Antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma: Global Alliance for Infection in Surgery, Surgical Infection Society Europe, World Surgical Infection Society, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and World Society of Emergency Surgery guidelines.

ABSTRACT: Trauma is a complex disease, and the use of antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) in trauma patients is common practice. However, considering the increasing rates of antibiotic resistance, AP use should be questioned and limited only to specific cases. Antibiotic stewardship is of paramount importance in fighting resistance spread. Definitive rules or precise indications about AP in trauma remain unclear. The present article describes the indications of AP in traumatic lesions to the head, brain, torso, maxillofacial, extremities, skin, and soft tissues endorsed by the Global Alliance for Infection in Surgery, Surgical Infection Society Europe, World Surgical Infection Society, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and World Society of Emergency Surgery.

Effect of damage control surgery on major abdominal vascular trauma.

BACKGROUND: In 1982, we reported our experience with abdominal vascular trauma, highlighting the critical role of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy. Damage control surgery was subsequently introduced to address this "lethal triad." The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes from our most recent 6-year experience compared with a cohort from 30 years ago. METHODS: Patients with major abdominal vascular injuries were examined, and the most recent 6-year period was compared with archived data from a similar 6-year period three decades ago. RESULTS: The number of patients with major abdominal vascular injuries decreased from 123 patients in 1975 to 1980 to 64 patients in 2004 to 2009. The mean initial pH decreased from 7.21 to 6.96 (1975 to 1980 versus 2004 to 2009) for patients with overt coagulopathy. Despite increasingly protracted acidosis, mortality attributable to refractory coagulopathy decreased from 46% to 19% (1975 to 1980 versus 2004 to 2009, chi-square = 4.36, P = 0.04). No significant difference was found in mortality from exsanguinating injuries (43% versus 62%, 1975 to 1980 versus 2004 to 2009, chi-square = 1.96, P = 0.16). The prehospital transport times were unchanged (22 versus 20 min, 1975 to 1980 versus 2004 to 2009). Despite the administration of additional clotting factors and the advent of damage control surgery, the overall mortality remained largely unchanged (37% versus 33%, 1975 to 1980 versus 2004 to 2009, chi-square = 0.385, P = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of damage control surgery, including the implementation of a massive transfusion protocol, was associated with a reduction in mortality for abdominal vascular injuries due to coagulopathy; however, patients have continued to die of exsanguination.

WSES/GAIS/SIS-E/WSIS/AAST global clinical pathways for patients with intra-abdominal infections.

Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in hospitals worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs include early recognition, adequate source control, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and prompt physiologic stabilization using a critical care environment, combined with an optimal surgical approach. Together, the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery (GAIS), the Surgical Infection Society-Europe (SIS-E), the World Surgical Infection Society (WSIS), and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) have jointly completed an international multi-society document in order to facilitate clinical management of patients with IAIs worldwide building evidence-based clinical pathways for the most common IAIs. An extensive non-systematic review was conducted using the PubMed and MEDLINE databases, limited to the English language. The resulting information was shared by an international task force from 46 countries with different clinical backgrounds. The aim of the document is to promote global standards of care in IAIs providing guidance to clinicians by describing reasonable approaches to the management of IAIs.

Acute abdomen in the immunocompromised patient: WSES, SIS-E, WSIS, AAST, and GAIS guidelines.

Immunocompromised patients are a heterogeneous and diffuse category frequently presenting to the emergency department with acute surgical diseases. Diagnosis and treatment in immunocompromised patients are often complex and must be multidisciplinary. Misdiagnosis of an acute surgical disease may be followed by increased morbidity and mortality. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of surgical disease occur; these patients may seek medical assistance late because their symptoms are often ambiguous. Also, they develop unique surgical problems that do not affect the general population. Management of this population must be multidisciplinary.This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), Surgical Infection Society Europe (SIS-E), World Surgical Infection Society (WSIS), American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), and Global Alliance for Infection in Surgery (GAIS) joined guidelines about the management of acute abdomen in immunocompromised patients.

The 2023 WSES guidelines on the management of trauma in elderly and frail patients

The trauma mortality rate is higher in the elderly compared with younger patients. Ageing is associated with physiological changes in multiple systems and correlated with frailty. Frailty is a risk factor for mortality in elderly trauma patients. We aim to provide evidence-based guidelines for the management of geriatric trauma patients to improve it and reduce futile procedures. Six working groups of expert acute care and trauma surgeons reviewed extensively the literature according to the topic and the PICO question assigned. Statements and recommendations were assessed according to the GRADE methodology and approved by a consensus of experts in the field at the 10th international congress of the WSES in 2023. The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage, including drug history, frailty assessment, nutritional status, and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Acute trauma pain in the elderly has to be managed in a multimodal analgesic approach, to avoid side effects of opioid use. Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended in penetrating (abdominal, thoracic) trauma, in severely burned and in open fractures elderly patients to decrease septic complications. Antibiotics are not recommended in blunt trauma in the absence of signs of sepsis and septic shock. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with LMWH or UFH should be administrated as soon as possible in high and moderate-risk elderly trauma patients according to the renal function, weight of the patient and bleeding risk. A palliative care team should be involved as soon as possible to discuss the end of life in a multidisciplinary approach considering the patient's directives, family feelings and representatives' desires, and all decisions should be shared. The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage based on assessing frailty and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Geriatric Intensive Care Units are needed to care for elderly and frail trauma patients in a multidisciplinary approach to decrease mortality and improve outcomes.

