Background: This study was designed to measure the effect of stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) and diabetic hyperglycemia (DH) versus non-diabetic normoglycemia (NDN) on the outcomes of trauma patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Diabetes mellitus (DM) was determined based on patient history and/or a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of ≥6.5% at admission. The patients who had serum glucose levels of ≥200 mg/dL in the absence or presence of DM were assigned into the groups SIH and DH, respectively. Diabetic normoglycemia (DN) and NDN were determined based on serum glucose levels of <200 mg/dL in patients with and without DM, respectively. Patients with burn injury or incomplete data were excluded. Detailed data of trauma patients in the ICU of a Level-I trauma center from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2016 were retrieved from the database of the Trauma Registry System. These patients were classified into four exclusive groups, including NDN (n = 1745), DN (n = 306), SIH (n = 225) and DH (n = 206). The Pearson chi-square test was used to compare categorical data between groups. Continuous variables were compared using one-way analysis of variance along with the Games–Howell post hoc test. To decrease the confounding effect of the differences in sex and age, preexisting comorbidities and injury severity score (ISS) among different groups of patients, 1:1 ratio propensity score-matched cohorts were assigned using the NCSS software. The effect of hyperglycemia on the outcomes of patients with and without DM was assessed with a logistic regression analysis. Results: Among those selected propensity score-matched patient cohorts, the patients with SIH and DH had a 3.88-fold (95% CI, 2.13–7.06; p < 0.001) and 1.83-fold (95% CI, 1.00–3.34; p = 0.048) higher mortality, respectively, than those with NDN. Moreover, the patients in the SIH group (10.0 vs. 7.4 days; p = 0.005) and those in the DH group (10.1 vs. 7.4 days; p = 0.006) who were admitted to the ICU had a significantly longer length of stay than those in the NDN group. In addition, the SIH group had a 2.13-fold (95% CI, 1.04–4.36; p = 0.038) higher adjusted odds ratio for mortality than the DH group. Conclusions: This study revealed significantly worse outcomes in terms of mortality among patients with SIH and DH who were admitted to the ICU after controlling for sex and age, preexisting comorbidities and ISS. In addition, patients who had SIH presented significantly higher adjusted odds for mortality than those DH patients. These results suggest that hyperglycemia is detrimental in patients with or without DM who were admitted to the ICU, and there is a different pathophysiological mechanisms behind the SIH and DH.

Background: This study aimed to determine the incidence of femoral fracture location in trauma patients with different weight classes in fall and motorcycle accidents. Methods: A total of 2647 hospitalized adult patients with 2760 femoral fractures from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2014 were included in this study. Femoral fracture sites were categorized based on their location: proximal femur (type A, trochanteric; type B, neck; and type C, head), femoral shaft, and distal femur. The patients were further classified as obese (body mass index [BMI] of ≥30 kg/m²), overweight (BMI of <30 but ≥25 kg/m²), normal weight (BMI of <25 but ≥18.5 kg/m²), and underweight (BMI of <18.5 kg/m²). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of the incidences of femoral fracture location were calculated in patients with different weight classes in fall or motorcycle accidents, and they were then compared with those in patients with normal weight. p values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Most of the fractures sustained in fall accidents presented in the proximal type A (41.8%) and type B (45.3%) femur, whereas those sustained in motorcycle accidents involved the femoral shaft (37.1%), followed by the distal femur (22.4%) and proximal type A femur (21.2%). In fall accidents, compared with normal-weight patients, obese and overweight patients sustained lower odds of risk for proximal type B fractures but higher odds of risk for femoral shaft and distal femoral fractures. In motorcycle accidents, compared with normal-weight patients, obese patients sustained lower odds of risk for proximal type B fractures but no difference in odds of risk for femoral shaft and distal femoral fractures. Overweight and underweight patients who sustained fractures in a motorcycle accident did not have different fracture location patterns compared with normal-weight patients. Conclusions: This study revealed that femoral fracture locations differ between fall and motorcycle accidents. Moreover, greater soft tissue padding may reduce impact forces to the greater trochanteric region in obese patients during fall accidents, and during motorcycle accidents, the energy transmitted and the point of impact may dominantly determine the location of femoral fractures.

Shared decision making (SDM) is an interactive process that involves patients and their healthcare professionals reaching joint decisions about medical care through negotiation. As the initiators of medical decision-making in daily routine, physicians should be aware of and concerned about the SDM process. Thus, professional competency development for SDM has become increasingly critical for physicians’ training. Therefore, this study investigates the professional competency and the important competency development aspects/criteria of SDM tasks through expert interviews and literature research. The study adopts the SAA (satisfaction-attention analysis) method to assess the status of competency development aspects/criteria and determine the NRM (network relation map) based on the DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) technique. The results demonstrate that the CE (concept and evaluation) aspect is the dominant aspect, and the CR (communication and relationship) aspect is the aspect being dominated. The CE aspect influences the aspects of SP (skill and practice), JM (joint information and decision making) and CR, and the SP aspect affects the aspects of JM and CR. Then, the JM aspect affects the CR aspect. The study also suggests suitable adoption paths of competency development for SDM tasks using the NRM approach. It provides recommendations and strategic directions for SDM competency development and sustainable training programs.

The implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) focuses on learners’ competency outcomes and performance during their training. Competencies should meet the local demands of the healthcare system and achieve the desired patient-centered outcomes. Continuous professional education for all physicians also emphasizes competency-based training to provide high-quality patient care. In the CBME assessment, trainees are evaluated on applying their knowledge and skills to unpredictable clinical situations. A priority of the training program is essential in building competency development. However, no research has focused on exploring strategies for physician competency development. In this study, we investigate the professional competency state, determine the driving force, and provide emergency physicians’ competency development strategies. We use the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to identify the professional competency state and investigate the relationship among the aspects and criteria. Furthermore, the study uses the PCA (principal component analysis) method to reduce the number of components and then identify the weights of the aspects and components using the ANP (analytic network process) approach. Therefore, we can establish the prioritization of competency development of emergency physicians (EPs) with the VIKOR (Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) approach. Our research demonstrates the priority of competency development of EPs is PL (professional literacy), CS (care services), PK (personal knowledge), and PS (professional skills). The dominant aspect is PL, and the aspect being dominated is PS. The PL affects CS, PK, and PS. Then, the CS affects PK and PS. Ultimately, the PK affects the PS. In conclusion, the strategies to improve the professional competency development of EPs should begin with the improvement from the aspect of PL. After PL, the following aspects that should be improved are CS, PK, and PS. Therefore, this study can help establish competency development strategies for different stakeholders and redefine emergency physicians’ competency to reach the desired CBME outcomes by improving advantages and disadvantages.