Trauma Deaths Research Articles

The Characteristics of Organ Function Damage of Hemorrhagic Shock in Hot Environment and the Effect of Hypothermic Fluid Resuscitation.

Hemorrhagic shock is the important factor for causing death of trauma and war injuries. However, pathophysiological characteristics and underlying mechanism in hemorrhagic shock with hot environment remain unclear. Hemorrhagic shock in hot environment rat model was used to explore the changes of mitochondrial and vital organ functions, the variation of the internal environment, stress factors, and inflammatory factors; meanwhile, the suitable treatment was further studied. Above 36°C hot environment induced the increase of core temperature of rats, and the core temperature was not increased in 34°C hot environment, but the 34°C hot environment aggravated significantly hemorrhagic shock induced mortality. Further study showed that the mitochondrial functions of heart, liver, and kidney were more damaged in hemorrhagic shock rats with 34°C hot environment as compared with room environment. Moreover, the results showed that in hemorrhagic shock rats with hot environment, the blood concentration of Na+, K+, and plasma osmotic pressure, the expression of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the serum, as well as the stress factors Adrenocorticotropic Hormone and Glucocorticoid were all notably enhanced; and acidosis was more serous; oxygen supply and oxygen consumption were remarkably decreased. In addition, the present study demonstrated that mild hypothermia (10°C) fluid resuscitation could significantly improve the survival rate in hemorrhagic shock rats with hot environment as compared with normal temperature fluid resuscitation. Hot environment accelerated the death of hemorrhagic shock rats, which was related to the disorder of internal environment, the increase of inflammatory and stress factors. Furthermore, moderate hypothermic (10°C) fluid resuscitation was suitable for the treatment of hemorrhagic shock in hot environment.

A study of correlation of degree of midline shift on computed tomography scan and Glasgow coma scale in patients of acute traumatic head injury

Background: Traumatic brain injury is one of most common cause of death in road traffic accident. Most of these classified as mild injury, with approximately 20% classified as moderate to severe. Approximate 50% of the 150,000 trauma deaths every year are caused by head injury.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 patients with a head injury admitted in the Hamidia hospital, Bhopal. The assessment of the severity of head injury using Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at the time of admission, follow up on 5 days and 15 days respectively. The collected data were transformed into variables, coded and entered in Microsoft excel. Data were analyzed and statistically evaluated using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS)-PC-21 version.Results: Out of 150, a total of 115 patients had no midline shift while 35 patients were having midline shift. Severe head injury patients (GCS 3-8) were having more morbidity and mortality. Moderate head injury (GCS 9-13) was associated with good prognosis and low mortality. A greater degree of midline shift of (more than 5 mm) is indicated severe head injury and is significantly associated with morbid outcome and higher mortality.Conclusions: In our study, road traffic accidents is the most common cause of head injury, with males being affected more than females. The degree of midline shift on computed tomography (CT) scan head in patients with head injuries was found to be significantly associated with high mortality and morbidity.

Police Academy in Szczytno, Poland

Traffic accidents are a very common cause of death or disability in people. They usually involve users of various vehicles on the road or pedestrians. They are also among the main problems of public health in Poland. Accidents cause many human tragedies every year. Every day, many people die on Polish roads for many different reasons. The motorcycle season tends to change its time-frame from year to year, taking the form of a year-round. Recklessness, non-compliance with road rules, excessive speed, bad weather conditions and mistakes made by car drivers cause many traffic accidents that involve motorcyclists. They result in severe multi-organ trauma or instant death of the victims. Modern technologies designed to improve the safety of motorcycles as well as the protections used in helmets and protective clothing are helpless in the face of traffic accident mechanisms. The author analyzed the data obtained from the Police Headquarters Road Traffic Department, showing the number of road incidents involving motorcyclists in 2019. The material shows the scale of accidents broken down into causes, number of road incidents in individual months and age of the perpetrators. The references to data from previous years show the problem of accidents on Polish roads and the position of Poland in the European statistics as a country with a high percentage of fatalities in traffic accidents.

