European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Current guidelines state that trauma patients at risk of spine injury should undergo prehospital spine immobilization to reduce the risk of neurological deterioration. Although this approach has been accepted and implemented as a standard for decades, there is little scientific evidence to support it. Furthermore, the potential dangers and sequelae of spine immobilization have been extensively reported. The role of the paramedic in this process has not yet been examined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of prehospital evaluations for the presence of spine fractures made by paramedics. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that paramedics cannot accurately predict spinal fractures.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2018
Using emergency trauma team activations to measure trauma activity and injury severity: 10 years of experience using an Australian major trauma centre registry.
To describe the outcomes of Emergency Department trauma team activations over a 10-year period with respect to injury severity and hospital length of stay. ⋯ Analysis of data from trauma team activations in ED has allowed a description of trauma activity and hospital bed day utilisation as a function of injury severity. The results confirm that those with minor trauma accounted for the vast majority of cases and around half of all hospital in-patient bed-days.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2018
Early CT scanning in the emergency department in patients with penetrating injuries: does it affect outcome?
To be a level I trauma center in the Netherlands a computed tomography (CT) scanner in the emergency department (ED) is considered desirable, as it is presumed that this optimizes the diagnostic process and that therapy can be directed based on these findings. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of implementing a CT scanner in the ED on outcomes in patients with penetrating injuries. ⋯ Patients with penetrating injuries more often received a CT scan on admission after implementation of a CT scanner in the ED. Early CT scanning is useful since it significantly reduces ICU-admissions and decreases H-LOS. It is a cheap and non-invasive diagnostic tool with significant clinical impact, resulting in directed treatment, and improvement of outcomes.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2018
Deaths caused by injury among people of working age (18-64) are decreasing, while those among older people (64+) are increasing.
Injury is an important cause of death in all age groups worldwide, and contributes to many losses of human and economic resources. Currently, we know a few data about mortality from injury, particularly among the working population. The aim of the present study was to examine death from injury over a period of 14 years (1999-2012) using the Swedish Cause of Death Registry (CDR) and the National Patient Registry, which have complete national coverage. ⋯ The epidemiology of injury in Sweden has changed during recent years in that mortality from injury has declined in the working age group and increased among those people 64 years old and over.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2018
Correction to: Medical speciality, medication or skills: key factors of prehospital joint reduction. A prospective, multicenter cohort study.
The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.