Recent wartime experience has demonstrated that tourniquets can save lives. Yet many common military and civilian injuries — particularly armpit and groin injuries and pelvic fractures — remain difficult to treat in the field. Patients with these injuries are at high risk for bleeding to death. This article was developed by Trauma System News in…
Author: Trauma News
The trauma response fee — commonly known as the trauma activation fee — allows designated trauma centers to recoup the cost of trauma team readiness. While many centers have developed and implemented a trauma activation fee, program leaders are often uncertain whether they are charging too much or too little. A new online calculator allows…
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an abrupt decrease in kidney function. AKIs can result from traumatic injury, but according to the National Trauma Data Standard (NTDS) Data Dictionary not all AKIs should be included in the trauma registry. In this month’s Trauma Registry Q&A column, data experts from Pomphrey Consulting explain the pitfalls of kidney…
Recent studies have shown that civilian tourniquet use dramatically reduces the risk of death for injured patients. But how do prehospital tourniquets affect other patient outcomes? According to a new study from Tulane University, civilian tourniquet use for penetrating extremity bleeding is associated with a lower incidence of shock and decreased blood product utilization. The…
The 2019 Creighton Trauma Symposium will take place on June 14 in Omaha, Nebraska. This year’s keynote speaker is J. Wayne Meredith, MD, FACS, chief of surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Health. The title of his speech is “Lessons Learned on the Way to the Operating Room.” “This talk highlights everything I have learned about…
Clinical trials have firmly established the relationship between transfusion ratios and survival. But during a fast-paced trauma resuscitation, keeping track of blood components and monitoring crystalloid volumes is a major logistical challenge. A new device called the MTP Scorekeeper™ tracks transfusion ratios and displays them clearly to the entire trauma team. This article was developed…
The 12th annual Erlanger Trauma Symposium will take place June 6-7, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The symposium will include a full day of presentations from trauma experts plus hands-on training in several trauma procedures and interventions. Day 1: Trauma and Critical Care Conference (Thursday, June 6) Experts will discuss current trends in trauma care, with…
Trauma surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston have developed an interdisciplinary clinical pathway to identify and manage frailty in older trauma patients. The new care pathway has reduced the rate of delirium and the 30-day readmission rate. A study describing the new pathway appears as an “article in press” on the Journal of…
The second Pan-American Endovascular Resuscitation and Trauma Management (EVTM) Symposium will take place in Denver on November 17-18, 2019. The EVTM Symposium is the only conference dedicated to the exploration of catheter-based approaches to treating injured and acutely ill patients. Its goal is to provide a dynamic forum for provocative discussion and debate with leaders…
The 2019 update of the National Trauma Data Standard (NTDS) Data Dictionary includes several changes to venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis type. In this month’s column, trauma registry experts from Pomphrey Consulting explain the changes, what they mean and what registrars need to do. Q. What has changed in 2019 for coding VTE prophylaxis? To download…