OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and patterns of alcohol and drug use in patients with major trauma. METHODS: Consecutive trauma patient enrollment, 24 hours a day, was envisaged with anonymised patient data on gender, age band, and mechanism of injury collected. The study group had surplus plasma quantitatively analysed for ethanol concentration, and urine samples were initially screened, via immunoassay, for opiates, cannabinoids, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, and methadone. Confirmation and specification of individual positive results was then performed using thin layer or gas-liquid chromatography. Drugs of treatment given in the resuscitation room, if subsequently detected in the urine samples, were excluded from the final results. RESULTS: There were 116 eligible trauma patients assessed and treated in the resuscitation room over a six month period, of which 93 (80%) were enrolled. Altogether 27% of this trauma population had plasma ethanol concentrations greater than 80 mg/dl. There was a significantly higher prevalence of alcohol intoxication in the group not involved in a road traffic accident (RTA) compared with the group who were involved in a RTA. Initial screening of urine for drugs revealed a prevalence of 51%. After 12 exclusions due to iatrogenic administration of opiates, the final confirmed prevalence was 35% in this trauma population. The individual drug prevalence was 13% for cannabinoids, 11% for codeine, 8% for morphine, 6% for amphetamine, 6% for benzodiazepines, 3% for cocaine, 1% for dihydrocodeine, and 1% for methadone. CONCLUSIONS: There is a notable prevalence of drug and alcohol use in this British accident and emergency trauma population. A significantly higher prevalence for alcohol intoxication was found in the non-RTA group compared with the RTA group. The patterns of drug usage detected reflect local influences and less cocaine use is seen compared with American studies. The association between alcohol, drugs, and trauma, together with ethically acceptable methods of screening, are discussed. (+info)
A review of trauma systems using the Calgary model.
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Surgeons caring for severely injured patients have witnessed tremendous change over the past 2 decades with the rapid evolution of trauma systems. This paper describes the evolution of trauma systems in Canada, using the one in Calgary as a model. Canadian system guidelines were produced by the Trauma Association of Canada in 1993. Participation in Canadian accreditation is accelerating as increasingly more centres across the country undergo external review each year. Reporting of trauma outcomes, including standardized mortality and a variety of performance measures, is becoming the norm. Injury is being treated as a disease with comprehensive control strategies aimed at reducing death and disability rates through prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. (+info)
Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture: associated injuries and outcome.
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A retrospective case note analysis was performed on all patients treated for traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR) at a major teaching hospital between January 1990 and August 1998. Patients were identified from the prospectively maintained UK Trauma and Research Network Database. Of the 480 cases of torso trauma admitted during the study period, 16 (3.3%) had TDR. Blunt trauma accounted for 13 (81%) of the injuries. A radiological pre-operative diagnosis was made in 10 (62.5%) patients. Seven of these were made on initial chest radiography, two on ultrasound scan and one on computed tomography. All patients underwent a midline laparotomy and TDR was subsequently diagnosed at operation in 6 patients. The left hemidiaphragm was ruptured in 14 (87.5%) patients and there was visceral herniation in 8 (50%). Twelve patients with blunt trauma had associated abdominal and extra-abdominal injuries, but only one of the three patients with penetrating trauma had other injuries. The median Injury Severity Score (range) was 21 (9-50). The median time (range) spent on the intensive care unit was 2 days (0-35 days). Pulmonary complications occurred in 7 (44%) patients. Two (12.5%) patients died from associated head injuries. TDR results from blunt and penetrating torso trauma, is uncommon, rarely occurs in isolation and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. A high index of suspicion makes early diagnosis more likely as initial physical and radiological signs may be lacking. (+info)
Resuscitation after high energy polytrauma.
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The majority of patients with polytrauma seen in the UK are victims of blunt injury. The trauma reception team approach, using a predetermined plan for initial assessment and urgent resuscitation, can improve outcome. It is important, therefore, that each member of the team is familiar with both their own role and that of their colleagues. This chapter reviews the immediate management of the patient with polytrauma, focusing on the importance of the 'ABC' approach. Optimal management of the trauma airway is essential and the benefits of early intubation and alternative techniques for securing the difficult airway are discussed. The early identification and management of life-threatening respiratory and circulatory complications is emphasised. Accurate assessment of shock in the victim of trauma is difficult, as the simple clinical indicators are not ideal. Some of the techniques available for advanced assessment of tissue perfusion are discussed in detail. The management of polytrauma provides a considerable clinical challenge, and this chapter emphasises the importance of a team approach. (+info)
Limb reconstruction after high energy trauma.
