Scand J Trauma Resus
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jul 2021
Alcohol and trauma: the influence of blood alcohol levels on the severity of injuries and outcome of trauma patients - a retrospective analysis of 6268 patients of the TraumaRegister DGU®.
Blood alcohol level (BAL) has previously been considered as a factor influencing the outcome of injured patients. Despite the well-known positive correlation between alcohol-influenced traffic participation and the risk of accidents, there is still no clear evidence of a positive correlation between blood alcohol levels and severity of injury. The aim of the study was to analyze data of the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU), to find out whether the blood alcohol level has an influence on the type and severity of injuries as well as on the outcome of multiple-trauma patients. ⋯ This retrospective study analyzed the influence of the blood alcohol level in severely injured patients in a large national dataset. BAL positive patients showed worse results with regard to head injuries, the GCS and to some other physiological parameters. Finally, neither the 24-h mortality nor the overall mortality showed a significant difference in either group. Only in a subgroup analysis the mortality rate in BAL negative patients with TBI was significantly higher than the mortality rate of BAL positive patients with TBI. This mechanism is not yet fully understood and is discussed controversially in the literature.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jul 2021
ReviewChallenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients - a scoping review.
Despite a widely acknowledged increase in older people presenting with traumatic injury in western populations there remains a lack of research into the optimal prehospital management of this vulnerable patient group. Research into this cohort faces many uniqu1e challenges, such as inconsistent definitions, variable physiology, non-linear presentation and multi-morbidity. This scoping review sought to summarise the main challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients to improve the care for this vulnerable group. ⋯ Trauma in older people is common and challenges prehospital care providers in numerous ways that are difficult to address. Undertriage and the potential for age bias remain prevalent. In this Scoping Review, we identified and discussed six major challenges that are unique to the prehospital environment. More high-quality evidence is needed to investigate this issue further.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jul 2021
Multicenter StudyMobilisation of emergency services for chemical incidents in Sweden - a multi-agency focus group study.
In chemical incidents, infrequent but potentially disastrous, the World Health Organization calls for inter-organizational coordination of actors involved. Multi-organizational studies of chemical response capacities are scarce. We aimed to describe chemical incident experiences and perceptions of Swedish fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, police services, and emergency dispatch services personnel. ⋯ The flow of information may be improved by automation, public education, revised dispatcher education, and use of technical resources in the field. Future studies should independently assess these mechanism's degree of impact on mobilisation of emergency services in chemical incidents.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jul 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudySurvivors of avalanche accidents: posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and quality of life: a multicentre study.
As any traumatic event, avalanches could trigger psychological disorders on survivors. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among avalanche survivors and to evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder risks factors as well as the impact on quality of life. ⋯ Avalanche accidents may induce post-traumatic stress disorders among survivors in a comparable prevalence to the most traumatic event already studied. Early recognition and preventive measures should be set up in order to reduce the psychological burden in these victims.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jul 2021
Prehospital characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Helsinki - experience of the first wave of the pandemic.
There is a lack of knowledge how patients with COVID-19 disease differ from patients with similar signs or symptoms (but who will have a diagnosis other than COVID-19) in the prehospital setting. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of these two patient groups met by the emergency medical services. ⋯ In a sample of suspected COVID-19 patients, the laboratory-positive and laboratory-negative patients were clinically indistinguishable from each other during the prehospital assessment. Foreign-language-speakers had a high likelihood of having Covid-19. The modified WHO criteria still form the basis of screening of suspected COVID-19 patients in the prehospital setting.