Acute Trauma Patients Research Articles

Evaluating initial spine trauma response: Injury time to trauma center in PA, USA

Historical perceptions regarding the severity of traumatic spinal cord injury has led to considerable disparity in triage to tertiary care centers. This article retrospectively reviews a large regional trauma database to analyze whether the diagnosis of spinal trauma affected patient transfer timing and patterns. The Pennsylvania Trauma database was retrospectively reviewed. All acute trauma patient entries for level I and II centers were categorized for diagnosis, mechanism, and location of injury, analyzing transportation modality and its influence on time of arrival. A total of 1162 trauma patients were identified (1014 blunt injuries, 135 penetrating injuries and 12 other) with a mean transport time of 3.9hours and a majority of patients arriving within 7hours (>75%). Spine trauma patients had the longest mean arrival time (5.2hours) compared to blunt trauma (4.2hours), cranial neurologic injuries (4.35hours), and penetrating injuries (2.13hours, p<0.0001). There was a statistically significant correlation between earlier arrivals and both cranial trauma (p=0.0085) and penetrating trauma (p<0.0001). The fastest modality was a fire rescue (0.93hours) or police (0.63hours) vehicle with Philadelphia County (1.1hour) having the quickest arrival times. Most trauma patients arrived to a specialty center within 7hours of injury. However subsets analysis revealed that spine trauma patients had the greatest transit times. Present research trials for spinal cord injuries suggest earlier intervention may lead to improved recovery. Therefore, it is important to focus on improvement of the transportation triage system for traumatic spinal patients.

A single-center retrospective study on the intraluminal implantation of inferior vena cava filter for the lower extremity trauma patients with deep venous thrombosis

To evaluate the application of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) in prevention of peri-operative pulmonary embolism (PE) in lower limb bone fracture patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT). From January 2003 to December 2012, 2 248 cases of lower limb and pelvic fractures with DVT were retrospectively analyzed. Before the procedure of IVCF implantation began, January 2003 to December 2007, there were 1 052 cases of acute trauma patients with DVT were classified as the group of early none-IVCF. The IVCF implantation was began since January 2008. From that time to December 2012, 712 cases of bone fractures with DVT received filter implantation, which were classified as IVCF group. The other 484 patients who had not undergone filter deployment were divided as group of late none-IVCF. The baseline conditions of the three groups were significantly different in addition to the ages between group of early none-IVCF and IVCF group. The incidences of PE and mortality of PE in each group were recorded and analyzed by χ(2) test. There were totally 31 cases of symptomatic PE, among which 12 cases died. Totally 712 filters were deployed successfully without any major complications. The incidences of symptomatic PE were 0.14% (1/712), 2.19% (23/1 052) and 1.45% (7/484) in IVCF group, group of early none-IVCF and group of late none-IVCF, respectively. The mortality of PE were 0 (0/712), 0.86% (9/1 052) and 0.62% (3/484) in these groups. The incidence of symptomatic PE in IVCF group was significantly different from that in the group of early and late none-IVCF (χ(2) = 11.762, P = 0.001; χ(2) = 7.395, P = 0.007, respectively). The mortality of IVCF group was also significantly lower compared with the other two groups (χ(2) = 6.122, P = 0.013; χ(2) = 4.424, P = 0.035, respectively). IVCF implantation effectively prevents symptomatic and fatal PE of patients of lower limb and pelvic fractures with DVT in the peri-operative period.

Acute hemodynamic responses to 30° head-down postural drainage in stable, ventilated trauma patients: A randomized crossover trial

ObjectiveTo determine whether 30° head-down tilt (HDT) used for secretion clearance is safe for acute trauma patients. BackgroundThere are concerns that HDT may lead to cardiac irregularities in intubated patients in the ICU. MethodsEleven mechanically ventilated trauma patients (25–42 yrs) without cardiovascular problems received two interventions, one supine HDT for 10 min and a control in the horizontal supine position (HS), in a crossover design. ResultsCompared to baseline there were statistically significant (p < 0.05) increases in SBP (6.3 mm Hg; 95% CI 2.5, 12.7) and CVP (7.3 cm H2O; 5.7, 10.0) during 10 min HDT although these were not of clinical concern. Heart rate and oxygen saturation were unchanged. No episodes of arrhythmia or hypoxemia were observed. All values returned close to baseline during 10 min horizontal recovery. There were no significant changes during the control HS intervention. Conclusion30° HDT entails minimal risk for trauma patients who have no underlying cardiovascular disease.

