The impact of early administration of vasopressor agents for the resuscitation of severe hemorrhagic shock following blunt trauma.

BACKGROUND: When resuscitating patients with hemorrhagic shock following trauma, fluid volume restriction and permissive hypotension prior to bleeding control are emphasized along with the good outcome especially for penetrating trauma patients. However, evidence that these concepts apply well to the management of blunt trauma is lacking, and their use in blunt trauma remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the impact of vasopressor use in patients with blunt trauma in severe hemorrhagic shock. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective study, we reviewed records of blunt trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock and included patients with a probability of survival < 0.6. Vital signs on arrival, characteristics, examinations, concomitant injuries and severity, vasopressor use and dose, and volumes of crystalloids and blood infused were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Data are described as median (25-75% interquartile range) or number. RESULTS: Forty patients admitted from April 2014 to September 2019 were included. Median Injury Severity Score in survivors vs non-survivors was 41 (36-48) vs 45 (34-51) (p = 0.48), with no significant difference in probability of survival between the two groups (0.22 [0.12-0.48] vs 0.21 [0.08-0.46]; p = 0.93). Despite no significant difference in patient characteristics and injury severity, non-survivors were administered vasopressors significantly earlier after admission and at significantly higher doses. Total blood transfusion amount administered within 24 h after admission was significantly higher in survivors (8430 [5680-9320] vs 6540 [4550-7880] mL; p = 0.03). Max catecholamine index was significantly higher in non-survivors (2 [0-4] vs 14 [10-18]; p = 0.008), and administered vasopressors were terminated significantly earlier (12 [4-26] vs 34 [10-74] hours; p = 0.026) in survivors. Although the variables of severity of the patients had no significant differences, vasopressor use (Odds ratio [OR] = 21.32, 95% confident interval [CI]: 3.71-121.6; p = 0.0001) and its early administration (OR = 10.56, 95%CI: 1.90-58.5; p = 0.005) indicated significant higher risk of death in this study. CONCLUSION: Vasopressor administration and high-dose use for resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock following severe blunt trauma are potentially associated with increased mortality. Although the transfused volume of blood products tends to be increased when resuscitating these patients, early termination of vasopressor had better to be considered.

[What Medical Laboratory Testing/Technicians Can and Should Do in Emergency Medicine].

Technology used in clinical laboratory tests has made marked progress in the field of emergency medicine, which has developed simultaneously. Emergency tests have expanded to the bedside as a system called point-of-care testing, and it is now essential for emergency room, critical care unit, and prehospital settings. The favorable relationship between them will continue if we are able to use new testing techniques effective- ly both now and in the future. However, taking the best advantage of them is challenging. This problem will be resolved by the efforts of SHELL Model and Crew resource management (CRM). The SHELL Mod- el offers an important suggestion that a major inhibitor of their effective use is liveware. It is difficult to use liveware resources as efficiently as possible in the numerous emergency medical centers. Referencing CRM, I propose concrete actions to make it possible to: 1) promote 2-way-comunication; 2) share a common language, information, and goals; 3) take the initiative in solving patient problems; 4) establish a trusting rela- tionship between medical staff; 5) eliminate discrepancies at any time and at any center. In these ways, in- tervening actively in care, technologists are closely associated with the patient-centered emergency service, understating not what they have done for patients, but what has become of patients. In addition, they can learn from doctors, other staff, and patients, and vice versa. We, doctors and technologists, can fully interact with each other with emergency testing, and promote healing power that computers cannot harness. [Review].

Evaluation of a new patient safety educational programme to reduce adverse events by encouraging staff to speak up: application of the trigger tool methodology.

