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Background Escharotomy is the primary effective intervention to relieve constriction and impending vascular compromise in deep, circumferential or near-circumferential burns of the extremities and trunk. Training on escharotomy indications, technique and pitfalls is essential, as escharotomy is both an infrequent and high-risk procedure in civilian and military medical environments, including low-resource settings. Therefore, we aimed to validate an educational strategy that combines video-based instruction with a low-cost, low-fidelity simulation model for teaching burn escharotomy. Methods Pre-hospital and hospital-based medical personnel, with varying degrees of burn care-related experience, participated in a one-hour training session. The first part of the training consisted of video-based instruction that described the indications, preparation, steps, pitfalls and complications associated with escharotomy. The second part of the training consisted of a supervised, hands-on simulation with a previously described low-cost, low-fidelity escharotomy model. Participants were then offered two psychometrically validated instruments to assess their learning experience. Results 40 participants were grouped according to prior burn care and surgical experience: attending surgeons (6), surgery and emergency medicine residents and fellows (26), medical students (5), and pre-hospital personnel (3). On two psychometrically validated questionnaires, participants at both the attending and trainee levels overwhelmingly confirmed that our educational strategy met best educational practices on the criteria of active learning, collaboration, diverse ways of learning, and high expectations; they also highly rated their satisfaction with and self-confidence under this learning strategy. Discussion An educational strategy that combines video-based instruction and a low-cost, low-fidelity escharotomy simulation model was successfully demonstrated with participants across a broad range of prior burn care experience levels. This strategy is easily reproducible and broadly applicable to increase the knowledge and confidence of medical personnel before they are called to perform escharotomy. Important applications include resource-limited environments and deployed military settings.

Background Retained rectal foreign bodies are a common but incompletely studied problem. This study defined the epidemiology, injury severity, and outcomes after rectal injuries following foreign body insertion. Methods Twenty-two level I trauma centers retrospectively identified all patients sustaining a rectal injury in this AAST multi-institutional trial (2005-2014). Only patients injured by foreign body insertion were included in this secondary analysis. Exclusion criteria were death before rectal injury management or ≤48 h of admission. Demographics, clinical data, and outcomes were collected. Study groups were defined as partial thickness (AAST grade I) versus full thickness (AAST grades II-V) injuries. Subgroup analysis was performed by management strategy (nonoperative versus operative). Results After exclusions, 33 patients were identified. Mean age was 41 y (range 18-57), and 85% (n = 28) were male. Eleven (33%) had full thickness injuries and 22 (67%) had partial thickness injuries, of which 14 (64%) were managed nonoperatively and 8 (36%) operatively (proximal diversion alone [n = 3, 14%]; direct repair with proximal diversion [n = 2, 9%]; laparotomy without rectal intervention [n = 2, 9%]; and direct repair alone [n = 1, 5%]). Subgroup analysis of outcomes after partial thickness injury demonstrated significantly shorter hospital length of stay (2 ± 1; 2 [1-5] versus 5 ± 2; 4 [2-8] d, P = 0.0001) after nonoperative versus operative management. Conclusions Although partial thickness rectal injuries do not require intervention, difficulty excluding full thickness injuries led some surgeons in this series to manage partial thickness injuries operatively. This was associated with significantly longer hospital length of stay. Therefore, we recommend nonoperative management after a retained rectal foreign body unless full thickness injury is conclusively identified.

Palliative care as a routine part of care for solid organ transplant recipients has been recommended to support patients and their caregivers. Palliative care focuses on quality of life for patients with serious illness and their families. Solid organ transplant recipients can have significant morbidity and mortality. When they present to the outpatient clinic, it may be an opportunity for the primary care provider to incorporate primary palliative care interventions into their medical care. Palliative care interventions can be provided regardless of prognosis or types of treatments a patient is receiving and have been associated with improvements in patient quality of life, symptom burden, advance care planning, patient and caregiver satisfaction, and healthcare utilization. Advance care planning can help align patients’ medical care with their individual goals and values, which are important to both document and reassess with major changes in health, such as after solid organ transplantation. Patients may continue to experience symptoms after transplantation as a result of surgery, immunosuppressive medications, or continued organ dysfunction. Referral to a palliative care specialist may be needed in cases of refractory symptoms, worsening health status, cognitive decline, approaching end of life, or challenging decision-making when considering high-risk procedures.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a hemorrhage control technique that is increasingly being adopted for the management of noncompressible bleeding. In addition to limiting hemorrhage, REBOA increases blood flow to the heart, lungs, and brain. A small number of case reports and animal studies describe the use of REBOA to increase coronary perfusion during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report a case in which REBOA may have reversed ST-segment abnormalities during a Type II non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in a patient with previous trauma. We describe the presentation, course, and decision making that contributed to the use of REBOA in this case. Additionally, we will present a review of the literature on the effects of REBOA on coronary perfusion.