Blunt cardiac trauma: a narrative review.

ObjectiveThis review aims to summarize the literature regarding blunt cardiac trauma (BCT), focusing on the mechanism of injury, presentations, diagnostic, and treatment approaches to provide an up-to-date perspective and to identify the areas requiring further investigation.BackgroundBCT is a relatively rare, but likely underdiagnosed, consequence of blunt chest trauma. BCT occurs in less than 10% of all trauma admissions although it is responsible for approximately 25% of traumatic deaths. BCT often occurs due to forceful impact, rapid deceleration, or crush injuries and the most common causes include motor vehicle accidents, pedestrians struck by motor vehicles, and falls from a significant height. While BCT is certainly an important condition with significant clinical implications, the current literature is limited comprised of mainly case reports. BCTs are often complex cases with various presentations, comorbid injuries, diagnostic modalities, and treatments.MethodsPubMed was searched for retrospective, prospective, randomized control trials, case report studies, and previous related reviews investigating BCT published from January 1, 1985 to February 1, 2021. Exclusion criteria included if the full length manuscript was not available and if insufficient data was provided regarding the patient outcomes or the case presented in case reports.ConclusionsA wide variety of injuries, mechanisms, presentations, and treatments are possible with BCT. Commonalities in initial investigations include a thorough history and physical exam where appropriate, lab work to evaluate patient status, and imaging to diagnose structural injuries. Treatment often begins with stabilization of the patient and rapid initiation of interventions aimed at underlying structural or rhythm abnormalities. As the current literature is limited, further study into BCT is necessary. As BCT is relatively rare and occurs sporadically at individual centers, widespread data collection from BCT patients regarding their treatment and outcomes is essential in order to collect the required data for retrospective or prospective studies. The widespread establishment of multicenter or national databases may be a solution to address the limited data in this field allowing identification of optimal treatments for BCT patients, addressing the limitations in the field of BCT, and allow the continued improvement in the outcomes of patients who experience BCT.

Collaboration Between Initial the Definitive Management in Traumatic Brain Injury

To avoid preventable trauma death(PTD), initial management, including resuscitation, is crucial in traumatic brain injury(TBI)care. PTD is defined as a case in which the percentage of probability of survival exceeds 50%, but the patient unfortunately dies without appropriate treatment. To diminish cases of PTD, a standardized approach has been established with several training courses and guidelines. However, 20% of all patients with TBI experience PTD. In our study, PTD cases accounted for 26.2% of all cases of so-called "talk and deterioration." Additionally, anti-coagulation/anti-platelet users comprised 26.8% of all PTD cases. Thus, to eliminate PTD, measures against anti-coagulants are important. Moreover, quick decision making regarding treatments preceding the rapid-changing pathophysiology is also essential in TBI care. In addition to securing airway management, providing oxygen support, and stabilizing circulation, timely administration of a neutralizer for anti-coagulative drugs and use of tranexamic acid(a drug for anti-fibrinolysis)is crucial. In this chapter, the pearls of initial TBI management are mentioned, with focus on the "first hour" of treatment.

A novel inflatable device for perihepatic packing and hepatic hemorrhage control: A proof-of-concept study

