Trauma Scores Show Limited Utility for Predicting In-Flight Deterioration in Air Medical Patients

The aim of this study was to determine the utility of the Triage Revised Trauma Score (TRTS), Glasgow Coma Scale/Age/systolic Pressure (GAP) score, and Shock Index (SI) in predicting in-flight hypotension and the need for critical care interventions in air medical trauma patients.

A retrospective review of 3,582 air medical trauma cases from a 3-year period in Queensland was conducted. An initial TRTS, GAP score, and SI were calculated for each patient, and the lowest in-flight mean arterial pressure and systolic blood pressure were determined. The institution of in-flight critical care interventions was also recorded, including fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, and surgical procedures. The utility of the TRTS, GAP score, and SI for predicting in-flight hypotension was then examined using receiver operating characteristic curves.

All 3 approaches showed minor predictive value, with the GAP score performing slightly better than TRTS and SI for predicting in-flight interventions. The GAP score had a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.76 compared with 0.74 for the TRTS and SI.

No score demonstrated sufficient predictive ability for deterioration in transit to be used clinically.