European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery最新文献

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementation of a Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC) review protocol on the time between injury and surgery, and on secondary healthcare utilization, in patients with Distal Radius Fractures (DRFs) requiring semi-acute surgery.

Methods: Data for this retrospective before-after study were gathered between April 2017 and March 2019 (Pre-VFC n = 269), and between April 2021 and March 2023 (VFC n = 440) in a large level 2 urban trauma center. The primary outcome was the number of days between injury and operation. Furthermore secondary healthcare utilization was assessed.

Results: The average time between injury and surgery was 11.0 days (95% CI: 10.6-11.5) before and 9.2 days (95% CI: 8.9-9.6) after VFC-implementation ( p < 0.001). Following VFC-implementation, 33% (was 17%) of patients underwent surgery within 7 days, 92% (was 84%) within 2 weeks, and 99% (was 96%) within 3 weeks (p < 0.001). This included patients with delays of up to 15 days between injury and their initial hospital presentation. Hospital contacts decreased from 5 (IQR: 4-6) to 4 (IQR: 3-5) whereof physical consults decreased from 4 (IQR: 3-5) to 1 and telephone contacts increased from negligible to 1 (IQR: 1-2). Radiographs reduced from 6 (IQR: 5-7) to 4 (IQR: 3-5).

Conclusions: Implementation of a VFC-review protocol is associated with a reduced time between injury and semi-acute surgery for DRFs and reflects an improvement in quality of timely planning. Secondary healthcare utilization is reduced and a shift to remote delivery of care is observed.

Level of evidence: Level III.

Background: Epidural hematomas (EDH) are associated with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. Good clinical outcome depends on initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), pupillary abnormalities, hematoma volume, age and time to surgery. The latter is mostly influenced by distance to the next level-1-trauma center.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical care and the influence of a potential interhospital transport of patients with acute EDH.

Material & methods: A retrospective analysis of data from 2009 to 2020 was carried out. All patients who underwent surgical evacuation of an EDH were included. Time and distance to surgery, pupillary abnormalities, initial GCS, age at surgery, direct or indirect transport, outcome (GOS) and comorbidities were collected. The effect on outcome was analyzed by multivariate analysis.

Results: One hundred and thirty-one patients (106 men, 25 women) with EDH were surgical treated at our department. 54% were transported directly to our hospital. Median time to surgery was 4 h (2-336 h) and mean distance was 50 km (road kilometers). There was no difference in surgical treatment between admission patterns. Secondarily transferred patients have been operated at least as fast than primary hospital admissions (median 10 h vs. 11 h, respectively). Direct or indirect transport of patients had no statistically significant influence on outcome (p = 0.72), like sex (p = 0.33) and time to surgery (p = 0.75).

Conclusion: Interhospital transport did not cause a significant delay of surgical treatment and outcome was comparable between direct and indirect transport to specialized neurosurgical care. Direct transport was more common on severe TBI and in patients with pupillary abnormalities, but secondary transport also allowed for adequate care.

Background: The use of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (POAP) in elective implant removal (IR) is controversial due to a lack of evidence-based recommendations. First-generation cephalosporins, which are commonly used in orthopedic IR, are believed to reduce wound infection risks. However, the potential for serious side effects had raised concerns about their necessity. This study was intended to evaluate whether omitting POAP in small IR increases the risk of wound infections.

Methods: This retrospective, single-centre cohort study was conducted at a level I trauma centre in Switzerland, including patients who underwent IR between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. The IR procedures involved the upper extremities (UEs), such as the clavicle, olecranon, radius and ulna, as well as the lower extremities (LEs), such as the patella, tibia, fibula, (bi)malleolar and foot. Postoperative follow-up included clinical and radiological evaluations 6 weeks after surgery. The outcomes assessed were deep wound infections, wound healing complications, refractures, persistent pain, bleeding, neurovascular injuries and muscle hernias.