IntroductionUncontrolled bleeding is the primary cause of death in complex liver trauma and perihepatic packing is regularly utilized for hemorrhage control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a novel inflatable device (the airbag) for perihepatic packing using a validated liver injury damage control model in swine. Material and methodsThe image of the human liver was digitally isolated within an abdominal computerized tomography scan to produce a silicone model of the liver to mold the airbag. Two medical grade polyurethane sheets were thermal bonded to the configuration of the liver avoiding compression of the hepatic pedicle, hepatic veins, and the suprahepatic vena cava after inflation. Yorkshire pigs (n = 22) underwent controlled hemorrhagic shock (35% of the total blood volume), hypothermia, and fluid resuscitation to reproduce the indications for damage control surgery (coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis) prior to a liver injury. A 3 × 10 cm rectangular segment of the left middle lobe of the liver was removed to create the injury. Subsequently, the animals were randomized into 4 groups for liver damage control (240 min), Sponge Pack (n = 6), Pressurized Airbag (n = 6), Vacuum Airbag (n = 6), and Uncontrolled (n = 4). Animals were monitored throughout the experiment and blood samples obtained. ResultsPerihepatic packing with the pressurized airbag led to significantly higher mean arterial pressure during the liver damage control phase compared to sponge pack and vacuum airbag 52 mmHg (SD 2.3), 44.9 mmHg (SD 2.1), and 32 mmHg (SD 2.3), respectively (p < 0.0001), ejection fraction was also higher in that group. Hepatic hemorrhage was significantly lower in the pressurized airbag group compared to sponge pack, vacuum airbag, and uncontrolled groups; respectively 225 ml (SD 160), 611 ml (SD 123), 991 ml (SD 385), 1162 ml (SD 137) (p < 0001). Rebleeding after perihepatic packing removal was also significantly lower in the pressurized airbag group; respectively 32 ml (SD 47), 630 ml (SD 185), 513 ml (SD 303), (p = 0.0004). Intra-abdominal pressure remained similar to baseline, 1.9 mmHg (SD 1), (p = 0.297). Histopathology showed less necrosis at the border of the liver injury site with the pressurized airbag. ConclusionThe pressurized airbag was significantly more effective at controlling hepatic hemorrhage and improving hemodynamics than the traditional sponge pack technique. Rebleeding after perihepatic packing removal was negligible with the pressurized airbag and it did not provoke hepatic injury.

Provider Fatigue During Direct Manual Compression for Life-Threatening Bleeding.

IntroductionTrauma is a leading cause of death throughout the world, with hemorrhage being responsible for more than 35% of pre-hospital trauma deaths and more than 40% of deaths within the first 24 hours after injury. Despite first aid having a demonstrable effect on mortality from trauma, relatively little research has compared the best methods for bleeding control in the prehospital first aid setting. The most common first-line therapy for external bleeding control in the pre-hospital first aid setting is direct manual compression (DMC). However, a prior study demonstrated that the primary cause of failure in a simulated model of life-threatening bleeding was the inability to maintain adequate direct pressure for three minutes. In this study, we evaluated the effect of fatigue on DMC for the duration of a typical urban emergency medical services (EMS) response time.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational trial of 33 participants, 18 years of age or older to measure the pressure generated on a model of life-threatening bleeding over an eight-minute period using a “CPR posture” for applying pressure. The primary analyses were longitudinal two-level multilevel models (MLM) with repeated measures of outcome (i.e., CPR posture pressure) nesting within participants. The demographic factors of gender, age, and weight were included as moderators in the analyses and each was analyzed independently.ResultsThe participants’ average age was 31 (SD = 11) and the average weight was 161 pounds (SD = 31). The sample consisted of 18 female participants (54.5%) and 15 male participants (45.5%). Applied DMC pressure declined over time, more sharply initially from the beginning to approximately 250 seconds, at which point the decrease in pressure was gradual. Of the demographic factors, gender was associated with a difference in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) posture pressure over time.ConclusionRescuers should be aware that fatigue may occur and may affect the quality of direct manual compression for control of life-threatening bleeding. Further research is needed to define the external pressures needed to control life-threatening bleeding and the extent that rescuer fatigue affects this pressure.

Ferroptosis: A Trigger of Proinflammatory State Progression to Immunogenicity in Necroinflammatory Disease.

