A prospective evaluation of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of penetrating torso injury

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound (US) is commonly used for the diagnosis of hemoperitoneum after blunt abdominal trauma, but the value of US as an aid for identification of operative lesions after penetrating trauma is not well documented. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the accuracy of US for the evaluation of penetrating torso trauma and to assess the impact of this information on patient management. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort observational study of consecutive penetrating torso patients at a Level I trauma center. RESULTS: During the 6-month trial period, 177 victims of penetrating torso trauma were assessed by our trauma teams. Ninety-two patients had stab wounds, 84 patients had gunshot wounds, and 1 patient had a puncture wound. All 28 patients with positive US examination had an exploratory laparotomy or thoracotomy (one patient had more than one procedure), resulting in 26 therapeutic operations. There were 149 negative US examinations, but in this group, 36 patients underwent laparotomy or thoracotomy, and 28 had therapeutic operations. The overall accuracy of the US examination was therefore 85%, the sensitivity was 48%, and the specificity was 98%. There were only three patients who had their initial management altered by a positive US examination. CONCLUSION: The US examination lacks sensitivity to be used alone in determining operative intervention after gunshot or stab wounds. Rarely does US information contribute to the management of patients with penetrating abdominal injuries.     

A stratified response system for the emergency management of the severely injured

A decade ago, there were justifiable criticisms of the delivery of emergency care for injured patients in accident and emergency departments in the UK. To address this, a trauma management system was developed in 1991 at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool. This includes a trauma team, communication system, management guidelines and quality assurance. On admission to the accident and emergency department, injured patients are triaged to one of three levels of injury severity, and a multidisciplinary team lead by a paediatric surgeon or senior accident and emergency department physician is activated. The level of injury severity determines the composition of the trauma team. A care pathway based on ATLS/APLS principles has been developed. The response process as well patient management are documented and reviewed at a monthly audit meeting. Currently, more than 80% of eligible patients are managed using the trauma system, with an over-triage rate of about 25%. Regular modifications to the trauma system since its inception in 1991 have resulted in an efficient and effective management structure. Stratification of the trauma response has minimised unnecessary use of the multidisciplinary trauma team and ensures that mobilisation and use of hospital staff and resources are tailored to the needs of the injured patient. Although developed in a specialist children's hospital, the system could be adapted for any acute hospital.     

Traitement non-opératoire des traumatismes fermés de la rate chez l’adulte

Nonoperative management of blunt splenic injury allows preservation of the immune function of the spleen while avoiding unnecessary laparotomy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and the results of conservative management of adult blunt splenic trauma in the context of a developing country.Nonoperative management was proposed for 52 out of 62 patients with blunt splenic trauma treated at the Casablanca University Hospital, Morocco.Motor vehicle-road accidents (88%) were the most common etiology. Multiple trauma was present in 79% of the cases. 15% of the cases had hemodynamic instability. Ultrasonography was performed in 52 patients; it showed splenic contusion in 45 patients and subcapsular hematoma in 7 patients. CT scan showed splenic contusion in 11 patients.Four cases ultimately required operative management with one death. Of the remaining 48 patients, 45 had an uneventful course with observation, but there were two deaths in the observation group.     

Management of trauma during pregnancy

Background: Pregnancy may confuse the management of a trauma patient. The present retrospective review was conducted in order to develop guidelines for the management of such a patient. Methods: A retrospective review of case notes was undertaken using a trauma database to evaluate the management of pregnant trauma patients. A review of the English language literature was also carried out. Results: Between July of 1994 and July of 2002, 34/25 206 (0.13%) of patients on the database were pregnant at the time of injury. The vast majority (27/34; 79%) suffered no obstetric complication. Obstetric complications included four pregnancies complicated by preterm labour but not preterm delivery, one placental abruption and one second trimester pregnancy loss. There was one maternal death with an 8 week gestation fetus viable at time of maternal death and one fetal death with maternal survival. Conclusion: The findings are in keeping with those of other published series. Priority in the management of a pregnant patient who has sustained major trauma must always be maternal stabilization. After stabilization, an assessment of obstetric complications should be a part of the secondary survey. Fetal heart rate monitoring should be used to assess the fetus in pregnancies ≥22 weeks gestation. Active intervention, such as Caesarian section, can be considered if fetal compromise is found.     