Results: Of the 273 patients (mean age: 42.1 ± 14.5; 44% female), 117 (42.9%) received POAP. In the LE group (n = 141), 51.1% received POAP; in the UE group (n = 132), 34.1% received POAP. Eleven (4.0%) wound-healing disorders were documented, with five (4.3%) in the POAP group and six (3.8%) in the non-POAP group (p = 1). No deep wound infections were observed.

Conclusion: Withholding POAP in elective IR procedures does not significantly increase wound infection rates, suggesting it may be unnecessary in uncomplicated cases.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that cannabidiol (CBD), with known anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, would reduce the severity of acute lung injury in pulmonary contusion following blunt chest trauma.

Methods: Forty male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of 10 rats: Sham, Trauma, Trauma + CBD, and CBD. The rats were treated with a single dose of 5 mg/kg CBD intraperitoneally 30 min before trauma. Then, the trauma were exposed to a weight of 200 g and a height of 1 m. After sacrifice, the lung tissues were removed for histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analyses.

Results: Pulmonary injury of trauma group led to increases in tumor necrosis factor α, caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2-associated X protein expressions, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index levels, and decreases in B-cell lymphoma expression and total antioxidant levels. Additionally, inflammatory cell infiltration, damage-related emphysema, pronounced hyperemia, and increased septal tissue thickness were observed histopathologically. CBD treatment ameliorated all these findings.

Conclusion: CBD reduces lung damage in lung contusions caused by blunt chest trauma through its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. More detailed studies investigating other important intracellular pathways are needed.

Purpose: The optimal timing for definitive surgical treatment of pelvic fractures in polytrauma patients remains a topic of ongoing discussion due to the complexity of these injuries. This analysis therefore aims to systematically compare early versus late definitive operative stabilization of pelvic fractures on outcome in polytrauma patients.

Methods: PubMed, CENTRAL and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify relevant completed and ongoing studies from the inception of each database to March 13, 2023. Systematic reviews, randomized control trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing early (< 24 h) versus late (> 24 h) definitive operative stabilization in adult polytrauma patients admitted to the ICU were included.

Results: Since no systematic reviews and RCTs were available on this subject, one observational study was identified, including a total of 418 polytrauma patients (n_early = 165, n_late = 253), median age: 40.3 years (early 40.1 years, late 40.4 years). Early definitive stabilization was associated with a decreased risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) compared to late stabilization of unstable pelvis and acetabulum fractures (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.18-0.81; RD 78 fewer per 1000, 95% CI 104 fewer to 24 fewer; 1 study, 418 participants; very low certainty of evidence). Furthermore, early definitive stabilization may decrease the risk of pneumonia compared to late stabilization of unstable pelvis and acetabulum fractures (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.88; RD 85 fewer per 1000, 95% CI 122 fewer to 20 fewer); 1 study, 418 participants; very low certainty of evidence).

Conclusion: There is limited evidence regarding early definitive fracture repair (≤ 24 h) compared to late repair of pelvic fractures in polytrauma patients. One observational study showed a reduced incidence of septic respiratory complications, ARDS, and multi-organ failure (MOF) in polytrauma patients who received early definitive fracture repair.

Purpose: Our aim was to develop new evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for bleeding control in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries in the prehospital setting. This guideline topic is part of the 2022 update of the German Guideline on the Treatment of Patients with Multiple and/or Severe Injuries.

Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were systematically searched until June 2021. Further literature reports were obtained from clinical experts. Randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, and comparative registry studies were included if they compared interventions for bleeding control in the prehospital setting using manual pressure, haemostatic agents, tourniquets, pelvic stabilisation, or traction splints in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries. We considered patient-relevant clinical outcomes such as mortality and bleeding control. Transfusion requirements and haemodynamic stability were surrogate outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using NICE 2012 checklists. The evidence was synthesised narratively, and expert consensus was used to develop recommendations and determine their strength.

Results: Fifteen studies were identified. Interventions covered were pelvic binders (n = 4 studies), pressure dressings (n = 1), tourniquets (n = 6), traction splints (n = 1), haemostatic agents (n = 3), and nasal balloon catheters (n = 1). Fourteen new recommendations were developed. All achieved strong consensus.