Until recently, necrosis is generally regarded as traumatic cell death due to mechanical shear stress or other physicochemical factors, while apoptosis is commonly thought to be programmed cell death, which is silent to immunological response. Actually, multiple modalities of cell death are programmed to maintain systematic immunity. Programmed necrosis, such as necrosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis, are inherently more immunogenic than apoptosis. Programmed necrosis leads to the release of inflammatory cytokines, defined as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), resulting in a necroinflammatory response, which can drive the proinflammatory state under certain biological circumstances. Ferroptosis as a newly discovered non-apoptotic form of cell death, is characterized by excessive lipid peroxidation and overload iron, which occurs in cancer, neurodegeneration, immune and inflammatory diseases, as well as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. It is triggered by a surplus of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced in an imbalanced redox reaction due to the decrease in glutathione synthesis and inaction of enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Ferroptosis is considered as a potential therapeutic and molecular target for the treatment of necroinflammatory disease, and further investigation into the underlying pathophysiological characteristics and molecular mechanisms implicated may lay the foundations for an interventional therapeutic strategy. This review aims to demonstrate the key roles of ferroptosis in the development of necroinflammatory diseases, the major regulatory mechanisms involved, and its potential as a therapeutic target.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Postmortem CT for Detection of Thoracic Injury

Objective: Postmortem CT (PMCT) can help conventional autopsy in determining the cause of death andfinding injury to various organs. Since injuries among several vital organs in the thorax can cause death, thisresearch aims to assess the performance of PMCT in detecting injuries of the thoracic cavity organs.Materials and Method: A total of 56 dead bodies by unnatural traumatic death who underwent PMCTbefore autopsy were collected. Thoracic traumatic findingsfrom PMCT were compared with data obtainedfrom conventional autopsy wherethe autopsy was the reference standard and calculated for sensitivity,specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy.Results:Findings in which PMCT showed high sensitivity included air (100%) and fluid (86.67%). Intermsof bone fracture, sensitivity and accuracy were79.18% and 88.69%, respectively, especially for T-spinefractures (sensitivity 92.31%, accuracy 87.50%) and clavicle fractures (sensitivity 90%, accuracy 89.29%).For rib fractures, PMCTexhibited moderate to high sensitivity (68.18-91.67%) and high accuracy (78.57-98.21%). For soft tissueinjuries, PMCT had high specificity (99.21%), but low sensitivity (34.94%).Conclusion: PMCT is useful in detecting thoracic injuries in conjunction with the conventional autopsy byhelping to diagnose bone fractures, abnormal air, and fluid with high sensitivity and specificity.

Geographical risk of fatal and non-fatal injuries among adults in Norway

Introduction: A rural gradient in trauma mortality disfavoring remote inhabitants is well known. Previous studies have shown higher risk of traumatic deaths in rural areas in Norway, combined with a paradoxically decreased prevalence of non-fatal injuries. We investigated the risk of fatal and severe non-fatal injuries among all adults in Norway during 2002–2016.Methods: All traumatic injuries and deaths among persons with a residential address in Norway from 2002–2016 were included. Data were collected from the Norwegian National Cause of Death Registry and the Norwegian Patient Registry. All cases were stratified into six groups of centrality based on Statistics Norway's classification system, from most urban (group one) to least urban/most rural (group six). Mortality and injury rates were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants per year.Results: The mortality rate differed significantly among the centrality groups (p<0.05). The rate was 64.2 per 100,000 inhabitants/year in the most urban group and 78.6 per 100,000 inhabitants/year in the most rural group. The lowest mortality rate was found in centrality group 2 (57.9 per 100,000 inhabitants/year). For centrality group 6 versus group 2, the risk of death was increased (relative risk, 1.36; 95%CI: 1.11–1.66; p<0.01). The most common causes of death were transport injury, self-harm, falls, and other external causes. The steepest urban–rural gradient was seen for transport injuries, with a relative risk of 3.32 (95%CI: 1.81-6.10; p<0.001) for group 6 compared with group 1. There was a significantly increasing risk for severe non-fatal injuries from urban to rural areas. Group 2 had the lowest risk for non-fatal injuries (1531 per 100,000 inhabitants/year) and group 6 the highest (1803 per 100,000 inhabitants/year). The risk for non-fatal injuries increased with increasing rurality, with a relative risk of 1.07 (95%CI: 1.02–1.11; p<0.01) for group 6 versus group 1.Conclusions: Fatal and non-fatal injury risks increased in parallel with increasing rurality. The lowest risk was in the second most urban region, followed by the most urban (capital) region, yielding a J-shaped risk curve. Transport injuries had the steepest urban–rural gradient.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of aorta (REBOA): expanding the window of survival in massive bleeding

