Trauma Center Hospital Research Articles

Digital Microfluidic Hemagglutination Assays for Blood Typing, Donor Compatibility Testing, and Hematocrit Analysis.

Blood typing, donor compatibility testing, and hematocrit analysis are common tests that are important in many clinical applications, including those found in high-stakes settings such as the trauma center. These tests are typically performed in centralized laboratories with sample batching; the minutes that are lost in this mode can lead to adverse outcomes, especially for critical-care patients. As a step toward providing rapid results at the bedside, we developed a point-of-care hemagglutination system relying on digital microfluidics (DMF) and a unique, automated readout tool, droplet agglutination assessment using digital microfluidics (DAAD). ABO and Rhesus blood grouping, donor crossmatching, and hematocrit assays were developed on a portable DMF platform that allowed for automated sample processing. The result of each assay could be determined by eye or automatically with the DAAD imaging tool. DMF-DAAD was applied to 109 samples collected from different sources (including commercial samples, pinpricks from volunteers, and a hospital blood bank), with perfect fidelity to gold-standard results. Some of these tests were carried out by a nonexpert in a hospital trauma center. Proof-of-concept results were also collected from smaller sample sets for donor compatibility testing and hematocrit analysis. DMF-DAAD shows promise for delivering rapid, reliable results in a format well suited for a trauma center and other settings where every minute counts.

Outcomes for non-operatively managed fracture neck of femur patients: A single-institution study

BackgroundThe majority of neck of femur (NOF) fractures are treated operatively in the United Kingdom. The literature reports the advantages of operative management for these patients. However, whilst a subset is treated non-operatively, there is currently no clear guidance for the selection and subsequent management of these patients. This study aims to explore the incidence, demographics, inpatient stay, use of imaging and outcomes of patients who have non-operatively managed NOF fractures. MethodsA 6-year retrospective review (2013–2019) of all non-operatively managed NOF fractures at a tertiary teaching hospital and major trauma centre was conducted. Electronic patient records, radiographs and National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) data were used to obtain information. We noted demographic details, fracture classification, rationale for non-operative management, mortality, clinical frailty score (CFS), use of imaging and analgesia requirements. Patients who were repatriated or transferred to other sites for specialist surgery were excluded. Results3.2% (99/3132) of NOF fractures were managed non-operatively. The two commonest reasons for non-operative management were either ‘comfortable mobilisation’ (n = 44) or ‘patient frailty/medically unwell’ (n = 50). 74% (37/50) of the patients in whom operative risk was thought to outweigh benefit died within the 30 days of admission and 1-year mortality for this group was 92% (46/50).Of the “comfortable mobilisation” subgroup only 18% (8/44) of this patient subgroup subsequently required surgical intervention for failed non-operative management. The 30-day mortality for this cohort was 6.8% with a 1-year mortality rate of 25% (11/44). ConclusionFor a select group of patients whose fractures are stable enough to allow them to mobilise comfortably, non-operative management resulted in a 25% 1-year mortality rate and average length of stay of 10.1 days. This is comparable to statistics for overall NOF fracture management in the literature according to the NHFD January 2021 report. 82% of this group of patients were successfully managed without an operation indicating that there is a place for the consideration of non-operative management in a small select subgroup of hip fracture patients with minimally displaced, stable fractures. Further analysis is necessary to assess the functional outcomes of this subgroup, as well as the potential cost implications.

Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Who Can Be Managed at a Non-pediatric Trauma Center Hospital? A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects about 475,000 children in the United States annually. Studies from the 1990s showed worse mortality in pediatric TBI patients not transferred to a pediatric trauma center (PTC), but did not examine mild pediatric TBI. Evidence-based guidelines used to identify children with clinically insignificant TBI who do not require head CT were developed by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). However, which patients can be safely observed at a non-PTC is not directly addressed. A systematic review of the literature was conducted, focusing on management of pediatric TBI and transfer decisions from 1990 to 2020. Pediatric TBI patients make up a great majority of preventable transfers and admissions, and comprise a significant portion of avoidable costs to the health care system. Majority of mild TBI patients admitted to a PTC following transfer do not require ICU care, surgical intervention, or additional imaging. Studies have shown that as high as 83% of mild pediatric TBI patients are discharged within 24 hrs. An evidence-based clinical practice algorithm was derived through synthesis of the data reviewed to guide transfer decision. The papers discussed in our systematic review largely concluded that transfer and admission was unnecessary and costly in pediatric patients with mild TBI who met the following criteria: blunt, no concern for NAT, low risk on PECARN assessment, or intermediate risk on PECARN with negative imaging or imaging with either isolated, nondisplaced skull fractures without ICH and/or EDH, or SDH <0.3 cm with no midline shift.

Prolonged Emergency Department Stay at Referring Facilities: A Poor Trauma Performance Improvement Tool.

Delays in the transfers of injured patients are perceived to increase morbidity and mortality and drive initiatives to limit the emergency department length of stay (LOS) at referring facilities (RF). RF LOS >4hours is used for performance improvement (PI) with a large review burden with few improvement opportunities. A statewide trauma registry 2013-2018 was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics including logistic regression were used to evaluate nongeriatric adult patients with ED LOS <12hours. Paired data analyses utilizing prehospital (PH) and RF variables, vital signs (VS), Glasgow Coma Score-Motor component (GCS-M), RF LOS, mortality, trauma center hospital LOS (HLOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS were performed. 13,721 of 56,702 transfer patients were selected. Mortality fell over time in all abbreviated injury score groups. GCS-M and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were correlated with mortality in both prehospital and RF data and highest in patients with abnormal GCS-M or SBP in both settings (38.0%, 30.1%). Examination of mortality over time in the group with abnormal VS showed SBP as the only variable with increasing mortality related to RF LOS. Average HLOS and ICU LOS were longest in patients with abnormal PH and RF SBP and GCS-M. Support for PI evaluation of RF LOS >4hours was not identified. Increased survival over time is explained by early transfers of high mortality patients. Our data support existing efficient statewide transfers and recommend PI review of transfer patients with abnormal GCS-M and SBP in a narrower timeframe.

Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption in Emergency department presentations (PACE) in Queensland, Australia, using alcohol biomarkers ethanol and phosphatidylethanol: an observational study protocol

IntroductionAlcohol use in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) is a significant problem in many countries. There is a need for valid and reliable surveillance of the prevalence of...

Use of Penalized Count Regression to Determine Factors Affecting the Length of Stay of Trauma Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Background: Trauma is considered an important issue in most countries. Identification of the factors affecting the length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) plays a crucial role in controlling the costs and complications of prolonged hospitalization. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the LOS of trauma patients in the ICU using stepwise and new penalized variable selection methods in count data regression. Methods: The patients’ information was evaluated in Emtiaz Hospital and Shahid Rajaee trauma center in Shiraz from March 2016 to September 2017. Count regression model was used to determine the factors affecting the LOS of patients in the ICU using penalized variable selection including, Enet, Snet, and Mnet. Results: The mean age of the patients (n=382) was obtained at 36.7±16.7 years, and the majority (88.4%) of the patients were male. The mean LOS in the ICU was determined at 6.2±6.6 days. Mnet with a negative binomial distribution outperformed the other penalized variable selection methods. A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of less than 9 (IRR=1.7), blunt brain trauma (IRR=1.8), chest trauma (IRR=2.2), and oxygen saturation of less than 90 (IRR=1.2) increased the LOS of trauma patients in the ICU. Conclusions: Penalized variable selection methods effectively ignore or control the existing correlations between predictors. Amongst the penalized models, Mnet provided more acceptable results with smaller Akaike information criterion and fewer predictors. According to this penalty, the most important factors affecting the length of stay were chest trauma, blunt brain trauma, GCS, and oxygen saturation rate. Most clinical studies on trauma have also shown the importance of these factors.

