Management of non-compressible torso hemorrhage of the abdomen in civilian and military austere/remote environments: protocol for a scoping review

Abstract

The management of non-compressible torso hemorrhage in military austere/remote environments is a leading cause of potentially preventable death in the prehospital/battlefield environment that has not shown a decrease in mortality in 26 years. Numerous conceptual innovations to manage non-compressible torso hemorrhage have been developed without proven effectiveness in this setting. This scoping review aims to assess the current literature to define non-compressible torso hemorrhage in civilian and military austere/remote environments, assess current innovations and the effectiveness of these innovations, assess the current knowledge gaps and potential future innovations in the management of non-compressible torso hemorrhage in civilian and military austere/remote environments, and assess the translational health science perspective of the current literature and its potential effect on public health. The Joanna Briggs Institute for evidence synthesis will guide this scoping review to completion. A nine-step development process, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist, will be used to enhance the methodological and reporting quality of this scoping review. The Participant, Concept, Context framework will broaden this scoping review’s reach in developing a comprehensive search strategy. Thirty years will be explored to assess all relevant literature to ensure a thorough search. Two researchers will explore all the discovered literature and develop consensus on the selected literature included in this scoping review. The article will undergo review and data extraction for data analysis. The knowledge to action framework will guide the knowledge synthesis and creation of this scoping review. A narrative synthesis will systematically review and synthesize the collected literature to produce and explain a broad conclusion of the selected literature. Lastly, a consultation exercise in the form of qualitative interviews will be conducted to assess the thematic analysis results and validate the result of this scoping review. This scoping review will require Institutional Review Board approval for the expert consultation in the form of qualitative interviews. Consultants’ identifying information will remain confidential. The collected and analyzed data from this scoping review will identify gaps in the literature to create an evidence-informed protocol for the management of non-compressible torso hemorrhage of the abdomen in civilian and military austere/remote environments. The results of this scoping review will be distributed in peer-reviewed journals and educational, medical presentations. Scoping Review Protocol, Level IV.