Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) prior to interfacility transfer: Who might benefit in a statewide trauma system?

Background: Rural trauma patients are often seen at lower-level trauma centers before transfer and have higher mortality than those seen initially at a Level 1 Trauma Center. This study aims to describe the potential for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) to bridge this mortality gap.

Methods: We queried the Arizona Trauma Registry between 2014 and 2017 for hypotensive patients who were later transported to a level 1 center. REBOA candidates were identified as those with injuries consistent with major infra-diaphragmatic torso hemorrhage as the likely cause of death.

Results: Of 17,868 interfacility transfers during the study period, 333 met inclusion criteria and had sufficient data for evaluation. 26 of the 333 patients were identified as REBOA candidates.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that REBOA may be an effective means to extend survivability to those severely injured trauma patients needing interfacility transfer to a higher level of care.