1619 Evaluation of Referrals to The Maxillofacial on Call Service Over A Seven-Year Period in A Busy Tertiary Trauma Centre and Teaching Hospital

Abstract Aim University Hospitals Plymouth is the only designated adult major trauma centre for the south west of England, also serving secondary care to a catchment of 450,000 patients. The on call maxillofacial service receives numerous referrals daily, which began to be recorded in a trauma database populated on a daily basis. Our study aims to evaluate these referrals with a view to classifying them and identifying service provision needs; improve support and training of the junior team; and understand patient demographics. Method There were 3717 referrals recorded between 7th January 2014 and 7th January 2021. All referrals were taken into account; from the emergency department; from primary care providers; from other hospital departments; and directly from patients themselves. Both adult and paediatric cases were included. Results Of these 3717 referrals, 2122 (57%) were pertaining to male patients. Adult patients accounted for 85% of the referrals and 1200 (32%) of all patients were referred for soft tissue injury. Around 20% of patients attended with facial swellings. 1090 (29%) patients were able to have treatment under a local anaesthetic, whilst 959 (26%) required admission. Most common fractures were nasal (8%), followed by orbital wall (6%) and mandibular fractures (4%). Conclusions Evaluation of the database shows a slight prevalence of male attenders, particularly in cases involving trauma. Management of soft tissue injuries under local anaesthetic is an important topic during the induction of new junior trainees to the department, in accordance with the expected service provision. Furthermore, the large sample has allowed for epidemiologic analysis and interventions.

The Effect of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma Guideline on Spinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Use in Obtunded Adult Blunt Trauma Patients Over Time

Evidence-based guidelines suggest computed tomography without magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sufficient to rule out clinically significant cervical spine injury in obtunded adult blunt trauma patients. This study evaluated MRI utilization over time to investigate the impact of the 2015 Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines suggesting cervical collar clearance with computed tomography alone in this population.We hypothesized that MRI utilization would decrease following the guidelines. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of the National Trauma Data Bank from 2007 to 2018 using multivariable logistic regression of the likelihood of spinal MRI utilization. Blunt trauma patients 18 y and older with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 8 or less, Abbreviated Injury Score head of 4 or greater, intubated for at least 72 h were included. The sample consisted of 76,450 patients from 567 trauma centers. Controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, injury mechanism, Injury Severity Score, GCS, GCS motor, hospital teaching status and trauma center level, patients seen after 2015 had a higher odds ratio (OR) of undergoing spinal MRI relative to those seen before 2015 (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.49-2.09; P < 0.001). Each year was associated with a significantly increased OR of undergoing spinal MRI compared to the year prior (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-1.15; P < 0.001). Spinal MRI use has been increasing in obtunded adult blunt trauma patients including after the release of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines in 2015. Future work should identify whether this is driven by improper MRI utilization and, if so, strategies to promote guideline adherence.

Risk Factors for Acute Surgical Site Infection after Spinal Instrumentation Procedures: A Case-Control Study.

Surgical site infection (SSI) prevalence in spinal instrumentation varies, depending on patient and surgery factors. This study aims to identify patient- and procedure-related factors associated with SSI after spinal instrumentation in 3 patient-specific groups: those undergoing surgery for degenerative, trauma-related, and pediatric deformity conditions. A case-control (1:2 ratio) analysis of SSI after spinal instrumentation, from 2009 to 2017, in a University Hospital and Spinal Trauma Centre was performed. From a total of 2582 surgeries, 33 cases (1.3%) were identified with SSI according to study inclusion criteria: 14 (out of 1326) in the degenerative group, 11 (out of 207) in the trauma group, and 8 (out of 850) in the pediatric deformity group. Cases were matched with controls (n = 66) of the same group. Univariate analysis identified procedure and anesthesia duration in the degenerative group (P = .032 and .038, respectively), age (P = .014) and need for intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusions (both P = .039) in the trauma group and American Society of Anesthesiologists score (P = .022) and neuromuscular scoliosis (P = .002) in the pediatric deformity group as associated with SSI. After multivariate analysis, procedure duration was independently associated with SSI in degenerative surgery (odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-4.82) and procedure duration (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.27-11.32) and number of levels instrumented (OR, 11.77; 95% CI, 1.55-89.40) in the trauma group. This study identified procedure duration as a risk factor for SSI after spinal instrumentation in degenerative and trauma spine surgery and the number of levels instrumented in trauma spine surgery. Awareness of these factors will help develop strategies to improve patient and health system overall outcomes.

