Admission base deficit as a long-term prognostic factor in severe pediatric trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Base deficit (BD) is a prognostic tool that correlates with trauma scores and mortality in adult trauma patients. Retrospective studies have shown that admission BD more than 8 mmol/L is associated with an increased risk of mortality. This is the first prospective European study aimed at evaluating the prognostic value of admission BD in traumatized children. METHODS: One hundred severely traumatized children were included if an arterial BD had been calculated on arrival in the trauma room of a university hospital. Epidemiologic, medical, and biological data (including admission BD and lactates concentration) were recorded and compared using a univariate analysis. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary endpoints were outcome on discharge and at 6 months. Cutoff values for BD or lactates regarding outcomes were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves if these data had been isolated on multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Sixty-eight boys and 32 girls, aged 6.7 years, were enrolled from March 2003 to December 2005, mainly after road traffic accidents. Twenty-two died at the hospital, 34 children and 51 children were classified as having a good outcome on hospital discharge and 6 months later, respectively. After the multivariate procedure and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, admission lactates more than 2.94 mmol/L and admission BD more than 5 mEq/L were independent risk factors for mortality (odds ratio 2.4 [95% confidence interval 1.3-4.6]) and poor outcome at 6 months (odds ratio 2.5 [95% confidence interval 1.13-5.5]), respectively. DISCUSSION: BD could be used to predict the long-term morbidity and may not be related to morbidity and mortality at discharge.

Recombinant activated factor VII does not reduce bleeding in rabbits treated with aspirin and clopidogrel.

Combined antiplatelet agents (cAPA), aspirin plus clopidogrel, increase the risk of bleeding. We hypothesised that recombinant activated FVIIa (rFVIIa), which normalises thrombin generation in platelet-rich plasma from patients treated with cAPA, could limit this bleeding risk. It was the objective of this study to investigate the efficacy and safety of rFVIIa compared to placebo, in a bleeding and thrombosis model in rabbits treated with aspirin and clopidogrel. New-Zealand rabbits, randomised into two groups (Placebo1, n=36 ; cAPA, n=34), were anaesthetised, ventilated and monitored for blood pressure, temperature and carotid blood flow. The Folts model was applied to a carotid artery. Cyclic flow reductions (CFR) were recorded over a first 20-min period (Obs1). Each rabbit was then randomly assigned into one of three subgroups (Placebo2, 40µg/kg rFVIIa, 160 µg/kg rFVIIa) and CFR were monitored for a second 20-min period (Obs2). Ear bleeding time (BT) was measured at the end of each period. Hepatosplenic (HS) section was performed at the end of the experiment and HS blood loss defines the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were thrombosis (CFR), prothrombin time, platelet aggregation, and thrombin generation. Non- parametric statistical tests were used (p<0.05). cAPA significantly increased HS blood loss, BT and suppressed CFR compared to Placebo1 (p<0.05). rFVIIa injection did not modify HS blood loss, BT or CFR rate in Placebo1 rabbits nor in cAPA animals. These effects were unaffected by either rFVIIa dose. rFVIIa accelerated thrombin generation but had no effect on platelet aggregation in citrated platelet-rich plasma. rFVIIa did not modify HS blood loss associated with cAPA in rabbits.