Exsanguinating hemorrhage is responsible for 30 to 40% of early deaths from trauma and most of these deaths occur within the first few hours of injury 1. A study by A. Alarhyem et al. in 2016 revealed a precipitous rise in trauma deaths in victims with high grade injuries with pre-hospital time

O10 Myocardial tolerance to exsanguination and retrieval using whole blood-selective aortic arch perfusion

Abstract Introduction Exsanguination cardiac arrest is the leading preventable cause of death in trauma. Treatment modalities are limited, and prognosis remains dismal. Selective aortic arch perfusion (SAAP) is an emerging endovascular resuscitation technique consisting of aortic occlusion and perfusion of coronary and cerebral circulation with oxygenated resuscitation fluid. Translational research has demonstrated promising outcomes; however, little is known about the duration of cardiac arrest beyond which the myocardium cannot be resuscitated. The aims of this study are to assess the myocardial tolerance to exsanguination cardiac arrest before successful return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) following resuscitation with SAAP, and 1-hour survival. Method 23 male adult swine were anaesthetised and instrumented. Controlled hemorrhage was performed until cardiac arrest defined by MAP &amp;lt;20 mmHg. Animals were randomized into 3 groups: 5, 10 and 15 minutes of cardiac arrest before resuscitation with SAAP. Following ROSC animals were observed for 60 minutes. Result Baseline characteristics were similar between groups (P &amp;gt; 0.05). ROSC was 100% (8/8) in the 5 min group, 75% (6/8) and 43% (3/7) in 10- and 15-min groups respectively (P = 0.042). 60 min survival was 75%, 50% and 14% in 5-, 10- and 15-min groups respectively (P = 0.015). 1-hour survivors in the 5 min group required less noradrenaline 23.6 (±7.4) compared to other animals 40.9 (±25.8), (P = 0.008). Conclusion Selective aortic arch perfusion is an effective resuscitative tool in eliciting ROSC in a swine model of exsanguination cardiac arrest lasting &amp;gt;5 min. Sustainable resuscitability using SAAP declines after 10 min of exsanguination cardiac arrest. Take-home Message SAAP is an emerging resuscitation technique with promising outcomes in exsanguination cardiac arrest and may be a segway to Extracorporeal life support. The time limit for resuscitability of the myocardium lies somewhere between 10 and 15 min after the start of exsanguination cardiac arrest.

Factors influencing the injury severity score and the probability of survival in patients who fell from height

In Japan, falls from height result in the second highest trauma mortality rate after traffic motor vehicle collisions and the highest trauma-related mortality rate amongst young people. We aimed to identify factors that worsen injury severity and lower survival probability of patients who fell from height and to contribute to the improvement of their prehospital and in-hospital care. This retrospective analysis retrieved hospital records of 179 patients aged ≥ 15 years who were transported to our hospital after a fall from height during April 2014–March 2020. On multiple regression analysis, fall height ≥ 5 m more significantly resulted in higher the injury severity score. Logistic regression analysis revealed that fall height ≥ 5 m with the reference of 2–3 m significantly resulted in lower the survival probability with odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.10 (0.02–0.55). Using ‘feet-first’ as the reference body position, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of survival for those who impacted the surface on the lateral or dorsal regions were 0.11 (0.02–0.64) and 0.17 (0.03–0.99), respectively. Collecting information on the abovementioned factors at pre-hospitalisation may facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. These results may help improve prehospital and in-hospital care, avoiding preventable trauma deaths.

