, p < 0.001). Patients with AC/AP reversals compared to without reversals had more AIS head 5 (32.0% vs 13.1%), brain surgeries (17.8% vs 3.5%) and ICU admissions (84.8% vs 57.1%), all p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

TBI constituted half of trauma transfers and 10% required surgery. Based on higher ICU admissions, mortality, and prevalence of AC/AP therapy requiring reversal, geriatric patients with TBI on anticoagulants/antiplatelets should be considered for direct trauma center admission.

Evaluating Adherence to Guideline-based Injury Grading in Pediatric Renal Trauma: How Are Patients Being Worked Up Prior to Transfer to a Level 1 Trauma Center?

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether children with renal trauma who are transferred to a level I trauma center (TC) receive appropriate imaging studies before transfer and whether this impacts care. The American Urologic Association (AUA) Urotrauma guidelines state clinicians should perform IV contrast-enhanced CT with immediate and delayed images when renal trauma is suspected. Adherence to these guidelines in pediatric patients is unknown.

METHODS

Children treated for renal trauma at our TC between 2005 and 2019 were identified. Comparisons between patients with initial imaging at a transferring hospital (TH) and patients with initial imaging at our TC were performed using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the included 293 children, 67% (197/293) were transferred into our TC and 61% (180/293) received initial imaging at the TH. Patients with initial imaging at the TH were more likely to have higher-grade renal injuries (P = .001) and were less likely to have guideline-recommended imaging (31% vs 82%, P < .001). Of patients who were imaged at the TH, 28% (50/180) underwent an additional CT imaging shortly after transfer. When imaging was incomplete at the TH, having an additional scan upon transfer was associated with emergent urologic surgery (P = .004).

CONCLUSION

Adherence to the AUA Urotrauma guidelines is low, with most pediatric renal trauma patients not receiving complete staging with delayed-phase imaging before transfer to a TC. Furthermore, patients initially imaged at THs were more likely to receive more CT scans per admission and were exposed to higher amounts of radiation. There is a need to improve imaging protocols for complete staging of renal trauma in children before transfer.

Introduction of 3D Printing in a German Municipal Hospital-Practice Guide for CMF Surgery

Study Design

This study aimed to introduce 3D printing in a municipal hospital to improve the treatment of craniomaxillofacial patients and optimize costs and operating time. Thus we describe the implementation of low-cost in-house 3D printing to facilitate orbital- and mandible reconstruction in CMF surgery. Moreover, we address legal requirements, safety at work, fire- and data protection. Finally, we want to share our experiences using 3D printing and point out its advantages in providing better patient care.

Methods

We outline the setup of in-house 3D printing and focus on obeying German health care regulations. We based our approach on a fused deposition modeling 3D printer and free software. As proof of concept, we treated 4 cases of severe orbital trauma and 1 case of mandibular reconstruction. We printed a 3D patient-specific model for each case and adapted a titanium mesh implant, respectively, a titanium reconstruction plate before performing the surgery.

Results

Our approach reduced costs, duration of anesthesia, operating time, recovery time, and postoperative swelling and increased the revenue. Functional outcome in orbital reconstruction like eye movement and double vision, was improved compared to the conventional technique. No severe complications like loss-of-vision or surgical revision occurred. Likewise, mandibular reconstruction showed no plate loosening or plate fracture.

Conclusion

The implementation of cost-efficient 3D printing resulted in successful patient treatment with excellent outcomes. Our practice guide offers a 3D printing workflow and could be adapted to fit the needs of other specialties like neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery as well.