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Limb reconstruction techniques rely on stable external fixation to provide early limb function after major long bone injury. Bone may be generated by callus distraction techniques and internal techniques of moving bone segments used to fill bone defects. Soft tissue defects may be treated by acute shortening, although skin defects will also close spontaneously during bone transport as the leading edge of bone is covered with granulation tissue. External fixation is also used to cross joints permitting rest and repair of the joint. Hinges placed within the bars of the fixation frame may be used to correct deformities in the bone and soft tissue contractures using closed distraction techniques. These techniques are appropriate to metaphyseal fractures and diaphyseal fractures with bone loss. A major advantage is the lack of donor site morbidity, associated with skin flaps and large bone grafts. Acceptance of these techniques is growing whilst the methodology continues to improve. In more complicated cases, specialist training and dedicated hospital units with multidisciplinary support is desirable. (+info)
Is clinical examination an accurate indicator of raised intra-abdominal pressure in critically injured patients?
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OBJECTIVES: To determine the rate of elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and to evaluate the accuracy of clinical abdominal examination in the assessment of IAP in the critically injured trauma patient. DESIGN: A prospective blinded study. SETTING: The medical-surgical critical care unit of a university-affiliated regional adult trauma centre. PATIENTS: Forty-two adult blunt trauma victims, who had a mean injury severity score of 36. INTERVENTIONS: Urinary bladder pressure was measured daily and classified as normal (10 mm Hg or less), elevated (more than 10 mm Hg) or significantly elevated (more than 15 mm Hg). A blinded clinical assessment of abdominal pressure was concurrently performed and recorded as elevated or normal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy and the positive and negative predictive values of the 2 interventions in identifying elevated IAP. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (50%) had an elevated IAP at some point during the study. Of the 147 bladder pressure measurements done in these 42 patients, 47 (32%) were more than 10 mm Hg and 16 (11%) were more than 15 mm Hg. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of clinical abdominal examination for identifying elevated IAP were 40%, 94%, 76%, 77% and 77%, respectively. Clinical abdominal examination had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 56%, 87%, 35%, 94% and 84% respectively, for significantly elevated IAP. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary bladder pressure was commonly elevated among our population of critically injured adults. Compared with bladder pressure measurements, clinical abdominal assessment showed poor sensitivity and accuracy for elevated IAP. These findings suggest that more routine measurements of bladder pressure in patients at risk for intra-abdominal hypertension should be performed. (+info)
Management of isolated sternal fractures: determining the risk of blunt cardiac injury.
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A review of the management of isolated sternal fractures in a regional cardiothoracic unit reveals that, in a 2 year period, 37 consecutive patients were admitted for observation and further investigation, including echocardiography and cardiac enzyme measurements to exclude blunt cardiac injury. Minor blunt cardiac injury was detected in only one patient, and was associated with an acutely abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG showed acute changes in 8 further patients, whilst 3 patients had an abnormal chest X-ray (CXR) due to widening of the mediastinum (1 patient had abnormal CXR and ECG), but none had evidence of cardiac injury. CXR and ECG were both normal in 23 patients, and were predictive of the absence of significant complications. A survey of 22 other cardiothoracic units around the UK confirms that the management of patients with isolated sternal fractures varies considerably from hospital to hospital. As suggested by previous reports, we believe that patients, who are otherwise fit and have normal ECG and CXR on presentation, can be safely discharged home on oral analgesics. The routine use of echocardiography and creatinine kinase (CK) assays in the assessment of isolated sternal fractures is not indicated. The introduction of these guidelines has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of patients admitted with isolated sternal fractures to our unit. (+info)
Growth hormone decreases muscle glutamine production and stimulates protein synthesis in hypercatabolic patients.
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We determined the effects of 24-h recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) infusion into a femoral artery on leg muscle protein kinetics, amino acid transport, and glutamine metabolism in eight adult hypercatabolic trauma patients. Metabolic pathways were assessed by leg arteriovenous catheterization and muscle biopsies with the use of stable amino acid isotopes. Muscle mRNA levels of selected enzymes were determined by competitive PCR. rhGH infusion significantly accelerated the inward transport rates of phenylalanine and leucine and protein synthesis, whereas the muscle protein degradation rate and cathepsin B and UbB polyubiquitin mRNA levels were not significantly modified by rhGH. rhGH infusion decreased the rate of glutamine de novo synthesis and glutamine precursor availability, total branched-chain amino acid catabolism, and nonprotein glutamate utilization. Thus net glutamine release from muscle into circulation significantly decreased after rhGH administration ( approximately 50%), whereas glutamine synthetase mRNA levels increased after rhGH infusion, possibly to compensate for reduced glutamine precursor availability. We conclude that, after trauma, the anticatabolic action of rhGH is associated with a potentially harmful decrease in muscle glutamine production. (+info)