Ulus Travma Acil Cer
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Ulus Travma Acil Cer · May 2010
Intensity and localization of trauma in non-fatal electrical injuries.
Electrical injuries currently remain a worldwide problem. In Turkey, burns are relatively small in number among injuries overall, but they continue to be a major public health problem. Electrical injuries may occur due to high- or low-voltage contact. Injuries due to low voltage usually occur at home. High-voltage injuries are usually work-related and result from a shorter contact, but may cause serious tissue destruction and secondary injuries. ⋯ Work-related activity was responsible for the majority of these high-voltage injuries, with the most common occupations being linemen and electricians. These patients tended to be younger men in the prime of their working lives. Our study underlines the need for stronger efforts aimed at prevention, such as better public education and strict regulations regarding the distribution and use of electricity.
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Penetrating cardiac traumas in children are dramatic and fatal. Many of the patients are admitted to hospital either in a state of shock or they are dead at presentation. In this study, we aimed to present our experience in penetrating cardiac trauma in children. ⋯ Shock may develop in pediatric penetrating cardiac trauma in a short time due to hemorrhage and/or cardiac tamponade. The prime factors for patient survival are early diagnosis and emergency thoracotomy.
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Ulus Travma Acil Cer · May 2010
Triage decisions of emergency physicians in Kocaeli and the principle of justice.
We aimed to examine the accuracy of triage decision-making among emergency physicians, using a multiple casualty scenario. This will assist in determining the necessity of triage training, which is the foundation of emergency medical ethics. ⋯ This study showed that emergency physicians tended to under-triage patients. This result and the discrepancy of the accuracy rates in urgent casualties revealed the necessity for improvement in medical-ethical decision-making in the training programs. This improvement will help in reducing violation of the important duties of justice and of do no harm by the emergency physicians.
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This study aimed at analyzing the effect on coagulation of head trauma and other local traumas in patients exposed to multiple traumas in the early stage, and also the relations of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS) with coagulation parameters in these patients. ⋯ The coagulation parameters were observed to diverge in patients with head trauma, but in cases with head injuries accompanying other local traumas, more coagulation parameters became abnormal.
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Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias commonly occur after blunt and penetrating trauma. The difficulties in diagnosing traumatic diaphragmatic rupture due to coexisting injuries and the silent nature of the diaphragmatic injuries at the first admission are the most common causes of delayed diagnosis. ⋯ Despite the fact that the incidence of diaphragmatic hernia is uncommon, it should be suspected in all blunt or penetrating traumas of the thorax and abdomen. Because late complications are usually associated with high morbidity, the presence of such an injury should be excluded before terminating the exploratory procedure.