J Trauma
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Few, if any, complications have been reported with the nonoperative management of selected hepatic injuries diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) scan in hemodynamically stable patients. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate complications associated with this form of management. Twenty-six patients (21%) of 128 patients with blunt hepatic injuries were treated nonoperatively over a 3-year period. ⋯ There were no deaths in our study population with nonoperative therapy. The complications of hepatic injuries initially managed by expectant observation were treated operatively or by percutaneous CT-guided drainage. Repeated CT evaluation to follow the progress of liver fracture and the occasional use of hepatobiliary scans for the identification of biliary leaks have proven useful in our experience.
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Surgical management of gunshot wounds of the head has remained a controversial issue in the care of civilian patients. In an attempt to determine who might benefit from aggressive surgical intervention, we examined 89 patients over a 3-year period who had suffered cranial gunshot wounds and had at least one computed tomographic scan of the head after admission. Patients were divided into those receiving early (less than 24 hours) surgical intervention (ES, n = 27), late (greater than 24 hours) surgical intervention (LS, n = 6) or no surgical intervention (NS, n = 56). ⋯ Patients with bihemispheric injuries fared better with surgery (7 of 14 survivors) than without (2 of 33 survivors, p = 0.0003). Only one infectious complication (brain abscess) was encountered in the LS group. No delayed intracranial complications in survivors in the NS group were seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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During 1987 and 1988, the trauma service at Hahnemann University Hospital, a level I trauma center, evaluated 1,875 consecutive patients. Four hundred ninety-seven consecutive computed tomographic (CT) scans were performed to evaluate intracranial trauma in the emergency department. These patients' records were reviewed to determine the adequacy of loss of consciousness, amnesia, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and mechanism of injury in predicting intracranial findings. ⋯ Mechanism of injury directly influenced the incidence of neurosurgical intervention. Current bedside methods to evaluate patients for possible intracranial injury in our trauma patient population are inadequate. Emergency department CT scans should be performed on all patients referred to the trauma service with previously classified mild- or low-risk criteria for intracranial trauma, regardless of GCS score.
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Although hepatocellular dysfunction occurs early in sepsis despite fluid resuscitation, it is unknown if an increased volume of resuscitation protects hepatocellular function. To study this, rats were subjected to sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). These and sham-treated rats then received either 3 or 6 mL/100 g BW normal saline subcutaneously. ⋯ These results confirm the notion that the depression in hepatocellular function in early sepsis is not the result of any reduction of hepatic perfusion. The dissociation of increased hepatic blood flow from depressed hepatocellular function remains despite the larger volume of resuscitation. The hepatocellular dysfunction that occurs even in early sepsis cannot be corrected simply by increasing the volume of crystalloid resuscitation.
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The Abdominal Trauma Index (ATI) was designed to stratify patients with penetrating injuries, and has been used to classify patients with blunt trauma. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) was originally designed to stratify victims of blunt trauma, and it has also been used for victims of penetrating trauma. We attempted to validate the use of ISS and ATI for both penetrating and blunt trauma. ⋯ The ASC rate for gunshots was higher than that for stab wounds (11% vs. 2%; p less than 0.001). In the blunt group, an ATI value greater than 15 and an ATI value greater than 25 were associated with ASCs (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The association of ASCs and ISS was linear with increasing ISS in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)