Head Protection Device for Individuals at Risk for Head Injury due to Ground-Level Falls: Single Trauma Center User Experience Investigation

BACKGROUND

Falls represent a large percentage of hospitalized patients with trauma as they may result in head injuries. Brain injury from ground-level falls (GLFs) in patients is common and has substantial mortality. As fall prevention initiatives have been inconclusive, we changed our strategy to injury prevention. We identified a head protection device (HPD) with impact-resistant technology, which meets head impact criteria sustained in a GLF. HPDs such as helmets are ubiquitous in preventing head injuries in sports and industrial activities; yet, they have not been studied for daily activities.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the usability of a novel HPD on patients with head injury in acute care and home contexts to predict future compliance.

METHODS

A total of 26 individuals who sustained head injuries, wore an HPD in the hospital, while ambulatory and were evaluated at baseline and 2 months post discharge. Clinical and demographic data were collected; a usability survey captured HPD domains. This user experience design revealed patient perceptions, satisfaction, and compliance. Nonparametric tests were used for intragroup comparisons (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Differences between categorical variables including sex, race, and age (age group 1: 55-77 years; age group 2: 78+ years) and compliance were tested using the chi-square test.

RESULTS

Of the 26 patients enrolled, 12 (46%) were female, 18 (69%) were on anticoagulants, and 25 (96%) were admitted with a head injury due to a GLF. The median age was 77 (IQR 55-92) years. After 2 months, 22 (85%) wore the device with 0 falls and no GLF hospital readmissions. Usability assessment with 26 patients revealed positive scores for the HPD post discharge regarding satisfaction (mean 4.8, SD 0.89), usability (mean 4.23, SD 0.86), effectiveness (mean 4.69, SD 0.54), and relevance (mean 4.12, SD 1.10). Nonparametric tests showed positive results with no significant differences between 2 observations. One issue emerged in the domain of aesthetics; post discharge, 8 (30%) patients had a concern about device weight. Analysis showed differences in patient compliance regarding age (χ12=4.27; P=.04) but not sex (χ12=1.58; P=.23) or race (χ12=0.75; P=.60). Age group 1 was more likely to wear the device for normal daily activities. Patients most often wore the device ambulating, and protection was identified as the primary benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

The HPD intervention is likely to have reasonably high compliance in a population at risk for GLFs as it was considered usable, protective, and relevant. The feasibility and wearability of the device in patients who are at risk for GLFs will inform future directions, which includes a multicenter study to evaluate device compliance and effectiveness. Our work will guide other institutions in pursuing technologies and interventions that are effective in mitigating injury in the event of a fall in this high-risk population.

Surgical stabilization of rib fracture patients versus nonoperative controls treated by a multidisciplinary team in a single institution

Introduction

Despite promising evidence, surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is not ubiquitously offered in all trauma centers. Some centers struggle with patient selection while some struggle due to surgeon comfort with the technique. To address this issue, our trauma center developed a multidisciplinary SSRF approach between orthopedic and trauma surgery.

Methods

This retrospective study compared 43 patients who underwent SSRF at a level 1 trauma center with 43 nonoperatively managed controls. Our study Indications were flail chest with >3 segments; non-flail with severe, bi-cortical displacement of >3 contiguous segments. Main outcome measures included mortality, ICU duration, hospital stay LOS, rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator days.

Results

Results of SSRF included decreases in mortality (2% vs 16.3%; p = 0.03) and in ICU duration. Patients with SSRF had a significantly shorter duration in the ICU than the nonoperative group (8.72 vs 14 days; p = 0.013) but a similar hospital duration (LOS mean, 12.81 vs 15.2; p = 0.29). Less patients in the SSRF group developed VAP but the difference was not significant (2% vs 14%, p = 0.055).

Discussion

SSRF patient outcomes supported prior evidence. The tandem approach had benefits as surgeons were able to leverage skills and expertise, increase collaboration between services, and complete more difficult reconstructions. Our experience may serve as a model for trauma centers interested in starting a new program or enhancing current service offerings.

Shift Length and Shift Length Preference Among Acute Care Surgeons

BACKGROUND

Work hour restrictions have been imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education since 2003 for medical trainees. Many acute care surgeons currently work longer shifts but their preferred shift length is not known.

METHODS

The purpose of this study was to characterize the distribution of the current shift length among trauma and acute care surgeons and to identify the surgeons' preference for shift length. Data collection included a questionnaire with a national administration. Frequencies and percentages are reported for categorical variables and medians and means with SDs are reported for continuous variables. A chi-square test of independence was performed to examine the relation between call shift choice and trauma center level (level 1 and level II), age, and gender.

