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Biomedical subjects

Carnell Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to Carnell Cooper.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Hospital-based violence intervention programs work.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-based violence prevention programs have emerged at trauma centers nationwide; however, none has been thoroughly evaluated for effectiveness. Our Violence Intervention Program (VIP) conducted a prospective randomized control study to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention for repeat victims of violence. METHOD: Patients admitted between 1999 and 2001 for treatment of injuries inflicted by a violent act were identified. Repeat victims of violence on parole/probation were invited to join the study. Participants were given a history-gathering questionnaire and randomized into two groups. Cases (intervention [n = 56]) received intensive psychosocial follow-up services, family or group therapy, and assisted with substance abuse treatment. Controls (nonintervention [n = 44]) received standard medical treatment and follow-through in accordance with standard parole or probation procedures. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the number of arrests in the two groups. The control group was three times more likely to be arrested for a violent crime, two times more likely to be convicted of any crime, and four times more likely to be convicted of a violent crime. The projected time of incarceration is significantly longer for the control group. Repeat violent criminal activity was significantly more evident in the control group. CONCLUSION: Significant differences exist between the VIP intervention and nonintervention groups in terms of the quantity and severity of criminal activity.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Drug and alcohol use among drivers admitted to a Level-1 trauma center.

The purpose of this research was to determine the incidence and prevalence of drug use, alcohol use, and the combination of drug and alcohol use among motor vehicle crash (MVC) victims admitted to a Level-1 trauma center. In a 90-day study, nearly two-thirds of trauma center admissions were victims of motor vehicle crashes. Blood and urine was collected from 168 MVC victims of whom 108 were identified as the driver in the crash. Toxicology results indicated that 65.7% of drivers tested positive for either commonly abused drugs or alcohol. More than half of the drivers tested positive for drugs (50.9%) other than alcohol, with one in four drivers testing positive for marijuana use. About one-third of those using drugs had also been drinking, but alcohol was detected in only 30.6% of all injured drivers. Within the total MVC patient pool, passenger drug/alcohol use was equivalent to the driver population; however, injured pedestrians had higher rates of alcohol only than other MVC victims. There were no significant differences in drug and alcohol use between MVCs and trauma admissions of other causes. Of the patients with positive toxicology results, less than half (42%) were referred for evaluation for substance abuse disorders.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

Daily multidisciplinary rounds shorten length of stay for trauma patients.

PURPOSE: Efficient patient care depends on close communication between the trauma team, other surgical providers, nursing, physical therapy, and discharge planners. Communication is hampered by the number of services involved, the workload of each service, and the institution's training mission. We hypothesized that daily multidisciplinary "discharge rounds" would improve patient flow and increase readiness. METHODS: A senior trauma center physician leads discharge rounds, focusing on each patient's plan of care, including surgeries, diagnostic tests, and anticipated date of discharge or transfer. Present at rounds are the fellows leading each trauma team; an orthopedic surgeon; the hospital bed manager; the unit's discharge planner; the unit nursing staff; and physical, occupational, and speech therapists. RESULTS: Discharge rounds cover 90 inpatient trauma service beds in approximately 60 minutes each day. Discharge rounds have had a dramatic effect on patient flow. While maintaining the daily census, we have seen a 36% increase in patient volume and a 15% decrease in length of stay. "Bypass" status-inability to accept admissions-has been virtually eliminated. This effect has been sustained. CONCLUSION: By providing a forum for clear communications among all providers, discharge rounds have streamlined the care of complex trauma patients. As health care resources become ever more constrained, this sort of multidisciplinary effort is a viable option for senior physicians to directly impact hospital performance.

Humans↗