295 Positive Cognition Screening a Geriatric Emergency Department

Geriatric emergency departments (EDs) have become more common in recent years. Along with these expansions have come targeted interventions and assessments for older adult patients in the ED to assess several social and clinical factors specific to a patient. Cognitive tests are frequently used to assess older patients’ ability to make decisions to gauge resources that they may need. The objective of this study was to understand who may be more likely to have positive cognitive test in the ED. This was a retrospective multicenter study among older adult patients (>=65 years) presenting to two EDs (urban level one trauma center and suburban academic hospital with combined annual census of ∼80,000). Patients were qualified for specialized geriatric screenings if they were identified as being at risk by the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screen and has an Emergency Severity Score (ESI) of 3. Screening tools used to identify potential cognitive issues included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Abbreviated Mental Test 4 (AMT4). Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed for all patients who received a screen. Logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with a positive test. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) are reported. There were a total of 1850 cognitive tests ordered. Of those tests ordered, 903 (48%) were able to be completed and scored. Of those 903 tests scored, 226 (25%) were positive. Between those who tested positive and negative, individuals were more likely to have a positive test if they were age 85+ compared to 65-74, (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.36, 2.97; p=<0.001) and less likely if they were patients who were non-Hispanic Whites compared to other Races and Ethnicities (AOR=0.59, 95% CI=0.42, 0.83; p=0.002). Sec, mode of arrival and disposition were not associated with a positive cognitive score. Screening tools are important instruments to help identify patients with potentially cognitive issues. Although their use in the ED have been limited in the past, they are becoming utilized more often with the increasing senior population and the development of geriatric ED in the United States. Findings from these assessments help to inform providers of the needs of older adult patients and their caregivers.

Cost Utility of Splenic Artery Angioembolization for High-Grade Splenic Injury

Abstract Background: Management of blunt spleen injuries has evolved from mandatory splenectomy to non-operative man-agement (NOM) allowing for splenic salvage, Splenic artery embolization (SAE) has been shown to be an effective treat-ment for hemodynamically stable patients with high-grade blunt splenic injury. However, there are no local estimates of how much treatment costs. Aim of Study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of providing SAE to patients in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma with splenic injury and to determine if the costs of an added, preventative procedure (SAE) early in management of blunt splenic injury would be offset by added utility by avoiding splenectomy. Patients and Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study from a tertiary institution (50 patients in King Khaled Hospital Trauma Center, Hail, KSA and 9 patients in Al Hussein University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt). A total of 59 patients were treated with embolization in this period for blunt trauma, and however 39 cases were excluded given the presence of multiple concomitant injuries. Isolated splenic injury treated with SAE were identified in 20 patients and included for final analysis. Of these 10 patients, none required subsequent splenectomy following SAE. Results: The mean total angiography costs were 1837.94± 405.368 $, the costs of post-procedure management of patients including all hospital costs prior to discharge with associated length of stay. Conclusion: Splenic embolization is a low-cost procedure for management of blunt splenic injury. The cost to provide SAE at our center was much lower than previously modelled data from overseas studies. Further research is advised to directly compare the cost of SAE and splenectomy in other countries.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip screening during the lockdown for COVID-19: experience from Northern Italy.

PurposeDevelopmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) ultrasound screening (USS), which is usually performed in Italy as an outpatient, was halted for an indefinite period in most centres during lockdown. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on DDH-USS, in two paediatric orthopaedic centres in one of the most critical areas of the western World.MethodsAn academic teaching hospital and paediatric trauma centre (T) and a University hospital and DDH referral centre (H), classified as national COVID-19 hubs, were involved. Graf’s method was applied in both centres. In T, paediatricians directly referred only patients with delayed DDH-USS or suspicious unstable hips; in H, paediatricians or parents could directly refer to the screening service.ResultsThe mean age of the 95 patients (190 hips) who were referred for DDH-USS in T, was 3.85 months (0.1 to 7.4); 175 were type I, nine were type IIa (+ and -), five type D and one type IV. In H, the screened patients in 2020 were only 78% of the same period in 2019. A total of 28 patients with 32 hips (8 IIb, 5 IIc, 8 D, 11 III) had late diagnosis at a mean age of 114 days (96 to 146). In the same period in 2019 only eight patients with 11 hips (8 IIb, 1 D, 1 III, 1 IV) at a mean age of 142 days (92 to 305) had late diagnosis.ConclusionDDH-USS was the only screening in newborns which halted during lockdown. Few centres, which still performed diagnosis and treatment, were overloaded causing a delay in DDH management.Level of evidenceIV.

Patterns, Management, and Outcome of Traumatic Femur Fracture: Exploring the Experience of the Only Level 1 Trauma Center in Qatar.

Background: Femur is the most fractured long bone in the body that often necessitates surgical fixation; however, data on the impact of the mechanism of injury (MOI), age, and timing of intervention are lacking in our region of the Arab Middle East. We aimed to describe the patterns, management, and outcome of traumatic femoral shaft fractures. Methods: A retrospective descriptive observational study was conducted for all trauma patients admitted with femoral shaft fractures between January 2012 and December 2015 at the only level 1 trauma center and tertiary hospital in the country. Data were analyzed and compared according to the time to intervention (intramedullary nailing; IMN), MOI, and age groups. Main outcomes included in-hospital complications and mortality. Results: A total of 605 hospitalized cases with femur fractures were reviewed. The mean age was 30.7 ± 16.2 years. The majority of fractures were unilateral (96.7%) and 91% were closed fractures. Three-fourths of fractures were treated by reamed intramedullary nailing (rIMN), antegrade in 80%. The pyriform fossa nails were used in 71.6% while trochanteric entry nails were used in 28.4%. Forty-five (8.9%) fractures were treated with an external fixator, 37 (6.1%) had conservative management. Traffic-related injuries occurred more in patients aged 14–30 years, whereas fall-related injuries were significantly higher in patients aged 31–59. Thirty-one patients (7.8%) had rIMN in less than 6 h post-injury, 106 (25.5%) had rIMN after 6–12 h and 267 (66.8%) had rIMN after more than 12 h. The implant type, duration of surgery, DVT prophylaxis, in-hospital complications, and mortality were comparable among the three treatment groups. Conclusions: In our center, the frequency of femoral fracture was 11%, and it mainly affected severely injured young males due to traffic-related collisions or falls. Further multicenter studies are needed to set a consensus for an appropriate management of femur fracture based on the MOI, location, and timing of injury.

Outcomes With Surgery vs Functional Bracing for Patients With Closed, Displaced Humeral Shaft Fractures and the Need for Secondary Surgery

