Trauma is the major cause of death among individuals aged under 45 years old in Australia, forming a major proportion of presentations to emergency departments. ICC insertion is a lifesaving intervention often done in the emergency department, typically in patients with chest injuries. This procedure is typically associated with complications in up to 30% of cases, often requiring further management such as re-insertion, prolonged antibiotics or video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).
The Quality Initiative project we are undertaking aims to compare pre implementation and post implementation complication rates after an implementation of a new hospital wide pleural decompression procedure guideline, along with conducting an ICC insertion workshop for typical proceduralists – Critical Care Registrars and General Surgical Registrars. The complication rates pre and post implementation will be compared to other similar sized trauma centres across the country.
The intervention will hopefully improve our current complication rates to a level equal to or exceeding that of similar sized trauma centres, improving patient outcomes. We intend to publish this data on peer reviewed journals such as the European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, and the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine (SJTREM).