Assessing the gap between the acute trauma workload and the capacity of a single rural health district in South Africa. What are the implications for systems planning?

This study focuses on a single rural health district in South Africa, and attempts to establish the burden of disease and to review the capacity of the district hospitals to deal with this load. Ethical approval to undertake this study was obtained from both the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Department of Health. The audit was performed over a 6-month period in the four district hospitals of rural Sisonke District. There were four components to this audit. 1. Information on the hospital incidence of acute trauma in Sisonke was also sourced from the epidemiology unit of the Department of Health in Pietermaritzburg 2. Each of the district hospitals was visited and the medical manager was interviewed. The medical manager was asked to complete the World Health Organization's Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. (SAT). 3. The operative registers were reviewed to determine the number of index cases for trauma. This information was used to determine the unmet need of acute trauma in the district. 4. Each hospital was classified according to the Trauma Society of South Africa (TSSA) guidelines for levels of trauma care. The annual incidence of trauma in the Sisonke District is estimated to be 1,590 per 100,000 population. Although there appeared to be adequate infrastructure in the district hospitals, the SAT revealed significant deficits in terms of capacity of staff to adequately treat and triage acute trauma patients. There is a significant unmet need for trauma care in Sisonke. The four district hospitals can best be classified as Level IV centers of trauma care. There is a significant burden of trauma in the Sisonke District, yet the capacity to deal with this burden is inadequate. Although the physical infrastructure is adequate, the deficits relate to human resources. The strategic choices are between enhancing the district hospitals' capacity to deal with acute trauma, or deciding to bypass them completely and deliver all acute trauma patients to large regional trauma centers. If the first option is chosen, urgent intervention is required to build up the human resource capacity of district hospitals.

Increased circulating advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in acute trauma patients.

Circulating levels of pro-inflammatory advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are increased in diabetes and other conditions characterized by chronically elevated oxidant stress (OS). OS also increases after acute trauma and is implicated in the development of complications such as multiple organ failure. Herein, we assess the effect of acute OS on circulating levels of AGEs in a cohort of acute trauma victims. An observational study was performed at a large Level 1 Trauma Center. Blood samples for measurement of two AGEs, carboxymethyllysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG), were obtained at admission, and serially afterwards in patients admitted to the ICU. Demographics, dietary history, markers of injury severity and ICU morbidity and mortality data were collected. One hundred and fifty-six trauma patients (TP) (age: 39±17 years, 83% males, injury severity score: 18±14) were included in the study. TP had significantly higher serum AGE levels than normal healthy controls (CML, TP 12.4±8.2 U/mL vs. controls 8.9±5.3 U/mL, p<0.001; MG, TP 2.1±1.4 nmol/mL vs. controls 0.79±0.3 nmol/mL, p<0.001). Admission serum AGE levels in 49 severe TP admitted to the ICU were lower than those who were not. However, among the ICU patients, serum AGEs increased further for about 7 days in patients with an uncomplicated course, and remained markedly elevated in those with a complicated course. Circulating AGEs are transiently increased after acute trauma and persistently elevated AGE levels are associated with greater severity of injury.

Nontechnical skills performance and care processes in the management of the acute trauma patient

