J Trauma
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Retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of 251 patients treated for cardiac injuries at Highland General Hospital trauma facility in Alameda County, California, to identify factors that contribute to patient survival and predict death. Thirty-six patients (14%) had blunt injuries, 153 patients (61%) had gunshot wounds (GSW), and 62 patients (25%) had stab wounds. ⋯ Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that for patients with absent vital signs the only significant predictor of outcome was GSW as the mechanism of injury and for patients with vital signs the ISS and the presence of combined right and left heart injuries were significant independent predictors of outcome. We conclude that the routine and aggressive use of emergency room thoracotomy for patients with penetrating cardiac injury must be re-examined.
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Splanchnic ischemia, leading to intestinal mucosal damage, is thought to be common in patients after severe trauma. The adequacy of mucosal oxygenation can indirectly be determined by gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) measurement. We prospectively examined the posttraumatic gastric pHi values in 15 multiple trauma patients. ⋯ Although intestinal ischemia was expected to be a common condition in multiple trauma patients, no consistent pattern of abnormal pHi measurements in the direct posttraumatic course could be discovered. No correlation was found between initial pHi values (at 6 hours) and ISS, shock, and lactic acidosis or APACHE II scores on admission. It is concluded that monitoring gastric pHi is useful in severely injured patients admitted to the ICU.
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Over a 9-year period (July 1981-December 1985--pre-ATLS period; January 1986-June 1990--post-ATLS period), the hospital charts of 813 trauma patients with ISS > or = 16 were reviewed (n = 413, pre-ATLS and n = 400, post-ATLS) in order to assess the impact of the ATLS program. The frequency of endotracheal intubation (ET), nasogastric tube insertion (NG), intravenous access (i.v.), Foley catheterization of the bladder (Foley) and chest tube insertion (CT) were compared by Pearson Chi-square analysis. Overall, pre-ATLS vs. post-ATLS frequencies (%) were 83.5 vs. 65.3 for ET, 97.3 vs. 98.0 for i.v., 74.6 vs. 96.3 for Foley, 68.3 vs. 91.3 for NG, and 18.4 vs. 47.0 for CT. ⋯ Of the patients with severe chest injuries (AIS > or = 3) 87.7% had chest tubes post ATLS (94.4% in ER) compared with 48.1% pre ATLS (3.2% in ER). These differences were associated with significant improvement in trauma patient outcome post ATLS. We conclude that the frequency of lifesaving interventions, particularly in the ER, was increased post ATLS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Case Reports
Acute bleeding caused by rupture of the thyroid gland following blunt neck trauma: case report.
We describe a case of blunt neck trauma that resulted in extensive rupture of a normal thyroid gland. Our experience shows that lesions of the thyroid gland must be taken into diagnostic consideration after blunt neck trauma, even in the absence of obvious signs of injury.