Predicting factors and incidence of preventable trauma induced mortality

IntroductionTrauma is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since the definition of preventable death has been described many studies like current one were conducted to evaluate this issue. MethodsThis cohort retrospective study investigated archived medical files of trauma victims from 2017 to 2020 in a referral single-center trauma hospital. Registered demographic data, vital signs, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), timing of trauma and death, executed interventions, type and mechanism of trauma in addition to time errors, clinical mismanagements, and missed injuries were extracted. Injury severity score, revised trauma score, and probability of survival based on TRISS method for each case were calculated. Eventually preventable and non-preventable death were defined and compared. ResultsFinally from the all 413 trauma deaths 246(54.9 %) files were enrolled. Dead persons were from 18 to 95 years. Of all 189(76.8 %) were males. Analysis manifested 135(54.9 %) of all deaths were potentially preventable and the rest 49.1 % was non-preventable for expiration(p = 0.001). Data showed that from all variables systolic blood pressure ≥80 mmHg, respiratory rate >19 per minute, GCS>8, higher RTS, road traffic accidents and control of external bleeding were contributed to prediction of preventable trauma related mortality. ConclusionThis study implied on that frequency of trauma related preventable death was regionally high and associating factors that could influence the number of these mortalities included systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, GCS, revised trauma score, mechanism of trauma, and external bleeding of trauma patients.

Complicated grief group therapy for community-residing persons diagnosed with serious mental illness

ABSTRACT The traumatic death of a significant person is an under-appreciated adverse life event. Unresolved grief from traumatic death is associated with complicated grief (CG) in adulthood and both contribute to and sustain serious mental illness in adulthood. Persons diagnosed with serious mental illness experiencing CG represent vulnerable persons for whom traditional care is therapeutically insufficient, when the trauma of underlying grief is unaddressed. We examined the feasibility and impact of community implementation of Complicated Grief Group Therapy for persons diagnosed with serious mental illness with CG. Program completers showed statistically significant improvement in grief measures and interpersonal well-being.

Death Anxiety and Intrusive Thinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract. COVID-19 has expanded into a life-threatening global pandemic. We examined COVID-19 effects on trauma measures, loneliness, and death anxiety in senior Israelis. Young and old adults ( N = 277) were recruited through social media. They completed online questionnaires assessing mental status during the crisis. The findings yielded correlations between trauma reactions, death anxiety, and loneliness, age-related change in rates of death anxiety and traumatic symptoms, but not in perceived loneliness. Trauma-related intrusive thinking was predicted by age, loneliness, death anxiety, and being in isolation. Traumatic reactions, as indicated by DSM-V, were observed for young adults, while grandchildren were found to be protective for older adults. Conclusions point to a high risk of postcrisis symptoms in older adults. The article recommends methods for maintaining mental health, highlighting the role of social interaction.

Glycosylated Hemoglobin as a Predictor of Sepsis and All-Cause Mortality in Trauma Patients.

Background and PurposeInfection is a common comorbidity and cause of death in emergency trauma patients, especially in diabetic patients. Once the patients are admitted, they are more susceptible to further complications like sepsis and resultant increase in in-hospital mortality. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate risk factors associated with sepsis after trauma and death in trauma patients.MethodsA total of 397 trauma patients were divided into 2 groups according to HbA1c level, HbA1c: <6.5% (n = 259), HbA1c: >6.5% (n = 138), and baseline clinical characteristics were collected. The independent risk factors of sepsis associated with trauma were screened using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality.ResultsThe sepsis incidence (76.1% vs 35.9%, P<0.001) and mortality rate (29.7% vs 7.3%, P<0.001) were significantly higher in HbA1c>6.5% group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent risk factors of sepsis after trauma were diabetes (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.41–6.79), hypertension (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.35–4.82), coagulation disorder (OR: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.23–9.67), creatinine (OR: 3.71, 95% CI: 1.66–8.31), urea nitrogen (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92–0.99), HbA1c%>6.5 (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.65–2.54), increase in body mass index (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.13) and lower initial GCS score (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88–0.99). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that male (HR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.21–3.12), HbA1c >6.5% (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.32–1.6), albumin (HR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34–0.86), creatinine (HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.03), APTT (HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.03), SOFA score (HR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.31), age >65 years (HR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.95–5.3) were independent risk factor for trauma patients’ mortality.ConclusionThe prevalence of sepsis and mortality was higher in trauma patients with HbA1c >6.5%. HbA1c was independent risk factor for sepsis and all cases of mortality in trauma patients.