Conclusion: Bleeding control is the basic objective of treatment. This can be easily justified based on empirical evidence. There is, however, a lack of reliable and high-quality studies that assess and compare methods for bleeding control in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries. The guideline provides reasonable and practical recommendations (although mostly with a low grade of recommendation) and also reveals several open research questions that can hopefully be answered when the guideline is revised again.

Purpose: Due to the lack of a comprehensive evaluation of the prognosis of small bowel obstruction (SBO), recent clinical strategies have remained subjective and controversial. The recognition of pretreatment risk factors and tailored treatment could improve SBO outcomes.

Methods: A series of posttreatment laboratory tests were integrated into a two-step clustering (TSC) analysis. The TSC outcome was determined according to different predictor importance (PI). A risk score (RS) system for the TSC outcome model was constructed by multivariable analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to assess prediction accuracy.

Results: Of the 355 patients, 66 (18.6%) were sorted into the better prognosis group (BPG), 149 (42.0%) were sorted into the poor prognosis group (PPG), and 140 (39.4%) were sorted into the severe prognosis group (SPG) by TSC analysis. For the TSC outcome, four variables with higher PI were identified, namely, Ca (PI = 1), albumin (PI = 0.62), WBC count (PI = 0.5) and NE% (PI = 0.45). Compared with the SPG, the BPG presented better outcomes after surgery events. The TSC outcome model was efficient in distinguishing the duration of bowel function recovery and hospital stay by Kaplan‒Meier curves. Via multivariate analysis, a RS consisting of four risk factors, namely, constipation duration (OR = 1.002), APTT (OR = 0.923), PT (OR = 1.449) and PCT (OR = 1.540), was identified. The AUC of the RS on the TSC outcome model was 0.719 (95% CI, 0.635-0.804).

Conclusion: A novel TSC outcome model and RS system was constructed to comprehensively reflect the tailored treatment, surgical events and posttreatment recovery for SBO patients.

Background: The management of extensive bone defects presents a significant challenge for military orthopedic surgeons, especially in the context of a high intensity conflict or when patients are fully treated in the field. The objective was to evaluate the induced membrane technique (IMT) including a multiperforated non-vascularized fibular graft (NVFG) for the reconstruction of massive bone defects performed in both the ideal conditions of military trauma centers and the austere environment of forward surgical units.

Methods: A retrospective case study was conducted on patients who underwent the above procedure in various care settings between January 2019 and June 2023. Outcomes measured included the achievement of bone union, time to bone union, and the healing index (time to bone healing/length of reconstructed bone). Functional assessment was based on the Quick-DASH score and the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS).

Results: Nine patients with a mean age of 37 years were included: five were managed in a role 4 medical treatment facility (MTF) and four in a role 2 MTF. Five patients had an infected bone defect before IMT application. After debridement, the mean bone defect length was 14 cm, and the mean bone defect volume was 190 cm³. The mean interval between stages was 15 weeks. The mean follow-up was 20 months. Bone union was achieved in 8/9 cases with a mean time of 8.1 months and a mean healing index of 0.58 month/cm. Only the patient with persistent humeral nonunion had a poor DASH-score. The mean LEFS was 68%.

Conclusions: In this small cohort, IMT including a multiperforated NVFG enabled successful reconstruction of massive bone defects in the femur, tibia, and humerus, even in the austere environment of forward surgical units, provided that prior infection control had been achieved.

Introduction: Pelvic ring fractures are known to be associated with complications associated with adjacent organ injuries, such as the urogenital tract (e.g. erectile dysfunction (ED), which are sometimes diagnosed in a delayed fashion. Therefore, we assessed the quality of life (QoL) and the rate of erectile dysfunction (ED) following pelvic ring fractures at a minimum of 3 years after pelvic ring injury.