Bologna guidelines for diagnosis and management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO): 2017 update of the evidence-based guidelines from the world society of emergency surgery ASBO working group.

Background: Adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is a common surgical emergency, causing high morbidity and even some mortality. The adhesions causing such bowel obstructions are typically the footprints of previous abdominal surgical procedures. The present paper presents a revised version of the Bologna guidelines to evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of ASBO. The working group has added paragraphs on prevention of ASBO and special patient groups. Methods: The guideline was written under the auspices of the World Society of Emergency Surgery by the ASBO working group. A systematic literature search was performed prior to the update of the guidelines to identify relevant new papers on epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of ASBO. Literature was critically appraised according to an evidence-based guideline development method. Final recommendations were approved by the workgroup, taking into account the level of evidence of the conclusion. Recommendations: Adhesion formation might be reduced by minimally invasive surgical techniques and the use of adhesion barriers. Non-operative treatment is effective in most patients with ASBO. Contraindications for non-operative treatment include peritonitis, strangulation, and ischemia. When the adhesive etiology of obstruction is unsure, or when contraindications for non-operative management might be present, CT is the diagnostic technique of choice. The principles of non-operative treatment are nil per os, naso-gastric, or long-tube decompression, and intravenous supplementation with fluids and electrolytes. When operative treatment is required, a laparoscopic approach may be beneficial for selected cases of simple ASBO.Younger patients have a higher lifetime risk for recurrent ASBO and might therefore benefit from application of adhesion barriers as both primary and secondary prevention. Discussion: This guideline presents recommendations that can be used by surgeons who treat patients with ASBO. Scientific evidence for some aspects of ASBO management is scarce, in particular aspects relating to special patient groups. Results of a randomized trial of laparoscopic versus open surgery for ASBO are awaited.

2017 update of the WSES guidelines for emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias.

Emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias may be associated with worsen outcome and a significant rate of postoperative complications. There is no consensus on management of complicated abdominal hernias. The main matter of debate is about the use of mesh in case of intestinal resection and the type of mesh to be used. Wound infection is the most common complication encountered and represents an immense burden especially in the presence of a mesh. The recurrence rate is an important topic that influences the final outcome. A World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) Consensus Conference was held in Bergamo in July 2013 with the aim to define recommendations for emergency repair of abdominal wall hernias in adults. This document represents the executive summary of the consensus conference approved by a WSES expert panel. In 2016, the guidelines have been revised and updated according to the most recent available literature.

What is the effectiveness of the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients treated with open abdomen technique? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The open abdomen technique may be used in critically ill patients to manage abdominal injury, reduce the septic complications, and prevent the abdominal compartment syndrome. Many different techniques have been proposed and multiple studies have been conducted, but the best method of temporary abdominal closure has not been determined yet. Recently, new randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials have been published on this topic. We aimed to perform an up-to-date systematic review on the management of open abdomen, including the most recent published randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials, to compare negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with no NPWT and define if one technique has better outcomes than the other with regard to primary fascial closure, postoperative 30-day mortality and morbidity, enteroatmospheric fistulae, abdominal abscess, bleeding, and length of stay. METHODS: According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, an online literature research (until July 1, 2015) was performed on MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Library databases. The MeSH terms and free words used "vacuum assisted closure" "vac;", "open abdomen", "damage control surgery", and "temporary abdominal closure". No language restriction was made. RESULTS: The initial systematic literature search yielded 452 studies. After a careful assessment of the titles and of the full text was obtained, eight articles fulfilled inclusion criteria. We analyzed 1,225 patients, of whom 723 (59%) underwent NPWT and 502 (41%) did not undergo NPWT, and performed four subgroups: VAC versus Bogota bag technique (two studies, 106 participants), VAC versus mesh-foil laparostomy (two studies, 159 participants), VAC versus laparostomy (adhesive impermeable with midline zip) (one study, 106 participants), and NPWT versus no NPWT techniques (three studies, 854 participants) in which it is not possible to perform an analysis of the different types of treatment. Comparing the NPWT group and the group without NPWT, there was no statistically significant difference in fascial closure (63.5% vs 69.5%; odds ratio [OR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-2.06; p = 0.57), postoperative 30-day overall morbidity (p = 0.19), postoperative enteroatmospheric fistulae rate (2.1% vs 5.8%; OR, 0.63; 95% CIs, 0.12-3.15; p = 0.57), in the postoperative bleeding rate (5.7% vs 14.9%; OR, 0.58; 95% CIs, 0.05-6.84; p = 0.87), and postoperative abdominal abscess rate (2.4% vs 5.6%; OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.13-1.34; p = 0.14). On the other hand, statistical significance was found between the NPWT group and the group without NPWT in the postoperative mortality rate (28.5% vs 41.4%; OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23-0.91; p = 0.03) and in the length of stay in the intensive care unit (mean difference, -4.53; 95% CI, -5.46 to 3.60; p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The limitations of the present analysis might be related to the lack of randomized controlled trials, so there is a risk of selection bias favoring NPWT. For several outcomes, there were few studies, confidence intervals were wide, and inconsistency was high, suggesting that although there were no statistically significant differences between the groups, there was insufficient evidence to show that the outcomes were similar. We can conclude from the current available data that NPWT seems to be associated with a trend toward better outcomes compared to the use of no NPWT. It does reflect the evidence presented in the current systematic review; however, the data should be interpreted with substantial caution given a number of weaknesses (in particular, the lack of statistical significance and heterogeneity between studies, i.e., small sample size of the included studies, high variability between studies). We highlight the need for randomized controlled trials having homogeneous inclusion criteria to assess the use of NPWT for the management of open abdomen. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systemic review/meta-analysis, level III.

