J Trauma
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This study assessed patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to determine whether prehospital and community hospital providers employed hyperventilation therapy inconsistent with consensus recommendation against its routine use. ⋯ Prehospital and community hospital hyperventilation practices are not consistent with consensus recommendations for limitation of hyperventilation therapy.
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The objective of this study was to describe a population of children admitted to a tertiary care pediatric hospital with severe trauma to identify key areas for injury prevention research, and programming. ⋯ Research efforts and activities to prevent severe pediatric trauma in our region should focus on road safety, protection from head injuries, avoidance of falls, and prevention of child abuse.
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Little research has examined trauma outcomes in the very elderly (>80 years), the fastest growing subset of our geriatric population. Our objective was to describe demographics, mechanism of injury and injury severity of very elderly trauma patients and examine the association between trauma center (TC) verification and hospital mortality in this age group. ⋯ Risk-adjusted outcomes, in this population, differed between TC and AC settings. Head injury, injury severity, and lack of TC verification are associated with hospital mortality in very elderly trauma patients.
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Between 1994 and 1999, 837 flexion-extension cervical spine films (F/E) were ordered as part of a protocol to evaluate cervical stability in blunt trauma victims, particularly obtunded patients with otherwise normal films. After 5 years' experience with this protocol, a review of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness was performed. ⋯ Flexion-extension studies were not a cost-effective part of the protocol, and they were dropped.
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This study correlated isolated, blunt liver or spleen injury with the presence, location, and amount of free fluid in the pediatric blunt trauma patient. ⋯ There is a direct correlation between the severity of the isolated injury and the likelihood and volume of associated free fluid. The pelvis was the most common location to detect free fluid and had the greatest estimated fluid volume.