Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:Traumatic kidney injury is an infrequent event with a wide range of injury patterns. The aim of this paper is to review the incidence, mechanisms of injury, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic indications of renal injury according to the most recent evidence and to perform an analysis of mortality rates on these patients. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To perform a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis on traumatic kidney injuries. DATA SOURCES/METHODS:A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Articles published in English, French and Spanish were selected from 1963 to 2018. MeSH terms utilized were renal trauma, kidney trauma, blunt renal trauma, and penetrating renal trauma. STUDY PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:The eligilibility criteria included only original and human subject articles. Articles not involving human patients, cancer related, review articles, surveys, iatrogenic injuries, pediatric patients, and case reports were excluded from this search. RESULTS:Forty-six articles met the inclusion criteria of which 48,660 patients were identified and included in this review. Gender was reported in 32,918 cases, of which 75.3% of patients were male with a mean age of 33 years. Of the 44,865 patients where the mechanism of injury was described, we identified 36,086 (80.5%) patients that sustained blunt trauma, while 8,779 (19.5%) were due to penetrating mechanisms. Twenty one series with a total of 31,689 patients included the mortality rate. Overall mortality rate with exact binomial 95% confidence interval estimated via random effects model was 6.4% (4.8%-8.4%). CONCLUSIONS:Non-operative management has become the standard in renal trauma management with good results in morbidity and mortality. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of unnecessary iatrogenic nephrectomies and potential improvement in a patient's quality of life. When an invasive treatment is necessary, angioembolization for active bleeding or nephrorrhaphy is usually sufficient.

Trauma injuries to the neck account for 5-10% of all trauma injuries and carry a high rate of morbidity and mortality, as several vital structures can be damaged. Currently, there are several treatment approaches based on initial management by zones, initial management not based on zones and conservative management of selected patients. The objective of this systematic review is to describe the management of neck trauma.

BACKGROUND:The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) is an inclusive and supportive organization that focuses on development of the junior trauma surgeon. In 2019, there continues to be bias based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation in our profession and society at large. We believe that EAST is uniquely positioned to investigate, quantify/categorize, and search for productive and effective solutions to these issues that affect our colleagues, profession, and patients. The EAST Equity, Quality and Inclusion Task Force, or #EAST4ALL, was thus created, with the goal of addressing these issues together as a community. METHODS:A series of Task Force meetings and teleconferences was held to collect subjective and objective data and experiences related to bias and equity issues and experiences. A uniquely structured #EAST4ALL Plenary Session was created to both introduce this initiative and to couple real-world experiential descriptives with related reviews of the relevant literature and the concept of "implicit bias". RESULTS:We share anecdotal and evidence-based examples of bias in trauma surgery presented at the inaugural #EAST4ALL Plenary Session along the axes of: i) childbearing & family concerns, ii) micro & macroaggressions, iii) gender, iv) race & ethnicity, iv) religion or country of origin, v) sexual orientation & gender identity. We then share our proposal and suggested courses of action for member-based solutions based on our various workgroups: a) Assessment & Research; b) Education; c) Guidelines & Processes; d) Mentorship, Dialogue & Collaboration. CONCLUSIONS:Inequities and bias in the field of trauma surgery may have profound and deleterious impacts, lifelong for some, that we must acknowledge and eradicate. The dignity and respect we afford our patients, must be extended to each other. Our EAST Equity, Quality and Inclusion Task Force, with membership input, hopes to create a future that is truly an #EAST4ALL. STUDY TYPE/METHODS:Original Article LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) represents an innovative method by which noncompressible bleeding in the torso can be mitigated until definitive treatment can be obtained. To perform a systematic review of the literature on the use of the REBOA in trauma patients. An English and Spanish literature search was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus, from 1948 to 2018. Keywords used were aortic balloon occlusion, resuscitative endovascular balloon, REBOA, hemorrhage, and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta. The eligilibility criteria included only original and human subject articles. Nontrauma patients, nonbleeding pathology, letters, single case reports, reviews, and pediatric patients were excluded. Two hundred forty-six articles were identified, of which 17 articles were included in this review. The total number of patients was 1340; 69 per cent were men and 31 per cent women. In 465 patients, the aortic zone location was described: 83 per cent the balloon was placed in aortic zone I and 16 per cent in zone III. Systolic blood pressure increased at an average of 52 mmHg before and after aortic occlusion. Although 32 patients (2.4%) presented clinical complications derived from the procedure, no mortality was reported. The trauma-related mortality rate was 58 per cent (776/1340). REBOA is a useful resource for the management of noncompressive torso hemorrhage with promising results in systolic blood pressure and morbidity. Indications for its use include injuries in zones 1 and 3, whereas it is not clear for zone 2 injuries. Additional studies are needed to define the benefits of this procedure.

BACKGROUND:Pre-peritoneal pelvic packing (PPP) is a technique used for treating pelvic hemorrhage in patients with pelvic fractures and hemodynamic instability after a high-energy trauma representing a life-threatening situation. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of the literature. METHODS:A review of the medical literature was performed, based on the following inclusion criteria: patients sustaining pelvic fractures with hemodynamic instability and the inclusion of PPP as a tool for hemorrhage control. Articles not involving human patients, review articles, surveys, pediatric patients, hemodynamic stability, case reports, and not directly related publications; such as angiography with or without embolization, and REBOA use for hemorrhage control as a primary outcome evaluation were excluded from this search. RESULTS:Eleven articles out of seventy-seven identified publications between 2008 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. CONCLUSIONS:PPP is a surgical approach used in life-threatening situations due to pelvic fracture with high risk of death for exsanguination. Performed expediently, good results can be obtained with a decrease in the need for blood products, improved systolic blood pressure, and a decrease in mortality rates overall. This makes PPP an important life-saving tool.

