Trauma STAT IR

Date: 03/2026 | Supersedes: 05/2025 | Location: MH Katy

Indications for Activation of TRAUMA STAT IR:

  • Active vascular extravasation with ongoing transfusion requirement
  • IR required from the OR (e.g. after hepatic or pelvic packing and temporary abdominal closure)

Cath Lab TRAUMA STAT IR procedures:

  • TRAUMA STAT IR procedures will preferably be performed in the Room 2.
  • From ED: The patient will be transported to the Cath Lab by ED nurse, ED respiratory therapist, and the Trauma team. Anesthesia, IR physician, and IR staff will meet the patient in the Cath Lab.
  • From OR: The patient will be transported to the Cath Lab by OR nurse, Anesthesia provider, and the Trauma team. IR physician and IR staff will meet the patient in the Cath Lab.

Process for TRAUMA STAT IR procedures in Cath Lab:

  • Massive transfusion protocol should be ordered and a cooler of blood at the patient’s bedside.
  • The on call Trauma surgeon will call the OA to initiate TRAUMA STAT IR.
  • The OA will call, in order:
    • The Cath Lab on call contact. This contact will call the other three Cath Lab staff who will also respond. The Cath Lab staff are expected to be in the hospital within 30 minutes.
    • The on call IR physician. The time at which the on call physician is notified is to be documented by the OA in EPIC. The physician is expected to be in the hospital and arterial puncture to have occurred within 60 minutes of being notified by the OA of a STAT IR case.
    • Anesthesia
  • The OA will inform the on call IR physician who the Trauma surgeon on call is so that the physicians can discuss the case while the IR physician is making their way to the Cath Lab.
  • Once anesthesia and the Cath Lab staff are ready, the Trauma team, ED nurse, and ED respiratory therapist will transport the patient to the Cath Lab.

Hybrid OR:

  • If the IR intervention is to occur in the Hybrid OR, the OA or trauma surgeon will let the OR charge nurse know and post case.
  • The OR charge nurse will notify Anesthesia, ready the room, and call in necessary staff.
  • The OA or trauma surgeon will call IR physician. The time at which the on call physician is notified is to be documented in EPIC. The physician is expected to be in the hospital and arterial puncture to have occurred within 60 minutes of being notified by the OA of a STAT IR case.

Documentation:

  • After making all the calls, the OA is to leave a brief note in EPIC stating the time at which TRAUMA STAT IR was activated and to whom they spoke.
  • Cath lab and OR nurse document arterial puncture as part of standard documentation.