J Trauma
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Severe head injury is the leading cause of traumatic death. When a severe head injury is combined with hypotension the mortality doubles. The use of asanguineous salt solutions to maintain blood pressure, however, may contribute to cerebral swelling and intracranial hypertension. ⋯ We found a significant correlation between total Na and FLD balance (R2 = 0.54; p less than 0.05). However, we found no significant correlation between total FLD and maximum ICP (R2 = 0.081), ICP score (R2 = 0.01), or outcome (R2 = 0.066), no significant correlation between FLD balance and maximum ICP (R2 = 0.000), ICP score (R2 = 0.000), or outcome (R2 = 0.01), and no significant correlation between total Na and maximum ICP (R2 = 0.000), ICP score (R2 = 0.001), or outcome (R2 = 0.02). We conclude that Na and FLD administration are not independent determinants of ICP during the initial 72 hours after brain injury.
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Recent animal studies have shown that aggressive saline infusion may produce significant mortality in models of moderately severe (20-30 mL/kg) uncontrolled hemorrhage. The postulated mechanism is an increase in hemorrhage that accompanies restoration of normal blood pressure. Although aggressive saline infusion and restoration of blood pressure appear indicated when hemorrhage is potentially lethal (40-45 mL/kg), we hypothesized that the attempt to restore blood pressure with aggressive saline infusion would not improve survival. ⋯ One-hour survival was 87.5%, 37.5%, and 12.5% for groups I, II, and III, respectively. Intraperitoneal hemorrhage for the three groups was 8.2 mL/kg, 39.9 mL/kg, and 6.7 mL/kg. The amount of saline infused was 55.8 mL/kg in group I and 90 mL/kg in group II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Hypothermic patients commonly develop coagulopathy, but the effects of hypothermia on coagulation remain unclear because clinical laboratories routinely perform clotting tests only at 37 degrees C. Measurements of activated partial thromboplastin times (APTT), prothrombin times (PT), and thrombin times (TT) were performed on plasma from normothermic and hypothermic rats at a range of temperatures (25 degrees-37 degrees C) to assess the effects of hypothermia on apparent clotting factor levels and clotting factor activities. In general, clotting times were more severely prolonged when test temperatures were hypothermic than when body temperatures were hypothermic. ⋯ These findings reveal the observed disparity between clinically evident hypothermic coagulopathy and near-normal clotting studies. Clotting studies performed at 37 degrees C will not confirm hypothermic coagulopathy. These results indicate that the appropriate treatment for hypothermia-induced coagulopathy is rewarming rather than administration of clotting factors.
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ASCOT was developed by Champion et al. to address known limitations to TRISS. The present research attempted to validate ASCOT using an independent trauma registry. Data were collected by the Institute for Trauma and Emergency Care (ITEC), New York Medical College, between July 1, 1987 and June 30, 1989; 5685 trauma patients admitted to three level I trauma centers or five non-trauma center hospitals were included. ⋯ Each method had advantages in predicting the outcomes of particular subgroups of patients; ASCOT with regard to predicting outcomes among patients with head injuries and in correctly classifying blunt injured patients; TRISS in correctly classifying survivors. We conclude (1) the relatively small gain in predictive accuracy by ASCOT over TRISS is largely offset by its complexity and increased computer processing requirements; (2) Hosmer-Lemeshow tests indicate that neither index provides good statistical agreement between predicted and actual outcomes among either blunt or penetrating injury patients. Future models should include additional variables, stratify patients by several injury causes, and use decision rules to select variables and variable weights.
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Flora's Z statistic and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) as indicators of excess mortality were calculated for a sample of 355 patients with major trauma. A statistically significant overall excess mortality was observed in this sample (Z = 6.77, SMR = 1.81, p less than 0.05). ⋯ Total prehospital time over 60 minutes was associated with a significant increase in excess mortality (p less than 0.001). These results support regionalization of trauma care and failed to show any benefit associated with MD-ALS.