External validation of a pediatric decision rule for blunt abdominal trauma

INTRODUCTION

Blunt traumatic injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography is the best imaging tool for screening patients at risk of blunt abdominal injury. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) abdominal rule was derived to identify patients at low risk for significant abdominal injury who do not require imaging.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric patients with blunt trauma to validate the PECARN rule in a non-pediatric specialized hospital from February 3, 2013, through December 31, 2019. We excluded those with penetrating or mild isolated head injury. The PECARN decision rule was retrospectively applied for the presence of a therapeutic intervention, defined as a laparotomy, angiographic embolization, blood transfusion, or administration of intravenous fluids for pancreatic or gastrointestinal injury. Sensitivity and specificity analysis were conducted along with the negative and positive predictive values.

RESULTS

A total of 794 patients were included in the final analysis; 23 patients met the primary outcome for an acute intervention. The PECARN clinical decision rule (CDR) had a sensitivity of 91.3%, a negative predictive value of 99.5, and a negative likelihood ration of 0.16.

CONCLUSION

In a non-pediatric specialty hospital, the PECARN blunt abdominal CDR performed with comparable sensitivity and negative predictive value to the derivation and external validation study performed at specialized children's hospitals.

Success Of An Expedited Emergency Department Triage Evaluation System For Geriatric Trauma Patients Not Meeting Trauma Activation Criteria

Background

Geriatric patients are at increased risk of injury following low-energy mechanisms and are less tolerant of injury. Current criteria for trauma team activation (TTA) often miss these injuries. We evaluated a novel triage process for an expedited Emergency Medicine Physician evaluation protocol (T3) for at-risk geriatric sub-populations not meeting trauma team activation (TTA) criteria.

Methods

Retrospective review of injured patients (≥65 years) from a Level II Trauma Center with an Injury Severity Score (ISS < 16), prior to (Pre-T3, Jan 2007-Oct 2009), and after (Post-T3, Jan 2010-Oct 2012), implementation of T3, as well as a contemporary period (CP, Jan 2013-Oct 2015). Demographics, physiologic variables, and timeliness of care were measured. Rates of ICU admission, operative procedures and lengths of stay and in-hospital mortality were compared for all periods. Logistic regression analysis determined variables independently associated with mortality.

Results

Post-T3, 49.2% of geriatric registry patients underwent T3 with a reduction in key time intervals. Median time to evaluation (42.1 mins vs 61.7 min, p<0.001), median time to CT (161.3 mins vs 212.9 mins, p<0.001) and EDLOS (364.6 mins vs 451.5 mins, p=0.023) were all reduced compared to non-expedited evaluations. There was no change in mortality after the implementation of the protocol.

Conclusion

The T3 protocol expedited patient evaluation of at-risk geriatric patients that would not otherwise meet TTA criteria. The new process met the goals of the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program while conserving resources.

Being Narrow Minded is Not Always Bad: Focusing on Emergent Interventions in Undertriage Initiatives Improves Mortality Prediction

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma defines undertriage (UT) as any major trauma patient (injury severity score ≥ 16) not undergoing treatment at the highest level of trauma team activation. This methodology does not account for many important factors that may impact outcome. We performed a retrospective review of the Pennsylvania State Trauma Registry to determine the impact of treatment interventions on mortality. Patients were stratified by triage category as follows: UT, appropriate triage, and overtriage. Multiple prehospital (PH) and ED interventions were assessed. Increased mortality was observed in all triage groups in patients requiring intervention. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent effect of individual interventions on mortality for patients triaged to partial activation or consult. PH CPR (OR 66.13 [47.07–92.93]), ED CPR (OR 16.87 [8.82–32.27]), PH or ED intubation (OR 16.68 [13.90–20.03]), PH or ED packed red blood cell transfusion (OR 1.89 [1.54–2.33]), emergent operative intervention (OR 3.58 [3.07–4.19]), ED central venous access (OR 5.04 [2.31–10.97]) were all associated with worsening mortality. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma methodology overestimates mortality risk when emergent interventions are not required and underestimates risk where such interventions are necessary. Future methodologies for assessing UT should include these interventions.

Being Narrow Minded Is Not Always Bad: Focusing on Emergent Interventions in Undertriage Initiatives Improves Mortality Prediction

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma defines undertriage (UT) as any major trauma patient (injury severity score ≥ 16) not undergoing treatment at the highest level of trauma team activation. This methodology does not account for many important factors that may impact outcome. We performed a retrospective review of the Pennsylvania State Trauma Registry to determine the impact of treatment interventions on mortality. Patients were stratified by triage category as follows: UT, appropriate triage, and overtriage. Multiple prehospital (PH) and ED interventions were assessed. Increased mortality was observed in all triage groups in patients requiring intervention. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent effect of individual interventions on mortality for patients triaged to partial activation or consult. PH CPR (OR 66.13 [47.07-92.93]), ED CPR (OR 16.87 [8.82-32.27]), PH or ED intubation (OR 16.68 [13.90-20.03]), PH or ED packed red blood cell transfusion (OR 1.89 [1.54-2.33]), emergent operative intervention (OR 3.58 [3.07-4.19]), ED central venous access (OR 5.04 [2.31-10.97]) were all associated with worsening mortality. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma methodology overestimates mortality risk when emergent interventions are not required and underestimates risk where such interventions are necessary. Future methodologies for assessing UT should include these interventions.

Basic and Clinical Observations of Mevalonate Depletion on the Mevalonate Signaling Pathway

Inhibition of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase by pharmaceuticals, commonly referred to as statins, has proven to be an effective and efficient way in reducing cholesterol levels in patients. As a result of this intervention, mevalonate production, formed during cholesterol synthesis, is inhibited. Mevalonate is the precursor to a variety of crucial downstream products, including those involved with the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and localized activation of small GTPases. Statins have also been observed to induce changes of the immune system, favouring a reduced proinflammatory phenotype. However, near complete cessation of mevalonate and its downstream products have severe pro-inflammatory consequences as evident by patients suffering from mevalonate kinase deficiency who have increased inflammasome activity. It is evident that mevalonate production is a pivotal component of normal homeostatic cell processing, especially in maintaining a muted inflammatory response.