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Background: Missed documentation for critical care time (CCT) for dying patients may represent a missed opportunity for physicians to account for intensive care unit (ICU) services, including end-of-life care. We hypothesized that CCT would be poorly documented for dying trauma patients., Methods: Adult trauma ICU patients who died between December 2014 and December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Critical care time was not calculated for patients with comfort care code status. Critical care time on the day prior to death and day of death was collected. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with documented CCT., Results: Of 147 patients, 43% had no CCT on day prior to death and 55% had no CCT on day of death. 82% had a family meeting within 1 day of death. Family meetings were independently associated with documented CCT (OR 3.69, P = .008); palliative care consultation was associated with decreased documented CCT (OR .24, P < .001)., Conclusions: Critical care time is not documented in half of eligible trauma patients who are near death. Conscious (time spent in family meetings and injury acuity) and unconscious factors (anticipated poor outcomes) likely affect documentation.

Background: The Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) trial demonstrated a survival benefit to trauma patients who received thawed plasma as part of early resuscitation. The objective of our study was to examine the association between blood transfusion and nosocomial infections among trauma patients who participated in the PAMPer trial. We hypothesized that transfusion of blood products will be associated with the development of nosocomial infections in a dose-dependent fashion., Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data of patients in the PAMPer trial with hospital length of stay of at least 3 days. Demographics, injury characteristics, and number of blood products transfused were obtained to evaluate outcomes. Bivariate analysis was performed to identify differences between patients with and without nosocomial infections. Two logistic regression models were created to evaluate the association between nosocomial infections and (1) any transfusion of blood products, and (2) quantity of blood products. Both models were adjusted for age, sex, and Injury Severity Score., Results: A total of 399 patients were included: age, 46 years (interquartile range, 29-59 years); Injury Severity Score, 22 (interquartile range, 12-29); 73% male; 80% blunt mechanism; and 40 (10%) deaths. Ninety-three (27%) developed nosocomial infections, including pneumonia (n = 67), bloodstream infections (n = 14), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (n = 10), skin and soft tissue infection (n = 8), Clostridium difficile colitis (n = 7), empyema (n = 6), and complicated intra-abdominal infections (n = 3). Nearly 80% (n = 307) of patients received packed red blood cells (PRBCs); 12% received cryoprecipitate, 69% received plasma, and 27% received platelets. Patients who received any PRBCs had more than a twofold increase in nosocomial infections (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.58; p = 0.047). The number of PRBCs given was also associated with the development of nosocomial infection (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.16; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Trauma patients in the PAMPer trial who received a transfusion of at least 1 U of PRBCs incurred a twofold increased risk of nosocomial infection, and the risk of infection was dose dependent., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/care management, level IV., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is associated generally with worse outcomes among hospitalized patients, but the impact of CAUTI on clinical outcomes is poorly described in trauma patients. We hypothesized that trauma patients with CAUTI would have worse outcomes such as longer length of stay (LOS), fewer discharges to home, and higher outcome of death. Methods: Patients with LOS >2 d in the 2016 Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database were included. Patients with and without CAUTI were matched 1:1 via a propensity score using patient, injury, and hospital factors as covariates. Matched pair analysis was performed to compare difference in clinical outcomes between patients with and without CAUTI. Results: There were 238,274 patients identified, of whom 0.7% had a diagnosis of CAUTI. Prior to matching, CAUTI patients had a higher mortality rate (6.6% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.01), but groups differed significantly. There were 1,492 matched pairs created, with effective reduction in bias; post-match propensity score covariates all had absolute standardized differences <0.1. In matched pair analysis, CAUTI patients had lower outcome of death compared with patients without CAUTI (6.7% vs. 10.1%, p < 0.01). The CAUTI was associated with longer length of stay, more intensive care unit and ventilator days, more unplanned events, and fewer discharges to home (all p < 0.01). Conclusions: Trauma patients with CAUTI had lower outcome of death compared with patients without CAUTI, despite worse clinical outcomes in all other aspects. This difference may be associated with "rescue" care in the form of unplanned events, and CAUTI may be an unintended consequence of this "rescue" care, rather than a marker of poor quality of care.

Introduction: Risk factors for complications after liver injury do not distinguish between patients undergoing selective non-operative management (sNOM) vs operative management (OM) as the initial treatment strategy. Our objective was to identify risk factors for complications requiring an unplanned intervention following sNOM or OM. We hypothesized that patient undergoing sNOM will have fewer unplanned interventions., Methods: Adults presenting to a level I trauma center with grade III or higher liver injury over a period of 6 years were reviewed. Patient and injury factors, initial management strategy, subsequent complications and interventions were obtained. Bivariate analysis was performed between patients undergoing sNOM vs OM to determine factors associated with unplanned interventions, defined as intervention >48 h after injury. Logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors for unplanned interventions., Results: 191 patients were identified: 105 (55%) grade III, 64 (34%) grade IV, and 22 (12%) grade V injury; 136 (71%) underwent sNOM and 55 (29%) underwent OM. 21 (15%) patients required an unplanned intervention: 26 percutaneous drainage, 10 ERCP, and 3 angiography; 12 had multiple procedures. Male gender, younger age, higher ISS, higher grade of injury, firearm mechanism, and initial OM (all p < 0.05) were associated with unplanned interventions. Firearm mechanism and injury grade IV and V, but not initial OM, were independent risk factors for an unplanned intervention., Conclusions: Grade of liver injury, not the initial mode of treatment, was significantly associated with requiring an unplanned intervention for liver-related complications. Surveillance at 7-10 days, or prior to discharge, in the high-risk group may be able to capture those requiring unplanned intervention and readmission., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: A structured family meeting (FM) is recommended within 72 h of admission for trauma patients with high risk of mortality or disability. Multidisciplinary FMs (MDFMs) may further facilitate decision-making. We hypothesized that FM within three hospital days (HDs) or MDFM would be associated with increased use of comfort measures., Materials and Methods: We reviewed all adult trauma deaths at an academic level 1 trauma center from December 2014 to December 2017. Death in the first 24 h or on nonsurgical services were excluded. Demographics, injury characteristics, FM characteristics, and outcomes such as length of stay (LOS) were recorded. Early FM was defined as occurring within three HDs; MDFM required attendance by two or more specialty teams., Results: A total of 177 patients were included. Median LOS was 6 d (interquartile range 4-12). FMs were documented in 166 patients (94%), with 57% occurring early. MDFM occurred in 49 (28%), but usually occurred later (median HD 5 and interquartile range 2-8). Early FM was associated with reduced LOS (5 versus 11 d, P < 0.001), ventilator days (4 versus 9 d, P < 0.001), and deaths during a code (1.2% versus 13.2%, P < 0.001). MDFM was associated with higher use of comfort measures (88% versus 68%, P < 0.05). Of patients who transitioned to comfort care status (n = 130, 73.4%), code status change occurred earlier if an early FM occurred (5 versus 13 d, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: MDFM is associated with increased comfort care measures, whereas early FM is associated with reduced LOS, ventilator days, death during a code, and earlier comfort care transition., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)