BACKGROUND: Poor communication contributes to adverse events (AEs). In our hospital, following an experience of a fatal incident in 2014, we developed an educational programme aimed at improving communication for better teamwork that led to a reduction in AEs. METHODS: We developed and implemented an intervention bundle comprising external investigation committee reviews, the establishment of a working group (WG), standards and emergency response guidelines, as well as educational programmes and tools. To determine the effectiveness of the educational programmes, we measured communication abilities among doctors and nurses by administering psychological scales focused on their confidence in speaking up. Furthermore, we applied the trigger tool methodology in a retrospective study to determine if our interventions had reduced AEs. RESULTS: The nurses' scores for 'perceived barriers to speaking up' and 'negative attitude toward voicing opinions in the healthcare team' decreased significantly after the training from 3.20 to 3.00 and from 2.47 to 2.29 points, respectively. The junior doctors' scores for the same items also decreased significantly after the training from 3.34 to 2.51 and from 2.42 to 2.11 points, respectively. The number of AEs was 32.1 (median) before the WG, 39.9 (median) before the general training, 22.2 (median) after the general training and 18.4 (median) after implementing the leadership educational programmes. During the intervention period the hospital's incident reports per employee kept increasing. CONCLUSION: Our new educational programmes improved junior doctors and nurses' perceptions of speaking up. We speculated that our intervention may have improved staff communication, which in turn may have led to a reduction in AEs and a sustained increase in incident reports per employee.

Discrepant Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Causing SARS-CoV-2 Persistence in a Patient Receiving B-cell-targeted Therapy with Rituximab.

A 73-year-old man previously treated with rituximab for his mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma suffered a suboptimal humoral immune response against an acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection. A detailed serological description revealed discrepant antigen-specific humoral immune responses. The titer of spike-targeting, "viral-neutralizing" antibodies remained below the detection level, in contrast to the anti-nucleocapsid, "binding" antibody response, which was comparable in both magnitude and kinetics. Accordingly, viral neutralizability and clearance was delayed, leading to prolonged RNAemia and persistent pneumonia. The present case highlights the need to closely monitor this unique population of recipients of B-cell-targeted therapies for their neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2.

How emergency physicians choose chest tube size for traumatic pneumothorax or hemothorax: a comparison between 28Fr and smaller tube.

Most traumatic pneumothoraxes and hemothoraxes can be managed non-operatively by means of chest tube thoracostomy. This study aimed to investigate how emergency physicians choose chest tube size and whether chest tube size affects patient outcome. We reviewed medical charts of patients who underwent chest tube insertion for chest trauma within 24 hours of admission in this retrospective, single-institution study. Patient characteristics, inserted tube size, risk of additional tube, and complications were evaluated. Eighty-six chest tubes were placed in 64 patients. Sixty-seven tubes were placed initially, and 19 additionally, which was significantly smaller than the initial tube. Initial tube size was 28 Fr in 38 and <28 Fr in 28 patients. Indications were pneumothorax (n=24), hemothorax (n=7), and hemopneumothorax (n=36). Initial tube size was not related to sex, BMI, BSA, indication, ISS, RTS, chest AIS, or respiratory status. An additional tube was placed in the same thoracic cavity for residual pneumothorax (n=13), hemothorax (n=1), hemopneumothorax (n=1), and inappropriate extrapleural placement (n=3). Risk of additional tube placement was not significantly different depending on tube size. No additional tube was placed for tube occlusion or surgical intervention for residual clotted hemothorax. Emergency physicians did not choose tube size depending on patient sex, body size, or situation. Even with a <28 Fr tube placed in chest trauma patients, the risk of residual hemo/pneumothorax and tube occlusion did not increase, and drainage was effective.

How to deploy a uniform and simplified acute-phase management strategy for traumatic pancreatic injury in any situation.