Pre- and posttransfer computed tomography imaging in Canadian trauma centers: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Multiple clinical practice guidelines recommend minimizing radiation in trauma patients but there is a knowledge gap on the importance of this problem for trauma transfers. We aimed to estimate the incidence of pretransfer and repeat posttransfer computed tomography (CT) overall and in patients with an indication for immediate transfer, to assess interhospital practice variation, to identify predictors, and to quantify the influence of pretransfer CT on time to transfer. Methods We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study on patients transferred to major trauma centers from 2013 to 2019. Multilevel generalized linear regression was used to generate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) to assess interhospital variation, multilevel logistic regression to generate odds ratios for each predictor, and geometric mean ratios to quantify the influence of CT on time to transfer. Results Of 18,244 patients included, 8501 (47%) had a pretransfer CT and one-quarter (26%) had a repeat posttransfer CT. Interhospital variation was moderate for pretransfer CT (5%-66%, ICC 12.5%) and for repeat posttransfer CT (7%-44%, ICC 14.7%). Pretransfer imaging was more frequent in elders and in males and repeat posttransfer imaging decreased over the study period but was more frequent in patients transferred in from Level III/IV centers than nondesignated hospitals. Time to transfer was doubled in patients who had a pretransfer CT.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that pretransfer CT and repeat posttransfer CT are frequent and are subject to significant practice variation. In addition, pretransfer CT is associated with increased times to transfer though additional studies are needed to demonstrate causation. These results highlight potential opportunities to reduce low-value imaging for trauma transfers.

The Financial and Radiation Burden of Early Reimaging in Neurosurgical Patients: An Original Study and Review of the Literature

The computed tomographic (CT) scanner has become ubiquitous in healthcare. When trauma patients are imaged at facilities not equipped to care for them, imaging is often repeated at the receiving institution. CTs have clinical, financial, and resource costs, and eliminating unnecessary imaging will benefit patients, providers, and institutions. This paper reviews patterns of repetition of CT scans for transferred trauma patients and motivations underlying such behaviors via analysis of our Trauma Registry database and literature published in this area. Neurosurgeons are fundamentally impactful in this decision-making process. The most commonly repeated scan is a CT head (CTH). More than ¼ of our patients receiving a clinically indicated repeat CTH also had a repeat scan of their cervical spine with no reason given for the cervical scan. Herein, we discuss our findings that both non-trauma center practitioners and non-neurosurgical staff at trauma centers cite a lower level of comfort with neuroradiology and fear of litigation as motivators in overzealous neuroimaging. As a result, inappropriate neurosurgical imaging is routinely ordered prior to transfer and again upon arrival at trauma centers. Education of non-neurosurgical staff is essential to prevent inappropriate neuroaxis imaging.

Evaluating our progress with trauma transfer imaging: repeat CT scans, incomplete imaging, and delayed definitive care

PURPOSE

Many trauma patients present at non-trauma centers and require transfer. CT imaging obtained at the initial hospital (IH) may lead to delays in definitive trauma care, and previous studies have shown imaging is often repeated at the trauma center (TC).

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of all tier 1 trauma patients transferred to our TC between May 2018 and April 2019. Patients that did and did not undergo CT imaging at the IH were compared (n = 147). Of those with IH CT imaging (n = 68), we identified 4 imaging "inadequacies": (1) repeat CT scans: CT scan of the same body region performed at IH and at TC; (2) C-spine inadequacies: severely injured patients who underwent head CT without a C-spine CT; (3) incomplete chest-abdomen-pelvis (CAP): patients with partial CAP CT imaging at IH that underwent an additional portion of CAP imaging at TC; (4) CAP CT without IV contrast.

RESULTS

IH time was significantly prolonged when CT imaging was obtained. Of those that had IH imaging, 13 patients (19%) required repeat CT, ten (15%) had a C-spine inadequacy, 11 (16%) had incomplete CAP, and 28 (41%) had one or more inadequacy. Patients with any inadequacy underwent more CT imaging. Most patients (76%) with imaging at the IH returned to the CT scan at the TC.

CONCLUSION

In severely injured trauma patients transferred to our TC, we identified many continuing issues with IH CT imaging. The imaging inadequacies detailed above lead to delays in definitive care and subject patients to increased radiation.