RESULTS

Data from 301 surgeons in 42 states included high-level trauma centers. Assuming the number of trauma surgeons in the United States is 4129, a sample of 301 gives the survey a 5% margin of error. The median age was 43 years (M = 46, SD = 9.44) and 33% were female. Currently, only 23.3% of acute care surgeons work a 12-hour shift, although 72% prefer the shorter shift. The preference for shorter shifts was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between call shift length preference and trauma center level, age, or gender.

CONCLUSION

Most surgeons currently work longer than 12-hour shifts. Yet, there was a preference for 12-hour shifts indicating there is a gap between current and preferred shift length. These findings have the potential to substantially impact staffing models.

Multiple gallstones causing ileus twenty years after cholecystectomy

Gallstone ileus is an important form of small bowel obstruction that occurs in less than 0.5% of patients who present with obstruction. A biliary enteric fistula that evolves in the setting of chronic cholecystitis may allow the passage of a large gallstone into the gastrointestinal tract distal to the common duct. A single stone that is sufficient in size (at least 2–2.5 cm diameter) may then create a mechanical obstruction, most often at the ileocecal valve or the terminal ileum where the intestinal lumen narrows, and where peristalsis is less robust. We present an unusual case of gallstone ileus in a patient whose obstruction was caused by not one, but seven individual gallstones, collectively restricted in the jejunum at the point of a previous anastomosis and occurring twenty years after cholecystectomy.

Traumatic Injuries Associated With Standing Motorized Scooters

This cross-sectional study assesses the incidence and severity of traumatic injuries associated with motorized scooters, as well as the associated use of protective devices and intoxicants.

An 8-factor prognostic model predicted early death in patients with traumatic bleeding

QUESTION

Does a prognostic model accurately estimate risk for early death in patients with traumatic bleeding?

DESIGN

2 cohort studies: Clinical Randomisation of an Antifibrinolytic in Significant Haemorrhage (CRASH-2) trial (derivation) and Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) dataset (validation).

SETTING

274 hospitals in 40 countries (derivation cohort) and 60% of hospitals that received trauma patients in England and Wales and some hospitals in Europe (validation cohort).

PATIENTS

Derivation cohort: 20 127 trauma patients with, or at risk for, significant bleeding within 8 hours of injury (median age 30 y, median 2 h from injury). Validation cohort: 14 220 patients > 15 years of age (median age 39 y, median 1 h from injury) who arrived at hospital alive and had ≥ 1 of death from injury during admission, hospitalization > 3 days, need for intensive or high-dependency care, or need for interhospital transfer for specialist care. Patients who had isolated closed limb injuries or were > 65 years of age with isolated fractured neck of femur or pubic ramus fracture were excluded. DESCRIPTION OF PREDICTION GUIDE: The prognostic model included country (low, middle, or high income), age, time since injury, Glasgow coma score, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, and type of injury (blunt or penetrating) (available at www.crash2.lshtm.ac.uk).

OUTCOME

Early death (in-hospital death within 4 wk of injury).

MAIN RESULTS

15% and 12% of patients from the derivation and validation cohorts died. The operating characteristics of the model in the derivation and validation cohorts are in the Table.

CONCLUSION

An 8-factor prognostic model predicted early death in patients with traumatic bleeding.

The taxane-enhancer STA-4783 induces Hsp70 expression and apoptosis via an oxidative stress mechanism

14107

Background: STA-4783 is an inducer of Hsp70 expression and apoptosis that recently completed a successful Phase II clinical trial in melanoma. In a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial in patients with Stage IV disease, STA-4783 plus paclitaxel doubled progression-free survival compared to paclitaxel alone (Perspectives in Melanoma X and the Third International Melanoma Research Congress, 2006). The mechanism by which STA-4783 synergizes with paclitaxel is not fully understood. To identify the major pathway modulated by STA- 4783 in vitro, a transcriptional profiling analysis of drug-treated melanoma cells was performed. Methods: Transcriptional profiling was performed on Hs294T and MDA-MB-435 melanoma cell lines treated with STA-4783. The induction of Hsp70 RNA and other human genes was monitored by Real Time-PCR (RT-PCR) analysis. Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was performed in human cells using the Carboxy-H2DCFDA probe. Levels of apoptotic cell death were determined by flow cytometry analysis using an Annexin V specific probe. Results: Transcriptional profiling revealed that STA-4783 induced the expression of numerous gene families known to be regulated by oxidative stress, including heat shock proteins and metallothioneins. STA-4783 induced the generation of ROS in cells resulting in the oxidation and activation of the Carboxy-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. The antioxidants N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and Tiron potently blocked the induction of Hsp70 RNA and apoptotic cell death. Conclusions: STA-4783 induces oxidative stress in cells resulting in Hsp70 induction and apoptotic cell death. Although STA-4783 initially induced a transient protective response, apoptotic cell death occurred due to sustained oxidative stress. Cancer cells produce more ROS than normal cells and are thus more sensitive to insults that induce oxidative stress. The induction of ROS in melanoma cells by STA-4783 may therefore enhance the efficacy of paclitaxel in vivo. STA-4783 belongs to a novel class of anticancer agents that induce cell death by pushing the cancer cell beyond its oxidative stress breaking point.

