Prevention Committee

Prevention Committee Goals:

Unintentional injury is the 4th leading cause of death for all Americans and the 7th leading cause of death for older American adults but remains the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 – 44 years. Unintentional injury is also a major contributor to the global burden of disease and disability. The goal of the Prevention Committee is to help advance and disseminate the best evidence and practice regarding injury prevention to members of the international trauma community. Our primary efforts are focused on educational activities at the Annual Meeting, electronic learning through AAST Grand Rounds and webinars, and through publications. We also work closely with the Trauma Prevention Coalition of the American Trauma Society and the Prevention Committees of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT), and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) to foster collaboration and synergy across organizations.

Bleeding Control

Hemorrhage remains the number one cause of preventable death in a trauma patient. BleedingControl.org is an initiative of the American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus and contains diagrams, news, videos, and other resources contributed by a variety of other private and nonprofit partners to help prepare you in the event of being a witness to one of these unspeakable events. Nearly 4 million people have learned to Stop The Bleed (September 2024).

Check out AAST’s Periscope to see the archived video of the live streaming of “How to Build a Comprehensive STOP THE BLEED Program: Tips and Lessons Learned.”

May 23, 2024, was National Stop the Bleed Day. The event was launched by the White House in 2015 to encourage bystanders to intervene and stop bleeding before emergency personnel arrive at the scene of injury. Training bystanders to stop blood loss can avoid otherwise preventable death. National Stop the Bleed Day brings instructors and students together for training free of charge. 

You can help raise awareness about future National Stop the Bleed days in your organization by sharing the following information:

• Traumatic Injury is the leading cause of death for people 46 years and younger
• 35% of pre-hospital deaths are due to hemorrhage
• Of the 147,000 trauma deaths in 2014, 30,000 might have survived with timely hemorrhage control
• 80% of victims of mass casualties are transported to the hospital by the public
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response times often exceed the five-minute target times for emergency response

Bleeding Control Classes can be found here:

https://cms.bleedingcontrol.org/class/search

Videos about Stop the Bleed are here:

https://www.bleedingcontrol.org/resources/videos

Visit the following websites for more information:

https://www.bleedingcontrol.org/

https://www.dhs.gov/stopthebleed

California Assembly Bill (AB) 2260

A group of surgeons, including but not limited to AAST members, Drs. Amy Liepert, Jay Doucet, Sigrid Burruss, and Thomas Duncan were instrumental in the passage of AB 2260, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27^th, 2022 and went into law on January 1^st, 2023. This bill requires the installation of trauma bleeding control kits in newly constructed public and private buildings throughout the state. The legislation, “Emergency Response: Trauma Kits,” is the first statewide law of its kind to make bleeding control kits widely accessible in this manner. AB 70 corroborates AB 2260.  ACS Applauds Passage of Stop The Bleed Bill in California

AAST Statement on Firearm-Related Injuries and Raising Awareness

• Collaborated with the executive team in creating the AAST Statement on Firearm-Related Injuries.
• Collaborated with the Associate Fellows Committee in designing T-shirts, raising awareness and funds for Gun Violence Awareness – June 2023.
• Collaborated with the Associate Fellows Committee in designing T-shirts, raising awareness and funds for Gun Violence Awareness – June 2024.

Violence Prevention Internet Guide Update

The committee updated the Violence Prevention Internet Guide located under the ‘resources’ tab A. It provides up-to-date data/statistics and access to information and websites pertaining to categories such as Youth Violence, Domestic Violence, and Intimate Partner Violence, Child Abuse, Elder Abuse, Sexual Assault, Suicide, School Violence, Workplace Violence, Cross-cutting issues: Firearms, Cross-cutting issue: Media Violence, Cross-cutting issue: Substance Abuse, Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs, Trauma-Informed Care.

