Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39976675›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2025

Substantial heterogeneity in trauma triage tool characteristic operationalization for identification of major trauma: a hybrid systematic review.

N A Donnelly, L Brent, P Hickey, S Masterson, C Deasy, J Moloney, M Linvill, R Zaidan, A Simpson, Frank Doyle

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

N A DonnellyRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
L BrentNational Office of Clinical Audit, Dublin, Ireland.
P HickeyNational Office of Clinical Audit, Dublin, Ireland.
S MastersonNational Ambulance Service, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland.
C DeasyCork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
J MoloneyRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
M LinvillRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
R ZaidanRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
A SimpsonRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Frank DoyleRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland. FDoyle4@rcsi.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3785-7433

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTrauma Triage Tools (TTTs) support pre-hospital staff to identify major trauma patients based on prehospital characteristics and bring them to appropriate trauma centres. However, while triaging trauma has been examined extensively, there appears to be little consensus on how variables within TTTs are applied. We therefore aimed to examine the prehospital characteristics and their operationalization applied in the international literature in TTTs.

methodsWe applied a hybrid systematic review approach. Searches were conducted in multiple databases. We initially searched for systematic reviews that analyse prehospital characteristics applied in TTTs, then supplemented this with an updated search of original TTT papers from November 2019.

resultsWe identified 92 papers which identified 52 adult general population TTTs. Results indicate considerable heterogeneity in prehospital characteristics included in TTTs internationally. There was similarity in the higher-level categories included in the tools: tools often included measurements of a patient's physiological characteristics, injury characteristics, mechanism of injury and any modifiers for high-risk groups. However, the prehospital characteristics that made up those groups, how they were applied and interpreted were found to vary considerably.

conclusionWhile there is agreement in the higher-level categories used in TTTs, the thresholds adopted in specific variables vary widely, which may reflect statistical rather than clinical considerations. This may contribute to considerable variation in standards of major trauma triaging internationally. An agreed taxonomy of operationalization of prehospital characteristics used in TTTs is required to prevent sub-optimal clinical decision-making in major trauma triaging. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023393094.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesTriageWounds and InjuriesHumansInjury Severity ScoreSystematic Reviews as TopicClinical prediction ruleSystematic reviewTraumaTriage

Identifiers

PMID39976675
PMCPMC11842439

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.