[Table: see text]

An intervention to decrease catheter-related bloodstream infections in the ICU

BACKGROUND

Catheter-related bloodstream infections occurring in the intensive care unit (ICU) are common, costly, and potentially lethal.

METHODS

We conducted a collaborative cohort study predominantly in ICUs in Michigan. An evidence-based intervention was used to reduce the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections. Multilevel Poisson regression modeling was used to compare infection rates before, during, and up to 18 months after implementation of the study intervention. Rates of infection per 1000 catheter-days were measured at 3-month intervals, according to the guidelines of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System.

RESULTS

A total of 108 ICUs agreed to participate in the study, and 103 reported data. The analysis included 1981 ICU-months of data and 375,757 catheter-days. The median rate of catheter-related bloodstream infection per 1000 catheter-days decreased from 2.7 infections at baseline to 0 at 3 months after implementation of the study intervention (P< or =0.002), and the mean rate per 1000 catheter-days decreased from 7.7 at baseline to 1.4 at 16 to 18 months of follow-up (P<0.002). The regression model showed a significant decrease in infection rates from baseline, with incidence-rate ratios continuously decreasing from 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47 to 0.81) at 0 to 3 months after implementation of the intervention to 0.34 (95% CI, 0.23 to 0.50) at 16 to 18 months.

CONCLUSIONS

An evidence-based intervention resulted in a large and sustained reduction (up to 66%) in rates of catheter-related bloodstream infection that was maintained throughout the 18-month study period.

Aortic intimal injuries from blunt trauma: resolution profile in nonoperative management

OBJECTIVE

To provide preliminary data on the resolution profile of aortic intimal injuries treated nonoperatively and on the safety of nonoperative management of these injuries.

METHODS

Five blunt trauma patients diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with traumatic intimal injury of the aorta were assigned to nonoperative management. This included beta-blockade to maintain systolic blood pressure between 80 and 90 mm Hg and heart rate between 60 and 80 beats/min, serial TEE studies, and invasive monitoring in the intensive care unit. The evolution of injury, the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment, and the potential need for an operative intervention were monitored.

RESULTS

The patients had a mean Injury Severity Score of 32 and sustained multiple associated thoracic and extrathoracic injuries. Aortic injuries were located at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum and in the descending aorta adjacent to the diaphragm in three and two patients, respectively. The mean size of injury was 12.5 mm (range, 5-20 mm) and a thrombus attached to the endothelium was present in three of the five patients. Complete resolution of injury occurred within 9.4 +/- 6.6 days (range, 3-19 days). All patients remained hemodynamically stable and adequately perfused. All demonstrated progressive resolution of their aortic intimal injuries. No complications related to the aortic injuries were identified during a mean follow-up of 16.8 months.

CONCLUSION

This small series suggests that aortic intimal injuries smaller than 20 mm in hemodynamically stable patients treated with beta-blockade resolve within several days. This approach appears safe when monitored by serial TEE studies performed by experienced experts, and continuous invasive hemodynamic monitoring.

Abdominal compartment syndrome in patients with burns

Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is a well-recognized perioperative complication that occurs in patients who undergo intra-abdominal operations and who require extensive fluid resuscitation. The classic presentation of this syndrome includes high peak airway pressures; oliguria, despite adequate filling pressures; and intra-abdominal pressures of more than 25 mm Hg. A decompressive laparotomy performed at the bedside can alleviate ACS. If left untreated, sustained intra-abdominal hypertension is often fatal. In the literature, ACS has been described in pediatric patients with burns but not in adult patients with burns. This article describes 3 adults who sustained burns of more than 70% of their body surface areas, who required more than 20 L of crystalloid resuscitation, and who developed ACS during their resuscitation after the burn injury. The mortality rate among these patients was 100%, which confirms the grave consequences of this syndrome. In our institution, intra-abdominal pressure is now routinely measured as part of the burn resuscitation process in an attempt to diagnose and treat this syndrome earlier and more efficaciously. It is recommended that the possibility of ACS be considered when diagnosing any patient with burns who develops high airway pressures, oliguria, or both.