Existing evidence indicates that surgery fails to provide superior functional outcome over nonoperative care in patients with a closed humeral shaft fracture. However, up to one-third of patients treated nonoperatively may require secondary surgery. To compare the 2-year outcomes of patients who required secondary surgery with the outcomes of patients with successful initial treatment. This 2-year follow-up of the Finnish Shaft of the Humerus (FISH) randomized clinical trial comparing surgery with nonoperative treatment (functional brace) was completed in January 2020. Enrollment in the original trial was between November 2012 and January 2018 at 2 university hospital trauma centers in Finland. A total of 321 adult patients with closed, displaced humeral shaft fracture were assessed for eligibility. After excluding patients with cognitive disabilities, multimorbidity, or multiple trauma and those refusing randomization, 82 patients were randomized. Interventions were surgery with plate fixation (n = 38; initial surgery group) or functional bracing (n = 44); the latter group was divided into the successful fracture healing group (n = 30; bracing group) and the secondary surgery group (n = 14) with fracture healing problems. The primary outcome was Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score at 2 years (range, 0 to 100 points; 0 denotes no disability, 100 extreme disability; minimal clinically important difference, 10 points). Of 82 randomized patients, 38 (46%) were female. The mean (SD) age was 48.9 (17.1) years. A total of 74 patients (90%) completed the 2-year follow-up. At 2 years, the mean DASH score was 6.8 (95% CI, 2.3 to 11.4) in the initial surgery group, 6.0 (95% CI, 1.0 to 11.0) in the bracing group, and 17.5 (95% CI, 10.5 to 24.5) in the secondary surgery group. The between-group difference was -10.7 points (95% CI, -19.1 to -2.3; P = .01) between the initial and secondary surgery groups and -11.5 points (95% CI, -20.1 to -2.9; P = .009) between the bracing group and secondary surgery group. Patients contemplating treatment for closed humeral shaft fracture should be informed that two-thirds of patients treated with functional bracing may heal successfully while one-third may experience fracture healing problems that require secondary surgery and lead to inferior functional outcomes 2 years after the injury. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01719887.

Characteristic and outcomes of human and animal bites in Malawi

IntroductionBites are an important contributor to traumatic injury worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries, data regarding bite injuries outside of rabies is limited. Therefore, we sought to describe the injury characteristics and outcomes of bites in Lilongwe, Malawi, and determine risk factors for animals and human bites. MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of the Kamuzu Central Hospital trauma registry from 2008-2018. We performed Bivariate analyses comparing bite to non-bite trauma and human to animal bites. Multivariable Poisson regression modeling then estimated risk factors for bites. ResultsA total of 124,394 patients were captured by the registry, of which 3,680 (3%) had a bite injury mechanism. Human bites accounted for 14.5% of bite injuries, and animals represented the remaining 85.5%. In rare cases, animal bite victims had serious complications, such as amputation (n = 6, 0.2%), orthopedic procedures (n = 5, 0.2%), and death (n = 7, 0.2%). Risk factors for an animal bite included being on a farm, field, or lake and being at home, whereas risk factors for a human bite included alcohol use and being at home. ConclusionAnimal bite injuries in Malawi can confer a risk of serious complications, such as amputation and, in rare cases, death. Alcohol-associated, in-home interpersonal violence is a significant risk factor for human bite injuries. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors for complications and mortality.

Epidemiology, Reported Injury Characteristics of Brain Trauma: Evidences Collected from a Level-One-Trauma Center in Zahedan City, Iran

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the damage to brain tissue and disruption of the brain function caused by an external mechanical force as evidenced by documented medical records. Objectives: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of TBI through age-groups, severity, and mechanism of TBI. Methods: This cross-sectional study contained all TBI patients who were admitted at the main level one trauma center hospital located in southeastern Iran. Results: The number of reported patients was 445 young and old adults with TBI. In total, the mean age of the patients was 32.35 ranging from 17 to >80 years. Of the studied patients 361 (81.1%) were male and 84 (18.9%) were women. The most common principal severity of TBI among patients aged 20–29 years was moderate. This corresponds with the age groups that are known to be at higher risk for three levels of TBI. Car accident multiple trauma and head trauma show severity of TBI in both genders. Conclusion: The research findings determined the lack of ignoring the traffic control system in southeastern Iran that was the main cause of the injury; consequently, the focus of all essentials in traffic management should be considered for this problem. It must be noted that the incidence of TBI is necessary as there remains no cure for mild-to-severe TBI. As the evidence for effectiveness and specific treatment is limited, it must be subjected to demanding research.