Improving transitions of care for complex pediatric trauma patients from inpatient rehabilitation to home: an observational pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Patients requiring inpatient pediatric rehabilitation following trauma or disabling illness often require complex care after hospital discharge. The patients and their families are at risk for loss of continuity of care and increased stress which can adversely affect functional and medical outcomes. This pilot study assesses the complexity of need and difficulty with obtaining services at the time of transition from inpatient to outpatient care for pediatric rehabilitation. Additionally we explored the intervention of a post discharge phone call from an experienced rehabilitation nurse to address any issues identified in this period. METHODS: A rehabilitation nurse made scripted post discharge phone calls to patients and families 1-2 weeks after discharge from inpatient pediatric rehabilitation inquiring about medical appointments, medications, therapies, adaptive equipment and transition back to school. Results were recorded by the nurse then analyzed and tabulated by a rehabilitation physician. RESULTS: Eighty two percent of patients had needs in 4-5 of the areas assessed as part of their discharge recommendations. Eighty four percent of those families contacted had difficulty with at least one area at discharge. In all cases of confusion or difficulty with the recommendations, the nurse was able to provide needed guidance to ameliorate the situation. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicates that pediatric rehabilitation patient require complex care as they transition to an outpatient setting. There is significant confusion and families often have difficulty obtaining necessary care in an efficient and effective way during this transition. A post discharge phone call from an experienced rehabilitation nurse could address most of the issues that arise during the transition. This pilot study indicates a need for more investigation into interventions to improve the transition process for pediatric rehabilitation patients and suggests a post discharge phone call program could be useful intervention for pediatric rehabilitation patients and other patient populations requiring complex care such as polytrauma patients.

Nutrition support of the trauma patient.

Hypercatabolism after trauma may lead to acute protein malnutrition, ultimately resulting in multiple organ failure. Nutrition support may prevent this sequence. This review addresses the need for early nutrition support, the preferred route of substrate delivery, and the potential advantages of "immune-enhancing" diets.

Early repeat imaging is not warranted for high-grade blunt cerebrovascular injuries.

BACKGROUND: The current management for blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) includes repeat imaging 7 days to 10 days after initial diagnosis. This recommendation, however, has not been systematically evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of early repeat imaging on treatment course. We hypothesized that a minority of patients with high-grade injuries (Grades III and IV) have complete resolution of their injuries early in their treatment course and hence repeat imaging does not alter their therapy. METHODS: Our prospective BCVI database was queried from January 1, 1997, to January 1, 2013. Injuries were graded according to the Denver scale. Injuries, treatment, and imaging results were analyzed. BCVI healing was defined as a complete resolution of the injury. RESULTS: During the 16-year study, 582 patients sustained 829 BCVIs; there were 420 carotid artery injuries and 409 vertebral artery injuries. The majority (78%) received antithrombotic therapy. For the 296 carotid artery injuries (70%) with repeat imaging, there was complete healing of the injury in 56% of Grade I, 20% of Grade II, 5% of Grade III, and 0% of Grade IV injuries. For the 255 vertebral artery injuries (62%) with repeat imaging, there was a resolution of the injury in 56% of Grade I, 17% of Grade II, 14% of Grade III, and 3% of Grade IV injuries. For BCVIs overall, there was healing documented in 56% of Grade I, 18% of Grade II, 8% of Grade III, and 2% of Grade IV injuries. CONCLUSION: Injury grade of BCVIs is associated with the healing rate of the injury. While approximately half of Grade I BCVIs resolved, only 7% of all high-grade injuries healed. Early repeat imaging may not be warranted in high-grade BCVI; the vast majority of injuries do not resolve. The cost, radiation, and transport risk of early repeat imaging should be weighed against the potential treatment impact for individual patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.