Resource utilization and secondary overtriage for patients with traumatic renal injuries in a regional trauma system

While renal trauma management has shifted to conservative nonoperative management, insufficient data exist to guide interhospital renal trauma transfer protocols. Secondary overtriage is defined as the potentially avoidable transfer of patients from a lower to a higher-level trauma center despite the lack of need for higher-level care. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of secondary overtriage in renal trauma patients to a level 1 trauma center.

A retrospective cohort study was performed of all renal trauma patients transferred to a level 1 institution between 2005 and 2017. Secondary overtriage was defined as a potentially avoidable transfer that consisted of hospital stay <72 hours with survival, no surgical or interventional radiology procedure, and all nonabdominal Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of <3 after transfer. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate odds of secondary overtriage based on predefined clinical criteria.

Of the 612 renal trauma patients transferred between 2005 and 2017, 71 (11.6%) met the criteria for secondary overtriage. Female patients and patients coming from level IV/V trauma centers were more likely to have potentially avoidable transfers (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Mean (SD) Injury Severity Score was 10 (4.2) and 30.7 (14.3) in overtriaged and appropriately triaged patients, respectively (p < 0.001). Of the 71 overtriaged patients, 70.4% had isolated renal injuries. Patients with isolated renal injuries (odds ratio, 39.0; 95% confidence interval, 16.44-105.39) and those transferred from a level IV/V trauma center (odds ratio, 3.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.64-9.61) had a higher likelihood of secondary overtriage.

Within our regional trauma system, the majority of secondary overtriage was due to potentially avoidable transfers from level IV/V centers and of patients with isolated renal injuries. By implementing strategies to reduce the secondary overtriage burden on major trauma centers, regional trauma systems can avoid unnecessary costs while maintaining patient safety and ensuring appropriate care.

Therapeutic/care management, Level III.