Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery

Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Title	Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Abbreviation	J. Trauma Acute Care Surg.
Discipline	Surgery
Publisher	American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
History	1961–present
Frequency	Monthly
Impact	3.0
Impact-year	2023
Issn	2163-0750

Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering clinical research on trauma, critical care, and emergency surgery. It publishes original research, reviews, consensus statements, and practice guidelines relevant to surgeons, intensivists, and emergency physicians. The journal serves as an official outlet for professional societies and contributes to policy discussions involving hospitals, trauma centers, and academic departments.

History

The journal traces roots to early trauma surgery discourse that was contemporaneous with developments at institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Its establishment paralleled advances from figures associated with World War II surgical innovations and later influenced work by surgeons connected to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Over decades the publication reflected changing paradigms influenced by events like the Vietnam War, the evolution of Advanced Trauma Life Support protocols, and policy initiatives linked to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention injury prevention programs. The journal's editorial direction has intersected with leaders affiliated with American College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and regional trauma networks such as those in Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago.

Scope and Content

The journal covers clinical trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, and practice guidelines with relevance to trauma systems, prehospital care, surgical techniques, and critical care management. Topics often connect to work from departments at Stanford University School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and international centers such as King's College London, University of Toronto, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Articles integrate concepts developed in contexts like the Iraq War, the Haiti earthquake (2010), and disaster response frameworks used by agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency and World Health Organization. Content spans hemorrhage control studies related to devices by manufacturers partnered with U.S. Department of Defense programs, transfusion medicine collaborations linked to American Red Cross, and trauma registry analyses informed by regional systems such as the National Trauma Data Bank.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and citation services used by academic institutions such as National Library of Medicine, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science. Libraries at institutions including Yale School of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, and Johns Hopkins University provide access through aggregators. Its articles are discoverable in platforms used by organizations like WorldCat, CrossRef, and professional consortia connected to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Editorial and Publication Details

Published monthly by a professional association based in the United States, the journal's editorial leadership has included editors affiliated with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, and international academics from Monash University, University of Melbourne, and University College London. The peer-review process engages reviewers from specialties represented by societies such as American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care. The journal issues special supplements for consensus conferences convened at venues like Royal College of Surgeons, and collaborates on guideline publications with committees that include members from National Institutes of Health, European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery, and regional health ministries.

Impact and Reception

The journal's impact has been evaluated in citation analyses conducted by entities such as Clarivate Analytics and bibliometric studies at universities including Oxford University and Cambridge University. Its findings influence clinical practice guidelines referenced by professional organizations including American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and inform curricula at academic centers like Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Debates arising from high-profile publications have involved commentators from outlets connected to New England Journal of Medicine editorial discussions and have been cited in policy reviews by agencies such as Department of Defense research offices and international disaster response planners.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Notable contributions include landmark trials, multicenter studies, and guideline-setting reviews that shaped protocols like Damage control surgery and hemorrhage control strategies used in military and civilian settings. Seminal reports published in the journal have been authored by investigators from Uniformed Services University, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Naval Medical Research Center, and major trauma networks at University of Southern California. Influential meta-analyses and registry-based investigations published in the journal have been discussed at conferences such as the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress and cited by task forces convened by World Health Organization and national trauma policy panels.

Category:Academic journals Category:Surgery journals Category:Trauma care