Acute trauma management is a complex process, with the effective cooperation among multiple clinicians critical to success. Despite this, the effect of nontechnical skills on performance on outcomes has not been investigated previously in trauma. Trauma calls in an urban, level 1 trauma center were observed directly. Nontechnical performance was measured using T-NOTECHS. Times to disposition and completion of assessment care processes were recorded, as well as any delays or errors. Statistical analysis assessed the effect of T-NOTECHS on performance and outcomes, accounting for Injury Severity Scores (ISS) and time of day as potential confounding factors. Meta-analysis was performed for incidence of delays. Fifty trauma calls were observed, with an ISS of 13 (interquartile range [IQR], 5-25); duration of stay 1 (IQR, 1-8) days; T-NOTECHS, 20.5 (IQR, 18-23); time to disposition, 24 minutes (IQR, 18-42). Trauma calls with low T-NOTECHS scores had a greater time to disposition: 35 minutes (IQR, 23-53) versus 20 (IQR, 16-25; P = .046). ISS showed a significant correlation to duration of stay (r = 0.736; P < .001), but not to T-NOTECHS (r = 0.201; P = .219) or time to disposition (r = 0.113; P = .494). There was no difference between "in-hours" and "out-of-hours" trauma calls for T-NOTECHS scores (21 [IQR, 18-22] vs 20 [IQR, 20-23]; P = .361), or time to disposition (34 minutes [IQR, 24-52] vs 17 [IQR, 15-27]; P = .419). Regression analysis revealed T-NOTECHS as the only factor associated with delays (odds ratio [OR], 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.95). Better teamwork and nontechnical performance are associated with significant decreases in disposition time, an important marker of quality in acute trauma care. Addressing team and nontechnical skills has the potential to improve patient assessment, treatment, and outcomes.

Abstract 357: Treatment With Fibrinogen ?-chain Peptide-coated, Adenosine Diphosphate-encapsulated Liposomes as an Infusible Haemostatic Agent for Dilutional Coagulopathy

Background: We developed a fibrinogen γ-chain (dodecapeptide HHLGGAKQAGDV, H12)-coated, adenosine-diphosphate (ADP)-encapsulated liposomes [H12-(ADP)-liposomes] that accumulate at bleeding site via interaction with activated platelets via GPIIb/IIIa and augment platelet aggregation by releasing ADP. Objective: To evaluate the haemostatic efficacy of H12-(ADP)-liposomes against active liver bleeding in dilutional thrombocytopenic rabbits following massive transfusion. Methods: Acute thrombocytopenia (platelets &lt; 50 х 10 3 /μL) was induced in rabbits by repeated blood withdrawal and isovolemic transfusion of autologous washed red blood cells. In these thrombocytopenic rabbits, liver hemorrhage was made by penetrating liver injury. Subsequently, they received the astriction treatment against the liver hemorrhage for 5 min and were intravenously administered with H12-(ADP)-liposomes with platelet-poor plasma (PPP), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), PPP alone, H12-(PBS)-liposome/PPP or H12-(ADP)-liposomes/PPP + fibrinogen concentrate during the astriction. Results: Administration of H12-(ADP)-liposomes as well as PRP rescued 60% rabbits from the liver hemorrhage (PRP, 50%), although rabbits receiving PPP or H12-(PBS)-liposome/PPP showed 10 or 17% survival in the first 24 h, respectively. Administration of H12-(ADP)-liposomes as well as PRP potently reduced both bleeding volume and time from the liver injury site. H12-(ADP)-liposomes were observed at the bleeding site in the liver with thrombus formation, suggesting an induction of thrombi. Whereas, neither macro- nor micro-thrombi were detected in the lung, kidney or liver in rabbits treated with H12-(ADP)-liposomes. Supplementation of fibrinogen to H12-(ADP)-liposomes/PPP did not significantly improve rabbit survivals (40% survival). Conclusions: H12-(ADP)-liposomes may be a safe and effective therapeutic tool during damage control surgery for acute thrombocytopenic trauma patients with massive bleeding.

Isoflurane suppresses cortical spreading depolarizations compared to propofol — Implications for sedation of neurocritical care patients

