Annals of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Enteral versus parenteral feeding. Effects on septic morbidity after blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma.
To investigate the importance of route of nutrient administration on septic complications after blunt and penetrating trauma, 98 patients with an abdominal trauma index of at least 15 were randomized to either enteral or parenteral feeding within 24 hours of injury. Septic morbidity was defined as pneumonia, intra-abdominal abscess, empyema, line sepsis, or fasciitis with wound dehiscence. Patients were fed formulas with almost identical amounts of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. ⋯ In the subpopulation of patients requiring more than 20 units of blood, sustaining an abdominal trauma index greater than 40 or requiring reoperation within 72 hours, there were significantly fewer infections per patient (p = 0.03) and significantly fewer infections per infected patient (p less than 0.01). There is a significantly lower incidence of septic morbidity in patients fed enterally after blunt and penetrating trauma, with most of the significant changes occurring in the more severely injured patients. The authors recommend that the surgeon obtain enteral access at the time of initial celiotomy to assure an opportunity for enteral delivery of nutrients, particularly in the most severely injured patients.
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Comparative Study
Abdominal packing for surgically uncontrollable hemorrhage.
Planned intra-abdominal packing for surgically uncontrollable hemorrhage from liver and retroperitoneal injuries exacerbated by hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy regained popularity over the past decade. The authors reviewed 39 patients injured between August 1985 and September 1990; 31 packed for liver injuries, eight for nonliver injuries. The overall mortality rate was 44% (17/39); 9 (23%) exsanguinated, 3 (8%) died of head injuries, 3 (8%) of multisystem organ failure, 2 (5%) of late complications. ⋯ Intra-abdominal packing will not stop all bleeding; 23% of the patients exsanguinated. In 77%, packing helped achieve hemostasis we believed was not otherwise possible. Packing may be done to prevent the development of acidosis, hypothermia, and coagulopathy or may be done early in the treatment of cold, acidotic patients rather than massive transfusion in the face of surgically uncorrectable bleeding.
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Several significant advances in the treatment of hepatic injuries have evolved over the past decade. These trends have been incorporated into the overall treatment strategy of hepatic injuries and are reflected in experiences with 411 consecutive patients. Two hundred fifty-eight patients (63%) with minor injuries (grades I to II) were treated by simple suture or hemostatic agents with a mortality rate of 6%. ⋯ Juxtahepatic venous injuries continue to carry a prohibitive mortality rate, but nonshunting approaches seem to result in the lowest cumulative mortality rate. Packing and planned reexploration has a definitive life-saving role when used adjunctively in the presence of a coagulopathy. Nonoperative management of select hemodynamically stable adult patients, identified by serial computed tomography scans after sustaining blunt trauma is highly successful (95-97%).
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The triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy in critically injured patients is a vicious cycle that, if uninterrupted, is rapidly fatal. During the past 7.5 years, 200 patients were treated with unorthodox techniques to abruptly terminate the laparotomy and break the cycle. One hundred seventy patients (85%) suffered penetrating injuries and 30 (15%) were victims of blunt trauma. ⋯ Of 102 patients who died before reoperation 68 (67%) did so within 2 hours of the initial procedure. Logistic regression showed that red cell transfusion rate and pH may be helpful in determining when to consider abbreviated laparotomy. The authors conclude that patients with hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy are at high risk for imminent death, and that prompt termination of laparotomy with the use of the above techniques is a rational approach to an apparently hopeless situation.