BACKGROUND:Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem leading many health care organizations to recommend universal screening as part of standard health care practice. Prior work shows that most IPV victims and perpetrators are unidentified by health care staff. We sought to enhance the capacity of an urban trauma center to identify IPV using a dual-method screening tool, and to establish prevalence of IPV victimization and perpetration among this population. METHODS:Patients aged 18 and older were recruited from a Level 1 trauma center from May 2015 to July 2017. Participants were assessed for IPV using a touch-screen tablet and then via face-to-face assessment. The data were used to determine feasibility of this dual method and to establish prevalence of IPV in this sample. RESULTS:Of 586 eligible patients, 250 were successfully recruited for the study (43% response rate). Using the subscales of physical abuse, severe psychological abuse, and sexual coercion from the tablet-based Conflict Tactics Scale 2, 40% of women and 34% of men met criteria for IPV exposure in the past year and 35.6% of men and 50.6% of women met criteria using the face-to-face screen. In total, 102 patients (40.8%) screened positive using the dual method. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:This study reports on a dual method to improve screening and identification of IPV in a Level 1 trauma center. Ultimately, the dual screening method identified more victims than either method on its own. Our findings provide evidence to standardize universal screening in our trauma center. Moving forward, we will link screening results to medical record data to identify predictors of patients' current experiences of psychological and physical IPV. Our ultimate goal is to use these predictors to build a model for identifying patients who are at high risk for IPV victimization or perpetration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Epidemiologic study, level III.

BACKGROUND:Despite increasing usage since their introduction, there exist no evidence-based guidelines on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and injury prevention. While the power and speed of these vehicles has increased over time, advancements in ATV safety have been rare. METHODS:A priori questions about ATV injury pattern and the effect of helmet and safety equipment use and legislation mandating use were developed. A query of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase for all-terrain vehicle injury was performed. Letters to the editor, case reports, book chapters, and review articles were excluded. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology was used to perform a systematic review and create recommendations. RESULTS:Twenty-eight studies were included. Helmet use reduced traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, studies examining whether legislation mandating helmet use reduced TBI had mixed results. When ATV safety legislation was enforced, overall injury rates and mortality decreased. However, enforcement varied widely and lack of enforcement led to decreased compliance with legislation and mixed results. There was not enough evidence to determine the effectiveness of non-helmet-protective equipment. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Helmet use when riding an ATV reduced the rate of TBI. ATV safety legislation, when enforced, also reduced morbidity and mortality. Compliance with laws is often low, however, possibly due to poor enforcement. We recommend helmet use when riding on an ATV to reduce TBI. We conditionally recommend implementing ATV safety legislation as a means to reduce ATV injuries, noting that enforcement must go hand in hand with enactment to ensure compliance.

Traumatic retroperitoneal injuries constitute a challenge for trauma surgeons. They usually occur in the context of a trauma patient with multiple associated injuries, in whom invasive procedures have an important role in the diagnosis of these injuries. The retroperitoneum is the anatomical region with the highest mortality rates, therefore early diagnosis and treatment of these lesions acquire special relevance. The aim of this study is to present current published scientific evidence regarding incidence, mechanism of injury, diagnostic methods and treatment through a review of the international literature from the last 70 years. In conclusion, this systematic review showed an increasing trend towards non-surgical management of retroperitoneal injuries.

This study determined prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among female clients at three hair salons in Connecticut using an anonymous tablet based screening tool. While many may assume that women receive services at hair salons, victims of IPV are often isolated by their partners and unable to access help. Of the 203 clients who participated, 40 (20%) had experienced IPV in her lifetime. In identifying the prevalence of IPV within the salon setting, this study provides support for community-based programs and supports their legitimacy as an important locus for identifying women experiencing IPV and connecting them to resources.

The aim of this study was to describe the management of severe blunt renal injuries at a Level I trauma hospital. Data were collected through a record review of patients admitted from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011. These data were compiled as part of our hospital's participation in the Nonoperative Management of Grade IV and V Blunt Renal Injuries: A Research Consortium of New England Centers for Trauma Study. Thirty-six patients with severe blunt renal injuries were identified. Twenty-nine (80.6%) underwent nonoperative management (NOM) for their injuries. Seven (19.4%) received an immediate operation because of hemodynamic instability or CT findings of large hemoperitoneum or extravasation. No significant differences were observed on Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, injury grade, or systolic blood pressure on arrival to the emergency department. On arrival, the operative patients had higher heart rates and lower hematocrit and hemoglobin values relative to the NOM patients. The kidney was salvaged in three of the seven operative patients and was either saved or partially saved in all except one NOM patient. Three NOM patients died; none because of renal injuries. All other patients were successfully managed. None of the operative patients died. NOM management of high-grade renal injury was successful for these patients and should be considered in the management of grade IV and V blunt renal trauma.