Garth H. Utter, M.D.

Clinical/Research Interests

Dr. Utter has clinical expertise in the fields of trauma surgery, emergency general surgery, and critical care. He has active research interests in the optimal circumstances for chest tube removal, the effectiveness of counseling techniques in reducing problematic drinking behavior, the survival of donor blood cells following transfusion (called "micro chimerism"), the influence of blood transfusion on outcomes from traumatic brain injury, and indicators of the quality of health care. He is participating in extramurally funded projects on the topics of alcohol-related counseling (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), microchimerism (National Institutes of Health), and quality of care indicators (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality).

Title:

Associate Professor

Specialty:

Surgery - Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care

Center/Program Affiliation:

Trauma Program

Address:

UC Davis Medical Center
2315 Stockton Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95817

Phone:

(916) 734-5234

Education:

UC San Francisco School of Medicine
San Francisco, California
M.D. 1997

UC Berkeley
Berkeley, California
A.B. 1992

Internships:

UC Davis Medical Center
Sacramento, California
1998

Residency:

UC Davis Medical Center
Sacramento, California
2003
Surgery

Fellowships:

Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
2005
Surgery

Board Certifications:

American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, 2005
American Board of Surgery, 2004

Professional Memberships:

American College of Surgeons
American Medical Association

Honors and Awards:

NIH-30 awardee, 2003

Select Recent Publications:

London JA, Utter GH, Battistella FD, Wisner DR. Methamphetamine use is associated with increased hospital resource consumption among minimally injured trauma patients. J Trauma. 2009;66:485-490.

Sena MJ, Rivers RM, Muizelaar JP, Battistella FD, Utter GH. Transfusion practices for acute traumatic brain injury: a survey of physicians at U.S. trauma centers. Intensive Care Med. 2009;35:480-488.

London JA, Utter GH, Chen SL, Sena MJ, Romano PS. Lack of insurance is associated with increased risk for hernia complications. Ann Surg. 2009;250:331-337.

Utter GH, Zrelak P, Baron R, Tancredi DV, Sadeghi B, Geppert JJ, Davies SM, Romano PS. Positive predictive value ofthe AHRQ Accidental Puncture or Laceration Patient Safety Indicator. Ann Surg. (Accepted April 20, 2009)

White RH, Sadeghi B, Tancredi DJ, Zrelak P, Cuny J, Sama P, Utter GH, Geppert JJ, Romano PS. How valid is the ICD-9-CM-based AHRQ Patient Safety Indicator for postoperative venous thromboembolism? Med Care. (Accepted May 30, 2009)

Sadeghi B, Baron R, Zrelak P, Utter GH, Geppert JJ, Davies SM, Romano PS. Cases of iatrogenic pneumothorax can be identified from ICD-9-CM coded data. Am J Med Qual. (Accepted June 10, 2009)

Gill RM, Lee TH, Utter GH, Reed WF, Wen L, Chafets D, Busch MP. The TNF-alpha-308A polymorphism is associated with micro chimerism in transfused trauma patients.Blood 2008;111 :3880-3883.

Utter GH, Lee TH, Rivers RM, Montalvo L, Wen L, Chafets DM, Reed WF, Busch MP. Microchimerism decades after transfusion among combat-injured U.S. veterans from the Vietnam, Korean, and World War II conflicts. Transfusion. 2008;48:1609-1615.

Sena MJ, Utter GH, Cuschieri J, Maier RV, Tomkins RG, Harbrecht BG, O'Keefe GE. Early supplemental parenteral nutrition is associated with increased infectious complications in critically ill trauma patients. JAm Coli Surg. 2008;207:459-467.

Utter GH, Victorino GP, Wisner DR. Interhospital transfer of acute trauma patients: how long does it take and how is the time spent? Clinical Medicine: Trauma and Intensive Medicine. 2008;1:11-19.

To see if Garth H. Utter is accepting new patients, or for assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call (800) 2-UC DAVIS.