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The effect of CT scanners in the trauma room – an observational study
Author(s) -
Wulffeld S.,
Rasmussen L. S.,
Højlund Bech B.,
Steinmetz J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/aas.12927
Subject(s) - medicine , resuscitation , computed tomography , scanner , emergency department , nuclear medicine , emergency medicine , radiology , psychiatry , physics , optics
Background A CT scanner incorporated in the trauma resuscitation bay may benefit trauma patients by fastening work‐up times; however, evidence in the area is still sparse. We assessed if time from admission to first CT scan was lower after incorporation of a CT scanner in the resuscitation bay. Methods We included trauma patients admitted in two 1‐year periods, before and after a major rebuilding of the trauma room. Beforehand, one CT scanner was located in an adjacent room. After the rebuilding, two mobile CT scanners were placed in the resuscitation bays, where a moving gantry was combined with a trauma resuscitation table. Subgroup analyses were performed on severely injured and patients with traumatic brain injury. Results We included 784 patients before and 742 patients after the reconstruction. Case‐mix differed between study periods as there was a higher proportion of severe injuries, traumatic brain injury and penetrating trauma in the after period. We found a minor increase in time to CT in the after period (20 vs. 21 min, P = 0.008). In a multivariate regression analysis adjusted for differences in case‐mix and with time to CT as outcome, period was an insignificant explanatory variable [β (before vs. after): 0.96 min 95% CI : 0.9–1.02, P = 0.3]. In both subgroups, we found no significant difference in time to CT . Conclusion We found no reduction in time to CT scan, when comparing a period with mobile CT scanners incorporated in the resuscitation bay to an earlier period with a CT scanner next to the trauma room.