The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
-
The association between admission heart rate (AHR) and mortality after trauma can assist initial emergency department triage and resuscitation. In addition, increased AHR is often associated with sympathetic hyperactivity which may require targeted treatment. We determined whether AHR was a predictor for mortality in trauma patients. ⋯ Mortality after trauma increases outside the AHR range of 70 to 89 beats per minute. AHR ranges previously considered "normal" were associated with significantly increased mortality. Prospective research is required to evaluate if resuscitation goals should target heart rate at the 70 to 89 range.
-
J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Apr 2012
Anticoagulation management around percutaneous bedside procedures: is adjustment required?
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) are frequently performed bedside in the intensive care unit. Critically ill patients frequently require anticoagulant (AC) and antiplatelet (AP) therapies for myriad indications. There are no societal guidelines proffering strategies to manage AC/AP therapies periprocedurally for bedside PEG or PDT. The aim of this study is to evaluate the management of AC/AP therapies around PEG/PDT, assess periprocedural bleeding complications, and identify risk factors associated with bleeding. ⋯ We found that while practice patterns were quite consistent in regard to the management of prophylactic anticoagulation, it varied widely in patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation. It seems that prophylactic anticoagulation use did not affect bleed risk with PEG/PDT.
-
J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Apr 2012
Coagulation management of bleeding trauma patients is changing in German trauma centers: an analysis from the trauma registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery.
Recent findings have emphasized the need for early and aggressive coagulation support in bleeding trauma patients. This study aimed to examine whether blood component transfusion and hemostatic drug administration during acute trauma care have changed in daily practice during the recent years. ⋯ The therapy of bleeding trauma patients has changed in Germany during the recent years toward more aggressive coagulation support. This development continues although grades of evidence are still low regarding most of the changes reported in our study. Randomized controlled trials are needed with respect to blood component therapy using predefined ratios and to the administration of hemostatic drugs commonly used for the severely injured.
-
J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Apr 2012
Level of agreement between patient and proxy responses to the EQ-5D health questionnaire 12 months after injury.
Health-related quality of life represents a patient's experiences and expectations and should be collected from the patient. In trauma, collection of information from the patient can be challenging, particularly for subgroups where cognitive impairment is prevalent, increasing reliance on proxy reporting. This study assessed the agreement between patient and proxy reporting of health-related quality of life 12 months after injury. ⋯ Although proxy and patient responses for the EQ-5D VAS may differ, the differences show random variability rather than systematic bias. Group comparisons using proxy responses are unlikely to be biased, but proxy responses should be used with caution when assessing individual patient recovery.
-
J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Apr 2012
Risk factors for postoperative complications of displaced clavicular midshaft fractures.
This study evaluated the risk factors of the complications following operative treatment of an acute displaced clavicular midshaft fracture using a reconstruction plate. ⋯ Open reduction and internal fixation using a reconstruction plate for acute displaced clavicular midshaft fractures demonstrated satisfactory clinical outcomes and favorable bony union rates. However, hardware-related complications because of fracture pattern, nonunion, and inadequate surgical techniques require detailed consideration. Furthermore, when additional fixation is needed for comminuted fracture fragments, interfragmentary screw fixation is recommended before cerclage wiring.