Journal of Trauma and Injury最新文献

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze changes in injury severity among child pedestrians following the implementation of the revised Road Traffic Act (the "Minsik Law") in Korea's child protection zones on March 25, 2020.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the nationwide Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) database. The pre-amendment period (January 2018 to February 2020; n=1,480) was compared with the post-amendment period (March 2021 to December 2023; n=1,085) for pedestrian accident patients under 13 years of age, applying a 1-year washout period to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary outcome was severe injury, defined as an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of ≥15. Multivariate logistic regression was used for the assessment.

Results: A total of 2,565 patients were included. The proportion of severe injuries (ISS ≥15) decreased from 63.1% to 53.6% after the amendment, although this trend did not reach statistical significance (P=0.085). However, after adjustment for age, sex, and other variables, multivariate analysis showed that the post-amendment period was independently associated with a significant 38.4% reduction in the odds of severe injury (adjusted odds ratio, 0.616; P<0.001). A significant shift in the distribution of injury sites was also noted (P<0.005).

Conclusions: The revision of the Road Traffic Act was significantly associated with reduced injury severity among child pedestrians in Korea. These findings provide strong evidence supporting the policy's effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes and strengthening child safety.

Purpose: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). The effectiveness of prophylactic inhaled amikacin in preventing VAP remains uncertain. This study compared VAP incidence between patients with trauma who received prophylactic inhaled amikacin and those who did not.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center analysis of 66 mechanically ventilated trauma patients admitted to the ICU between May and December 2024. Primary outcomes were infection-related ventilator-associated conditions (IVAC) and microbiologically confirmed VAP. Secondary outcomes included mechanical ventilation duration, ICU and hospital length of stay, and 30-day mortality. Statistical analyses comprised chi-square tests, multivariate logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards regression with propensity score matching.

Results: A total of 66 patients were included: 28 in the prophylaxis group and 38 in the control group. The prophylaxis group demonstrated a higher unadjusted incidence of IVAC (85.71% vs. 55.26%, P=0.02) and VAP (82.14% vs. 44.74%, P<0.01) compared with the control group. However, after adjustment, logistic regression revealed no significant association between inhaled amikacin and increased risk of VAP (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-12.81; P=0.11) or IVAC (OR, 3.10; 95% CI, 0.71-16.43; P=0.15). Similarly, Cox regression analysis showed no significant effect on VAP (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% CI, 0.47-2.58; P=0.82) or IVAC (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.78-3.59; P=0.18). Secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusions: Prophylactic inhaled amikacin neither prevented nor increased IVAC and VAP risk in mechanically ventilated trauma patients, suggesting no meaningful impact on VAP outcomes in this population.

Purpose: Traumatic abdominal wall hernia, a rare condition resulting from blunt trauma, is characterized by disruption of the abdominal wall musculature and fascia without skin penetration. Given its rarity, standardized treatment guidelines are lacking, and the necessity for immediate surgery remains debated. This study examines high-energy posterolateral abdominal wall injuries (AWI), which pose significant management challenges due to their anatomical complexity and high recurrence risk.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of 44 adults with grade III-VI AWI treated between 2013 and 2023 at a level I trauma center. Patients were categorized into emergency repair or delayed management groups based on the initial treatment strategy, with injuries anatomically classified as anterior, lateral, or posterolateral. Nonoperative management (NOM) was limited to patients without herniation on index imaging and entailed close observation with regular follow-up imaging.

Results: AWI was identified in 44 of 83,532 patients (0.05%) with blunt trauma. Anatomically, 4 cases (9.1%) were anterior, 17 (38.6%) were lateral, and 23 (52.3%) were posterolateral. Three patients (6.8%) were classified as grade III injury, 16 (36.4%) as grade IV, 24 (54.6%) as grade V, and 1 (2.3%) as grade VI. Emergency repair was performed in 26 patients (59.1%), whereas 18 (40.9%) initially received delayed management. In the latter group, 8 of 18 patients (44.4%) were judged to require delayed repair, of whom six proceeded to surgery. Among 10 NOM patients with indeterminate muscle-layer integrity on initial imaging due to hematoma or tissue injury, follow-up revealed delayed hernia development in three, while seven had resolved hematoma, confirming wall integrity.

Conclusions: In hemodynamically stable patients with traumatic posterolateral AWI without herniation, NOM with close monitoring and delayed repair for subsequent hernia appears safe and effective as an alternative to immediate surgery. Management should be tailored to injury location and patient condition. These findings inform the management timing and approach for this rare, challenging injury pattern.

Purpose: Managing hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fractures is highly challenging, particularly when vascular injuries are present, as these can significantly worsen prognosis. This study evaluated outcomes in patients with pelvic trauma and vascular injuries prior to the introduction of preperitoneal pelvic packing.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 195 patients with pelvic injuries who presented to the emergency room of our hospital between May 2003 and August 2013.

