Journal of emergencies, trauma, and shock
-
Head injury, severe acidosis, hypothermia, massive transfusion and hypoxia often complicate traumatic coagulopathy. First line investigations such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen level, platelet count and D-dimer levels help in the initial assessment of coagulopathy in a trauma victim. ⋯ Of the 48 patients studied, 38 (80%) had normal DIC scores upon admission and only 10 (20%) had mild DIC scores at the time of admission. The median Injury Severity Score was 34 and they did not correlate with DIC scores. Fibrinogen levels alone were significantly different, increased progressively (mean pre op, intra op and post op levels 518 +/- 31,582 +/- 35 and 643 +/- 27 respectively; P
-
Selection of the ideal airway device in patients with difficult airways (DA) or potentially difficult airways remains controversial, especially, for a novice anesthesia physician (NP) who must deviate from conventional direct laryngoscopy with a rigid laryngoscope following a failed intubation and employ one of the several alternative devices. The author determines and compares tracheal intubation success rates, times to success and complications of a novice physician using four alternative airway devices in 20 obese (BMI more than 27.5) patients who may be more difficult to intubate than normal weight patients. ⋯ In the hands of a novice physician managing a difficult or potentially difficult airway, often encountered in obese patients, the Fastrach demonstrated the highest success rate.
-
J Emerg Trauma Shock · Jan 2010
Blunt rupture of the right hemidiaphragm with herniation of the right colon and right lobe of the liver.
Acute right hemidiaphragm rupture with abdominal visceral herniation is reportedly less common than on the left. We present a complex case of blunt rupture of the right hemidiaphragm with herniation of the right colon and right lobe of the liver in a multiply injured patient. The diagnostic approach, with specific reference to the imaging studies, and surgical management is discussed, followed by a brief literature review highlighting the complexities of the case.
-
Peripheral nerve blocks preclude the need for procedural sedation and provide adequate anesthesia during painful procedures. This technique can be performed in the emergency department with the aid of ultrasound imaging to identify target nerves. We describe eight cases of upper and lower extremity nerve blocks performed under ultrasound guidance in the emergency department of the Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Only two of the patients, both with extensive injuries, required any additional anesthesia during the subsequent procedures and all of them reported significant pain control and muscle relaxation.