TY - JOUR T1 - TRauma resuscitation errors and computer-assisted decision support AU - Fitzgerald M, Cameron P, Mackenzie C, et al Y1 - 2011/02/01 N1 - 10.1001/archsurg.2010.333 JO - Archives of Surgery SP - 218 EP - 225 VL - 146 IS - 2 N2 - Hypothesis  This project tested the hypothesis that computer-aided decision support during the first 30 minutes of trauma resuscitation reduces management errors.Design  Ours was a prospective, open, randomized, controlled interventional study that evaluated the effect of real-time, computer-prompted, evidence-based decision and action algorithms on error occurrence during initial resuscitation between January 24, 2006, and February 25, 2008.Setting  A level I adult trauma center.Patients  Severely injured adults.Main Outcome Measures  The primary outcome variable was the error rate per patient treated as demonstrated by deviation from trauma care algorithms. Computer-assisted video audit was used to assess adherence to the algorithms.Results  A total of 1171 patients were recruited into 3 groups: 300 into a baseline control group, 436 into a concurrent control group, and 435 into the study group. There was a reduction in error rate per patient from the baseline control group to the study group (2.53 to 2.13, P = .004) and from the control group to the study group (2.30 to 2.13, P = .04). The difference in error rate per patient from the baseline control group to the concurrent control group was not statistically different (2.53 to 2.30, P = .21). A critical decision was required every 72 seconds, and error-free resuscitations were increased from 16.0% to 21.8% (P = .049) during the first 30 minutes of resuscitation. Morbidity from shock management (P = .03), blood use (P < .001), and aspiration pneumonia (P = .046) were decreased.Conclusions  Computer-aided, real-time decision support resulted in improved protocol compliance and reduced errors and morbidity.Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00164034 SN - 0004-0010 M3 - doi: 10.1001/archsurg.2010.333 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2010.333 ER -