Publications and Projects Update

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

• The Proceedings manuscript of the 1^stMedical Summit on Firearm Injury was published in JACS. Recommendations from the ACS-COT on Firearm Strategy Team (FAST) Workgroup. The AAST Prevention Committee members were key participants in the planning and manuscript preparation.
• The AAST was represented by Dr. Croce at the Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention.
• The Proceedings manuscript of the 2^ndMedical Summit on Firearm Injury was published in JACS. Proceedings from the Second Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention. The AAST Prevention Committee members were key participants in the planning and manuscript preparation.
• The AAST was represented by Dr. Duncan at the Second Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention.
• Other publications:
  • Tatebe, Leah C, et al.  Walk the Line: An Ethical Framework for Interactions with Law Enforcement in Trauma Environments. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. February 2023 – Volume 94 – Issue 2 – p e20 – e22. DOI: 1097/TA.0000000000003810.  
  • Duncan, Thomas K., et al. Domestic Violence and Safe Storage of Firearms in the COVID-19 Era. Annals of Surgery:August 2020 - Volume 272 - Issue 2 - p e55-e57 doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004088. This manuscript was led by Dr. Thomas Duncan in partnership with the Prevention Committees of AAST, EAST, and COT.
  • Duncan, Thomas K., et al. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Prevention Committee review: Family Justice Centers– a not-so-novel, but unknown gem: Trauma Surgery Acute Care Open 2021;6:e000725. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2021-000725. This manuscript was led by Dr. Thomas Duncan.
  • Kuhls, Deborah A., et al. Survey of American College of Surgeons Members on Firearm Injury Prevention. Journal of American College of Surgeons: September 2021 – Volume 233 – Issue 3 – p 369 – 382. Doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.06.020. Dr. Kuhls was the lead on this manuscript.

Virtual Grand Rounds

• The AAST Virtual Grand Rounds sponsored by the Prevention Committee was given by Drs. D’Andrea Joseph, Sigrid Burruss, Deborah Kuhls, Christine Castater, and moderated by Drs. Carlos Palacio-Lascano and Thomas Duncan on May 24^th, 2023. A publication is pending in TSACO.
• The AAST Virtual Grand Rounds sponsored by the Prevention, Geriatric, and Palliative Care Committees and given by Drs. Christine Castater, Adel Elkbuli, Adam Nelson, Melissa Hornor, and moderated by Drs. D’Andrea Joseph and Thomas Duncan on May 15^th, 2023.

81^st Annual Meeting of AAST & Clinical Congress for Acute Care (Chicago), September 21 – 24, 2022.

• Short course: September 22^nd, 2022. Complex Follow-up and Discharge Management: Improving Lives and Preventing Reinjury. Focusing on post-discharge patient outcomes, programs that support patients and families, and complex discharge planning and management of social issues. Presenters: Rochelle Dicker, Stephanie Bonne, Anastasia Kunac, Barbara Gaines, D’Andrea Joseph, Sigrid Burruss, Amy Gore, Charity Evans, Thomas Duncan, and Erin Hall. Moderator: D’Andrea Joseph.
• Lunch Session: September 23^rd, 2022. Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) – A Step-by-step guide to establishing one. Funding, implementation, and evaluation. Presenters: Rochelle Dicker, Sharven Taghavi, and Terri deRoon-Cassini. Moderator: Thomas Duncan.

83^rd Annual Meeting of AAST & Clinical Congress for Acute Care (Las Vegas), September 10 – 14, 2024.

• Lunch Session: September 11^th, 2024. Trauma Survivors Network; How Does it Really Work? A collaboration between the Prevention Committee, Palliative Care Committee, and American Trauma Society: Anna Newcomb, Pete Anziano, Sue Prentiss (for Katherine Joseph), and Anastasia Kunac. Moderators: Glen Tinkoff and Thomas Duncan.
• Presentation: September 13^th, 2024. Assessing Trauma-Informed Care Adoption: A Comprehensive Survey of Trauma Center Professionals and Institutional Trend. June Yao and the Prevention Committee.

