The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Aug 2019
Decreasing Accuracy of the eFAST Examination-Another Challenge Due to Morbid Obesity.
The extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (eFAST) ultrasound examination is an essential step in the initial assessment of trauma patients. Its accuracy depends on the ability to acquire high-quality ultrasound images, and we hypothesized that increasing BMI was associated with increased odds for incorrect eFAST. All adult blunt trauma activations at a high-volume urban trauma center in 2016 that underwent eFAST and CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis were included (n = 446). ⋯ For those with BMI > 40 kg/m², the OR increased to OR = 3.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.45-6.69; P = 0.01). One-third of patients in this study were obese or morbidly obese. The latter was associated with increased odds for incorrect eFAST results, particularly the abdominal examination component.
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The American surgeon · Jul 2019
Trauma Recidivism Postdischarge Mortality: Important Differences Exist between the Adult and Geriatric Populations.
Trauma recidivists are a high-risk patient population. The effects of recidivism on Geriatric trauma mortality have not been investigated. Our hypothesis is that trauma recidivism is associated with high postdischarge mortality after the initial index admission in both the geriatric and adult trauma populations. ⋯ Trauma recidivists represent an at-risk group with significantly higher postdischarge mortality. Group characteristics differ significantly between the adult and geriatric recidivist populations. Further research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors in these populations to minimize risks of morbidity and mortality.
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The American surgeon · Jun 2019
Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in the Management of Trauma Patients: A Systematic Literature Review.
Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) represents an innovative method by which noncompressible bleeding in the torso can be mitigated until definitive treatment can be obtained. To perform a systematic review of the literature on the use of the REBOA in trauma patients. An English and Spanish literature search was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus, from 1948 to 2018. ⋯ REBOA is a useful resource for the management of noncompressive torso hemorrhage with promising results in systolic blood pressure and morbidity. Indications for its use include injuries in zones 1 and 3, whereas it is not clear for zone 2 injuries. Additional studies are needed to define the benefits of this procedure.
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The American surgeon · Jun 2019
Is Opioid Prescribing Driving Trauma Recidivism or Is Trauma Driving Opioid Use?
In the past 30 years, opioid prescription rates have quadrupled and hospital admissions for overdose are rising. Previous studies have focused on alcohol use and trauma recidivism, however rarely evaluating recidivism and opioid use. We hypothesized there is an association between opioid use and trauma recidivism. ⋯ Patients who were TS positive on the subsequent admission were less severely injured than TS negative patients (Injury Severity Score > 15, 26.3% vs 22.3%, P = 0.04). The only significant risk factor for being TS positive on the 2nd admission was being TS positive on the 1st admission (relative risk = 2.18, P < 0.001). A previous history of opioid use is the strongest predictor of recurrent use in recidivists.
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The American surgeon · May 2019
State of Rib Fracture Care: A NTDB Review of Analgesic Management and Surgical Stabilization.
Thoracic analgesia plays a key role in management and outcomes of rib fractures and can generally be broken down into oral or parenteral medication administration and regional analgesia. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) may be an underused resource in the management of rib fractures. This study describes recent trends in rib fracture management and outcomes. ⋯ Utilization of EA remains low nationally. SSRF should be considered not only for chest wall stabilization but also as an analgesic modality in selected patients. A more complete accounting of analgesic care in rib fracture patients is needed to allow a more detailed analysis of analgesia for rib fracture-related pain to elucidate optimal treatment.