Sedatives in the neurointensive care unit can strongly influence patients' risks of developing secondary brain damage. In particular, isoflurane, a volatile anesthetic, has been recently re-introduced to the neurointensive care unit, and first clinical studies suggest beneficial effects due to elevation of cerebral blood flow and reduction of metabolism. In contrast, propofol is a commonly used intravenous sedative that reduces cerebral blood flow and intra-cranial pressure. We have here studied the influence of these two sedatives on the occurrence of cortical spreading depolarizations (CSDs), which have emerged over the last decade as a major mechanism of delayed brain injury in stroke and brain trauma, constituting a substantial vascular and metabolic threat to peri-infarct tissue and being associated with poor patient outcome. Two experimental models were tested in Wistar rats anesthetized either with isoflurane or with propofol: KCl-evoked CSDs (n=10) and spontaneous CSDs after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (n=14). Spatiotemporal patterns of CSD waves were observed by real-time laser speckle imaging of regional cerebral blood flow changes associated with the CSDs. During 30min of cortical KCl application, 5.2±0.7 CSDs were induced under isoflurane compared to 10.2±1.8 CSDs under propofol (p<0.001). After focal ischemia, 2.43±1.0 CSDs/h emerged spontaneously under isoflurane versus 6.83±2.5 CSDs/h under propofol (p<0.001). Furthermore, baseline blood flow and glycemia were much higher under isoflurane compared to propofol, which may set the tissue in better metabolic conditions to recover from the occurrence of CSD waves. We conclude that isoflurane, in comparison to propofol, decreases the occurrence of CSDs and may improve recovery from these metabolically demanding waves. To reduce CSD induced secondary tissue damage, we suggest isoflurane to be favored over propofol to sedate acute stroke and trauma patients in the neurointensive care unit.

Soft Tissue Assessment of Acute Trauma Patients Using a New Novel Non Invasive Device

Soft Tissue Assessment of Acute Trauma Patients Using a New Novel Non Invasive Device

Outcomes at 12 Months After Early Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute Trauma Patients With Persistent Midline Cervical Tenderness and Negative Computed Tomography

A prospective observational cohort study of alert, neurologically intact trauma patients presenting to the emergency department with midline cervical tenderness. Screening cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had been conducted after negative computed tomography (CT) when tenderness was persistent. To determine the association of acute findings and demographic characteristics with any long-term neck disability, and with time to return to work in such patients. The relationship between acute findings and outcomes in these patients is unknown, and we hypothesized that outcomes at 12 months would correlate with acute clinical signs and symptoms, MRI findings, and mechanisms of injury. Patients at a Level 1 trauma center with persistent midline cervical tenderness in the absence of evidence of intoxication, painful distracting injury, persistently abnormal neurology, or acute CT findings, who underwent early cervical MRI under the institutional protocol, were reviewed in the outpatient spine clinic after discharge. In addition, the factors associated with neck disability and time to return to work were examined at follow-up at 12 months after presentation. There were 162 of 178 patients available for follow-up at 12 months (91%). Of these, 46% had MRI-identified cervical spine injury at their initial examination, and 22% had required clinical management, including 2.5% with operative stabilization. Neck disability was present in 43% of patients and was associated with depressive symptoms, workers' compensation, and low annual income. Delay in return to work was associated with the presence of minor limb/other fractures and depressive symptoms, whereas patients on high annual incomes were found to return to work more quickly. Surprisingly in these acute trauma patients, MRI-detected injury, clinical factors, and injury mechanism were not found to be associated with long-term patient outcomes. As a result, a trial of a more targeted, individual return to work plan, including strategies aimed at improving physical and psychological function, may now be justified to optimize long-term recovery, reduce health resource costs, and maximize economic productivity through early return to work.

Identifying and Addressing Preventable Process Errors in Trauma Care

Management of the acute trauma patient is complex, with potential for error and adverse events. Avoidable injuries and deaths are not well understood. Analysis of error incidence, type, and severity can aid in greater understanding of the root causes and guide future development of error reduction strategies. Weekly case review meetings for a UK trauma center were retrospectively reviewed over 1 year. Errors were identified and corroborated with case-note review by a reviewer blinded to any identified events. All events were classified according to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations taxonomy and were typified as structural or process errors and omission or commission errors. A total of 1,752 major trauma patients were admitted over the study period, and 169 preventable errors were identified through analysis of case review meetings and case-note review. Clear patient harm was identified in 3.6 % of cases, with risk of harm in 30 %. Most errors occurred during the initial phase of care in the emergency department (51 %) and resulted most commonly in delays (56 %). The majority of errors were identified as process-related (88 %), with 62 % of them considered errors of omission. This study reports error incidence in trauma and typifies them according to type and root cause. It identifies process errors and errors of omission in particular as the most common recurring events. Error theory suggests that protocols or checklists may most effectively address these errors. Further study should be prospective and may aid in the development of such interventions.

