J Trauma
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Multicenter Study
Prehospital hypoxia affects outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury: a prospective multicenter study.
The goals of this study were to determine the incidence and duration of hypotension and hypoxia in the prehospital setting in patients with potentially survivable brain injuries, and to prospectively examine the association of these secondary insults with mortality and disability at hospital discharge. ⋯ Secondary insults after TBI are common, and these insults are associated with disability. Hypoxia in the prehospital setting significantly increases the odds of mortality after brain injury controlled for multiple variables.
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Multicenter Study
Cervical spine injury is highly dependent on the mechanism of injury following blunt and penetrating assault.
The mechanism of injury has not been highly regarded as an important variable when evaluating cervical spine injuries. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of cervical spine fracture (CSF) and cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) based on mechanism following blunt and penetrating assault to better aid prioritization of management. ⋯ The rate of CSF or CSCI is low following assault and dependent on mechanism of injury. Thus the concern and extent of evaluation should also be dependent on the mechanism of injury. Neurologic deficits from penetrating assault were established and final at the time of presentation. Concern for protecting the neck should not hinder the evaluation process or life saving procedures.