New developments in bullet technology are challenging what is commonly known about penetrating injuries from gunshot wounds. The so-called ‘bullet-rule’ posits the number of wounds and projectiles associated with a patient should add to an even number. This trauma paradigm is being shattered by the advent of new fragmenting projectiles. These frangible rounds break into several pieces after soft tissue penetration changing the expected trajectory, injury location, and extent of tissue damage. In this case report, the authors describe the case of a 15-year-old boy injured by a G2 Radically Invasive Projectile (RIP). The patient’s resultant pattern of injuries and the diagnostic utility of imaging were imperative for guiding his clinical management. The case serves as a useful example of the challenges and recommended strategies in managing a patient injured by a new fragmenting bullet.

Introduction Rectal injuries have been historically treated with a combination of modalities including direct repair, resection, proximal diversion, presacral drainage, and distal rectal washout. We hypothesized that intraperitoneal rectal injuries may be selectively managed without diversion and the addition of distal rectal washout and presacral drainage in the management of extraperitoneal injuries are not beneficial. Methods This is an American Association for the Surgery of Trauma multi-institutional retrospective study from 2004 to 2015 of all patients who sustained a traumatic rectal injury and were admitted to one of the 22 participating centers. Demographics, mechanism, location and grade of injury, and management of rectal injury were collected. The primary outcome was abdominal complications (abdominal abscess, pelvic abscess, and fascial dehiscence). Results After exclusions, there were 785 patients in the cohort. Rectal injuries were intraperitoneal in 32%, extraperitoneal in 58%, both in 9%, and not documented in 1%. Rectal injury severity included the following grades I, 28%; II, 41%; III, 13%; IV, 12%; and V, 5%. Patients with intraperitoneal injury managed with a proximal diversion developed more abdominal complications (22% vs 10%, p = 0.003). Among patients with extraperitoneal injuries, there were more abdominal complications in patients who received proximal diversion (p = 0.0002), presacral drain (p = 0.004), or distal rectal washout (p = 0.002). After multivariate analysis, distal rectal washout [3.4 (1.4-8.5), p = 0.008] and presacral drain [2.6 (1.1-6.1), p = 0.02] were independent risk factors to develop abdominal complications. Conclusion Most patients with intraperitoneal injuries undergo direct repair or resection as well as diversion, although diversion is not associated with improved outcomes. While 20% of patients with extraperitoneal injuries still receive a presacral drain and/or distal rectal washout, these additional maneuvers are independently associated with a three-fold increase in abdominal complications and should not be included in the treatment of extraperitoneal rectal injuries. Level of evidence Therapeutic study, level III.

Background Advanced peripheral arterial disease is associated with an overall annual mortality between 20–40%. Amputees are at particularly high risk for perioperative and long-term mortality and may benefit from palliative care programs to improve quality of life and to align medical treatments with their goals of care. As studies of palliative care in vascular patients are scarce, we sought to examine palliative care utilization using below knee amputation (BKA) as a surrogate for advanced peripheral arterial disease. Methods All patients who underwent below knee amputation over a 5-year period at a single large academic medical center were identified through chart review. Demographics, preoperative conditions, intraoperative factors, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. The primary outcome was palliative care consultation at the time of the amputation. The secondary outcomes included one-year mortality and palliative care consultation prior to death. Results The cohort comprised 111 patients (76 men, 35 women) who received BKA for chronic limb threatening ischemia. Three patients (2.7%) received palliative care consultations at the time of their amputation. Of these, one had been obtained remotely for an oncologic condition and the others for surgical decision-making. Follow-up was available for 73 patients. One-year mortality was 21.9% (n = 16) at a mean of 102 ± 86 days after BKA. Among patients who died within 1 year of their amputation, 37.5% (n = 6) received palliative care consultations prior to their death. The median interval between amputation and palliative consultation was 26 (IQR 14–81) days. The median interval between palliative consultation and death was 9 (IQR 4–39) days. Conclusion Palliative care services were rarely provided to patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease. When obtained, consultations occurred closer to death than to amputation suggesting a missed opportunity to receive the benefits of early evaluation. Future studies can be aimed at identifying a cohort of vascular patients who would most benefit from early palliative evaluation and determining if palliative consultations alter health care utilization patterns and outcomes for vascular patients.

The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date insight into the current practices of palliative care in elderly trauma patients. The use and need of palliative care programs have grown substantially throughout the USA in both public and not-for-profit hospitals. The geriatric trauma outcome score has been proposed as a tool to help better explain to patients and their stakeholders the likelihood of mortality in injured geriatric trauma patients. The study of frailty and the differences between patients of similar age has become a focus of many surgical societies. Recent studies also address how to improve end-of-life communication through training programs for health-care professionals. Palliative care in trauma and other populations is evolving. Adequately trained staff are needed for facilitating care in this vulnerable patient population, while also providing education on best practices for appropriate discussion of palliation and end-of-life care in the trauma population.

