Evaluation of a new imaging tool for use with major trauma cases in the emergency department

European Society of Emergency Radiology: guideline on radiological polytrauma imaging and service (short version)

BACKGROUND

Although some national recommendations for the role of radiology in a polytrauma service exist, there are no European guidelines to date. Additionally, for many interdisciplinary guidelines, radiology tends to be under-represented. These factors motivated the European Society of Emergency Radiology (ESER) to develop radiologically-centred polytrauma guidelines.

RESULTS

Evidence-based decisions were made on 68 individual aspects of polytrauma imaging at two ESER consensus conferences. For severely injured patients, whole-body CT (WBCT) has been shown to significantly reduce mortality when compared to targeted, selective CT. However, this advantage must be balanced against the radiation risk of performing more WBCTs, especially in less severely injured patients. For this reason, we recommend a second lower dose WBCT protocol as an alternative in certain clinical scenarios. The ESER Guideline on Radiological Polytrauma Imaging and Service is published in two versions: a full version (download from the ESER homepage, https://www.eser-society.org ) and a short version also covering all recommendations (this article).

CONCLUSIONS

Once a patient has been accurately classified as polytrauma, each institution should be able to choose from at least two WBCT protocols. One protocol should be optimised regarding time and precision, and is already used by most institutions (variant A). The second protocol should be dose reduced and used for clinically stable and oriented patients who nonetheless require a CT because the history suggests possible serious injury (variant B). Reading, interpretation and communication of the report should be structured clinically following the ABCDE format, i.e. diagnose first what kills first.

Emergent Comprehensive Imaging of the Major Trauma Patient: A New Paradigm for Improved Clinical Decision-Making

Modern advances in the medical imaging layered onto sophisticated trauma resuscitation strategies in highly organized regionalized trauma systems have created a paradigm shift in the management of severely injured patients. Although immediate exploratory surgery to identify and control life-threatening injuries still has its place, accelerated image acquisition and interpretation procedures now make it rare for trauma surgeons in major centers to venture into damage control surgery unaided by computed tomography (CT) or other imaging, particularly in cases of blunt trauma. Indeed, because of the high incidence of clinically occult injuries associated with major mechanism trauma, and even lower energy trauma in frail or elderly patients, CT imaging has become as invaluable as physical examination, if not more so, in critical decision-making in support of optimal outcomes. In particular, whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) completed promptly after initial assessment of a major trauma provides a quick, comprehensive survey of injuries that enables better surgical planning, obviates the need for multiple subsequent studies, and permits specialized reconstructions when needed. For those at risk for problematic occult injury after modest trauma, WBCT facilitates safer discharge planning and simplified follow-up. Through standardized guidelines, streamlined protocols, synoptic reporting, accessible web-based platforms, and active collaboration with clinicians, radiologists dedicated to trauma and emergency imaging enable clearer understanding of complex injuries in high-risk patients which leads to superior clinical decision-making. Whereas dated dogma has long warned that the CT scanner is the last place to take a challenging trauma patient, modern practice suggests that, more often than not, early comprehensive imaging can be done safely and efficiently and is in the patient's best interest. This article outlines how the role of diagnostic imaging for major trauma has evolved considerably in recent years.

[Reduction of treatment time for children in the trauma room care : Impact of implementation of an interdisciplinary trauma room concept (iTRAPS)]

INTRODUCTION

In addition to infrastructural and conceptual planning, smooth interdisciplinary cooperation is crucial for trauma room care of severely injured children based on time-saving management and a clear set of priorities. The time to computed tomography (CT) is a well-accepted marker for the efficacy of trauma management. Up to now there are no guidelines in the literature for an adapted approach in pediatric trauma room care.

METHODS

A step-by-step algorithm for pediatric trauma room care (Interdisciplinary Trauma Room Algorithm in Pediatric Surgery, iTRAP^S) was developed within the framework of an interdisciplinary team: pediatric surgeons, pediatric anaethesiologists, pediatric intensivists and pediatric radiologists. In two groups of patients from January 2014 to April 2015 (group 1) and from July 2015 to January 2017 (group 2) process quality was monitored by the time required for trauma room treatment until the CT scan was performed and used as a surrogate marker. Inclusion criteria were patients aged 0-16 years, who were evaluated in a level 1 pediatric trauma room with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥8 and the necessity for a CT scan.

RESULTS

Before (group 1) and after (group 2) implementation of iTRAP^S 16 patients were included in each group. There were no significant differences between the age and the ISS in the two groups of patients. The required time for trauma room treatment was significantly reduced from an average of 33.6 min before to 15.2 min after implementation of iTRAP^S (p < 0.01).

DISCUSSION

The required time for the trauma care room treatment could be significantly reduced by more than half after the implementation of iTRAP^S. The reasons were the interdisciplinary organization of the trauma room leadership, reorganization of patient transfer and improved briefing by emergency doctors.

CONCLUSION

Besides a well-organized trauma team, it is essential that the trauma room workflow is adapted to the specific structure of the hospital. Despite the limitations of the study the data demonstrate that the trauma room workflow enables an efficient management. By the interdisciplinary reorganization of the pediatric trauma room treatment with improved structures and standardized processes, patient care was more effective with a significant reduction in the time required for trauma room treatment. The suggested iTRAP^S concept could be used as a framework to establish individualized workflows for pediatric trauma room treatment in other hospitals. This algorithm should be supplemented by standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for the differentiated radiological diagnostic procedures in areas of traumatic brain injury (TBI), thoracic and abdominal trauma in children.

Whole-body computed tomography in severely injured patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an update on the relevant and recent studies on whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) imaging of severely injured patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

The advantages of WBCT in time saving, diagnostic accuracy and even in survival have been proven in numerous studies. WBCT can also be beneficial in haemodynamically unstable major trauma patients. The CT scanner should be located close to the emergency department or even in the trauma room. The issue of radiation is still quite important, however, iterative as well as split-bolus protocols can nowadays reduce radiation significantly. The question: which trauma patient should receive WBCT and which not is not yet solved sufficiently. Postmortem WBCT has a promising potential to promptly define the definitive cause of death of trauma victims comparably to traditional autopsy.

SUMMARY

On account of the recent advances, whole-body CT has become a crucial part of the initial in-hospital assessment of severely injured patients. It is recommended as the standard radiological tool for the emergency diagnostic work-up in major trauma patients.