J Trauma
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Complementary roles of diagnostic peritoneal lavage and computed tomography in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma.
To assess in randomized prospective format sensitivity, laparotomy rate, and cost-effectiveness of using diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) in a complementary role with computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. ⋯ Screening DPL with complementary CT has a low nontherapeutic laparotomy rate and is a sensitive and cost-effective method for the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma.
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Multicenter Study
Management of traumatic lung injury: a Western Trauma Association Multicenter review.
Improved outcomes following lung injury have been reported using "lung sparing" techniques. ⋯ Blunt traumatic lung injury has higher mortality primarily due to associated extrathoracic injuries. Major resections are required more commonly than previously reported. While "minor" resections, if feasible, are associated with improved outcome, trauma surgeons should be facile in a wide range of technical procedures for the management of lung injuries.
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To analyze the use of admission angiography as a nonoperative adjunct for management of blunt splenic injury. ⋯ Vascular injury increases with splenic injury grade. Embolization improves nonoperative salvage rates to 92%, even with high-grade injuries. Ten percent of patients require additional therapy including "second-look" angiography. A significant portion of patients with negative screening angiograms (10%) required either embolization or laparotomy to control delayed hemorrhage.
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This study assesses the relationship that the brand of trauma program registry (TPR) has on mortality rate (MR) in the reports prepared by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) trauma center (TC) site surveyors. ⋯ The MR for ISS 16-24 in ACSCOT-surveyed TCs differs within subgroups based on type of TPR utilized. This may reflect improper use of the software programs. Enhanced skill in the application of software programs designed to generate ISS scores is essential if meaningful studies on the effects of improved trauma care on MR are to be conducted. Hand scored ISS by trained personnel may circumvent this problem.
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By geographic necessity, rural trauma patients must be initially stabilized at local community hospitals before transfer for definitive care. In this study, it was hypothesized that telemedicine consults with trauma surgeons from a Level I trauma center online while the patient was still in the community hospital ED could positively affect care. ⋯ Telemedicine provides a virtual online trauma surgeon to assist with the resuscitation and stabilization of the major trauma patient in a small community hospital. These preliminary results show a positive impact on rural trauma patient care at the local community hospital.