Prehospital Triage of Injured Older Adults: Thinking Slow Inside the Golden Hour

The burden of geriatric traumatic brain injury on trauma systems: Analysis of 348,800 Medicare inpatient claims

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in older adults. The aim of this study was to characterize the burden of TBI in older adults by describing demographics, care location, diagnoses, outcomes, and payments in this high-risk group.

METHODS

Using 2016-2019 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Inpatient Standard Analytical Files (IPSAF), patients >65 years with TBI (>1 injury ICD-10 starting with "S06") were selected. Trauma center levels were linked to the IPSAF file via American Hospital Association Hospital Provider ID and fuzzy-string matching. Patient variables were compared across trauma center levels.

RESULTS

Three hundred forty-eight thousand eight hundred inpatients (50.4% female; 87.1% white) from 2963 US hospitals were included. Level I/II trauma centers treated 66.9% of patients; non-trauma centers treated 21.5%. Overall inter-facility transfer rate was 19.2%; in Level I/II trauma centers transfers-in represented 23.3% of admissions. Significant TBI (Head AIS ≥3) was present in 70.0%. Most frequent diagnoses were subdural hemorrhage (56.6%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (30.6%). Neurosurgical operations were performed in 10.9% of patients and operative rates were similar regardless of center level. Total unadjusted mortality for the sample was 13.9%, with a mortality of 8.1% for those who expired in-hospital, and an additional 5.8% for those discharged to hospice. Medicare payments totaled $4.91B, with the majority (73.4%) going to Level I/II trauma centers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study fills a gap in TBI research by demonstrating that although the majority of older adult TBI patients in the United States receive care at Level I/II trauma centers, a substantial percentage are managed at other facilities, despite 1 in 10 requiring neurosurgical operation regardless of level of trauma center. This analysis provides preliminary data on the function of regionalized trauma care for older adult TBI care. Future studies assessing the efficacy of early care guidelines in this population are warranted.

Research priorities for prehospital care of older patients with injuries: scoping review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

There is increasing recognition of the importance of prehospital trauma care for older patients, but little systematic research to guide practice. We aimed to review the published evidence on prehospital trauma care for older patients, determine the scope of existing research and identify research gaps in the literature.

METHODS

We undertook a systematic scoping review guided by the Arksey and O'Malley framework and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. A systematic search was conducted of Scopus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane library databases to identify articles published between 2001 and 2021. Study selection criteria were applied independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted, charted and summarised from eligible articles. A data-charting form was then developed to facilitate thematic analysis. Narrative synthesis then involved identifying major themes and subthemes from the data.

RESULTS

We identified and reviewed 65 studies, and included 25. We identified five categories: 'field triage', 'ageing impacts', 'decision-making', 'paramedic' awareness' and 'paramedic's behaviour'. Undertriage and overtriage (sensitivity and specificity) were commonly cited as poorly investigated field-triage subthemes. Ageing-related physiologic changes, comorbidities and polypharmacy were the most widely researched. Inaccurate decision-making and poor early identification of major injuries were identified as potentially influencing patient outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study reviewing the published evidence on prehospital trauma care for older patients and identifying research priorities for future research. Field-triage tools, paramedics' knowledge about injuries in the older population, and understanding of paramedics' negative behaviours towards older patients were identified as key research priorities.

Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients - a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Despite a widely acknowledged increase in older people presenting with traumatic injury in western populations there remains a lack of research into the optimal prehospital management of this vulnerable patient group. Research into this cohort faces many uniqu1e challenges, such as inconsistent definitions, variable physiology, non-linear presentation and multi-morbidity. This scoping review sought to summarise the main challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients to improve the care for this vulnerable group.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

A scoping review was performed searching Google Scholar, PubMed and Medline from 2000 until 2020 for literature in English addressing the management of older trauma patients in both the prehospital arena and Emergency Department. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis was conducted on the included 131 studies. Age-threshold was confirmed by a descriptive analysis from all included studies. The majority of the studies assessed triage and found that recognition and undertriage presented a significant challenge, with adverse effects on mortality. We identified six key challenges in the prehospital field that were summarised in this review.

CONCLUSIONS

Trauma in older people is common and challenges prehospital care providers in numerous ways that are difficult to address. Undertriage and the potential for age bias remain prevalent. In this Scoping Review, we identified and discussed six major challenges that are unique to the prehospital environment. More high-quality evidence is needed to investigate this issue further.

Under-triage of older trauma patients in prehospital care: a systematic review

Aim

The systematic review aimed to assess the under-triage rate for older trauma patients in prehospital care and its impact on their outcomes.

Findings

Older trauma patients were significantly under-triaged in prehospital care and the benefits of triaging these patients to Tauma Centres (TCs) are still uncertain. Current triage criteria and developed geriatric-specific criteria lacked acceptable accuracy and when patients met the criteria, they had a low chance of being transported to TCs.

