J Trauma
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The fastest route between two points is not always a straight line: An analysis of air and land transfer of nonpenetrating trauma patients.
The distance beyond which helicopter transport is faster than ground for interfacility transfer of trauma patients has not been established. Our objective was to determine whether such a threshold exists. ⋯ Several factors other than the distance to be traveled determine the time required for interfacility transfer of trauma patients. A fixed distance threshold beyond which helicopter transport should be used does not exist. The decision as to which mode of transport to use for emergent trauma patient transfers should be based upon multiple factors including the distance traveled and ambulance availability, and must be individualized for each site that transfers patients.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The effect of a protocol of aggressive donor management: Implications for the national organ donor shortage.
The disparity between the number of people awaiting organ transplantation and the number of organs available has become a public health crisis. As many as 25% of potential donors are lost as a result of cardiovascular collapse (CVC) before organ harvest. A policy of aggressive donor management (ADM) may decrease the number of cadaveric donors lost as a result of CVC. ⋯ An aggressive donor management protocol decreases the number of donors lost as a result of cardiovascular collapse and increases the number of harvested organs per potential donor.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Variation in the management of pediatric splenic injuries in the United States.
This study examines the existence and sources of variation in the management of pediatric splenic injuries among hospitals in the United States and the factors associated with splenectomy. ⋯ Nationally, children cared for at freestanding pediatric hospitals have a significantly lower risk of splenectomy than children treated at either adult hospitals or pediatric hospitals within an adult hospital. This may have implications for education, trauma triage and the establishment of practice guidelines.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Spiral computed tomography for the initial evaluation of spine trauma: A new standard of care?
Although spiral computed tomographic scanning (SCT) is frequently used for spinal imaging in injured patients, many trauma centers continue to rely on plain film radiography (PFR). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a trauma center's transition from PFR to SCT for initial spine evaluation in trauma patients by comparing diagnostic sensitivity, time required for radiographic imaging, costs, charges, and radiation exposure. ⋯ SCT is a more rapid and sensitive modality for evaluating the spine compared with PFR and is obtained at a similar cost. The advantages of SCT suggest that this readily available diagnostic modality may replace PFR as the standard of care for the initial evaluation of the spine in trauma patients.