结直肠损伤的特点和处理

目的 探讨结直肠损伤的特点和结肠损伤Ⅰ期修复的适应证以及直肠损伤和医源性结直肠损伤处理的特殊性。方法 总结分析1989年1月～2000年12月收治的结直肠损伤41例临床资料。结果 38例行急诊手术,术中出现并发症11例,占26.8％,2例术中损伤未发现以致形成直肠阴道瘘和腹膜后脓肿,1例结肠镜下息肉切除造成小穿孔在镜下用钛夹修补治愈。本组治愈39例,死亡2例,均死于严重的并发症。结论 了解结直肠损伤的特点,提高结直肠损伤的认识,掌握好结肠Ⅰ期修复手术的适应证、直肠损伤及医源性损伤处理的特殊性是减少结直肠损伤并发症,提高外科治疗效果的关键。     

Blunt renal artery injury: incidence, diagnosis, and management.

Renal artery injury is a rare complication of blunt abdominal trauma. Increasing use of CT scans to evaluate blunt abdominal trauma identifies more blunt renal artery injuries (BRAIs) that may have otherwise been missed. We identified patients with BRAI to examine the incidence and to evaluate the current diagnosis and management strategies. Patients admitted from 1986 to 2000 at a regional Level I trauma center sustaining BRAI were evaluated. Patients undergoing revascularization or nonoperative management were followed for renovascular hypertension. Twenty-eight patients with BRAI were identified out of 36,938 blunt trauma admissions between 1986 and 2000 (incidence 0.08%). Most renal artery injuries were diagnosed by CT scans (93%) with seven confirmatory angiograms. Nine patients had nephrectomy (one bilateral), and three patients with unilateral injuries were revascularized. Sixteen were managed nonoperatively including one patient who had endovascular stent placement. Three patients died from shock and sepsis. Follow-up for all patients ranged from one month to 8 years. Two patients developed hypertension: one who was revascularized (33%) and one was managed nonoperatively (6%). The frequency of diagnosis of BRAI is increasing because of the increased use of CT. Nonoperative management of unilateral injuries can be successful with a 6 per cent risk for developing renovascular hypertension. The role of endovascular stenting is promising, and further study is necessary.     

陈旧性创伤性主支气管断裂的临床特征和手术技巧

目的探讨陈旧性创伤性主支气管断裂的临床特征和吻合方法,提高诊断及治疗效果。方法17例陈旧性创伤性主支气管断裂患者,14例行支气管端端吻合术,2例行右肺上叶袖状切除术,1例左全肺切除术。5例用丝线或涤纶线间断全层缝合,6例用微桥线间断全层缝合,6例用prolene线行环部连续加膜部间断缝合。5例用带血管蒂的肋间肌包埋吻合口。结果围术期有3例出现胸腔积液;1例出现乳糜胸;随访2例出现刺激性咳嗽,镜下见肉芽组织增生。结论支气管纤维镜是明确陈旧性创伤性主支气管断裂诊断的重要手段;术中须彻底切除狭窄段支气管瘢痕,用prolene线行环部连续加膜部间断缝合既简化操作且临床效果满意。     

Pancreatic trauma: diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. Apropos of 35 cases

35 consecutive pancreatic trauma were operated (21 blunt trauma and 14 penetrating injuries). 30 patients were operated in emergency and diagnosis was suspected before laparotomy in only one case. 12 patients had a superficial lesion, 21 had a wirsung disruption (14 in the left pancreas, 7 in the right pancreas), 2 had a diffuse pancreatitis. For the 30 patients operated in emergency, 20 had a conservative treatment, 10 had a resection. 5 patients died (14.2%), from exsanguination (2 cases), missed diagnosis or inadequate treatment (2 cases), sepsis after adequate management (1 case). Our experience suggests that an aggressive diagnosis management in emergency, with pre or pre-operative wirsungography, could determined with precision the type of the lesion and permit an adequate management, to decrease mortality.     

Intra-arterial thrombolysis in the carotid territory

Background: In patients who sustain abdominal trauma the liver is the most frequently injured organ. Although treatment for haemodynamically unstable patients remains urgent surgery, there has been a shift of management in haemodynamacally stable patients towards non-operative management. We performed an outcome assessment of traumatic hepatic injury.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed to assess incidence, mechanisms, management and outcome of traumatic liver injury in the region of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, in the period 1999–2007.

