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Table 2 Process indicators (TTA Trauma Team Activation, GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, TBI traumatic brain injury, ED emergency department, AIS Abbreviated Injury Scale, ISS Injury Severity Score, CT computed tomography, TEG tromboelastography, ROTEM rotational thromboelastometry, ICU intensive care unit, EX-LAP explorative laparotomy, SBP systolic blood pressure, OR operating room, E-FAST extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma, REBOA resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta, CNS central nervous system)

From: Trauma quality indicators: internationally approved core factors for trauma management quality evaluation

Category

Subcategory

Indicator

Patients

Process

Triage/prehospital

Time to first medical contact (on scene)

All patients

Prehospital time

ISS > 16

Time to definitive trauma center

All patients

Acute pain management

Patients with documented pain assessment

Intubation of unconscious patients

Prehospital GCS < 9

Pelvic binder in pelvic fracture

Mechanically and/or hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures (AIS 3-5)

Field triage rate (undertriage)

All patients

Patient in shock with documented blood pressure who dies with no Emerg. Dept. thoracotomy or REBOA placement

Patients died in ER arrived with a documented blood pressure

Emergency dept. management

Trauma Team Activation (TTA)

Patients requiring TTA for whom TTA was activated

Airway secured in ED for patients with GCS <9

Patients with GCS < 9

Tracheal intubation (GCS<9)

Patients with GCS < 9

Adequate rewarming measures for hypothermia (temperature ≤ 35 °C)

Patients admitted to a trauma center

Operative management of patients with an abdominal gunshot wound

Patients with a penetrating abdominal injury by firearm

Tetanus prophylaxis

All patients with exposed soft tissues

Antibiotics for open fractures

Number of patients with an open fracture receiving an antimicrobial agent within 1 h of hospital arrival

Time to cranial CT for patients with GCS < 14

GCS < 14

Patient with GCS < 13 has a head CT within 4 h of arrival in ED

Adult TBI: GCS < 13; pediatric TBI: GCS < 12

Time to CT scan from ED admission

ED patients with blunt force injuries AND trauma team activation (TTA) OR ED documented GCS < 9, receiving CT scan within 1 h of ED arrival

E-FAST in patient without CT

Patients without CT

Blood analysis performed/BE documented

All patients

Coagulation test (TEG/ROTEM)

All patients with active bleeding

ED stay > 1 h for patients with GCS < 9 or intubated (level I/II)

TBI patients with GCS ≥ 4 or ≤ 10 in a level I/II trauma center

ED stay > 1 h for patients admitted to ICU or OR

TBI patients with GCS ≥ 4 or ≤ 8 or intubated in a level I/II trauma center

Massive trasfusion protocol activation

Patients with active bleeding and signs of shock

Time to start of blood transfusion

Patients with at least one unit transfused

Orthopedic response time > 30 min in emergent case

Patients with orthopedic trauma

Unplanned ICU admission

Patients primarily admitted to ward then moved to ICU

Surgical management

Definitive bleeding control (in patients with PTM)

All patients age 18 years and older with an injury diagnosis AND prescribed a massive transfusion who receive attempted definitive bleeding control (laparotomy, thoracotomy, percutaneous therapy) within 30 min of the massive transfusion prescription

Trauma

Time to first emergency surgery

Operated patients

Delay to OR-EX-LAP (> 2 h): trauma

Operated patients

Time to laparotomy < 1 h for patients with a proven intra-abdominal bleeding causing hypotension

SBP < 90 or requires > 4 units of packed red blood cells in the first hour for hemorrhage due to injury

Time to surgery in patients with shock

SBP < 90

 

Patients with bleeding pelvic fracture who die within 60 min from ED arrival without preperitoneal pelvic packing or REBOA placement

Patients with bleeding pelvic fracture

Neurosurgical

Time to surgical brain decompression

TBI with indication for decompression

Patients with epidural or subdural hematoma receiving craniotomy > 4 h after arrival

Patients with epidural or subdural hematoma

Enteral or parenteral feeding for severe head injury patients < 7 days post-injury

TBI patients with GCS ≤ 10

Failure monitoring of intracranial pressure in severe TBI with pathological CT finding

Severe TBI

Orthopedic

Open fracture grade 3 to OR > 8 h

Open fracture grade 3

Open long bone fracture surgery < 6 h

Open fracture of the tibia, fibula, humerus, radius, or ulna

Patient with pelvic fracture and hemodynamic instability on ED arrival with provisional stabilization of pelvic ring fracture within 12 h from arrival at the trauma center

Patients with SBP < 90 or requiring > 4 units of packed red blood cells in the first hour

Open fracture grade 1 or 2 to OR >16 h

Open fracture grade 1 or 2

Open fractures—stabilized > 24 h

Long bones open fractures

Vascular

Ischemic limb revascularized < 6 h

Ischemic limb following vascular trauma

Time to restore perfusion

Ischemic limb following vascular trauma

Deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis (within 24 h) in immobile patients

Patients immobilized ≥ 24 h (without CNS bleeds or spine/CNS surgery within 24 h)

 

Patients who experienced limb amputation without previous vascular shunt placement

Patients with limb amputation