Results: Among the 195 patients, 34 had vascular injuries and 161 had nonvascular injuries. The vascular injury group had significantly higher transfusion rates (82.4% vs. 11.8%, P<0.001) and required a greater mean number of packed red blood cell units than the nonvascular group (5.2±5.5 vs. 0.4±1.4, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis within the vascular injury cohort revealed significant differences between patients with venous phase extravasation (n=5) and those with isolated arterial phase extravasation (n=29) in median packed red blood cell units transfused (12.5 units vs. 3 units; P=0.014), cardiac arrest rate (80.0% vs. 10.3%, P=0.003), and mortality rate (60.0% vs. 10.3%, P=0.029). Notably, patients with isolated venous extravasation showed a significantly higher mortality rate compared to those with isolated arterial extravasation (100% vs. 10.3%, P=0.004).

Conclusions: Venous phase extravasation was associated with higher transfusion requirements, cardiac arrest incidence, and mortality compared to arterial extravasation.

We present the case of a 55-year-old man with an AO/OTA 43-C3 pilon fracture in whom initial uniplanar external fixation failed to relieve persistent medial skin tenting, resulting in focal ischemic necrosis. Within 72 hours, the patient developed bullae and violaceous discoloration, which progressed to full-thickness skin breakdown. Despite staged open reduction and internal fixation and fasciocutaneous flap coverage, the patient developed chronic osteomyelitis, ultimately requiring segmental bone resection to control the infection. The patient underwent serial debridement procedures and placement of antibiotic-loaded cement spacers. Definitive reconstruction was achieved with salvage tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using the Expert Tibial Nail system on postoperative day 319. Twelve months after fusion and bone grafting, radiographs confirmed solid union, and the patient was ambulating independently, albeit with considerable long-term functional limitations. This case underscores the importance of early and meticulous soft tissue evaluation in high-energy pilon fractures. Prompt repositioning of fracture fragments or the use of adjunctive decompression is essential. Delayed or inadequate decompression can lead to a cascade of complications, beginning with soft tissue necrosis and progressing to deep infection and limb salvage fusion, even when standard fixation protocols are followed.

Purpose: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, socioeconomic loss, and diminished quality of life among survivors of all injury types. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), though commonly used in the intensive care unit (ICU), has limitations that may be addressed by the Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) score. We compared the ability of the FOUR and GCS scores to predict outcomes in patients with TBI.

Methods: This prospective observational study included all patients presenting with head injury who survived beyond 24 hours between 2020 and 2022. Basic demographic data, prehospital care details, and neurological findings were collected. TBI severity was assessed using both the GCS and FOUR scores, and outcomes were graded using the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS).

Results: Among 225 patients (mean age, 42.4±19.7 years; male sex, 77.8%) with TBIs, the mortality rate was 4.4%, and 15.1% experienced a poor outcome (GOS ≤2). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed good predictive ability for both the FOUR score (area under the curve [AUC], 0.85) and GCS (AUC, 0.88). FOUR score ≤12 and GCS ≤10 were identified as optimal cutoff values for predicting poor outcomes (P<0.001), with the FOUR score demonstrating sensitivity and specificity of 79.4% and 77.5%, respectively. A FOUR score ≤12 at admission was significantly associated with intubation (odds ratio [OR], 8.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.6-14.4; P<0.001), tracheostomy (OR, 21.8; 95% CI. 6.9-68.8; P<0.001), and neurological complications, including mental function deficits (OR, 7.5; 95% CI, 3.2-17.7; P<0.001), cranial nerve palsy (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.6-10.4; P=0.002), and motor deficits (OR, 9.4; 95% CI, 4.6-19.2; P<0.001). A strong correlation was observed between the FOUR score and GOS (r=0.7).

Conclusions: The FOUR score is a reliable tool for assessing TBI severity and predicting outcomes, with performance comparable to the GCS. An admission FOUR score ≤12 was associated with poor neurological outcomes, increased need for advanced airway management, and long-term disability. By capturing additional neurological parameters beyond the GCS, the FOUR score may offer clinical advantages in ICU settings for early prognostication and management of patients with TBI.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine 13-year changes in the injury mechanisms of orbital blowout fractures (OBFs) in Korea and to determine how those changes influenced preoperative ocular motility deficits, while also assessing whether apparent intercenter differences persisted after covariate adjustment.

Methods: A retrospective cohort was assembled from two level I trauma centers: a historical 2011 series from Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital (n=150) and a pooled 2019-2023 series from Pusan National University Hospital (n=50). Eligibility required computed tomography-confirmed medial and/or inferior wall fracture with an intact orbital rim; patients with rim involvement or penetrating ocular trauma were excluded. Injury mechanism, fracture site, and diplopia and/or extraocular movement (EOM) limitation at presentation were abstracted from electronic medical records. Categorical comparisons used the chi-square test, and trends across calendar years were assessed using logistic regression (with year as a continuous predictor). Multivariable logistic modeling estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for preoperative ocular motility deficit according to age, sex, mechanism, fracture site, calendar year, and center, with robust clustering.

