Issues and challenges for research in major trauma

Abstract

The starting point for evidence-based guidelines is the systematic review and critical appraisal of the relevant literature. This review highlights the risk of bias identified while critically appraising the evidence to inform the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guideline on the assessment and initial management of major trauma.

Embedded rehabilitation in major trauma: Retrospective pre-post observational study of service and patient outcomes

“…An ongoing challenge in modern trauma care is to identify which interventions translate into improved patient outcomes and then to provide consistent, timely access to those interventions for the trauma population 18 . Large registry data sets and audit data, including TARN, can help to meet this challenge 19 . Whilst the improvements to outcomes identified in this study are substantial, the study design does not allow us to attribute cause and effect.…”

Airway management in pre-hospital critical care: a review of the evidence for a ‘top five’ research priority

“…The recent interest in pre-hospital advanced airway management has generated more research in this area but the majority of studies are single centre retrospective database reviews, with significant heterogeneity in the design, methodology and endpoints, making interpretation and the generation of meaningful conclusions difficult [ 10 , 11 ]. Randomised controlled trials are difficult to conduct in a pre-hospital or major trauma setting due to issues around consent and inclusion criteria [ 12 , 13 ].…”