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Significant variation in computed tomography imaging of pregnant trauma patients: a retrospective multicenter study.
PURPOSE: Following motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), patients often undergo extensive computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, pregnant trauma patients (PTPs) represent a unique population where the risk of fetal radiation may supersede the benefits of liberal CT imaging. This study sought to evaluate imaging practices for PTPs, hypothesizing variability in CT imaging among trauma centers. If demonstrated, this might suggest the need to develop specific guidelines to standardize practice. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study (2016-2021) was performed at 12 Level-I/II trauma centers. Adult (≥18 years old) PTPs involved in MVCs were included, with no patients excluded. The primary outcome was the frequency of CT. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables, and ANOVA was used to compare the means of normally distributed continuous variables. RESULTS: A total of 729 PTPs sustained MVCs (73% at high speed of ≥ 25 miles per hour). Most patients were mildly injured but a small variation of injury severity score (range 1.1-4.6, p < 0.001) among centers was observed. There was a variation of imaging rates for CT head (range 11.8-62.5%, p < 0.001), cervical spine (11.8-75%, p < 0.001), chest (4.4-50.2%, p < 0.001), and abdomen/pelvis (0-57.3%, p < 0.001). In high-speed MVCs, there was variation for CT head (12.5-64.3%, p < 0.001), cervical spine (16.7-75%, p < 0.001), chest (5.9-83.3%, p < 0.001), and abdomen/pelvis (0-60%, p < 0.001). There was no difference in mortality (0-2.9%, p =0.19). CONCLUSION: Significant variability of CT imaging in PTPs after MVCs was demonstrated across 12 trauma centers, supporting the need for standardization of CT imaging for PTPs to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure while ensuring optimal injury identification is achieved
Development and Validation of a Novel Hollow Viscus Injury Prediction Score for Abdominal Seatbelt Sign: A Pacific Coast Surgical Association Multicenter Study
BACKGROUND: High-quality computed tomography (CT) can exclude HVI in patients with an A-SBS but performs poorly at identifying HVI. Delay in diagnosis of HVI has significant consequences necessitating timely identification. STUDY DESIGN: This multicenter, prospective observational study conducted at nine trauma centers between August 2020-October 2021 included adult trauma patients with A-SBS who underwent abdominal CT prior to surgery. HVI was determined intra-operatively and physiologic, examination, laboratory, and imaging findings were collected. Lasso and probit regression selected predictor variables and coefficients were used to assign integer points for the HVI Score. Validation was performed by comparing area under receiver operating curves (AUROC). RESULTS: Analysis included 473 in the development set and 203 in the validation set. The HVI Score includes initial systolic blood pressure \u3c 110mmHg, abdominal tenderness, guarding, and select abdominal CT findings. The derivation set has an AUROC of 0.96 and the validation set has an AUROC of 0.91. The HVI Score ranges from 0-17 with score 0-5 having a HVI risk of 0.03-5.36%, 6-9 having a risk of 10.65-44.1%, and 10-17 having a risk of 58.59-99.72%. CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter study developed and validated a novel HVI Score incorporating readily available physiologic, examination, and CT findings to risk stratify patients with an abdominal SBS. The HVI Score can be used to guide decisions regarding management of a patient with an abdominal SBS and suspected HVI
Excluding Hollow Viscus Injury for Abdominal Seat Belt Sign Using Computed Tomography
Importance: Abdominal seat belt sign (SBS) has historically entailed admission and observation because of the diagnostic limitations of computed tomography (CT) imaging and high rates of hollow viscus injury (HVI). Recent single-institution, observational studies have questioned the utility of this practice. Objective: To evaluate whether a negative CT scan can safely predict the absence of HVI in the setting of an abdominal SBS. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in 9 level I trauma centers between August 2020 and October 2021 and included adult trauma patients with abdominal SBS. Exposures: Inclusion in the study required abdominal CT as part of the initial trauma evaluation and before any surgical intervention, if performed. Results of CT scans were considered positive if they revealed any of the following: abdominal wall soft tissue contusion, free fluid, bowel wall thickening, mesenteric stranding, mesenteric hematoma, bowel dilation, pneumatosis, or pneumoperitoneum. Main Outcomes and Measures: Presence of HVI diagnosed at the time of operative intervention. Results: A total of 754 patients with abdominal SBS had an HVI prevalence of 9.2% (n = 69), with only 1 patient with HVI (0.1%) having a negative CT (ie, none of the 8 a priori CT findings). On bivariate analysis comparing patients with and without HVI, there were significant associations between each of the individual CT scan findings and the presence of HVI. The strongest association was found with the presence of free fluid, with a more than 40-fold increase in the likelihood of HVI (odds ratio [OR], 42.68; 95% CI, 20.48-88.94; P \u3c .001). The presence of free fluid also served as the most effective binary classifier for presence of HVI (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve [AUC], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.91). There was also an association between a negative CT scan and the absence of HVI (OR, 41.09; 95% CI, 9.01-727.69; P \u3c .001; AUC, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.66-0.70). Conclusions and Relevance: The prevalence of HVI among patients with an abdominal SBS and negative findings on CT is extremely low, if not zero. The practice of admitting and observing all patients with abdominal SBS should be reconsidered when a high-quality CT scan is negative, which may lead to significant resource and cost savings