J Trauma
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Hypertonic lactated saline resuscitation reduces the risk of abdominal compartment syndrome in severely burned patients.
Secondary abdominal compartment syndrome is a lethal complication after resuscitation from burn shock. Hypertonic lactated saline (HLS) infusion reduces early fluid requirements in burn shock, but the effects of HLS on intraabdominal pressure have not been clarified. ⋯ In patients with severe burn injury, a large intravenous fluid volume decreases abdominal perfusion during the resuscitative period because of increased IAP. Our data suggest that HLS resuscitation could reduce the risk of secondary abdominal compartment syndrome with lower fluid load in burn shock patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Tracheostomy in ventilator dependent trauma patients: a prospective, randomized intention-to-treat study.
Tracheostomy is a commonly performed procedure in ventilator dependent patients. Many critical care practitioners believe that performing a tracheostomy early in the postinjury period decreases the length of ventilator dependence as well as having other benefits such as better patient tolerance and lower respiratory dead space. We conducted a randomized, prospective, single institution study comparing the length ventilator dependence in critically ill multiple trauma patients who were randomized to two different strategies for performance of a tracheostomy. We hypothesized that earlier tracheostomy would reduce the number of days of mechanical ventilation, frequency of pneumonia and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. ⋯ A strategy of tracheostomy before day 8 postinjury in this group of trauma patients did not reduce the number of days of mechanical ventilation, frequency of pneumonia or ICU length of stay as compared with the group with a tracheostomy strategy involving the procedure at 28 days postinjury or more.
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Previous work has demonstrated an increased risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in trauma patients after prehospital (field) intubation as compared with emergency department (ED) intubations. However, this population was not compared with patients intubated as inpatients, making data interpretation difficult. We sought to further examine predictors for the development of VAP after trauma. ⋯ Compared with a population of trauma patients as inpatients, and excluding those patients mechanically ventilated less than 24 hours, patients intubated in the ED or field have a higher incidence of pneumonia, despite equivalent or lower injury severity.
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The aims are to apply a mathematical search and display model based on noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring, to predict outcome early in a consecutively monitored series of 661 severely injured patients. ⋯ During the initial resuscitation period, misclassifications were 102 of 661 or 15%. The SP provided early objective criteria to evaluate hospital outcome and to track changes throughout the hospital course based on a large database of patients with similar clinical-hemodynamic states.
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The gut is considered an important target organ of injury after severe insult such as sepsis, trauma, and shock. The impact of bacterial translocation or mesenteric lymph on systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ damage has been investigated in animals, but dynamic changes in the gut flora and environment have not been fully clarified in critically ill patients. In the present study, we quantitatively evaluated changes in the gut microflora and environment in patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). ⋯ The gut flora and environment are significantly altered in patients with severe SIRS. Abnormal gut flora and environment may affect systemic inflammatory response after severe insult.