Transfer and nontransfer patients in isolated low-grade blunt pediatric solid organ injury: Implications for regionalized trauma systems

Are Pediatric Trauma Transfers Justified?: A Unique Viewpoint From a Transferring Institution

INTRODUCTION

Definitions of pediatric overtriage and unnecessary transfers for injured children have been instituted from a viewpoint of referral centers and have doubtful value for effecting interventions at referring centers. This study provides a unique insight into the factors prompting transfers at a peripheral institution.

METHODS

The trauma registry of a level 2 pediatric trauma center was accessed, and pediatric transfers out to 2 level 1 pediatric trauma centers were identified over a period of 4 years. The outcomes of these patients at the accepting institutions were charted for descriptive analysis.

RESULTS

The study identified 46 patients transferred out with a transfer rate of 6.6% when compared with total admissions. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 6.5, and the mean length of stay (LOS) at the receiving institution was 2.8 days. The reason for transfer from a specialty standpoint revealed 21 neurosurgical, 12 burn, 6 orthopedic, 4 faciomaxillary, and 2 ophthalmology patients. Overall transfer rate was 6.6%. Pediatric overtriage when defined as LOS < 24 hours at the receiving institution was 46.7%. Fifty percent of pediatric overtriage was prompted by need for a pediatric neurosurgery consult with medicolegal concern being cited as reason for transfer. Secondary overtriage when defined as LOS < 24 hours, no pediatric intensive care admission, no surgical intervention, and ISS < 9 was found in 13 patients (30.9%). The proportion of patients with Medicaid insurance was not different for the admissions (43.5%) when compared with the transfers (42.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Existing definitions of overtriage have limited value in effecting interventions to reduce unnecessary transfers. Identifying specific factors at referring institutions including providing local availability of pediatric surgical specialists will potentially help mitigate injury-related pediatric overtriage.

The Utah Pediatric Trauma Network, a statewide pediatric trauma collaborative can safely help nonpediatric hospitals admit children with mild traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

Created in 2019, the Utah Pediatric Trauma Network (UPTN) is a transparent noncompetitive collaboration of all hospitals in Utah with the purpose of improving pediatric trauma care. The UPTN implements evidence-based guidelines based on hospital resources and capabilities with quarterly review of data collected in a network-specific database. The first initiative was to help triage the care of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to prevent unnecessary transfers while ensuring appropriate care. The purpose of this study was to review the effectiveness of this network wide guideline.

METHODS

The UPTN REDCap database was retrospectively reviewed between January 2019 and December 2021. Comparisons were made between the pediatric trauma center (PED1) and nonpediatric hospitals (non-PED1) in admissions of children with very mild, mild, or complicated mild TBI.

RESULTS

Of the total 3,315 cases reviewed, 294 were admitted to a non-PED1 hospital and 1,061 to the PED1 hospital with very mild/mild/complicated mild TBI. Overall, kids treated at non-PED1 were older (mean, 14.9 vs. 7.7 years; p = 0.00001) and more likely to be 14 years or older (37% vs. 24%, p < 0.00001) compared with those at PED1. Increased admissions occurred post-UPTN at non-PED1 hospitals compared with pre-UPTN (43% vs. 14%, p < 0.00001). Children admitted to non-PED1 hospitals post-UPTN were younger (9.1 vs. 15.7 years, p = 0.002) with more kids younger than 14 years (67% vs. 38%, p = 0.014) compared with pre-UPTN. Two kids required next-day transfer to a higher-level center (1 to PED1), and none required surgery or neurosurgical evaluation. The mean length of stay was 21.8 hours (interquartile range, 11.9-25.4). Concomitantly, less children with very mild TBI were admitted to PED1 post-UPTN (6% vs. 27%, p < 0.00001) and more with complicated mild TBI (63% vs. 50%, p = 0.00003) than 2019.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of TBI guidelines across the UPTN successfully allowed nonpediatric hospitals to safely admit children with very mild, mild, or complicated mild TBI. In addition, admitted kids were more like those treated at the PED1 hospital.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic/Epidemiological; Level IV.

Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Isolated Low-Grade Renal Trauma at a Level 1 Trauma Center

OBJECTIVE

To examine admission and transfer patterns of isolated low-grade renal trauma given lack of evidenced based guidelines.

METHODS

We employed a retrospective cohort design to analyze patients with low grade renal trauma from 2005 to 2018. We used an Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) <3 for non-abdominal categories to ensure that intensive care unit admission/hospital transfer was due to renal trauma (n = 87). Treatment and discharge survival were compared.

RESULTS

Mean age for floor (n = 31) and intensive care unit (ICU) (n = 46) patients were 33 (IQR = 20) and 42 (IQR = 46) years old, respectively. Mean injury severity score (ISS) was 7.7 (IQR 4) for floor and 8 (IQR=3.75) for ICU admissions (P = .61) Mean ISS was 7.53 (IQR = 4) for transfers and 8.27 (IQR = 3.25) for non-transfers (P = .26). Blood products were administered only to 3 (6.5%) ICU patients all over 60 years old. Fourteen (45.1%) and 26 (56.5%) of floor and ICU admissions were transferred from a lower-level trauma center. ICU mean length of stay (LOS) was 37 hours (IQR = 23 h.). Mean hospital LOS was 43.4 hours and 71.9 hours for the floor and ICU patients (P = .08), and 69.02 hours and 52.58 hours for transfer vs non-transferred (P = .31). All patients were discharged alive and the majority (94%) was discharged home.