An exploratory analysis of transfer times in a rural trauma system

Background:Delays to definitive care are of particular concern in rural trauma systems, where prehospital times are significantly longer than average.Aims:We evaluated for differences between transferring hospitals in the total time required to transport patients to definitive care, and analyzed for associations between transport times and outcomes.Settings and Design:We employed a cross-sectional design to analyze Level One Trauma Center registry data on interfacility transfer of 3,303 acute trauma patients.Materials and Methods:We calculated time in minutes from injury to definitive care (total elapsed time (TET)), and analyzed for associations between TET and both mortality and length of hospital stay at our center. We mapped hospitals and catchment areas to illustrate statistics by transferring hospital.Statistical Analysis:We employed analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to analyze for the effect of TET and injury severity category upon hospital length of stay, and for the effects of TET and air transport as compared to ground transport. We evaluated for likelihood of in-hospital mortality using logistic regression.Results:TET had little or no effect upon length of hospital stay or in-hospital mortality. The effect of injury severity upon both length of stay and mortality was progressively greater with each categorical increase in severity. Air transport as compared to ground transport was associated with mild increases in length of stay and likelihood of mortality. Mapping revealed spatial patterns that were not evident by statistical analysis alone.Conclusions:Mapping of geographic variations holds promise as a supplement to quantitative needs assessments of trauma systems in rural regions and developing countries.

CT in Acute Trauma: Observations from a Level One Trauma Centre in Western Australia

Background: The use of diagnostic imaging in medicine has changed with the advancement of technology – now faster, more detailed and more available. Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) provides clear criteria for plain film assessment but the guidance on CT scanning in acute trauma is defined less well and depends upon national guidelines and local protocols. There has been a marked increase in the use of CT across the spectrum of trauma patients. This has paved the advent of multiple scans on admission and Whole-Body CT (WBCT) scans during resuscitation. The question is: Is it truly indicated? Methods: Over a ten-month period from June 2011 to April 2012, 100 adults admitted to the state trauma unit were randomly selected for prospective data collection. Our primary outcome was mortality and our secondary outcome was identification of a Significant Injury (SI) on CT scanning. A significant injury was defined as; any finding on CT which resulted in a change of management. Results: There were 100 patients recruited for prospective data collection during ten months, from June 2011 and April 2012. The study population was predominantly males (79%), from the metropolitan area, involved in motor vehicle accidents. Mortality rate was 0% at three months follow up. The prevalence of significant injury demonstrated on WBCT and regional body CT appear equivocal, with the exception of CT pelvis. Conclusion: In the acute trauma setting CT of head and cervical spine delivers valuable clinical information in a timely and low cost manner. With consideration for cost and long term implications on patient safety, we believe that further scanning of the Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis should be clinically driven. We propose that continued careful history taking and physical examination remain a key component to assessing the indication for CT Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis in acute trauma patients.

Development and evaluation of a novel, real time mobile telesonography system in management of patients with abdominal trauma: study protocol.

BackgroundDespite the use of e-FAST in management of patients with abdominal trauma, its utility in prehospital setting is not widely adopted. The goal of this study is to develop a novel portable telesonography (TS) system and evaluate the comparability of the quality of images obtained via this system among healthy volunteers who undergo e-FAST abdominal examination in a moving ambulance and at the ED. We hypothesize that: (1) real-time ultrasound images of acute trauma patients in the pre-hospital setting can be obtained and transmitted to the ED via the novel TS system; and (2) Ultrasound images transmitted to the hospital from the real-time TS system will be comparable in quality to those obtained in the ED.MethodsStudy participants are three healthy volunteers (one each with normal, overweight and obese BMI category). The ultrasound images will be obtained by two ultrasound-trained physicians The TS is a portable sonogram (by Sonosite) interfaced with a portable broadcast unit (by Live-U). Two UTPs will conduct e-FAST examinations on healthy volunteers in moving ambulances and transmit the images via cellular network to the hospital server, where they are stored. Upon arrival in the ED, the same UTPs will obtain another set of images from the volunteers, which are then compared to those obtained in the moving ambulances by another set of blinded UTPs (evaluators) using a validated image quality scale, the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction (QUIS).DiscussionFindings from this study will provide needed data on the validity of the novel TS in transmitting live images from moving ambulances to images obtained in the ED thus providing opportunity to facilitate medical care of a patient located in a remote or austere setting.

