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Published on: March 26, 2018
Right Place at the Right Time: Thoracotomies at Level I Trauma Centers Have Associated Improved Survival
Jamie R Oliver1, Charles J DiMaggio2, Matthew L Duenes1
1New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
Background:
Early thoracotomy (ET) is a procedure performed on patients in extremis. Identifying factors associated with ET survival may allow for optimization of guidelines and improved patient selection.
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to assess whether ETs performed at Level I trauma centers (TC) are associated with improved survival.
Methods:
This was a retrospective study utilizing the National Trauma Databank 2014-2015. We included all thoracotomies performed within 1 h of hospital arrival. Patients were stratified according to TC designation level. Patient demographics, outcomes, and center characteristics were compared. We conducted multivariable regression with survival as the outcome.
Results:
There were 3183 ETs included in this study; 2131 (66.9%) were performed at Level I TCs. Patients treated at Level I and non-Level I TCs had similar median injury severity scores, as well as signs of life and systolic blood pressures on admission. Patients treated at Level I TCs had significantly higher survival rates (21.6% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.001), with 40% greater odds of survival after controlling for injury-specific factors and emergency medical services transportation time (adjusted odds ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.89, p = 0.03). Penetrating injuries had 23.1% survival after ET vs. 12.9% for blunt injuries (adjusted odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.37-2.53, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
ETs performed at Level I TCs were associated with 40% greater odds of survival compared with ETs at non-Level I TCs. This demonstrates that factors extrinsic to the patient may play a role in survival of severely injured patients.
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