BACKGROUND There are no clear guidelines for the best test or combination of tests to identify traumatic rectal injuries. We hypothesize that computed tomography (CT) and rigid proctoscopy (RP) will identify all injuries. METHODS American Association for the Surgery of Trauma multi-institutional retrospective study (2004-2015) of patients who sustained a traumatic rectal injury. Patients with known rectal injuries who underwent both CT and RP as part of their diagnostic workup were included. Only patients with full thickness injuries (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade II-V) were included. Computed tomography findings of rectal injury, perirectal stranding, or rectal wall thickening and RP findings of blood, mucosal abnormalities, or laceration were considered positive. RESULTS One hundred six patients were identified. Mean age was 32 years, 85(79%) were male, and 67(63%) involved penetrating mechanisms. A total of 36 (34%) and 100 (94%) patients had positive CT and RP findings, respectively. Only 3 (3%) patients had both a negative CT and negative RP. On further review, each of these three patients had intraperitoneal injuries and had indirect evidence of rectal injury on CT scan including pneumoperitoneum or sacral fracture. CONCLUSION As stand-alone tests, neither CT nor RP can adequately identify traumatic rectal injuries. However, the combination of both test demonstrates a sensitivity of 97%. Intraperitoneal injuries may be missed by both CT and RP, so patients with a high index of suspicion and/or indirect evidence of rectal injury on CT scan may necessitate laparotomy for definitive diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic, level IV.

Objective Elderly burn patients vary in physiologic age and frailty. While previous evidence suggests that frailty on admission is associated with poor outcomes, changes in frailty during hospitalization for a burn injury have not been reported. Methods We performed a two-year retrospective review of all elderly (≥65 years) burn-patients admitted to our burn center. Patients who died during admission were excluded. Data collected include: demographics, injury characteristics, outcomes, and discharge disposition. Canadian Study on Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scores (CFS) were calculated on admission and at discharge. Change in frailty was calculated for each patient. Mean values are represented as mean ± standard deviation, median values are represented as median (IQR). Results Seventy-nine patients, mean age of 75 ± 8 years, with a mean admission CFS was 4.3 ± 1.2 and discharge CFS was 5.1 ± 1.2 were included in the study. The mean change in CFS was −0.55 ± 0.93. Forty-six patients (59%) had no change or an improvement in frailty during hospitalization while 32 (41%) had worsened CFS at discharge. Patients whose CFS was worse at discharge had larger burns (12.8 ± 10.7% vs. 6.28 ± 5.7%), lower admission CFS (3.88 ± 1.5 vs. 4.93 ± 1.0), and longer ICU stays (15.6 ± 18.9 vs. 7.64 ± 10.6 days) than patients without change in CFS. On multivariate regression analysis TBSA (OR 1.2 (1.07–1.3)) and admission CFS of 1–4 (OR 7.9 (2.2–28)) were significant predictors of worsened CFS at discharge. Conclusions In our study population, patients with low admission frailty scores are at greatest risk for worsened frailty at discharge and should be targeted for the development of future frailty prevention programs.

Although many frailty scales exist, a single scale has not been agreed upon to define frailty. Herein, we determined whether the Canadian Study on Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (CSHA CFS) can predict the risk of elderly patients for hospital mortality and discharge to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) following traumatic injury.Charts from trauma patients aged ≥65 y admitted from December 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 were retrospectively examined. Age, mechanism of injury, Glasgow coma score, systolic blood pressure and heart rate on arrival, injury severity score, hospital mortality, length of stay, and discharge disposition were recorded. Frailty scores were determined from admission data using the CSHA CFS. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.A total of 1403 patients were included. The mean age was 77.6 ± 8.6 y. Patients with falls presented higher frailty scores than patients who sustained injuries through other mechanisms (4.58 ± 1.2 versus 3.52 ± 1.15; P 0.00001) and were significantly older (79.5 ± 8.6 versus 73.4 ± 7.4; P 0.00001). Frailty scores of nonsurvivors were significantly higher than those of survivors (4.6 ± 1.3 versus 4.2 ± 1.2; P 0.01). Age, Glasgow coma score, and CSHA CFS combined were associated with mortality (odds ratio: 1.52; confidence interval: 1.37-1.69). A higher frailty score was associated with earlier death and increased mortality.CSHA CFS is simple and provides frailty scores that can help identifying elderly patients at high risk for in-hospital mortality and discharge to SNF following traumatic injury.

There is an increasing involvement of different disciplines in requirements capture. However, such collaboration can result in the replacement of one set of problems with another as the priorities of systems designers conflict with those of social science researchers. Some of these difficulties are illustrated by a description of the course of a project to develop a software tool for fashion designers.