Message

Future worldwide research is needed to assess the following aspects: (1) the accuracy of current trauma triage criteria, (2) developing more accurate triage criteria, (3) destination compliance rates for patients meeting the triage criteria, (4) factors leading to destination non-compliance and their impact on outcomes, and (5) the benefits of TC access for older trauma patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41999-021-00512-5.

Background

It is argued that many older trauma patients are under-triaged in prehospital care which may adversely affect their outcomes. This systematic review aimed to assess prehospital under-triage rates for older trauma patients, the accuracy of the triage criteria, and the impact of prehospital triage decisions on outcomes.

Methods

A computerised literature search using MEDLINE, Scopus, and CINHAL databases was conducted for studies published between 1966 and 2021 using a list of predetermined index terms and their associated alternatives. Studies which met the inclusion criteria were included and critiqued using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, narrative synthesis was used in this systematic review.

Results

Of the 280 identified studies, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Current trauma triage guidelines have poor sensitivity to identify major trauma and the need for TC care for older adults. Although modified triage tools for this population have improved sensitivity, they showed significantly decreased specificity or were not applied to all older people. The issue of low rates of TC transport for positively triaged older patients is not well understood. Furthermore, the benefits of TC treatment for older patients remain uncertain.

Conclusions

This systematic review showed that under-triage is an ongoing issue for older trauma patients in prehospital care and its impact on their outcomes is still uncertain. Further high-quality prospective research is needed to assess the accuracy of prehospital triage criteria, the factors other than the triage criteria that affect transport decisions, and the impact of under-triage on outcomes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41999-021-00512-5.

The Triage of Older Adults with Physiologic Markers of Serious Injury Using a State-Wide Prehospital Plan

INTRODUCTION

In January of 2010, North Carolina (NC) USA implemented state-wide Trauma Triage Destination Plans (TTDPs) to provide standardized guidelines for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) decision making. No study exists to evaluate whether triage behavior has changed for geriatric trauma patients.

HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM

The impact of the NC TTDPs was investigated on EMS triage of geriatric trauma patients meeting physiologic criteria of serious injury, primarily based on whether these patients were transported to a trauma center.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of geriatric trauma patients transported by EMS from March 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009 (pre-TTDP) and March 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010 (post-TTDP) meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) age 50 years or older; (2) transported to a hospital by NC EMS; (3) experienced an injury; and (4) meeting one or more of the NC TTDP's physiologic criteria for trauma (n = 5,345). Data were obtained from the Prehospital Medical Information System (PreMIS). Data collected included proportions of patients transported to a trauma center categorized by specific physiologic criteria, age category, and distance from a trauma center.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients transported to a trauma center pre-TTDP (24.4% [95% CI 22.7%-26.1%]; n = 604) was similar to the proportion post-TTDP (24.4% [95% CI 22.9%-26.0%]; n = 700). For patients meeting specific physiologic triage criteria, the proportions of patients transported to a trauma center were also similar pre- and post-TTDP: systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg (22.5% versus 23.5%); respiratory rate <10 or >29 (23.2% versus 22.6%); and Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) score <13 (26.0% versus 26.4%). Patients aged 80 years or older were less likely to be transported to a trauma center than younger patients in both the pre- and post-TTDP periods.

CONCLUSIONS

State-wide implementation of a TTDP had no discernible effect on the proportion of patients 50 years and older transported to a trauma center. Under-triage remained common and became increasingly prevalent among the oldest adults. Research to understand the uptake of guidelines and protocols into EMS practice is critical to improving care for older adults in the prehospital environment.

One-year outcome following brain injury: a comparison of younger versus elderly major trauma patients

INTRODUCTION

The increasing number of older trauma patients has provoked a debate on the need for subsequent rehabilitative therapy for the elderly. Our findings revealed a lack of detailed data on this topic so we became interested in the effective differences in the longer-term outcomes for older and younger major trauma patients with TBI. As validation studies on the recently published specific Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) have only involved patients under the age of 68 years, we focused on testing this score in comparison to other outcome measures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective cohort study of the differences in 1-year functional or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes, such as the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS), the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) score or the medical outcomes study Short Form-36 (SF-36) between younger (16-64 years) and elderly (> 65 years) adults following major trauma (New Injury Severity Score, NISS ≥ 8) with TBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS head > 0).