Cutting Edge Publications

• An article was written by Dr. Tatebe on Health care and law enforcement and published in the March 2022 issue. A Grand Rounds was presented on March 23^rd, 2022, by Dr. Leah Tatebe, Tina Nappi (The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention - HAVI), Dr. Andrew Dennis, Dr. Erin Hall, and Dr. Thomas Duncan on a similar topic. The committee is working alongside The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) in developing guidelines, and this charge is being led by Tina Nappi, Dr. Erin Hall, and Dr. Tatebe. See the publication above for details.
• An article was written by Dr. D’Andrea Joseph titled Intimate Partner Violence and Elderlyand published in the June 2022 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Thomas Duncan titled Firearm Violence Perspective from the Injury Prevention Committeeand published in the June 2022 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Thomas Duncan titled Trauma-informed Care: The Changing Dynamics of Health Care and published in the November 2022 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Eddie Cho titled Burn Prevention and published in the February 2023 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Thomas Duncan titled Trauma Survivors – Pleading Voices and published in the May 2023 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Alexis Moren titled Wilderness Awareness and published in the August 2023 issue.
• An article was written by Drs. Alexis Moren and Christine Castater titled Preventable Auto VS Wildlife Crashes and is published in the November 2023 issue.
• An article was written by Dr. Sigrid Burruss titled Human Trafficking: Our Role as Healthcare Provider and is published in the February 2024 issue.
• An article written by Drs. Alexis Moren, Christine Castater, and Shelbie Kirkendoll titled Celebrate Pride 2024 by Uncovering Hidden Bias and Addressing Inequities and published in the June 2024 issue.
• An article written by Thomas Duncan, Glen Tinkoff, Anna Newcomb, Pete Anziano, Katherine Joseph, and Anastasia Kunac titled Trauma Survivors Network; How Does it Really Work? Published in the September 2024 issue.

Trauma Prevention Coalition (TPC)

• Ongoing active participation in the Trauma Prevention Coalition— Dr. Hee Soo Jung is the current Chair.
• Collaborated with TPC and multiple other organizations in crafting the joint statement on Firearm-related injuries. Trauma Prevention Coalition Statement on Firearm-Related Injuries.
• AAST helped raise awareness on National Trauma Survivors Day (May 17, 2023 and May 15, 2024) as many trauma centers banded together in writing and sharing inspirational notes and pictures on social media.

Arnold Foundation Grant Proposals for Firearm Injury Prevention

o The Coalition for National Trauma Research (CNTR) submitted a proposal and was accepted for a full submission. The proposal from 2021 was resubmitted and has been funded.

Stop the Falls Community Outreach Event

• Stop the Falls – Community outreach held in collaboration with the Geriatric Committee at the 82^ndAnnual Meeting of AAST & Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery on September 19^th, 2023.

• Stop the Falls – 2^nd Annual Community outreach to be held in collaboration with the Geriatric Committee at the 83^rdAnnual Meeting of AAST & Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery to be held September 10^th, 2024.

Turnover Time Forks and Things

• Collaboration with Associate Members Committee about driving factors behind Stop the Falls Community Outreach Event – video published in May 2024.

Next Steps – Projects in Progress

• The Firearm Injury Prevention Research Scholar, in partnership with the ACS-COT and other CNTR organizations, previously selected Dr. Elle Thomas, who finished a two-year stint by completing phenomenal joint projects, handed over the reins to Dr. Shelbie Kirkendoll, who completed her two-year term and also did a fantastic job with multiple projects and publications.
• Importance of Storytelling – led by Dr. Joe Sakran.
• Disability & Adjusted Years Life Lost.Sequelae related to firearm injury survivors – Multi-institutional study – led by Dr. Stephanie Bonne.
• E-scooters/bikes multi-institutional collaboration about injury patterns and legislation pertaining to injury prevention aspects – led by Dr. Paul Albini.

I’d like to thank the members of this committee for their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment in putting these programs together and for their thought-provoking/forward-thinking innovative ideas in advancing our goals. I would also like to express sincere gratitude to Sharon Gautschy, Jermica Smith, Kaitlyn Sanders and the Board of Managers for their support of our work, which makes these activities possible.