30th Annual USC National Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Symposium

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  • Welcome and Opening Remarks
    Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD
    Jorge Orozco, CEO, Los Angeles General Medical Center
    Hilda Solis, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors-First District

SESSION 1: Prehospital, Emergency Room and Hospital Systems Hot Topics

Moderator: Kenji Inaba, MD, MSc

  • Prehospital Care: Whole Blood, Plasma, TXA or Scoop and Run? Galinos Barmparas, MD
  • Videotaping Trauma Resuscitations: A QI Tool or a Legal Risk? Brant A. Putnam, MD
  • Cybersecurity and Ransomware Attacks Against Hospitals Oscar Autelli
  • Los Angeles Police Department Tactical EMS Program Edward Leverich, PhD
  • Session 1 - Discussion

SESSION 2: Military Session

Moderator: CDR Obinna Ugochukwu, MD

  • Preparing in Trauma for Future Military Conflicts COL Stacey A. Shackelford, MD
  • New and Emerging Technologies in Military Trauma COL Stacey A. Shackelford, MD
  • Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injuries: Lessons Learned from the Battlefield COL Matthew Martin, MD (ret.)
  • Session 2 - Discussion

SESSION 3: Distinguished Professor and Keynote Speaker

Introduction: Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • Keynote Lecture: Bringing Precision Medicine to Trauma Patients CAPT Eric Elster, MD (ret.)

SESSION 4: Advances and Challenging Problems in Acute Care Surgery

Moderator: COL (ret.) Matthew Martin, MD

  • Surgical Emergencies in the Pregnant Patient Ali Salim, MD
  • Managing Short Gut and High Output Fistulas Subarna Biswas, MD, PhD
  • Management of Rhabdomyolysis: Evidence-Based Guidelines Meghan Lewis, MD
  • 5 Top Trauma Papers: 2022-2024 Elizabeth R. Benjamin, MD, PhD
  • Migrant Border Crossings: Deaths and Injuries, Falls and Drowning LT COL Jay J. Doucet, MD, MSc (ret.)

SESSION 5: The Kenneth L. Mattox Luncheon Session

Introduction: Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • Lessons in Raising the Surgical Bar; Too Fast, Too High, vs. Too Slow! Kenneth L. Mattox, MD

SESSION 6: Organ Donation

Moderator: Lydia Lam, MD

  • Special Guest Adam Kendall, MD
  • Donation After Cardiac Death: What’s Registry Got to Do With It? Aaron Cheng, Esq.
  • Top 3 Papers for Organ Donation, 2020-2024 Jennifer A. Smith, MD

SESSION 7: Better Trauma and Emergency Surgery and Critical Care

Moderator: Morgan A. Schellenberg MD, MPH

  • Pharmacological Interventions in Septic Shock: Where Are We in 2024? Bradley Allen, MD
  • ECMO in Trauma: An Experimental Tool or the Standard of Care? Areti Tillou, MD
  • Proximal Protective Diverting Ostomy for Colon Resection and Anastomosis: Is It Really Protective? Elizabeth R. Benjamin, MD, PhD
  • Whole Blood for Trauma Resuscitation: Benefits, Risks, and Costs Anaar E. Siletz, MD, PhD
  • Cerebral Fat Embolism: Diagnostic Challenges, Management and Outcomes Raul Coimbra, MD, PhD
  • Session 7 - Discussion

SESSION 8: Challenging Controversies in Trauma

Moderator: Kenneth L. Mattox, MD

  • REBOA in 2024: A Spectacular Failure in Trauma or a Life-Saving Tool? Bellal Joseph, MD
  • Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Surgery: Cheaper and Better Care? Areg Grigorian, MD
  • Open Surgery vs. Endovascular Approach for Visceral Arterial Injuries Michael Sise, MD
  • Session 8 - Discussion

SESSION 9: Capsule Commentaries - Trauma Care

Moderator: Kazuhide Matsushima, MD

  • Pre-Injury Illicit Stimulant Use in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Does It Affect Outcome? Rembrandt VanDruff, MD
  • Beta Blockers in Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries: Should They Be in the Management Protocol? Laura Bloom, MD, MS, MBA
  • Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Should Calcium Channel Blockers Be in the Management Protocol? Jaehee Yoon, MD
  • Thoracostomy Tube for Drainage of Hemothorax: Does the Size Matter? Peter Rhee, MD, MPH
  • Prehospital and Hospital C-Collar: Use, Abuse and Consequences Carlos V. R. Brown, MD
  • Session 9 - Discussion

SESSION 10: One Hour with Dimitri - Believe It or Not!