Results: A total of 47 patients were identified. Thirty-six patients had blunt hepatic trauma, eleven sustained penetrating hepatic injury. In 67% (n = 24) of the blunt hepatic trauma patients the initial intention was to treat non-operatively. Yet, two patients underwent explorative laparotomy after one and two days. In the penetrating liver trauma patients, 91% (n = 10) underwent urgent surgery. In total, 31 of 47 patients were treated conservatively.

Conclusion: Blunt hepatic trauma is the most common cause of hepatic trauma. Most patients sustaining hepatic trauma can be managed conservatively at a dedicated ICU and/or surgical trauma ward.     

Management of Liver Trauma in Minia University Hospital,Egypt

The aim of this study is to present the outcome of operative and non-operative management of patients with liver injury treated in a single institution depending on imaging. This study was conducted at the Causality Unit of Minia University Hospital, and included 60 patients with hepatic trauma from March 2012 to January 2013. In our study, males represent 80 % while females represent 20 % of the traumatized patients. The peak age for trauma found was 11–30 years. Blunt trauma is the most common cause of liver injury as it was the cause in 48 patients (80 %). Firearm injuries are the most common cause of penetrating trauma (60 %) followed by stab injuries (40 %). More than one half of our patients (34 out of 60) were treated with non-operative management (NOM) with a high success rate. The operative procedures done were suture hepatorrhaphy (20 cases), non-anatomical resection in one case, anatomical resection in one case, and damage control therapy using pads in two cases. In another two cases, nothing was done as subcapsular hematoma had resolved. Minia University Hospital is a big tertiary Hospital in Egypt at which blunt liver trauma is more common than penetrating liver trauma. Surgery is no longer the only option available. It has been reserved for extensive lesions with condition of hemodynamic instability or for the treatment of the complications. NOM is an effective treatment modality in most cases.     

腹部穿透伤保守治疗30例分析

目的 探讨腹部穿透伤保守治疗指征,总结辅助检查在治疗过程中的价值.方法 回顾性分析同一治疗小组于2006年8月至2010年10月保守治疗30例腹部穿透伤的临床资料.结果 保守治疗成功25例,中转手术5例.所有保守治疗成功病人于入院24～72 h出院.结论 保守治疗应成为腹部穿透伤治疗的手段之一,严格掌握指征、动态观察是...     

Nonoperative management of blunt splenic trauma in adults

The management of isolated blunt splenic trauma in adults is controversial. The authors present a series of 17 patients with blunt splenic trauma who were selected for nonoperative management. Only one patient eventually required surgery, for a ruptured spleen. Complications included pneumonia (two cases) and pleural effusion, atelectasis and ileus (one case each). There were no deaths. Five patients required transfusion, for a total of 17 units of blood. The mean length of hospital stay was 9.4 days. Comparison with a group of 17 patients treated operatively during the same period showed that those treated nonoperatively had fewer complications, required less blood and had a similar length of hospital stay. The authors conclude that nonoperative management of selected patients with isolated blunt splenic trauma is safe, if the patient's condition is closely monitored.     

The association between developmental handicaps and traumatic brain injury during pregnancy: an issue that deserves more systematic evaluation

AIMS: Trauma during pregnancy is commonly viewed as benign for the foetus when the delivery occurs normally. This study revisits that point of view. METHOD: We included eighteen patients having a neurological handicap with an anamnesis of an accident during pregnancy and a follow-up sufficient to determine a definite outcome. RESULTS: Pregnancy outcome and observed management. Foetal abnormalities were detected in six cases between the first and the thirteenth day after the trauma. Emergency delivery or rapid birth after signs of foetal distress occurred in five cases. One baby died soon after birth. One-third of cases were not submitted to any investigation. VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL HANDICAPS WERE RECORDED: Congenital microcephaly (three patients), congenital hydrocephalus (three), Infantile cerebral hemiplegy (six), quadriplegy with severe encephalopathy (four), diplegy (one), clumsiness with cerebellar atrophy (one), Moebius syndrome (one), mental retardation with autistic features (two), learning disability (one) auditory agnosia (one). Cerebral imaging showed macroscopic abnormalities in fourteen patients, evoking various pathogenetic hypotheses. CONCLUSION: The association between maternal trauma and foetal brain lesions lacks sufficient investigation in many cases. Prospective studies are needed to clarify both medical and legal issues. Guidelines are proposed for obstetrical and paediatric management after significant maternal trauma.     

