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Randomised controlled trials in pre-hospital trauma: a systematic mapping review
Matilda K Björklund1, Moira Cruickshank1, Robbie A Lendrum2,3,4
1Health Services Research Unit, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK.
Insights
Evidence from pre-hospital trauma trials is sparse, with poor reporting and suboptimal designs. High-quality research is needed to improve care and outcomes for trauma patients worldwide.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Trauma is a major global cause of death, particularly for younger individuals.
- The pre-hospital phase significantly impacts trauma patient survival.
- High-quality clinical trials are a priority to enhance pre-hospital trauma care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically map the evidence base for pre-hospital trauma trials.
- To identify knowledge gaps in pre-hospital trauma research.
- To inform future research agendas in pre-hospital trauma care.
Main Methods:
- A systematic mapping review was conducted.
- Searched key databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) up to March 2020.
- Identified and characterized randomized controlled trials in pre-hospital trauma.
Main Results:
- 23 eligible studies with 10,405 participants across 14 countries were included.
- Fluid therapy and analgesia interventions comprised 60% of trials.
- Studies showed heterogeneity, poor reporting, and suboptimal designs; no patient involvement was reported.
Conclusions:
- Evidence from pre-hospital trauma trials is sparse.
- Existing trials often suffer from poor reporting and suboptimal designs.
- Significant scope exists for improving pre-hospital trauma care through high-quality evidence generation.
Background:
Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with about 5.8 million deaths globally and the leading cause of death in those aged 45 and younger. The pre-hospital phase of traumatic injury is particularly important as care received during this phase has effects on survival. The need for high quality clinical trials in this area has been recognised for several years as a key priority to improve the evidence base and, ultimately, clinical care in prehospital trauma. We aimed to systematically map the existing evidence base for pre-hospital trauma trials, to identify knowledge gaps and inform decisions about the future research agenda.
Methods:
A systematic mapping review was conducted first employing a search of key databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from inception to March 23rd 2020) to identify randomised controlled trials within the pre-hospital trauma and injury setting. The evidence 'map' identified and described the characteristics of included studies and compared these studies against existing priorities for research. Narrative description of studies informed by analysis of relevant data using descriptive statistics was completed.
Results:
Twenty-three eligible studies, including 10,405 participants across 14 countries, were identified and included in the systematic map. No clear temporal or geographical trends in publications were identified. Studies were categorised into six broad categories based on intervention type with evaluations of fluid therapy and analgesia making up 60% of the included trials. Overall, studies were heterogenous with regard to individual interventions within categories and outcomes reported. There was poor reporting across several studies. No studies reported patient involvement in the design or conduct of the trials.
Conclusion:
This mapping review has highlighted that evidence from trials in prehospital trauma is sparse and where trials have been completed, the reporting is generally poor and study designs sub-optimal. There is a continued need, and significant scope, for improvement in a setting where high quality evidence has great potential to make a demonstrable impact on care and outcomes.