RESULTS

Out of 326 TBI patients with a mean NISS of 20.6 ± 9.4 34% (n = 110 (33.7%)) were aged 65 or older versus n = 216 (66.3%) who were younger. Comparison of 1-year outcomes revealed no differences between younger versus elderly patients with regard to functional or HRQoL scores (e.g. total QOLIBRI 77.4 ± 20.0 and 75.6 ± 18.1, resp.). Univariate analysis showed no correlation of the total QOLIBRI with age (Pearson r = - 0.09) or trauma severity (AIS) of the head (r = - 0.05). Multivariate analysis confirmed an association of age 80 or older (R² = 0.026, p = 0.029), but not of overall age (R² = 0.004, p = 0.218) with 1-year outcome scores on the total QOLIBRI.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the rising rehabilitation demands of the elderly these pilot findings call for the utilisation of specific outcome scores such as the QOLIBRI in this age group as well, at least up to an age of 80 years and independently of the severity of TBI sustained.

Prehospital Fluid Administration in Trauma Patients: A Survey of State Protocols

OBJECTIVE

The optimal resuscitation approach during the initial treatment of hypotensive trauma patients remains unknown, but some clinical trials have observed a survival benefit from restricting fluid administration prior to definitive hemorrhage control. We sought to characterize emergency medical services (EMS) protocols for the administration of intravenous fluids in this setting.

METHODS

Publicly accessible statewide EMS protocols for the treatment of hypotensive trauma patients were included and characterized by: 1) goal of fluid administration, 2) dosing strategy, 3) maximum dose, 4) type of fluid, and 5) specific protocols for head trauma, if present.

RESULTS

Of the 27 states with a publicly available, statewide protocol, 21 have a numeric systolic blood pressure (SBP) target for resuscitation. Of these, 16 describe a goal of maintaining SBP ≥90 mmHg with or without additional goals, three specify a goal that is less than 90 mmHg, and two specify a goal ≥100 mHg. Dosing strategies also vary and include both standard bolus strategies (200 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL, and 1 L with repeat) as well as weight-based strategies (20 mL/kg). Nine states specify a maximum dose of 2 L without medical control. Fifteen protocols recommend the use of normal saline, 1 recommends the use of lactated Ringer's, and 11 recommend the use of either normal saline or lactated Ringer's. Nine states have distinct protocols for patients with head trauma, all of which indicate maintaining a higher SBP than for trauma patients without head trauma.

CONCLUSION

State EMS protocols for fluid administration for hypotensive trauma patients vary in regard to SBP goal, fluid dose, and fluid type. Clinical trials to determine the optimal use of intravenous fluids for hypotensive trauma patients are needed to define the optimal approach.

Out-of-Hospital Triage of Older Adults With Head Injury: A Retrospective Study of the Effect of Adding "Anticoagulation or Antiplatelet Medication Use" as a Criterion

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Field triage guidelines recommend that emergency medical services (EMS) providers consider transport of head-injured older adults with anticoagulation use to trauma centers. However, the triage patterns and the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage or neurosurgery in these patients are unknown. Our objective is to describe the characteristics and outcomes of older adults with head trauma who are transported by EMS, particularly for patients who do not meet physiologic, anatomic, or mechanism-of-injury (steps 1 to 3) field triage criteria but are receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study at 5 EMS agencies and 11 hospitals (4 trauma centers, 7 nontrauma centers). Patients aged 55 years or older with head trauma who were transported by EMS were included. The primary outcome was the presence of intracranial hemorrhage. The secondary outcome was a composite measure of inhospital death or neurosurgery.

RESULTS

Of the 2,110 patients included, 131 (6%) had intracranial hemorrhage and 41 (2%) had inhospital death or neurosurgery. There were 162 patients (8%) with steps 1 to 3 criteria. Of the remaining 1,948 patients without steps 1 to 3 criteria, 566 (29%) had anticoagulant or antiplatelet use. Of these patients, 52 (9%) had traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and 15 (3%) died or had neurosurgery. The sensitivity (adjusted for clustering by EMS agency) of steps 1 to 3 criteria was 19.8% (26/131; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.5% to 51.2%) for identifying traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and 34.1% (14/41; 95% CI 9.9% to 70.1%) for death or neurosurgery. The additional criterion of anticoagulant or antiplatelet use improved the sensitivity for intracranial hemorrhage (78/131; 59.5%; 95% CI 42.9% to 74.2%) and death or neurosurgery (29/41; 70.7%; 95% CI 61.0% to 78.9%).

CONCLUSION

Relatively few patients met steps 1 to 3 triage criteria. For individuals who did not have steps 1 to 3 criteria, nearly 30% had anticoagulant or antiplatelet use. A relatively high proportion of these patients had intracranial hemorrhage, but a much smaller proportion died or had neurosurgery during hospitalization. Use of steps 1 to 3 triage criteria alone is not sufficient in identifying intracranial hemorrhage and death or neurosurgery in this patient population. The additional criterion of anticoagulant or antiplatelet use improves the sensitivity of the instrument, with only a modest decrease in specificity.