J Trauma
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We observed significant morbidity and mortality in patients with preexisting cardiac disease who suffer severe traumatic injuries. We wondered about the types of injury seen and about the cardiac risks factors that predispose to worse outcomes in these patients. Our hypothesis is that significant cardiac comorbidity is associated with adverse trauma outcomes. ⋯ Preinjury cardiac risk factors, especially preinjury warfarin, beta-blocker use, and CHF, are independent multivariate predictors of mortality in patients suffering significant trauma. Although head and chest injuries are the most frequent causes of death, patients with more than one preinjury cardiac risk factor have 5 to 10 times the mortality risk compared with those without cardiac risks.
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Myostatin (GDF-8) is known as a potent inhibitor of muscle growth and development, and myostatin is also expressed early in the fracture healing process. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a new myostatin inhibitor, a recombinant myostatin propeptide, can enhance the repair and regeneration of both muscle and bone in cases of deep penetrant injury. ⋯ Blocking myostatin signaling in the injured limb improves fracture healing and enhances muscle regeneration. These data suggest that myostatin inhibitors may be effective for improving wound repair in cases of orthopaedic trauma and extremity injury.
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Rural environments have consistently been characterized by high injury mortality rates. Although injury prevention efforts might be directed to reduce the frequency or severity of injury in rural environments, it is plausible that interventions directed to improve injury care in the rural settings might also play a significant role in reducing mortality. To test this hypothesis, we set out to examine the relationship between rurality and the setting in which patient death was most likely to occur. ⋯ We demonstrate that a significant proportion of deaths occur in rural EDs. This study provides new insights into rural trauma deaths and suggests the potential value of targeted interventions at the policy and provider level to improve the delivery of preliminary trauma care in rural environments.
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Triage attempts to ensure that severely injured patients are transported to a high-level trauma facility to reduce mortality. However, some patients are triaged to the nearest medical facility before transport to a final destination trauma center (TC). We sought to analyze whether initial triage of critically injured patients to a nontrauma center (NTC) is associated with increased mortality. ⋯ Triaging severely injured patients to hospitals that are incapable of providing definitive care is associated with increased mortality. Attempts at initial stabilization at an NTC may be harmful. These findings are consistent with a need for continued expansion of regional trauma systems.