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Purpose The use of lung ultrasound for diagnosis of COVID-19 has emerged during the pandemic as a beneficial diagnostic modality due to its rapid availability, bedside use, and lack of radiation. This study aimed to determine if routine ultrasound (US) imaging of the lungs of trauma patients with COVID-19 infections who undergo extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (EFAST) correlates with computed tomography (CT) imaging and X-ray findings, as previously reported in other populations. Methods This was a prospective, observational feasibility study performed at two level 1 trauma centers. US, CT, and X-ray imaging were retrospectively reviewed by a surgical trainee and a board-certified radiologist to determine any correlation of imaging findings in patients with active COVID-19 infection. Results There were 53 patients with lung US images from EFAST available for evaluation and COVID-19 testing. The overall COVID-19 positivity rate was 7.5%. COVID-19 infection was accurately identified by one patient on US by the trainee, but there was a 15.1% false-positive rate for infection based on the radiologist examination. Conclusions Evaluation of the lung during EFAST cannot be used in the trauma setting to identify patients with active COVID-19 infection or to stratify patients as high or low risk of infection. This is likely due to differences in lung imaging technique and the presence of concomitant thoracic injury.

Firearm injuries are the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States. In Colorado, firearm injuries have surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death in youth. Local research is necessary to characterize risk factors associated with pediatric firearm injuries. We sought to categorize demographics, neighborhood characteristics, and trends in pediatric firearm injuries in Colorado.A review of pediatric firearm-injured patients (18 years or younger) evaluated at four trauma centers in Colorado from 2008 to 2019 was conducted. Clinical information, injury intent, and demographics were collected. Patient addresses were geocoded to census tracts to obtain neighborhood-level characteristics. Annual trends in firearm injury incidence per trauma evaluation were analyzed using regression modeling.There were 446 firearm injuries during the study period. The median age was 16 years, and 87.0% were male. Assault was the most common injury intent (64.6%), and 92.0% of patients were from metropolitan (rural-urban continuum code 1-3) areas. Neighborhoods associated with firearm injuries were characterized by lower median household income ($47,112 vs. $63,443, p0.001) and higher levels of poverty (19.1% vs. 9.4%, p0.001) compared with median state levels. There was a 14.0% increase in firearm injuries compared with overall trauma evaluations for each year in the study period (incidence rate ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.20; p0.001).The incidence of pediatric firearm injuries increased significantly from 2008 to 2019 compared with overall trauma evaluations in Colorado. Children and adolescents who live in more socially vulnerable neighborhoods are disproportionately impacted, and injury prevention resources should be focused on these communities.Prognostic and Epidemiolgic; Level III.

The role of non-invasive measures of physiologic reserve, specifically the Compensatory reserve index (CRI) and the Shock index pediatric age-adjusted (SIPA), is unknown in the management of children with acute appendicitis. CRI is a first-in-class algorithm that uses pulse oximetry waveforms to continuously monitor central volume status loss. SIPA is a well-validated, but a discontinuous measure of shock that has been calibrated for children.Children with suspected acute appendicitis (2-17 years old) were prospectively enrolled at a single center from 2014 to 2015 and monitored with a CipherOx CRI™ M1 pulse oximeter. CRI values range from 1 (normovolemia) to 0 (life-threatening hypovolemia). SIPA is calculated by dividing heart rate by systolic blood pressure and categorized as normal or abnormal, based on age-specific cutoffs. Univariate and multivariable regression models were developed with simple versus perforated appendicitis as the outcome.Almost half the patients (45/94, 48%) had perforated appendicitis. On univariate analysis, the median admission CRI value was significantly higher (0.60 versus 0.33, p 0.001) and the ED SIPA values were significantly lower (0.90 versus 1.10, p = 0.002) in children with simple versus perforated appendicitis. In a multivariable model, only CRI significantly detected differences in the physiologic state between patients with simple and perforated appendicitis.CRI is a non-invasive measure of physiologic reserve that may be used to accurately guide early management of children with acute simple versus perforated appendicitis.