Ex vivo hemostatic and immuno-inflammatory profiles of freeze-dried plasma.

Hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable death in civilian and military trauma. Freeze-dried plasma is promising for hemostatic resuscitation in remote prehospital settings, given its potential benefits in reducing blood loss and mortality, long storage at ambient temperatures, high portability, and rapid reconstitution for transfusion in austere environments. Here we assess the ex vivo characteristics of a novel Terumo's freeze-dried plasma product (TFDP). Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) tests (INTEM, EXTEM, and FIBTEM) were conducted on plasma samples at 37°C with a ROTEM delta-machine using standard reagents and procedures. The following samples were analyzed: pooled plasma to produce TFDP, TFDP reconstituted, and stored immediately at -80°C, reconstituted TFDP stored at 4°C for 24 h and room temperature (RT) for 4h before freezing at -80°C. Analysis of plasma concentrations of selected cytokines, chemokines, and vascular molecules was performed using a multiplex immunoassay system. One-way ANOVA with post hoc tests assessed differences in hemostatic and inflammatory properties. No significant differences in ROTEM variables (coagulation time [CT], clot formation time, α-angle, maximum clot firmness, and lysis index 30) between the TFDP-producing plasma and reconstituted TFDP samples were observed. Compared to control plasma, reconstituted TFDP stored at 4°C for 24 h or RT for 4h showed a longer INTEM CT. Levels of immuno-inflammatory mediators were similar between frozen plasma and TFDP. TFDP is equivalent to frozen plasma with respect to global hemostatic and immuno-inflammatory mediator profiles. Further investigations of TFDP in trauma-induced coagulopathy models and bleeding patients are warranted.

The Challenge of Identifying Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Challenge of Identifying Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hybrid emergency rooms reduce the requirement of blood transfusion in patients with severe trauma

BackgroundA hybrid emergency room (ER) is defined as an emergency unit with four functions—performing resuscitation, computed tomography (CT), surgery, and angiography. However, the safety and efficacy of performing CT in a hybrid ER are unclear in primary surveys. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical effects of hybrid ERs.MethodsThis retrospective observational study used data from the Shimane University Hospital Trauma Database from January 2016 to February 2019. Hospitalized patients with severe trauma and an injury severity score of ≥ 16 were divided into the non-hybrid ER group (n = 134) and the hybrid ER group (n = 145). The time from arrival to CT and interventions and the number of in-hospital survivors, preventable trauma deaths (PTD), and unexpected survivors (US) were assessed in both groups. Further, the amount of blood transfused was compared between the groups using propensity score matching.ResultsThe time from arrival to CT and interventions was significantly reduced in the hybrid ER group compared to that in the non-hybrid ER group (25 vs. 6 min; p < 0.0001 and 101 vs. 41 min; p = 0.0007, respectively). There was no significant difference in the rate of in-hospital survivors (96.9% vs. 96.3%; p = 0.770), PTD (0% vs. 0%), and US (9.0 vs. 6.2%; p = 0.497) between the groups. The amount of blood transfused was significantly lower in the hybrid ER group than in the non-hybrid ER group (whole blood 14 vs. 8, p = 0.004; red blood cell 6 vs. 2, p = 0.012; fresh frozen plasma 9 vs. 6, p = 0.021). This difference was maintained after propensity score matching (whole blood 28 [10–54] vs. 6 [4–16.5], p = 0.015; RBC 8 [2.75–26.5] vs. 2 [0–8.5], p = 0.020, 18 [5.5–27] vs. 6 [3.5–7.5], p = 0.057).ConclusionsThe study results suggest that trauma treatment in a hybrid ER is as safe as conventional treatment performed in a non-hybrid ER. Further, hybrid ERs, which can reduce the time for trauma surveys and treatment, do not require patient transfer and can reduce the amount of blood transfused during resuscitation.