Division of Emergency Medicine
Research
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Prolonged Trauma Care (EpiC): A Multicentre Prehospital Observational Study in the Western Cape.
Project summary:
The overarching purpose of this research is to understand and quantify the epidemiology and outcomes of injured patients in a section of the trauma care system in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, with a special focus on the subset of patients requiring ambulance transportation and prehospital care. The primary research question is to assess the effect of time, from injury to definitive care, on trauma patient mortality. Secondary research questions are to assess the effect of time on trauma morbidity, and the effect of key prehospital and in-hospital interventions on post-injury mortality and morbidity. In brief, this is an observational epidemiologic cohort study of trauma patients. Demographic and clinical patient information, as well as operational variables, will be collected from collaborating sites (public hospitals, the public emergency medical services [EMS] system, and forensic and pathology services [FPS]). Regarding long-term sustainability of this initiative, beyond the research objectives, our research team and site collaborators intend to develop a scalable model which will be presented to the Western Cape Department of Health for consideration for integration into the trauma care system as a tool for providing accurate real-time data to drive operations and quality improvement efforts.
Research team:
Co-Principal Investigators:
- Dr Hendrick J. Lategan (hendrickjlategan@sun.ac.za); Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- A/prof Nee-Kofi Mould-Millman; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado; Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, USA
South Africa Co-Investigators:
- Dr Shaheem de Vries; Emergency Medical Services, Western Cape Department of Health
- Dr Willem Stassen; Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Cape Town
- Prof Elmin Steyn; Division of Surgery, Stellenbosch University
- Dr Janette Verster; Division of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Stellenbosch University
USA Co-Investigators:
- Prof Adit A. Ginde; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine
- Prof Ernest E. Moore; Department of Surgery, University of Colorado and Denver Health
- Col (Dr.) Cord W. Cunningham; Joint Trauma System Committee on En Route Care, US Department of Defense
- Prof Vikhyat S. Bebarta; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine
- Dr. Julia M. Dixon; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine
- MAJ (Dr.) Steven G. Schauer; San Antonio Medical Centre, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research
South Africa Collaborating Research Site Leads:
- Dr Lesley Hodsdon; Worcester Hospital
- Dr Janette Verster; Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Service Laboratory
- Dr Shaheem de Vries; Emergency Medical Services
- Dr Hendrick J. Lategan; Tygerberg Hospital
- Dr Karlien Doubell; Ceres Hospital
- Dr Lee Wagner; Khayelitsha Site B Community Health Clinic
Funding Agency:
United States Department of Defense; Award No. W81XWH1920055
