Trauma care research presented by Nathan Vaughan, MD, surgical critical care fellow at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, was named "best paper" at the Texas American College of Surgeons 2017 meeting in Austin.
The paper, titled "What risk factors within the first 24 hours of admission are associated with mortality after traumatic injury?", identified new key factors that may help predict a trauma patient's risk of dying within 24 hours of being admitted to a Level I trauma center, including number of diagnoses and whether they received blood products in the first four hours or had cirrhosis.
Researchers from Baylor Scott & White Research Institute presented findings from more than a dozen novel studies at the annual meeting, which is a gathering of surgeons, residents, medical students and researchers from across the state. Presentations featured important research at Baylor University Medical Center on trauma care, including studies that explore the psychological impact of suffering a traumatic injury. Additional poster presentations included new findings in gastrointestinal surgery, abdominal surgery and laparoscopy.
Highlights from presentations by Baylor Scott & White researchers are summarized below.
Traumatic Injuries, Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are common in patients who have experienced orthopedic trauma and can affect pain and healing after an injury. Researchers identified that the presence of one or both conditions affect a patient's resilience, or the ability to adapt under stress or adversity. Depression was significant in 28 percent of patients immediately following injury and in 29 percent of patients 12 months later. Post-traumatic stress disorder was significant in 28 percent of patients after injury and 21 percent 12 months later.
"These results highlight the need for early screening and intervention for depression and PTSD," said Ann Marie Warren, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and associate investigator of trauma research at Baylor University Medical Center. "They further demonstrate the importance of resilience in recovery from orthopedic trauma."
Psychological Support in the Trauma ICU
Stephanie Agtarap, MS, clinical research assistant at Baylor University Medical Center, presented her team's efforts to implement integrated psychological support services to patients and their loved ones in the trauma intensive care unit. Services included educational resources, weekly support group meetings hosted by trauma psychologists and an annual trauma survivors' reunion. Agtarap's team collaborated with social workers, pastoral care, community resources and animal assisted therapy to provide support for patients and their families
"Psychological support is a crucial part of caring for patients who have suffered a traumatic injury," Agtarap said. "Our findings demonstrate that a successful psychological support program requires embedded staff, consistency of services offered and annual events that bring together patients, families and their caregivers."
Watching NASCAR May Increase Car Crashes
Jacob Roden-Foreman, research enrollment analyst at Baylor University Medical Center, presented a study that examined whether NASCAR viewership ratings were associated with national increases in motor vehicle collisions both with and without injury. By reviewing motor vehicle collision data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and viewership ratings of NASCAR's most popular division from the website of an ESPN subsidiary, the team determined that a 1 percent increase in the number of U.S. households watching these NASCAR races in a month was associated with 24,500 more motor vehicle collisions and 3,752 more motor vehicle collisions with injury nationally that month. This is about one additional motor vehicle collision for every 120 viewers, and one collision with injury for every 811 viewers.
"While this study is unlikely to stop NASCAR viewers from watching the races, simply making drivers aware of psychological factors that may increase their risky driving behaviors may result in safer driving," Roden-Foreman said.
To view all abstracts presented by Baylor Scott & White at the Texas American College of Surgeons 2017 meeting, visit http://texasacs.org/.
# # #
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com