Head trauma in China

ObjectiveThe Chinese Head Trauma Data Bank (CHTDB) has been established, which includes 7145 hospitalised cases with acute head trauma patients in 47 hospitals. MethodsWe explored factors that might affect the outcome of acute traumatic brain injury. ResultsThere was no statistical difference in the mortality rate between male (7.5%) and female (7.2%) patients (P>0.05). The mortality rate in children (<18 years), adults (18–65 years) and elderly (>65 years) was 7.3%, 7.2% and 9.0%, respectively (P>0.05). The mortality rate of patients with mild (2.7%), moderate (5.0%) and severe (21.8%) head trauma was significantly different (P<0.001). The mortality rate of patients with unilateral tentorial herniation, bilateral tentorial herniation and tonsillar herniation was 24.2%, 60.2% and 78.8% respectively (P<0.001). The mortality rate of patients with intracranial pressure (ICP)<20mmHg, 20–40mmHg and >40mmHg was 6.3%, 21.4% and 93.1%, respectively (P<0.001). The mortality rate of patients with no cerebral contusion, single cerebral contusion and multiple cerebral contusions was 3.9%, 7.8% and 14.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The mortality rate of patients with and without traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage (tSAH) was 9.5% and 5.4%, respectively (P<0.001). The mortality rate of patients with no intracranial haematomas, single intracranial haematoma and multiple intracranial haematomas was 5.8%, 8.4% and 20.6%, respectively (P<0.001). ConclusionThe CHTDB, the first head trauma data bank in China, has one of the largest numbers of cases of any head trauma data bank in the world. Our major findings on mortality may be helpful to neurosurgeons for predicting the outcome of acute head trauma patients.

Fibrinogen γ‐chain peptide‐coated, ADP‐encapsulated liposomes rescue thrombocytopenic rabbits from non‐compressible liver hemorrhage

We developed a fibrinogen γ-chain (dodecapeptide HHLGGAKQAGDV [H12])-coated, ADP-encapsulated liposome (H12-[ADP]-liposome) that accumulates at bleeding sites via interaction with activated platelets via glycoprotein IIb-IIIa and augments platelet aggregation by releasing ADP. To evaluate the efficacy of H12-(ADP)-liposomes for treating liver hemorrhage in rabbits with acute thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia (platelets < 50 000 μL(-1)) was induced in rabbits by repeated blood withdrawal (100 mL kg(-1) in total) and isovolemic transfusion of autologous washed red blood cells. H12-(ADP)-liposomes with platelet-poor plasma (PPP), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), PPP, ADP liposomes with PPP or H12-(PBS)-liposomes/PPP, were administered to the thrombocytopenic rabbits, and liver hemorrhage was induced by penetrating liver injury. Administration of H12-(ADP)-liposomes and of PRP rescued all thrombocytopenic rabbits from liver hemorrhage as a result of potent hemostasis at the liver bleeding site, although rabbits receiving PPP or ADP liposomes showed 20% survival in the first 24 h. Administration of H12-(ADP)-liposomes and of PRP suppressed both bleeding volume and time from the site of liver injury. H12-(phosphate-buffered saline)-liposomes lacking ADP also improved rabbit survival after liver hemorrhage, although their hemostatic effect was weaker. In rabbits with severe thrombocytopenia (25 000 platelets μL(-1)), the hemostatic effects of H12-(ADP)-liposomes tended to be attenuated as compared with those of PRP treatment. Histologic examination revealed that H12-(ADP)-liposomes accumulated at the bleeding site in the liver. Notably, neither macrothombi nor microthrombi were detected in the lung, kidney or liver in rabbits treated with H12-(ADP)-liposomes. H12-(ADP)-liposomes appear to be a safe and effective therapeutic tool for acute thrombocytopenic trauma patients with massive bleeding.

