New research conducted by the University of Aberdeen. Scotland, led by University of Alabama at Birmingham trauma surgeon and professor Jan Jansen. Ph.D., has revealed that a novel technique for managing severe bleeding in injured patients may actually increase the risk of death.
This groundbreaking clinical trial examined the effectiveness of Resuscitative Endovascular. Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA), a method for controlling severe bleeding from traumatic injuries. Surprisingly, the study found that patients treated with REBOA had a higher likelihood of mortality compared to those who did not undergo the procedure. This research is of particular significance because REBOA was being consider for broader use within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. And this study aimed to determine its efficacy.
REBOA involves temporarily halting blood flow to the lower part of the body. Typically used in cases of life-threatening bleeding in the abdomen or chest, until the patient can be transport to an operating room for definitive treatment. The procedure entails inserting a small balloon through the femoral artery in the groin and inflating it within the aorta. This is done to limit blood loss and redirect the remaining blood to vital organs. Essentially “buying time” alongside other life-saving interventions.
The study, publish in JAMA, was conduct in 16 major trauma centers in the U.K., involving 90 adult trauma patients. who randomly assigned to receive either standard care or standard care combin with REBOA. The results unexpect, as the trial demonstrat that the use of REBOA heightened. The risk of death rather than reducing it. In the standard care group, 42 percent of patients died within 90 days of their injury. Whereas 54 percent of participants in the standard care plus REBOA group succumbed to their injuries. the University of Aberdeen
Jan Jansen, the co-chief investigator of the study. And expressed the hope that using REBOA in emergency departments would decrease the risk of death due to bleeding, given that bleeding is a common cause of preventable fatalities after traumatic injury. However, the study’s findings contradicted this expectation.