Residents at Trauma Centers: Helping or Hurting?

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Medical Education
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Residency training is crucial for developing physician skills.
• Analyzing patient data before (BR) and during (DR) resident involvement in trauma resuscitation.
• Hypothesis: Resident participation does not worsen patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between resident involvement in trauma resuscitation and patient outcomes.
• To evaluate the impact of resident participation on trauma care efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Single-center retrospective review of trauma alert patients (2018-2020).
• Comparison of patient variables between the before resident (BR) and during resident (DR) periods.
• Analysis focused on trauma care efficiency and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• 4204 patients included: 2022 BR, 2182 DR.
• Slightly longer ED length of stay and CT-to-admission/OR time in DR.
• Decreased time in trauma bay (DR), fewer pulmonary emboli (DR), and fewer unexpected ICU admissions (DR).
• No significant difference in mortality between BR and DR.

Conclusions:

• Resident participation in trauma resuscitation is linked to improved patient-centered outcomes.
• No increase in mortality observed with resident involvement.
• Incorporating residents into trauma care is not detrimental, with few clinically significant differences noted.