Moderator: Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • Panel

    Kenneth L. Mattox, MD

    Mark Kaplan, MD

    Daniel R. Margulies, MD

    Raul Coimbra, MD, PhD

    Brant A. Putnam, MD

    Michael Sise, MD, PhD

SESSION 11: In the ICU

Moderator: Meghan Lewis, MD

  • Preventing Hospital Acquired Infections: Searching for the Silver Bullet! Brad Spellberg, MD, FIDSA, FACP
  • Intra-Abdominal Hypertension and Abdominal Compartment Syndrome: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pitfalls Mark Kaplan, MD
  • Artificial Intelligence in Critical Care J. Perren Cobb, MD
  • Anesthesia Management in the Multi-Trauma Patient with Associated Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Rodney McKeever, MD, DABA
  • Session 11 - Discussion

SESSION 12: Community and International Outreach

Moderator: Damon H. Clark, MD and Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • The Establishment of Trauma Systems and Trauma Centers in China: Progress and Challenges Tianbing Wang, MD, PhD
  • From the L.A. General Hospital to Estonia: Putting Together a National Trauma Program Peep Talving, MD, PhD
  • The Real Impact on Suicide and Suicide Attempts on Trauma Hospitals and Communities Damon H. Clark, MD
  • Team Communication and Collaboration for a Healthy Work Environment
  • Session 12 - Discussion

SESSION 13: Keynote Speaker

Moderator: Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • Keynote Lecture: The Evolution of Medical Care in Space Exploration Kjell Lindgren, NASA Astronaut

SESSION 14: The Tom Noguchi Session - Coroner’s Corner

Moderator: Thomas Noguchi, MD

  • Non-Accidental Head Trauma of Infants Odey C. Ukpo, MD, MS
  • Session 14 - Discussion

SESSION 15: Video Sessions - How To…

Moderator: Elizabeth R. Benjamin, MD, PhD

  • Splenic Repair or Splenectomy Kelly Boyle, MD
  • Exposure of the Abdominal Aorta and Its Branches Amanda Hambrecht, MD
  • Complete Duodenal Mobilization and Exposure Edward Cho, MD
  • Bowel Resection and Hand-Sewn or Stapled Anastomosis Jamie Knell, MD
  • Fasciotomies of the Lower Leg Smita Mascharak, MD
  • Skin Grafting: Technique, Tips and Pitfalls Maxwell Johnson, MD
  • Session 15 - Discussion

SESSION 16: Luncheon Session

Moderator: Demetrios Demetriades, MD, PhD

  • Pursuing Excellence in the LA County Health System Christina Ghaly, MD, DHS Director

SESSION 17: Challenges and Controversies in Trauma and Emergency Surgery

Moderator: Brad Spellberg, MD

  • Appendicitis: Myths and Facts About Antibiotics Peep Talving, MD, PhD
  • Decontamination of the Digestive Tract and Oropharynx in ICU Patients: Does It Work? Jacqueline Urbina, RN
  • VTE Prophylaxis After Blunt Solid Organ Injury: When and What? Morgan Schellenberg, MD, MPH
  • Oral Antibiotics in Surgical Infections: Myths and Facts Brad Spellberg, MD
  • Session 17 - Discussion

SESSION 18: DEBATE: Tracheostomy in the ICU: Early or Late?

Moderator: Kenji Inaba, MD, MSc

  • Delayed Tracheostomy, Don’t Rush In! Ali Salim, MD
  • Get It Done, Do It Early! Carlos V.R. Brown, MD
  • Resolution: Lets Agree!

SESSION 19: Abdominal Surgical Challenges

Moderator: Peep Talving, MD, PhD

  • Acute Cholecystitis in Pregnancy: Same Admission or Planned Post-Pregnancy Cholecystectomy? Angela Neville, MD
  • Small Bowel Obstruction in the Virgin Abdomen Eugenia Lee, MD, MPH
  • Blunt Pancreatic Trauma: Operate or Observe? Adriana Valera-Reyes, MD
  • Surgical Management of Peptic Ulcer Disease Daniel R. Margulies, MD
  • Resistance is Futile! Robotics in Acute Care Surgery COL Matthew Martin, MD (ret.)
  • Session 19 - Discussion

SESSION 20: Rheeopardy

Moderator: Peter Rhee, MD, MPH

  • Panel

    Adriana Valera-Reyes, MD (USC)

    Jin Sui, MD (Harbor-UCLA)

    Harriet Barratt, MD (Cedars-Sinai)

    Mallory Jebbia, MD (UCI)