Improving communication during damage control surgery: a survey of adult major trauma centres in England

Deficiencies in non-technical skills can severely impede the functioning of teams in high-intensity scenarios, such as in damage control surgery for the critically injured trauma patient. Truncated preoperative checklists, modified from the standard World Health Organization preoperative checklist, and situational reporting at intervals during surgery are long-established practices in the military, and are recommended in the National Health Service guidelines on major incidents. These tools allow the multiprofessional team to create a shared mental model of the anaesthetic and operative plan, thereby improving team efficiency. Our aim was to establish whether adult major trauma centres in England are using truncated preoperative checklists and situational reporting for damage control surgery.

An online survey was devised and distributed via the national programme of care for trauma in November 2020.

Responses were received from all 23 adult major trauma centres in England. Nine centres (39.1%) reported using a truncated preoperative checklist for damage control surgery albeit in a variety of formats. Common components were blood products received and/or available, presence of allergies, tranexamic acid and antibiotic administration, availability of viscoelastic tests, equipment required, availability of cell saver, role allocation and reference to other personnel needed, and discussion of the plan. Twelve centres (52.2%) have formal policies in place for situational reporting. Again, these were in multiple formats but all focused on patient physiology to direct surgical planning.

We have identified key components to advanced communication aids for damage control surgery, providing a foundation on which other major trauma centres can build their own versions of these potentially lifesaving tools.