J Trauma
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We studied the effect of deferoxamine (DFO) infused after burns on hemodynamic stability as well as local and systemic inflammation and oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation. Eighteen anesthetized sheep were given a 40% of total body surface burn and fluid resuscitated to restore oxygen delivery (DO2) and filling pressures to baseline values. Animals were resuscitated with lactated Ringer's (LR) alone or LR plus 1,500 ml of a 5% hetastarch complexed with DFO (8 mg/ml). ⋯ Burn tissue edema, measured as protein-rich lymph flow, was significantly increased with the administration of DFO compared with the other groups. We conclude that DFO used for burn resuscitation prevents systemic lipid peroxidation and decreases the vascular leak in nonburn tissues while also increasing O2 utilization. Resuscitation with hetastarch-DFO may accentuate burn tissue edema, possibly by increased perfusion of burn tissue.
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Recent data have suggested that patients with both a normal cranial CT scan and normal neurologic examination following minimal head injury (MHI) have no risk of neurologic deterioration. This study prospectively examined the safety of discharging patients from the emergency department (ED) after MHI whether or not there was a responsible observer at home. MHI was defined as a history of loss of consciousness (LOC), a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 14 or 15, and no focal neurologic findings. ⋯ Thirty-one patients who could not be followed up gave fictitious phone numbers. These data suggest that CT can reliably triage patients who can be discharged from the ED following MHI, even in the absence of a responsible observer. Hospital admission can be avoided in more than 80% of patients sustaining MHI, better utilizing scarce hospital resources.
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Some measures of the efficacy of fluid resuscitation after hemorrhage are blood volume restitution (BVR) and attenuation of the neuroendocrine response. We compared the effectiveness of resuscitation with 0.9% NaCl and 3.0% NaCl in chronically prepared awake dogs after 30% hemorrhage. Each dog was bled on four occasions and resuscitated by four protocols: 1) full resuscitation (infusion to return and maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) at control +/- 10 mm Hg) with 3.0% NaCl (HS); 2) full resuscitation with 0.9% NaCl (NS); 3) under-resuscitation with a volume of 0.9% NaCl equal to the subject's previous 3.0% NaCl requirement (SV); and 4) no fluid therapy (NR). ⋯ Resuscitation with HS incurs an intracellular water debt which is aggravated by a saline diuresis. Hormonal attenuation is linked either to BVR (ACTH, cortisol) or to MAP restoration (renin, AVP). Thus the optimal resuscitation regimen may consist of initial infusion of hypertonic saline followed by sufficient hypotonic solution to restore interstitial fluid volume and normal cellular hydration.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the ability of adult and pediatric trauma scores to predict pediatric outcome following major trauma.
The Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) has been identified as the only accurate and adequate means of predicting outcome in pediatric trauma. In answer to the increasing number of trauma patients arriving at local hospitals, the ability of the adult Trauma Score (TS) to predict pediatric trauma outcome was tested. Of the total 2,604 pediatric trauma cases in the North Carolina State Trauma Registry, 441 had both a PTS and TS available for analysis. ⋯ Stepwise discriminant analysis demonstrated that TS was the stronger predictor of outcome and the PTS added only 9% (partial R2 = 0.09) more accuracy to TS for emergency department disposition and only 6% (partial R2 = 0.06) for hospital disposition. The results of this research demonstrate that TS is a useful method of predicting outcome in pediatric trauma. The use of both scores for each patient does not increase the predictive value of the scores.
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Seventy-two consecutive patients who underwent neck arteriography were reviewed to assess recent suggestions that angiography is not indicated in asymptomatic patients with penetrating neck trauma. Proximity to major neck vessels without signs or symptoms of vascular trauma was the reason for angiography in ten of 26 patients with proven arterial injuries. Physical examination had a specificity of 80% and a sensitivity of 61% in this series. ⋯ We conclude that recent recommendations suggesting that arteriography is unnecessary in asymptomatic patients with penetrating neck trauma are premature. Further investigations of larger patient samples are necessary to determine if "proximity" should be abandoned as an indication for arteriography. We advocate that, until additional data are accumulated, urgent arteriography and esophagography or operative exploration are indicated in stable asymptomatic patients with neck wounds which violate the platysma.