CONCLUSION

Given expedient ICU discharge, low transfusion rate, and low complication rate, inter-hospital transfer and ICU admission are unnecessary for patients under 65 years. Transfer and admission protocols for isolated renal trauma are needed to avoid resource overutilization.

Blunt trauma to abdominal solid organs: an experience of non-operative management at a rural hospital in Zambia

Introduction

although non-operative management of patients with blunt trauma to abdominal solid organs has become standard care, the role of peripheral hospitals remains poorly defined. This study reviews treatment and outcomes in patients with liver and spleen injuries at a regional hospital over a 10-year period.

Methods

a retrospective review of prospectively collected data was performed and supplemented by case notes retrieval. All patients with solid visceral injuries managed between 2009 and 2019 at a rural surgical hospital in Zambia were included. On admission, the patients were offered either urgent laparotomy or non-operative management (NOM) depending on their haemodynamic status. Continuous variables were expressed as median and mean ± standard deviation; categorical data were expressed as percentages. Statistical evaluation of data was performed by two-sample t-test. Statistical significance was assigned at p<0.05.

Results

fourty-three patients were included. The majority of victims sustained isolated spleen or liver injury. Twenty-three patients were urgently operated due to haemodynamic instability. Splenectomy performed in 17 patients, liver laceration sutured in 5 patients. One patient underwent concomitant splenectomy and liver repair. Conservative management was attempted in 20 (47%) patients and was successful in 18 (42%). In two patients NOM failed and splenectomy was performed urgently. Two patients died postoperatively. There were no deaths in NOM group.

Conclusion

NOM of patients with injury to solid abdominal organs could be safely initiated in rural hospitals provided there is uninterrupted monitoring of patients' condition, well-trained staff and unrestricted access to the operating theatre (OT).

Trauma patients in the pediatric ICU: rational use of a limited resource

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of pediatric mortality; pediatric ICUs (PICUs) are an important but potentially limited resource associated with high costs. In an era of rising healthcare costs, appropriate resource utilization is important. Here, we examine evidence-based guidelines supporting the management of pediatric traumatic injury outside of the PICU.

RECENT FINDINGS

Historical management of solid organ injury and traumatic brain injury was focused on operative management. However, over the past four decades, management of solid organ injury has shifted from invasive management to nonsurgical management with a growing body of evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of this trend. The management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has had a similar evolution to that of solid organ injury with regard to nonoperative management and management outside the critical care setting.

SUMMARY

The use of evidence-based guidelines to support expectant management in the setting of pediatric trauma has the potential to reduce unnecessary resource utilization of the PICU. In this review, we present findings that support nonoperative management and management of pediatric trauma outside of the PICU setting. In resource-poor areas, this approach may facilitate care for pediatric trauma patients. The implications are also important in resource-rich settings because of the unintended risks associated with PICU.

The adherence of adult trauma centers to American Pediatric Surgical Association guidelines on management of blunt splenic injuries

BACKGROUND

Nonoperative management (NOM) is commonly utilized in hemodynamically stable children with blunt splenic injuries (BSI). Guidelines published by the American Pediatric Surgical Association over the past 15 years support this approach. We sought to determine the rates and outcomes of NOM in pediatric BSI and compare trends between pediatric (PTC), mixed (MTC) and adult trauma centers (ATC).

METHODS

This was a retrospective database analysis of the NTDB data from 2011 to 2015 including pediatric patients with BSI, as described by ICD-9-CM Codes 865.00-865.09. Patients with head injuries with AIS > 2, multiple intraabdominal injuries, and transfers-out were excluded. According to ACS and/or state designation, trauma facilities were defined as PTC (level I/II pediatric only), MTC (level I/II adult and pediatric) and ATC (level I/II adult only). OM group was defined as presence of procedure codes reflecting exploratory laparotomy/laparoscopy and/or any splenic procedures. NOM group consisted of patients who were observed, transfused or had transarterial embolization (TAE). Variables analyzed were age, ISS, spleen AIS, amount and type of blood products transfused, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital (H) length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS

5323 children met the inclusion criteria. 11.4% received care at PTC (NOM, 97%), 40.7% at MTC (NOM, 89.9%) and 47.8% at ATC (NOM, 83.8%) (P < 0.001). In NOM group, PTC patients had the highest spleen AIS (3.46 ± 0.95, P < 0.001). TAE was predominantly used at MTC and ATC (P = 0.001). MTC and ATC were more likely to transfuse than PTC (P = 0.002). MTC and ATC OM rates were lower in children aged ≤12 than in children aged >12 (P < 0.001). Splenectomy rate was 1.5% at PTC, 8.4% at MTC, and 14.4% at ATC (P < 0.001). In OM group, PTC patients had a higher ISS (P = 0.018) and spleen AIS (P = 0.048) than both MTC and ATC. The proportion of patients treated by NOM at ATC increased during the 5-year period studied (P = 0.015). Treatment at MTC or ATC increased the risk for OM by 3.89 and 5.36 times respectively (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PTCs still outperform ATCs in NOM success rates despite higher ISS and splenic injury grades. From 2011 to 2015, ATC OM rates dropped from 17% to 12.4% suggesting increased adoption of the APSA guidelines. Further educational initiatives may help augment this trend.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective.