BACKGROUND:Autopsies are the gold standard for determining traumatic deaths causes, but rates have been decreasing. Postmortem computed tomography is an alternative; however, its utility and feasibility in patients who have undergone interventions is unknown. In addition, questions remain about artifacts caused by surgical interventions and postmortem putrefaction. We hypothesized that postmortem computed tomography is a rapid, reliable, and practical alternative to trauma autopsy, even in patients who underwent invasive interventions. METHODS:All postmortem computed tomography scans at our trauma center from March 2023 to April 2024 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into those who received invasive interventions, defined as thoracostomy, thoracotomy, or laparotomy, and those who did not. Injury severity score pre- and postpostmortem computed tomography was compared between groups. postmortem computed tomography scans were reviewed to investigate missed injuries and the presence of ectopic air. RESULTS:In total, 54 patients received postmortem computed tomography, with a mean age of 42 ± 18 years. Most were male (78%) with blunt injury (82%). The median time from death to postmortem computed tomography was 126 minutes. Among the 25 patients (46%) who underwent invasive interventions, Injury Severity Score increased from 10 to 48 after postmortem computed tomography (P < .001). In the no-intervention group, Injury Severity Score increased similarly after postmortem computed tomography (3 vs 50, P < .001). Hepatic gas was seen in 70% and intracardiac air in 56% of patients. Time from death to postmortem computed tomography was similar in patients with and without hepatic gas and intracardiac air (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS:Postmortem computed tomography increases Injury Severity Score in patients who received invasive interventions and can identify injuries that may be missed on autopsy, such as ectopic air, making it a rapid and reliable alternative to autopsy.

Introduction Falls account for nearly ¾ of all trauma in the geriatric population. We hypothesized that history and physical could reliably identify elderly patients with ground-level falls (GLF) who require head and cervical spine imaging. Materials and methods Patients of age >65 y with GLF from January, 2018 to December, 2021 at a level 1 trauma center were retrospectively reviewed. Falls from height, transfers, and presentation >48 h post injury were excluded. Primary outcome was head or cervical spine injury defined by (+) computed axial tomography (CT). Data were compared with univariate and multivariate analyses at P < 0.05. Results In 825 patients, 275 (33%) were on home anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents, half (51%) were considered frail, and most had at least one comorbidity prior to arrival. In 645 (79%) with a head CT, 174 (27%) were (+) and 20 (11%) required surgical intervention. Head CT changes were associated with male gender, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score < 15, external signs of head injury, and headache, but not pre-existing anticoagulation. In 536 (65%) with cervical spine CT, 32 (6%) were (+) and 5 (17%) required surgery. Only neck symptoms were associated with (+) cervical spine injury. Conclusions In geriatric GLF, normal GCS score with no external signs of head trauma or headache indicates a low likelihood of head injury regardless of pre-existing anticoagulation. Similarly, the absence of neck symptoms suggests a low likelihood of cervical spine injury. Thus, history and physical are reliable in the workup of head and cervical spine injuries after geriatric GLF.

Background:Biologic mesh is often used in complex hernia repair, but there has been limited clinical evidence to date to support this practice. The aim of this study was to compare clinical and patient-reported outcomes of biologic versus synthetic mesh for complex open ventral hernia repair (OVHR) at 3 years. Methods:Patients from a single center, randomized, controlled, pilot trial comparing biologic versus synthetic mesh in complex OVHR were followed for 3 years. The primary outcome focused on major complications, namely mesh infections, hernia recurrences, reoperations, and deaths. Secondary outcomes included surgical site infections, surgical site occurrences, and patient-reported outcomes. Outcomes were assessed using frequentist generalized linear models. Results:A total of 87 patients (44 biologic mesh, 43 synthetic mesh) were randomized, and 61 patients (70%; 28 biologic and 33 synthetic) completed 3-year follow-up. Baseline demographics were similar in both groups. No significant differences were seen in major complications (50% vs 30%, P = .123), mesh infection (14% vs 3%, P = .144), recurrence (39% vs 24%, P = .214), reoperation (14% vs 9%, P = .531), or mortality (4% vs 0%, P = .459) between the 2 arms. A single death occurred as a result of bacteremia in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. Similarly, no significant differences were seen in secondary or patient-reported outcomes. Both groups demonstrated clinically important improvements in quality of life and pain scores at 3 years. Conclusion:This study failed to find benefits with biologic mesh as opposed to synthetic mesh in complex OVHR at 3 years when comparing both clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

Early triage of trauma patients requiring massive transfusion (MT) may help to marshal appropriate resources and improve treatment and outcome. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offer theoretical advantages compared to conventional prediction algorithms but have not been thoroughly evaluated in this population. We hypothesized that AI/ML techniques incorporating all available data in a patient's medical record could achieve similar, if not higher, performance in the prediction of mortality in MT patients as compared to existing models. Patients from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project database (TQIP) were retrospectively reviewed. Those receiving ≥ 5 units of red blood cells and/or whole blood within the first four hours of arrival were defined as MT patients. Those receiving ≥10 units were identified as ultramassive transfusion (UMT) patients. ML models were created to predict 6-hour mortality using variables available at different time points, including patient arrival. Of 5,481,046 patients in TQIP from 2017 to 2021, 47,744 received MT and 20,337 of these received UMT. Using only variables available on arrival, MT AUROC was 0.901 [95% CI 0.895-0.910] which increased to 0.943 [95% CI 0.938-0.948] with addition of 4-hour variables. For UMT, arrival AUROC was 0.858 [95% CI 0.846-0.872] and increased to 0.922 [95% CI 0.914-0.931] at 4 hours. ML models reliably predict mortality in both MT and UMT patients. These are the only ML models trained on MT and UMT patients. Future work can focus on prospective implementation of these models with potential direct integration into the electronic medical record. Real-time utilization of comprehensive patient data may enhance clinical decision-making regarding which patients should continue receiving massive transfusion, thus optimizing the allocation of this limited resource.

INTRODUCTION:Machine learning (ML) algorithms have been developed to predict surgical site infection (SSI) in some populations, but not after emergent trauma laparotomy. We hypothesized that ML could identify patients at risk of SSI using only variables that are available perioperatively and that could be automatically extracted from the patient's chart. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Patients from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project database who received a laparotomy within 90 min of arrival were retrospectively reviewed. ML models were created to predict clinically meaningful in-hospital SSI (defined as either deep or organ space SSI), with subanalyses for both deep and organ space SSI individually. A game theoretical approach was used to estimate the relative significance of each variable toward the final prediction. RESULTS:Of 5,481,046 patients in American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project from 2017 to 2021, 74,806 met the inclusion criteria. SSI incidence was 3.2%. The model for the composite SSI outcome achieved an area under the receiver-operator curve of 0.805 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.787-0.824) with the organ space SSI alone model slightly outperforming the deep SSI alone model (area under the receiver-operator curve of 0.832 (95% CI 0.808-0.855) compared to 0.776 (95% CI 0.745-0.804). The most impactful variables were the facility SSI rate, colorectal injury, total number of injuries, and volume of packed red blood cells transfused. CONCLUSIONS:ML can reliably identify emergency trauma laparotomy patients at anincreased risk for SSI. Such an approach can be integrated directly into electronic medical records to automatically identify high-risk patients on admission, allowing for personalized care plans tailored to each patient's risk profile.

Background: Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is one of the most commonly performed procedures by surgeons; however, there remains a lack of consensus for key components of operative reporting. Prior literature has identified several key elements that are recommended for inclusion in ventral hernia repair operative notes, but it is unclear whether these details alone make for a high-quality operative note. This study sought to determine whether experts agree on what factors make a ventral hernia repair operative note high-quality. Study Design: A prospective exploratory sequential survey-based mixed-methods design was used for round 1. Conclusions via thematic analysis from survey responses were used to establish themes/subthemes to be included in a high-quality ventral hernia repair operative note. Round 2 used a convergent design and sought to evaluate the importance of these identified themes/subthemes. Results: Twenty-four surgeons were approached, 16 of whom completed both rounds. Nine themes and 3 subthemes were identified as essential for inclusion in a high-quality ventral hernia repair operative note. Round 2 determined that the 5 most important themes to include are accurate/adequate/pertinent details, clarity in writing, detailed/specific/comprehensive information, objective reporting of findings and procedures, and justification/rationale for decisions.Conclusion: Based on expert consensus, this study suggests that high-quality operative notes require more than just detailed information. Instead, they must incorporate qualities spanning the 9 identified themes to ensure clarity, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Background: The risk of infections in acute trauma patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has not been well defined, but this population is among the sickest in the hospital. This study characterizes the blood and respiratory pathogens in trauma patients receiving ECMO and tests the hypothesis that trauma patients receiving ECMO pose a unique risk for nosocomial infections. Methods: All trauma patients (n = 50) who required ECMO at a level 1 trauma center between July 2014 and September 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Blood and respiratory samples were examined for pathogens. Burn injuries were excluded from this study. Results: Most were male (88%) and sustained blunt injuries (60%), of which the most common mechanism was motor vehicle collision (37%). The median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay was 26 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 12-54), median ventilator days was 22 (IQR: 9-51), and median length of ECMO treatment was eight days (IQR: 4-18). The most common ECMO type was veno-venous (80%). Blood stream and/or respiratory infections were detected in 22 (44%) patients. The most common was respiratory infection (70.2%). Gram-negative pathogens were most common in both blood stream (53.3%) and respiratory infections (75%). Among the blood stream pathogens, 20% were multi-drug resistant. Among the respiratory pathogens, 41.7% were multi-drug resistant. The median number of days from ECMO cannulation to blood stream infection was 10 days (IQR: 4-16) and the median number of days to respiratory infection was seven days (IQR: 3-11). Mortality was 22.7% (n = 5) among patients who had a respiratory and/or blood stream infection and 60% (n = 17) in ECMO patients who had no infection (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Almost half of trauma patients receiving ECMO had nosocomial infections, which is comparable with the infection rate of trauma patients in the ICU not on ECMO. Larger studies are needed to further assess infection risk in these patients and provide guidelines to mitigate this risk.

INTRODUCTION:Recent research has shown that female attending surgeons have slightly better outcomes than male attending surgeons. We aimed to evaluate if this gender difference extends to trainees caring for critically-ill trauma patients. METHODS:The trauma registry at a level 1 academic trauma center was reviewed from October 2015 to December 2021. All patients admitted with an injury severity score ≥25 were included. The trauma team members for each patient were determined by the past resident and fellow call schedules. Teams with two female (female/female) or two male (male/male) trainees were included in the analysis. Primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, return to intensive care unit, readmission, infectious complications, and venous thromboembolism. RESULTS:1909 patients met inclusion criteria; of which, 625 were on an FF or MM team. Median age was 37 y and 80% were male. The mortality on female/female teams was 22.7%, compared to 25.5% on male/male teams, P = 0.496. There were also no differences between teams for any of the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:There was no statistically significant difference in mortality rates for severely injured trauma patients based on whether the trainees on their team were men or women. As gender discrimination still exists in the field of surgery, studies like this that demonstrate similar or better outcomes for female surgeons can help to dissipate bias.

BACKGROUND:Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a major source of morbidity and mortality in severely injured patients despite current methods of risk stratification and prophylaxis, suggesting incomplete understanding of VTE risk factors. Given the liver's role in coagulation, we hypothesized that liver injury (LI) is associated with increased rates of VTE in severely injured patients. STUDY DESIGN:The American College of Surgeons TQIP 2017 to 2021 was retrospectively reviewed for patients with a maximum abdominal Abbreviated Injury Score 4 or more with or without LI. Transfers, burns, all kinds of death, and patients younger than 18 years of age were excluded. Logistic regression was performed to assess the independent effect of LI on development of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) while controlling for potential confounding variables. RESULTS:Of 44,506 patients, there were 1,736 (3.9%), 890 (2.0%), and 18,642 (41.9%) with DVT, PE, and LI, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, LI was independently associated with PE (adjusted odds ratio 1.279, 95% CI 1.088 to 1.504) but was not associated with DVT (adjusted odds ratio 1.011, 95% CI 0.897 to 1.140). CONCLUSIONS:In severely injured patients, LI is an independent predictor of PE, but not DVT, suggesting that LI is the source of either emboli or a more complex locally prothrombotic focus leading to downstream thrombi in the lung without causing upstream systemic venous thrombi. Further work should focus on elucidation of mechanisms including the portal venous blood coagulation profile, endothelial injury in the liver, and the potential for stasis of venous blood traversing an injured liver as well as the role for including LI in VTE risk stratification.

IntroductionRelative to other hospitalized patients, trauma patients are younger with fewer comorbidities, but the incidence and outcomes of in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (IHCA) with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in this population is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate factors associated with survival in trauma patients after IHCA to test the hypothesis that compared to other hospitalized patients, trauma patients with IHCA have improved survival.MethodsRetrospective review of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database 2017 to 2019 for patients who had IHCA with CPR. Primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital complications, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and ventilator days. Data were compared with univariate and multivariate analyses at P < 0.05.ResultsIn 22,346,677 admitted trauma patients, 14,056 (0.6%) received CPR. Four thousand three hundred seventy-seven (31.1%) survived to discharge versus 26.4% in a national sample of all hospitalized patients (P < 0.001). In trauma patients, median age was 55 y, the majority were male (72.2%). Mortality was higher for females versus males (70.3% versus 68.3%, P = 0.026). Multivariate regression showed that older age 1.01 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.02), Hispanic ethnicity 1.21 (95% CI 1.04-1.40), and penetrating trauma 1.51 (95% CI 1.32-1.72) were risk factors for mortality, while White race was a protective factor 0.36 (95% CI 0.14-0.89).ConclusionsThis is the first study to show that the incidence of IHCA with CPR is approximately six in 1000 trauma admissions and 31% survive to hospital discharge, which is higher than other hospitalized patients. Age, gender, racial, and ethnic disparities also influence survival.

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) continues to be a major cause of morbidity in trauma. It is unclear whether the type of hemorrhage control procedure (i.e., splenectomy versus angioembolization) is associated with an increased risk of VTE. We hypothesize that hemodynamically stable patients undergoing angioembolization for blunt high-grade splenic injuries have lower rates of VTE compared to those undergoing splenectomy.MethodsThe American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Program dataset from 2017 to 2019 was queried to identify all patients with American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade 3-5 blunt splenic injuries. Outcomes including VTE rates were compared between those who were managed with splenectomy versus angioembolization. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed adjusting for age, sex, initial vital signs, Injury Severity Score, and splenic injury grade.ResultsThe analysis included 4698 matched patients (splenectomy [n = 2349] and angioembolization [n = 2349]). The median (interquartile range) age was 41 (27-58) years and 69% were male. Patients were well matched between groups. Angioembolization was associated with significantly lower VTE than splenectomy (2.2% versus 3.4%, P = 0.010) despite less use of VTE chemoprophylaxis (70% versus 80%, P < 0.001), as well as a relative delay in initiation of chemoprophylaxis (44 h versus 33 h, P < 0.001). Hospital and intensive care unit length of stay and mortality were also significantly lower in the angioembolization group.ConclusionsAngioembolization is associated with a significantly lower incidence of VTE than splenectomy. Thus, angioembolization should be considered for initial management of hemodynamically stable patients with high-grade blunt splenic injuries in whom laparotomy is not otherwise indicated.

BACKGROUND:As air travel and immobility are risk factors for venous thromboembolism, we aimed to test the hypothesis that internationally transferred trauma patients have a high incidence of venous thromboembolism on arrival. METHODS:A prospectively maintained registry of all international transferred trauma patients who presented to our level I trauma center from January 2023 to June 2024 was retrospectively reviewed. Patients with either lower extremity venous duplex ultrasound or computed tomography scan of the chest with contrast on arrival were included. The primary outcome was venous thromboembolism, either deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. RESULTS:There were 161 consecutive internationally transferred trauma patients; 93% had a screening venous duplex ultrasound on arrival, and 52% had a computed tomography scan of the chest with contrast. Average time from injury to arrival was 3.3 ± 4.3 days. Of those who had screening imaging, 6% had a deep venous thrombosis and 8.3% had a pulmonary embolism. Average Greenfield risk assessment profile was greater for those with than without deep venous thrombosis (10 vs 8, P = .024) and pulmonary embolism (12 vs 8, P = .001). There was no difference in days from injury or flight time for those with or without deep venous thrombosis or for those with or without pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION:To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a 6-8% incidence of venous thromboembolism on arrival in international transfer trauma patients. New protocols should include risk stratification for early thromboprophylaxis in transferring centers and screening admission venous duplex ultrasound and computed tomography scan of the chest at receiving centers.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the optimal timing of thromboprophylaxis (TPX) initiation after hepatic angioembolization in trauma patients. BACKGROUND:TPX after hepatic trauma is complicated by the risk of bleeding, but the relative risk after hepatic angioembolization is unknown. METHODS:Patients who underwent hepatic angioembolization within 24 hours were retrospectively identified from the 2017 to 2019 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project data sets. Cases with <24-hour length of stay and other serious injuries were excluded. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) included deep venous thrombosis and PE. Bleeding complications included hepatic surgery, additional angioembolization, or blood transfusion after TPX initiation. Differences were tested with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS:Of 1550 patients, 1370 had initial angioembolization. Bleeding complications were higher in those with TPX initiation within 24 hours (20.0% vs 8.9%, P <0.001) and 48 hours (13.2% vs 8.4%, P =0.013). However, VTE was higher in those with TPX initiation after 48 hours (6.3% vs 3.3%, P =0.025). In the 180 patients with hepatic surgery before angioembolization, bleeding complications were higher in those with TPX initiation within 24 hours (72% vs 20%, P <0.001), 48 hours (50% vs 17%, P <0.001), and 72 hours (37% vs 14%, P =0.001). Moreover, deep venous thrombosis was higher in those with TPX initiation after 96 hours (14.3% vs 3.1%, P =0.023). CONCLUSIONS:This is the first study to address the timing of TPX after hepatic angioembolization in a national sample of trauma patients. For these patients, initiation of TPX at 48 to 72 hours achieves the safest balance in minimizing bleeding while reducing the risk of VTE. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:Level III-retrospective cohort study.

Background: Thromboprophylaxis after blunt splenic trauma is complicated by the risk of bleeding, but the risk after angioembolization is unknown. We hypothesized that earlier thromboprophylaxis initiation was associated with increased bleeding complications without mitigating venous thromboembolism events. Methods: All blunt trauma patients who underwent splenic angioembolization within 24 hours of arrival were identified from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program datasets from 2017 to 2019. Cases with <24-hour length of stay, other serious injuries, and surgery before angioembolization were excluded. Venous thromboembolism was defined as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Bleeding complications were defined as splenic surgery, additional embolization, or blood transfusion after thromboprophylaxis initiation. Data were compared with x(2) analysis and multivariate logistic regression at P < .05. Results: In 1,102 patients, 84% had American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade III to V splenic injuries, and 73% received thromboprophylaxis. Splenic surgery after angioembolization was more common in those with thromboprophylaxis initiation within the first 24 hours (5.7% vs 1.7%, P = .007), whereas those with the initiation of thromboprophylaxis after 72 hours were more likely to have a pulmonary embolism (2.3% vs 0.2%, P = .001). Overall, venous thromboembolism increased considerably when thromboprophylaxis was initiated after day 3. In multivariate analysis, time to thromboprophylaxis initiation was associated with bleeding (odds ratio 0.74 [95% confidence interval 0.58-0.94]) and venous thromboembolism complications (odds ratio 1.5 [95% confidence interval 1.20-1.81]). Conclusion: This national study evaluates bleeding and thromboembolic risk to elucidate the specific timing of thromboprophylaxis after splenic angioembolization. Initiation of thromboprophylaxis between 24 and 72 hours achieves the safest balance in minimizing bleeding and venous thromboembolism risk, with 48 hours particularly serving as the ideal time for protocolized administration. (c) 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract Introduction The loss of available xenograft as a skin substitute posed significant problems for our burn patients with partial thickness burns and the inability to transition to outpatient wound care or with intractable pain. This led to increasing length of stay and increased utilization of resources. The public hospital system was also challenged with additional unique patient problems that were left without a good solution. We hypothesized that the introduction and use of a PLA skin substitute had decreased costs and utilization of resources after its introduction into a large public safety-net hospital. Methods We began using a PLA skin substitute in April 2022. The hospital length of stay for patients admitted to the burn floor was compared for 3 months before and after the introduction of the PLA skin substitute. To account for the transition and ramp up of use, January through March were compared to June through August, thereby excluding April and May as a transition period. In addition, the utilization of enzymatic debridement and its cost were also compared for 3 months before and after the PLA skin substitute was introduced. Results The number of tubes of enzymatic debridement went down from 308 to 142 with an associated cost savings of $38,000. Additionally, the length of stay decreased from an average of 13.5 days to 8.9 days. Given the cost of a single hospital day this extrapolates to a yearly savings of over $200,000. It was also noted that certain patient populations that traditionally had a difficult time transitioning to outpatient care, such as homeless patients and international patients, were more quickly discharged after PLA skin substitute placement. Conclusions This study demonstrated a decrease in both resource utilization and costs very quickly after the introduction of a PLA skin substitute in a large public safety net hospital. Future studies need to look at longer times before and after the introduction of the skin substitute to validate that these reductions are sustained. Applicability of Research to Practice These findings suggest both patients and health care systems may benefit from more widespread use of a PLA skin substitute in the treatment of burn patients.

INTRODUCTION:Synthetic mesh is widely utilized for clean ventral hernia repair; however, it is unclear if synthetic mesh provides the same benefits with high-risk patients or during contaminated cases. Many surgeons use biologic mesh in these settings, but there is little evidence to support this practice. Our objective was to compare the clinical outcomes of utilizing biologic mesh versus synthetic mesh during ventral hernia repair. METHODS:Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, a review of the literature was conducted using Cochrane library, EMBASE, Clinicaltrials.gov, and PubMed for randomized controlled trials published that compared biologic versus synthetic mesh during ventral hernia repair. The primary outcome was major complications defined as deep or organ space surgical site infection, reoperations, and hernia recurrences. RESULTS:Of 1889 manuscripts screened, four publications were included. The four studies included a total of 758 patients, with 381 receiving biologic mesh and 377 receiving synthetic mesh. Compared to biologic mesh, synthetic mesh had lower rates of major complications (38.6% versus 23.4, risk ratio = 0.55, 95% confidence interval = 0.35 to 0.86, P = 0.009) and hernia recurrence (24.5 % versus 10.3%, risk ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval = 0.28 to 0.69, P = 0.004). In addition, there was a lower percentage of surgical site infection and reoperation in the synthetic mesh group. CONCLUSIONS:Contrary to current surgical teaching, placement of permanent synthetic mesh into a contaminated field yielded rates of complications that were comparable or reduced compared to biologic mesh.

BACKGROUND Traumatic hemothorax (HTX) is common, and while it is recommended to drain it with a tube thoracostomy, there is no consensus on the optimal catheter size. We performed a systematic review to test the hypothesis that small bore tube thoracostomy (SBTT) (≤14 F) is as effective as large-bore tube thoracostomy (LBTT) (≥20F) for the treatment of HTX. METHODS Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane review were searched from inception to November 2022 for randomized controlled trials or cohort studies that included adult trauma patients with HTX who received a tube thoracostomy. Data was extracted and Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklists were used for study appraisal. The primary outcome was failure rate, defined as incompletely drained or retained HTX requiring a second intervention. Cumulative analysis was performed with χ2 test for dichotomous variables and an unpaired t-test for continuous variables. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. RESULTS There were 2,008 articles screened, of which nine were included in the analysis. The studies included 1,847 patients (714 SBTT and 1,233 LBTT). The mean age of patients was 46 years, 75% were male, average ISS was 20, and 81% had blunt trauma. Failure rate was not significantly different between SBTT (17.8%) and LBTT (21.5%) (p = 0.166). Additionally, there were no significant differences between SBTT vs. LBTT in mortality (2.9% vs. 6.1%, p = 0.062) or complication rate (12.3% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.941), however SBTT had significantly higher initial drainage volumes (753 vs. 398 mL, p < 0.001) and fewer tube days (4.3 vs. 6.2, p < 0.001). There are several limitations. Some studies did not report all the outcomes of interest, and many of the studies are subject to selection bias. CONCLUSION SBTT may be as effective as LBTT for the treatment of traumatic HTX. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis; Level IV.

INTRODUCTION:Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. As rectal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon colorectal cancer, there is limited data on this clinical entity. We aimed to evaluate the tumor characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of this rare deadly disease. METHODS:Pathological specimens from 2017 to 2022 at a single National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center were screened for all rectal cases with a diagnosis of SCC. All patients with a primary rectal SCC were included. Patients who had extension to the dentate line or evidence of an anal mass, and those who were treated at an outside institution, were excluded. Demographic, treatment, outcome, and surveillance data was extracted. RESULTS:There were 56 specimens identified, nine of which met inclusion criteria. Most patients were White (78%), Hispanic (78%), and female (67%). The average age at diagnosis was 57 y [52-65]. All patients had nodal involvement at the time of clinical staging. All patients were treated with Nigro protocol, with one patient treated with surgery first. The median time of follow-up was 12 mo after initial treatment, 33% had recurrence, with median time to recurrence of 25 mo. Overall, mortality from rectal SCC was 33% at a median time of 37 mo from initial diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS:Rectal SCC is a colorectal cancer that is not fully understood. Our findings showed that treatment mirrors that of anal SCC, with similar rates of survival to both rectal adenocarcinoma and anal SCC.