Audit of perioperative intravenous fluid replacement and electrolyte management in acute trauma patients

Audit of perioperative intravenous fluid replacement and electrolyte management in acute trauma patients

Prospective comparison of point‐of‐care international normalised ratio measurement versus plasma international normalised ratio for acute traumatic coagulopathy

Early detection of acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) might be useful to guide trauma resuscitation. This study aimed to compare results from a point-of-care (POC) international normalised ratio (INR) measuring device with plasma INR in acute trauma patients. This was a single-centre, prospective, blinded comparative study. All trauma patients meeting trauma call-out criteria in a major trauma centre were screened. Patients predicted to have ATC were identified by the Coagulopathy of Severe Trauma score and a convenience sample of 72 patients included in this study. Whole blood was used to measure INR at the bedside, whereas blood from the same sample was sent to the hospital laboratory for plasma INR testing. Agreement between the laboratory and bedside INR was determined using a Bland-Altman plot. There were 38 (52.8%) patients with ATC by laboratory measure, defined as INR >1.5 or activated partial thrombin time >60 s, whereas the POC system identified 28 (38.9%) patients with an INR >1.5. Assuming the laboratory measure as the gold standard, the POC system had a specificity of 88.2% (95% confidence interval 71.6-96.2) and a sensitivity of 63.1% (95% confidence interval 46.0-77.7). Bland-Altman plots demonstrated inadequate agreement between the two methods of INR measurement for the major trauma patient. POC INR measurements using this method during the trauma reception and resuscitative phases cannot be used to identify or exclude patients with ATC. Further studies are required to determine if there is any role for POC INR measures during trauma resuscitation.

Radiation exposure has increased in trauma patients over time

Computed tomography (CT) scans have become imaging modalities of choice in trauma centers. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the trend of radiation exposure in acute trauma patients. Our hypothesis was that radiation dosage and charges would increase over time without change in patient acuity or outcome. Five hundred consecutive trauma patients were retrospectively reviewed for the years 2002, 2005, and 2008. Total number of CT scans, plain radiographs, and total radiation dosage (milliSieverts [mSV]) were determined. Charges were calculated. Injury severity scores and mortality were determined. The mean number of CT scans for category 1 patients in 2002, 2005, and 2008 was 1.5, 3.1, and 4.6, respectively (p = 0.01). This trend was similar in category 2 patients: 2.0, 3.5, 5.1, respectively (p < 0.01). Significant decreases in plain radiography were noted concurrently. This contributed to increased total radiation exposure to categories 1 and 2 patients over 2002, 2005, and 2008: 12.0 mSV, 23.6 mSV, and 33.6 mSV (p = 0.02); and 17.5 mSV, 24.1 mSV, and 37.5 mSV (p < 0.001), respectively. Charges for diagnostic imaging per patient also increased for categories 1 and 2 patients over 2002, 2005, and 2008: $2,933, $4,656, and $6,677; and $4,105, $5,344, and $7,365, respectively (all p < 0.01). Over the course of a year for 4,800 trauma patients treated at our hospital, this is expected to accrue additional charges of $13 million. The number of CT scans per trauma patient has more than doubled over 6 years, generating more radiation exposure and charges per patient, despite no change in mortality or injury severity. Judicious use of advanced imaging may control risks and costs without compromising care. III, retrospective.

Chinese Head Trauma Data Bank: effect of hyperthermia on the outcome of acute head trauma patients.

Hyperthermia may accentuate the detrimental consequences of brain injury and worsen the outcome of patients with acute head trauma, especially severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We explored the effect of different magnitudes and durations of hyperthermia in the first 3 days after injury on the outcome of 7145 patients with acute head trauma, including 1626 with severe TBI. The differences in mortality and unfavorable outcome between the normothermia group, mild fever group, moderate fever group, and high fever group were statistically significant (p<0.001). The mortality and unfavorable outcome of severe TBI patients in the groups also differed significantly (p<0.001). The mortality and unfavorable outcome of patients with 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days of high fever were significantly increased (p<0.01). Our data strongly indicate that both degree and duration of early post-trauma hyperthermia are closely correlated with the outcome of acute TBI patients, especially severely injured ones, which indicates that hyperthermia may play a detrimental role in the delayed mechanisms of damage after acute TBI. Prevention of early hyperthermia after acute head trauma is therefore essential to the management of TBI patients.