J Trauma
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A pilot study on the randomization of inferior vena cava filter placement for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in high-risk trauma patients.
Placement of prophylactic inferior vena cava filters (pIVCFs) for the prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE) in high-risk trauma patients (HRTPs) are widely practiced despite the lack of Level I data supporting this use. We report the 2-year interim analysis of the Filters in Trauma pilot study. ⋯ Our pilot study demonstrates for the first time that a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of pIVCFs in trauma patients is feasible. This pilot data will be used to inform the design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine the incidence of PE and DVT in HRTPs receiving pIVCFs versus no pIVCF.
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Infection is an all-too-common complication of combat-related injuries. The Prevention of Combat-Related Infections Guidelines Panel was established to review pertinent data that have become available since 2007 on prevention of these infections and to update guidelines by this group previously published in 2008. These updated guidelines, Guidelines for the Prevention of Infections Associated With Combat-related Injuries: 2011 Update, are published in this Journal of Trauma supplement along with evidence-based medicine reviews of the supporting data.
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Bleeding often poses significant life-threatening situations to surgeons. After trauma, a one-third of civilian casualties and one-half of combat casualties die as a result of exsanguination. Recent advances have provided promising new hemostatic dressings that are applied directly to severely bleeding wounds in the pre-hospital period. ⋯ The mRDH trauma/surgery bandage was able to increase survival of patients after high-grade liver trauma with an associated coagulopathy. Additional clinical studies support this result.
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Multicenter Study
Crystalloid resuscitation improves survival in trauma patients receiving low ratios of fresh frozen plasma to packed red blood cells.
Current trauma resuscitation guidelines recommend giving an initial crystalloid bolus as first line for resuscitation. Recent studies have shown a survival benefit for trauma patients resuscitated with high ratios of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to packed red blood cells (PRBC). Our aim was to determine whether the volume of crystalloid given during resuscitation correlated with differences in morbidity or mortality based on the ratio of FFP:PRBC given. ⋯ If high ratios of FFP:PRBC are unable to be given to trauma patients, resuscitation with at least 1 L of crystalloid per unit of PRBC is associated with improved overall mortality.
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Multicenter Study
High ratios of plasma and platelets to packed red blood cells do not affect mortality in nonmassively transfused patients.
Administration of high transfusion ratios in patients not requiring massive transfusion might be harmful. We aimed to determine the effect of high ratios of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets (PLT) to packed red blood cells (PRBC) in nonmassively transfused patients. ⋯ FFP:PRBC and PLT:PRBC ratios were not associated with in-hospital mortality. Depending on the threshold analyzed, a high ratio of FFP:PRBC and PLT:PRBC transfusion was associated with fewer ICU-free days and fewer ventilator-free days, suggesting that the damage control infusion of FFP and PLT may cause increased morbidity in nonmassively transfused patients and should be rapidly terminated when it becomes clear that a massive transfusion will not be required.