Articles: trauma.
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J Trauma Manag Outcomes · Jan 2014
Mortality after road traffic crashes in a system with limited trauma data capability.
Africa has 4% of the global vehicles but accounts for about one tenth of global vehicular deaths. Major trauma in Kenya is associated with excess mortality in comparison with series from trauma centers. The determinants of this mortality have not been completely explored. ⋯ Trauma mortality rates in this study exceed those from mature trauma systems. Head injury and injury severity based on the ISS are independent predictors of mortality after traffic trauma. Improvements in neurosurgical and critical care services ingrained within wider primary and secondary prevention initiatives are logical targets.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jan 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialDose reduction in whole-body computed tomography of multiple injuries (DoReMI): protocol for a prospective cohort study.
Single-pass, contrast-enhanced whole body multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) emerged as the diagnostic standard for evaluating patients with major trauma. Modern iterative image algorithms showed high image quality at a much lower radiation dose in the non-trauma setting. This study aims at investigating whether the radiation dose can safely be reduced in trauma patients without compromising the diagnostic accuracy and image quality. ⋯ Although non-experimental, this study will generate first large-scale data on the utility of imaging-enhancing algorithms in whole-body MDCT for major blunt trauma.
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Periorbital ecchymosis (PE) is caused by blood tracking along tissue plains into periorbital tissues, causing discoloration in the upper and lower eyelids. This clinical feature is most commonly associated with basal skull fractures. Our objective is to present the first patient series describing the clinical features associated with traumatically induced PE. ⋯ Periorbital ecchymosis is a useful clinic sign that should alert the clinician to assess for skull fractures, intracranial haemorrhage, and cranial nerve injury. However, this series shows that PE can be associated with a variety of clinical features, is rarely accompanied by other classic signs of basal skull fracture, and most patients with PE do not have injuries severe enough to require surgical intervention or post-discharge rehabilitation.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jan 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyPharmacological Sedation for Cranial Computed Tomography in Children After Minor Blunt Head Trauma.
Children evaluated in emergency departments for blunt head trauma (BHT) frequently undergo computed tomography (CT), with some requiring pharmacological sedation. Cranial CT sedation complications are understudied. The objective of this study was to document the frequency, type, and complications of pharmacological sedation for cranial CT in children. ⋯ Pharmacological sedation is infrequently used for children with minor BHT undergoing CT, and complications are uncommon. The variability in sedation medications and frequency suggests a need for evidence-based guidelines.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Jan 2014
Clinical review is essential to evaluate 30-day mortality after trauma.
Securing high-quality mortality statistics requires systematic evaluation of all trauma deaths. We examined the proportion of trauma patients dying within 30 days from causes not related to the injury and the impact of exclusion of patients dead on arrival on 30-day trauma mortality. We also defined the demographics, injury characteristics, cause of death and time to death in patients admitted to our trauma center who died within 30 days, between 2007-2011. ⋯ Clinical review of all trauma deaths was essential to interpret mortality. Thirty-day trauma mortality included 10.5% deaths not directly related to the injury and the exclusion of patients dead on arrival significantly affected the unadjusted mortality rate, ISS, median age and time to death.