Methods: Between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020, adult male patients (≥ 18 years) with pelvic ring injuries were included in the study. Fractures were classified according to the Young & Burgess (Y&B) classification system, while pelvic contusions were categorized as the control group. Data were collected using a written questionnaire that assessed Quality of Life (QoL) by Short Form 12 (SF-12) and erectile dysfunction (ED) with the International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5). ED was stratified as follows: no ED (21-25 points), mild ED (16-21 points), moderate ED (9-15 points), and severe ED (5-7 points). Comorbidities and risk factors for ED were also assessed, including vasculopathy, peripheral artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and smoking.

Results: A total of 182 patients were included, with a mean age at injury of 53.5 years (SD 17.1) and a mean age at the time of the questionnaire of 57.8 years (SD 17.4). The distribution of patients was as follows: APC Group (n = 20, 11.1%), LC Group (n = 94, 52.2%), CMVS Group (n = 6, 3.3%), and Control Group (n = 60, 33.3%). The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 24.6 points (SD 16.4). Regarding erectile dysfunction, 8 patients (17.4%) had no ED, 10 (21.7%) had mild ED, 6 (13.0%) had moderate ED, and 22 (47.8%) had severe ED. Quality of Life (QoL) was significantly reduced in patients with CMVS pelvic fractures, particularly in physical role function, which scored 62.5 points (SD 29.6, p < 0.001). All patients in the APC Group reported at least a mild form of ED. APC injuries were identified as an independent risk factor for lower IIEF-5 scores (OR -4.5, 95% CI -8.3 to -0.7, p = 0.02), comparable to other risk factors such as hypertension (OR -9.2, 95% CI -12.8 to -5.6, p < 0.001), diabetes (OR -5.3, 95% CI -9.4 to -1.2, p = 0.012), and smoking (OR -2.6, 95% CI -5.2 to -0.04, p = 0.05).

Conclusion: Vertical shear fractures are associated with significantly lower quality of life compared to APC or LC fractures three years post-injury. The APC type of pelvic ring injury was identified as an independent risk factor for the development of erectile dysfunction (ED). Early screening and appropriate management should be initiated for patients with APC injuries to address and mitigate the risk of ED.

Objective: Global per capita alcohol consumption is increasing, posing significant socioeconomic and medical challenges also due to alcohol-related traumatic injuries but also its biological effects. Trauma as a leading cause of death in young adults, is often associated with an increased risk of complications, such as sepsis and multiple organ failure, due to immunological imbalances. Regulatory T cells play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis by regulating the inflammatory response. Since it is crucial to understand the effects of alcohol in healthy volunteers, in order to refer findings from trauma cohorts, this study investigates the time- and dose-dependent modulation of CD4⁺ lymphocytes and their subsets following acute alcohol consumption, considering both general and sex-specific variations.

Methods: Twelve female and ten male healthy volunteers consumed twelve alcohol mixed drinks over four hours to achieve a blood alcohol level of 1.0‰. Blood samples were collected before and at various time points (2, 4, 6, 24 and 48 h) post-consumption for flow cytometric analyses of the phenotype and activation makers CD4/CD25/CD127 of CD4⁺ T cells and their subtypes.

Results: CD4⁺ lymphocytes significantly decreased at 4 h and increased at 6 h post-alcohol consumption. Naïve CD25^-CD127⁺ T cells significantly decreased from 2 to 24 h in women and 2 to 48 h in men, while CD25⁺CD127⁺ effector T cells significantly increased during the same period. Natural CD25⁺CD127^- regulatory T cells increased significantly at 4 and 6 h, with a higher increase in men. Induced regulatory T cells (CD4⁺CD25^highCD127^-) significantly increased at 2 h for all volunteers, with lower proportions of natural and induced regulatory T cells in women.

Conclusions: Acute alcohol consumption induces immune modulation persisting for days, impacting T cell subsets differently in men and women. The prolonged modulation in men may contribute to slightly poorer clinical outcomes, emphasizing the need to consider these effects in trauma patients with acute alcohol intoxication.