J Trauma
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Continuous noninvasive tissue oximetry in the early evaluation of the combat casualty: a prospective study.
We hypothesized that near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived tissue oxygenation saturation (StO2) could assist in identifying shock in casualties arriving to a combat support hospital and predict the need for life-saving interventions (LSIs) and blood transfusions. ⋯ NIRS-derived StO2 obtained on arrival predicts the need for blood transfusion in casualties who initially seem to be hemodynamically stable (SBP >90). Further study of this technology for use in the resuscitation of trauma patients is warranted.
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Clinical studies have shown that resuscitation with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is associated with improved outcome after severe hemorrhagic shock (HS). We hypothesized that in addition to its effects on hemostasis, FFP has protective and stabilizing effects on the endothelium that translate into diminished endothelial cell (EC) permeability and improved resuscitation in vivo after HS. We further hypothesized that the beneficial effects of FFP would diminish over 5 days of routine storage at 4 degrees C. ⋯ Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that FFP has beneficial effects on endothelial permeability, vascular stability, and resuscitation in rats after HS. The benefits are independent of hemostasis and diminish between days 0 and 5 of storage.
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Injury rates and injury mortality rates are generally higher in rural and remote communities compared with urban jurisdictions as has been shown to be the case in the rural-remote area of Northwest (NW) British Columbia (BC). The purpose of study was to identify: (1) the place and timing of death following injury in NW BC, (2) access to and quality of local trauma services, and (3) opportunities to improve trauma outcomes. ⋯ Improving trauma outcomes in this rural-remote jurisdiction requires a systems approach to address root causes of delays in access to care, focusing on improved access to emergency medical services, hospital bypass and destination protocols, improved transportation options, advanced life support transfer capability, and designated, coordinated local trauma services.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of abdominal damage control surgery in combat versus civilian trauma.
The majority of individuals who perform damage control surgery in the military arena are trained in civilian venues. Therefore, it is important to compare and contrast damage control performed in civilian and military settings. In contrast to civilian trauma, which is primarily caused by blunt injury and addressed at one or two surgical facilities, combat casualties primarily sustain explosion-related injuries and undergo treatment at multiple levels of care across continents. We aimed to compare patients undergoing abdominal damage control surgery across these two very different settings. ⋯ Military and civilian trauma patients who undergo damage control surgery experience similar fascial closure rates despite differing demographics and widely disparate mechanisms of injury. The MP undergoes a greater number of procedures than the CP, but complication rates do not differ between the groups.
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The evolution of trauma care is driven by a synergistic relationship between civilian and military medical systems. Although the characteristics of civilian injuries differ from those encountered on the battlefield, the pathophysiologic process of dying is the same and dominated by exsanguination and central nervous trauma. As such, therapies that interfere with the physiologic ability to compensate hemorrhage may play a key role to buy time until hemostatic surgery can be initiated. ⋯ Animal studies and various case report series provide some evidence that AVP may improve blood pressure even when conventional therapies fail, thus preventing hypovolemic cardiac arrest and enabling resuscitation from fatal hemorrhage. On the basis of this civilian experience, it seems reasonable to consider AVP for hypotensive resuscitation in the austere, resource-constrained battlefield environment. However, the significance of AVP as a rescue medication for life-threatening hemorrhage has yet to be proven.