Trauma care system in Iran

Objective: The high burden of injuries in Iran necessitates the establishment of a comprehensive trauma care system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current status of trauma system regarding the components and function. Methods: The current status of trauma system in all components of a trauma system was described through expert panels and semi-structured interviews with trauma specialists and policy makers.Results: Currently, various organizations are involved in prevention, management and rehabilitation of injuries,but an integrative system approach to trauma is rather deficient. There has been ongoing progress in areas of public education through media, traffic regulation reinforcement,hospital care and prehospital services. Meanwhile, there are gaps regarding financing, legislations and education of high risk groups. The issues on education and training standards of the front line medical team and continuing education and evaluation are yet to be addressed. Trauma registry has been piloted in some provinces, but as it needs the well-developed infrastructure (regarding staff, maintenance,financial resources), it is not yet established in our system of trauma care.Conclusions: It seems that one of the problems with trauma care in Iran is lack of coordination among trauma system organizations. Although the clinical management of trauma patients has improved in our country in the recent decade, decreasing the burden of injuries necessitates an organized approach to prevention and management of trauma in the context of a trauma system.     

Postgraduate trauma education for surgeon--from the veiwpoint of trauma and emergency physicians

A recent important topic in the field of trauma care is the elimination of "preventable death." Since patients' satisfactory prognosis and good recovery mainly depend upon the success of the initial evaluation and care, the responsibility of physicians who first come into contact with trauma patients in the emergency room is especially heavy. Many general surgeons examine trauma patients, although, unfortunately they have few opportunities for training in how to deal with those patients in the present educational program. Traumatology should be one of the most important areas of surgery, and therefore this paper emphasizes that every surgeon needs to be educated and trained in an adequate curriculum of trauma care. The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine could help by offering the Japan Advanced Trauma Evaluation and Care (JATEC) training program. JATEC proposes standardized guidelines as well as a nationwide the educational program for trauma management.     

Results with abdominal vascular trauma in the modern era.

This is a report of a 10-year experience (1989-1998) with 300 consecutive patients found to have an injury to a named abdominal vessel at the time of an exploratory laparotomy for trauma. An abdominal gunshot wound was the mechanism of injury in 78 per cent of patients, and injury to more than one named abdominal vessel was present in 42 per cent. The abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, and external iliac artery and vein were the most commonly injured vessels. When management for the five most commonly injured arteries was grouped, exsanguination before attempts at repair occurred in 11 to 15 per cent of patients and the mean survival in the remainder was 46 per cent. When management for the five most commonly injured veins was grouped, exsanguination before attempts at repair occurred in 5 per cent of patients and the mean survival in the remainder was 64 per cent. A number of administrative and medical changes in the management of patients with abdominal trauma occurred from 1992 through 1994. Despite significantly increased Injury Severity Scores for patients treated from 1993 through 1998 as compared with those treated from 1989 through 1992 survival rates for patients with injuries to the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava were unchanged. Survival rates for injuries to the external iliac artery and vein increased significantly. The local changes in management should be considered for prospective studies in other urban trauma centers.     

Strategies for Intravenous Fluid Resuscitation in Trauma Patients

Intravenous fluid management of trauma patients is fraught with complex decisions that are often complicated by coagulopathy and blood loss. This review discusses the fluid management in trauma patients from the perspective of the developing world. In addition, the article describes an approach to specific circumstances in trauma fluid decision-making and provides recommendations for the resource-limited environment.     

Strategies for blood management in orthopaedic and trauma surgery

Several aspects of the management of an orthopaedic surgical patient are not directly related to the surgical technique but are nevertheless essential for a successful outcome. Blood management is one of these. This paper considers the various strategies available for the management of blood loss in patients undergoing orthopaedic and trauma surgery.     

Management of the patient with major trauma

The process of trauma care has both organizational and medical aspects. The requirement for a trauma team in each hospital that receives major trauma is still an unachieved goal in the UK. Further, those hospitals that have such teams do not necessarily provide sufficient experience to permit a universally high level of care. It is likely that centralization of trauma care will occur in the UK, as is happening for a number of other conditions. However, this will bring requirements for a rapid and safe transfer system from the scene to such centres, bypassing centres without requisite experience; this goal remains a distant one in the UK. The management of the head-injured patient is largely directed towards the prevention of high intracranial pressure. The role of surgical craniectomy is under current study, and this could prove to be an additional tool in the management of patients with low cerebral perfusion pressure.