Articles: trauma.
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Prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) is associated with a poor prognosis and requires urgent interventions to address its potentially reversible causes. Resuscitative efforts of TCA in the prehospital setting may entail significant resource allocation and impose added tolls on caregivers. The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps (IDF-MC) instructs clinicians to perform a set protocol in the case of TCA, providing prompt oxygenation, chest decompression and volume resuscitation. This study investigates the settings, interventions, and outcomes of TCA resuscitation by IDF-MC teams over 25 years in both combat and civilian settings. ⋯ The prognosis of prehospital TCA is poor, and efforts to address its potentially reversible causes may often be futile. These notions may be further emphasized in military settings, where resources are limited, and extensive penetrating injuries are more common.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jan 2024
Epidural vs. systemic analgesia in the Intensive Care Unit: retrospective study of patient outcomes.
Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often experience acute pain. Causes include major surgery, multisystem trauma, and pancreatitis. Most ICU patients who require pain management are treated with systemic analgesia, usually intravenous opioids. This study compared the rate of pain and delirium scores, as well as mortality and morbidity between ICU patients treated with systemic vs. epidural analgesia. ⋯ Epidural analgesia reduced the number of delirium events and was associated with a shorter ICU stay, fewer ventilation days and a lower mortality rate. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
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Observational Study
Outcomes and potential for improvement in the prehospital treatment of penetrating chest injuries in a European metropolitan area: A retrospective analysis of 2009 - 2017.
Trauma is the leading cause of death in patients <45 years living in high-resource settings. However, penetrating chest injuries are still relatively rare in Europe - with an upwards trend. These cases are of particular interest to emergency medical services (EMS) due to available invasive treatment options like chest tube placement or resuscitative thoracotomy. To date, there is no sufficient data from Austria regarding penetrating chest trauma in a metropolitan area, and no reliable source to base decisions regarding further skill proficiency training on. ⋯ Severe cases of penetrating chest trauma are rare in Vienna and happened about once a week between 2009 and 2017. Both incidence and case load increased over the years, and potentially life-saving invasive procedures were only reluctantly applied. Therefore, a structured educational and skill retention approach aimed at both paramedics and emergency physicians should be implemented.
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Position statements from national organizations commonly vary in methodology for the evaluation of existing literature and the development of recommendations. Recent national recommendations have highlighted important components for evidence-based guidelines that can be feasibly incorporated in the creation of position statements and their resource documents. We describe the methodology developed to guide the creation of a compendium of 16 trauma-related position statements led by NAEMSP and partner organizations. ⋯ We report a standardized methodology for literature review and development of recommendations as part of a compendium of trauma-related position statements from NAEMSP and partner organizations. This methodology can serve as a template for future position statements with ongoing refinement.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Emergency Department and Inpatient Utilization Reductions and Cost Savings Associated with Trauma Center Mental Health Intervention: Results from a 5-year Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trial Analysis.
To identify and refer patients at high risk for the psychological sequelae of traumatic injury, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma now requires that trauma centers have in-place protocols. No investigations have documented reductions in utilization and associated potential cost savings associated with trauma center mental health interventions. ⋯ Mental health intervention is associated with significant reductions in ED and inpatient utilization, as well as potential cost savings. These findings could be productively integrated into future American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma policy discussions.