CT Imaging of The Head In Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Association With Pediatric Hospital Classification And Trauma Center Designation In Maryland

CT Imaging of The Head In Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Association With Pediatric Hospital Classification And Trauma Center Designation In Maryland

Neuronavigation system in neurosurgery: Technical details and our early clinical experiences

Introduction: Image-guided surgery is the need of time in neurosurgery. The use of neuronavigation has a significant impact on various neurosurgical procedures. We report our clinical experience and surgical techniques of neuronavigation assisted intracranial and spinal surgeries.&#x0D; Materials and Method: This is observational longitudinal study of 65patients who underwent surgeries using navigation system in the department of neurosurgery, National Neurosurgical Referral Center, National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) Bir hospital and National Trauma Center, over the period of one and a half year. Description of Navigation techniques, its applications and surgical outcome were studied. Medtronic Stealth station 7 and Brain Lab Curve Neuronavigation system, which can be used as both frame based and frameless image guided system were employed in this study.&#x0D; Results: We used Neuronavigation system in 60 cases of cranial procedures and 5 cases of spinal stabilizing procedures. Among intracranial surgeries we utilized this system to effectively make bone flaps and burr holes, to detect critically located deep-seated, subcortical and skull base tumors and to operate on intra parenchymal lesions with grossly unclear margins.&#x0D; Neuronavigation system was used in 5 cases of spinal procedures for pedicle screw placement.&#x0D; Conclusion: Neuronavigation is a tool that provides numerous advantages to the neurosurgeon like more accurate planning approach, ability to use smaller approaches, higher precision for intraoperative localization of different anatomical structures and offering greater surgical safety. This technique, although apparently very complex in the beginning, becomes very user-friendly gradually and positively appreciated by everyone who uses it, after going through a relatively short learning curve.

Blunt Abdominal Trauma With Hollow Viscus and Mesenteric Injury: A Prospective Study of 50 Cases.

IntroductionHollow viscus injury following blunt abdominal trauma is an infrequent diagnosis. Blunt hollow viscus and mesenteric injury (HVMI) is not only an uncommon finding but its timely diagnosis is also difficult. Due to its less frequency, this injury has not been studied in detail prospectively.Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the causes, pattern, management, and outcome of HVMI following blunt abdominal trauma.MethodologyThis study was conducted from January 2015 to June 2016 in a high-volume tertiary care trauma center and teaching hospital in North India. All patients with blunt HVMI admitted during this period were included in this study. Data were collected regarding medical history, physical findings, demographics, injury dates and times, laboratory results, diagnostic tests, delay in surgical intervention, type of surgical procedure performed, site of injury, complications, and mortality.ResultsOut of a total of 6,570 trauma admissions, 465 blunt abdominal injuries were identified, and HVMI was found only in 50 patients. The small bowel was the most common injury, with the jejunum being the most commonly involved segment. All patients were managed surgically. The mean time to operative intervention after hospital admission was 4.5 hours (IQR: 2-8 hours). Primary repair was performed in 54% of patients. Mortality rate was high in patients with HVMI (22% patients). Septic shock was the most common cause of death.ConclusionHollow viscus injury in blunt abdominal trauma is not so common finding. Early diagnosis and treatment is an important but difficult task. Prognosis depends on age, associated injuries, co-morbid conditions, and delay in operative intervention.

Validation of the Revised Neuroimaging Radiological Interpretation System For Acute Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult and Pediatric Population

Abstract Aim Our study aimed to validate the revised neuroimaging radiological interpretation system (NIRIS), which would standardize the interpretation of noncontrast head CT of acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient and consolidate imaging finding into ordinal severity categories that would not only inform specific patient management actions but could also be used as a clinical decision support tool. Methods We retrospectively studied dispositions and their outcomes of consecutive patients brought to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital Trauma Centre, Jaipur, India, by any means of transport and who underwent a noncontrast CT scan for suspected TBI between April and December 2018. Results The revised NIRIS correctly predicted disposition and outcome in 62.9% (750/1192) of patients. After excluding patients with OMEI (other major extracranial injuries) and OMII (other major intracranial injuries), a correct prediction was observed in 88.3% (670/758) of patients. After excluding OMEI and OMII, the predictability of revised NIRIS in the adult population is 87.6% (446/509), while predictability in the pediatric population is 92.1% (224/249). Conclusion Revised NIRIS is a good tool for predicting patient dispositions, to specific management categories, and outcomes in TBI patients after noncontrast CT head.