Results: Interpersonal violence decreased from 34.7% of OBFs in 2011 to 14.0% in 2019-2023, representing an 11% annual decline (OR, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.97, P=0.007). Preoperative diplopia or EOM limitation was observed in 23 of 200 patients (11.5%): 14% in 2011 versus 4% in 2019-2023. Independent predictors of EOM limitation were interpersonal violence (aOR 3.84; 95% CI, 1.38-10.65; P=0.010) and male sex (aOR, 4.78; 95% CI, 1.49-15.49; P=0.009). Age showed a protective trend (aOR, 0.75 per decade; P=0.064); fracture extent and center were not significant after adjustment. Calendar year showed a borderline inverse association (aOR, 0.86; P=0.061), indicating a 14% annual reduction in presentation-time deficit.

Conclusions: Between 2011 and 2023, the Korean OBF landscape shifted from violent assault to accidental mechanisms, accompanied by a marked decline in preoperative ocular motility impairment. Assault mechanism and male sex remain strong risk indicators, while center-based differences appear largely explained by temporal composition. Public health efforts that reduce violence may therefore translate directly into better functional status at initial presentation.

Traumatic hemothoraces represent a readily available, normothermic, and ABO-compatible source of blood. As a resuscitation fluid, pleural blood presents a reduced risk of transmissible disease and hemolytic transfusion reactions, and it minimizes patient exposure to the storage lesion that affects allogeneic blood products. Pleural blood therefore retains more physiological concentrations of electrolytes and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate when compared to packed red blood cells. However, pleural blood also has a lower oxygen-carrying capacity than packed red blood cells and is largely depleted of coagulation factors. Yet, due to the presence of tissue factor and other proinflammatory mediators, it may paradoxically increase clot formation once transfused. Uncertainty remains regarding the clinical relevance of the supranormal levels of proinflammatory mediators and the effects of autotransfusion on coagulation in vivo. There is now a body of evidence suggesting that autotransfusion reduces the requirement for donor blood products, and small studies have not identified any signals of harm; however, any positive or negative effects on patient outcomes are yet to be conclusively demonstrated. Centers with access to a robust supply of allogeneic donor blood should continue with standard care until more comprehensive research is conducted to clarify both the clinical benefits and risks of autotransfusion. Nonetheless, autotransfusion retains a role in cases where there is a contraindication to allogeneic transfusion, and in low-resource centers where safe and reliable access to donor blood products is limited.

Purpose: In February 2024, a nationwide resident walkout in Korea caused a temporary shortage of medical professionals. This study investigated whether the walkout influenced trauma care, with a particular focus on scene-to-door time and patients' in-hospital course.

Methods: Trauma patients transported by emergency medical services between June 1, 2022, and March 31, 2025, were included if trauma team activation occurred upon emergency department arrival. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (post-COVID-19 normalization period) and group 2 (post-resident walkout period). The primary outcome was scene-to-door time.

Results: A total of 271 patients were analyzed: 117 in group 1 and 154 in group 2. The proportion of patients originating outside the primary service area increased from 16.7% to 31.3%. Intensive care unit admission rates decreased (65.0% vs. 22.1%), while interhospital transfers directly from the emergency department increased (7.7% vs. 18.8%). The median scene-to-door time rose from 28 to 44.5 minutes. Spline regression and locally estimated scatterplot smoothing analyses revealed no consistent temporal trend but showed greater variability during the walkout period. According to the generalized linear model, scene-to-door time was 42% longer during this period.

Conclusions: The resident walkout was associated with marked delays in scene-to-door time and shifts in in-hospital patient flow. These findings suggest that even temporary workforce shortages can disrupt both prehospital and in-hospital trauma care, underscoring the importance of response planning and adaptable system operations during workforce disruptions.

Purpose: Careful clinical assessment is essential for extubation in patients with acute respiratory failure, and decisions must weigh the potential benefits and risks related to the timing of extubation. This study aimed to characterize the population at high risk for extubation failure and to assess the interventions employed to prevent reintubation in head injury patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit.

Methods: We retrospectively obtained data from the trauma registry database of traumatic brain injury patients who were intubated and admitted to a trauma intensive care unit in Qatar from January 2013 to December 2015. Regression analysis was performed to examine the association between successful extubation and in-hospital complications.

Results: In total, 297 head injury patients (279 male and 26 female patients) at high risk of reintubation were included in the analysis. The prevalence of agitation and pneumonia in postextubated head injury patients were 10.8% and 4.7%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, successful extubation with the use of a nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure was significantly associated with reduced agitation (P=0.001) and a lower incidence of in-hospital complications, including pneumonia (P=0.001) and sepsis (P=0.02).

Conclusions: This study suggests an association between successful extubation, reduced agitation, and a decreased incidence of in-hospital complications such as pneumonia and sepsis. Particular attention and further research should focus on optimizing extubation management for head injury patients.