AIM: Management of traumatic pancreatic injury is challenging, and mortality and morbidity remain high. Because pancreatic injury is uncommon and strong recommendations for pancreatic injury management are lacking, management is primarily based on institutional practices. We propose our strategy of pancreatic injury management. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with pancreatic injury and evaluated our strategy and outcomes. RESULTS: From January 2013 to December 2019, 18 patients were included with traumatic pancreatic injury. The median Injury Severity Score was 22 (25-75% interquartile range, 17-34) and probability of survival was 0.87 (25-75% interquartile range, 0.78-0.93). Patients were grouped according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma injury grades: grade I, n = 3 (16.7%); II, n = 6 (33.3%); III, n = 7 (38.9%); and IV, n = 2 (11.1%). All patients underwent endoscopic pancreatic ductal evaluation within 1-2 days after admission. Abbreviated surgery because of hemodynamic instability and subsequent open abdominal management were undertaken in one patient with pancreas head injury and two patients with pancreas body/tail injury. Management was by laparotomy for closed suction drain insertion with main ductal endoscopic drainage in six patients, endoscopic ductal drainage only in six patients, and distal pancreatectomy with closed suction drainage and endoscopic drainage in five patients. One patient with grade I injury underwent observation only. Median length of closed suction drainage was 12 days and that of hospital stay was 36 days. The observed mortality during the study period was 0%. Late formation of pseudo-pancreatic cyst was observed in two patients (11.1%). CONCLUSION: Our uniform, simplified strategy offers good outcomes for any pancreatic injury site and any concomitant injuries, even in hemodynamically unstable patients.

Can we predict delayed undesirable events after blunt injury to the torso visceral organs?

Aim: Blunt injuries to visceral organs have the potential to lead to delayed pseudoaneurysm formation or organ rupture, but current trauma and surgical guidelines do not recommend repetitive imaging. This study examined the incidence and timing of delayed undesirable events and established advisable timing for follow-up imaging and appropriate observational admission. Methods: Patients with blunt splenic (S), liver (L), or kidney (K) injury treated with non-operative management (NOM) in our institution were included and retrospectively reviewed. Results: From January 2013 to January 2017, 57 patients were admitted with documented blunt visceral organ injuries and 22 patients were excluded. Of 35 patients (L, 10; S, 17; K, 6; L & S, 1; S & K, 1) treated with NOM, 14 (L, 4; S, 9; K, 1) patients underwent transcatheter arterial embolization. Delayed undesirable events occurred in four patients: three patients with splenic pseudoaneurysm on hospital day 6-7 and one patient with splenic delayed rupture on hospital day 7. The second follow-up computed tomography scan carried out 1-2 days after admission did not show any significant findings that could help predict undesirable results of delayed events. The patients with delayed events had longer continuous abdominal pain than that of event-free patients (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Undesirable delayed events were recognized on follow-up computed tomography scans in 11.4% of NOM patients at hospital day 6-7 and tended to be associated with high-grade splenic injuries and continuous symptoms. Repetitive screening of these patients 6-7 days after injury might be warranted because of the potential risk of delayed events.

Computed tomographic assessment of airflow obstruction in smoke inhalation injury: Relationship with the development of pneumonia and injury severity.

PURPOSE: The prediction of pulmonary deterioration in patients with smoke inhalation injury is important because this influences the strategy for patient management. We hypothesized that narrowing of the luminal bronchus due to bronchial wall thickening correlates to respiratory deterioration in smoke inhalation injury patients. METHODS: In a prospective observational study, all patients were enrolled at a single tertiary trauma and critical care center. In 40 patients, chest computed tomographic images were obtained within a few hours after smoke inhalation injury. We assessed bronchial wall thickness and luminal area % on chest computed tomographic images. Airway wall thickness to total bronchial diameter (T/D) ratio, percentage of luminal area, and clinical indices were compared between patients with smoke inhalation injury and control patients. RESULTS: The T/D ratio of patients with smoke inhalation was significantly higher than that of control patients (p<0.001), and the luminal area of these patients was significantly smaller than that of control patients (p<0.001). The number of mechanical ventilation days correlated with the initial infusion volume, T/D ratio, and luminal area %. ROC analysis showed a cut-off value of 0.26 for the T/D ratio, with a sensitivity of 79.0% and specificity of 73.7%, and a value of 23.4% for luminal area %, with a sensitivity of 68.4% and specificity of 84.2%. CONCLUSIONS: These data revealed the utility of computed tomography scanning on admission to show that the patients with smoke inhalation injury had airway wall thickening compared to control patients without smoke inhalation injury. Airflow narrowing due to airway wall thickening was related to the development of pneumonia and the number of mechanical ventilation days in patients with smoke inhalation injury. Airflow narrowing is one important factor of respiratory deterioration in smoke inhalation injury.