Positive serum ethanol level and mortality in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

HYPOTHESIS: Ethanol exposure is associated with decreased mortality in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. DESIGN: Retrospective database review. SETTING: Trauma centers contributing to the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). PATIENTS: Version 6.2 of the NTDB (2000-2005) was queried for all patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (head Abbreviated Injury Score > or =3) and ethanol levels measured on admission. Demographics and outcomes were compared between patients with traumatic brain injuries with and without ethanol in their blood. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between mortality and ethanol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality and complications. RESULTS: A total of 38 019 patients with severe traumatic brain injuries were evaluated. Thirty-eight percent tested positive for ethanol. Ethanol-positive patients were younger (mean [SD], 37.7 [15.1] vs 44.1 [22.0] years, P < .001), had a lower Injury Severity Score (22.3 [10.0] vs 23.0 [10.3], P < .001), and a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score (10.0 [5.1] vs 11.0 [4.9], P < .001) compared with their ethanol-negative counterparts. After logistic regression analysis, ethanol was associated with reduced mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.96; P = .005) and higher complications (adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.33; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum ethanol is independently associated with decreased mortality in patients with moderate to severe head injuries. Additional research is warranted to investigate the potential therapeutic implications of this association.

A risk profile for advanced proximal neoplasms on diagnostic colonoscopy.

The capacity for colonoscopy is limited and a method to prioritize patients for diagnostic colonoscopy is needed in health care centers. A retrospective cross-sectional cohort study was carried out in county and community endoscopy centers, which included 1,065 county and 279 community patients aged > or = 40 years undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy. We constructed a risk profile for proximal advanced neoplasms on diagnostic colonoscopy at the county center based on the size of the regression coefficients for independent risk factors from logistic regression. An advanced neoplasm was defined as one of size > or = 1 cm or containing villous histology, high-grade dysplasia, or cancer. In our county colonoscopy population (n = 929 after exclusions), the stepwise logistic regression analysis identified age > or = 60 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.14, 6.14), iron deficiency anemia (AOR: 4.74; 95% CI: 2.07, 11.34), and an advanced neoplasm in the recto-sigmoid (AOR: 6.01; 95% CI: 2.02, 16.00) as the statistically significant predictors of an advanced proximal neoplasm. In the county population, the prevalence rates of an advanced proximal neoplasm and proximal high-grade dysplasia/cancer in the low-risk group were 0.71% (95% CI: 0.15, 2.05) and 0.24% (95% CI: 0.01, 1.31), respectively. Avoiding colonoscopy in this group would increase the capacity for colonoscopy by 46% in the higher risk groups. In a disparate community population (n = 237 after exclusions), this scoring system had a goodness-of-fit test showing high concordance (P = 0.51). This clinical profile stratified the risk for an advanced neoplasm proximal to the sigmoid in patients undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy. It identified a large subset of low-risk patients.

Outcome of sickle cell anemia: a 4-decade observational study of 1056 patients.

Based on a prospective cohort study of 1056 patients with sickle cell anemia (Hb SS) initiated in 1959, we investigated the influence of calendar era, age, sex, and prior medical conditions on the subsequent development of irreversible organ damage and survival using the Cox regression model with time-dependent covariates adjusting for all prior occurrences. We studied 30 acute clinical events, and focused on 8 prototypic forms of irreversible organ damage. Childhood survival to age 20 years has improved from 79% for those born before 1975 to 89% for children born in or after 1975. Bone infarction was a significant risk factor for avascular necrosis (p = 0.01), and infantile dactylitis was a significant risk factor for stroke (p = 0.01). Prior hospitalized vaso-occlusive sickle crisis in adults was significantly associated with the increased rate of avascular necrosis (p < 0.001), leg ulcers (p < 0.001), sickle chronic lung disease (p < 0.001), renal failure (p < 0.005), and early death (p < 0.001). The diagnosis of clearly evident clinical conditions such as leg ulcer, osteonecrosis, and retinopathy predicted an increased likelihood of developing a more lethal form of organ damage and earlier death: 77% of patients with chronic lung disease, 75% of those with renal insufficiency, and 51% of those with stroke had a prior chronic condition. Of the 232 patients who died, 73% had 1 or more clinically recognized forms of irreversible organ damage. By the fifth decade, nearly one-half of the surviving patients (48%) had documented irreversible organ damage. End-stage renal disease (glomerulosclerosis), chronic pulmonary disease with pulmonary hypertension, retinopathy, and cerebral microinfarctions are manifestations of arterial and capillary microcirculation obstructive vasculopathy. The current study underscores the need for preventive therapy to ameliorate the progression of the sickle vasculopathy.

Has evolution in awareness of guidelines for institution of damage control improved outcome in the management of the posttraumatic open abdomen?

HYPOTHESIS: Awareness of guidelines for damage control can improve patient outcomes after postraumatic open abdomen. DESIGN: Retrospective (November 1992 to December 1998), prospective (January 1999 to July 2001), 104-month study. SETTING: Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles. PATIENTS: All patients undergoing damage control resulting in posttraumatic open abdomen. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was survival. Data were also collected on surgical findings and indications for damage control, including organs injured, intraoperative estimated blood loss, and intraoperative fluids, blood, and blood products administered. Postoperative complications, length of time patients had an open abdomen, and surgical intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were also recorded. RESULTS: No difference in mortality existed between patients admitted before awareness of guidelines (group 1; 21 [24%] of 86 patients died) and patients who underwent damage control following these suggested guidelines (group 2; 13 [24%] of 53 patients died) (P =.85). Of the 139 patients, 100 had penetrating injuries and 39 had blunt injuries. Estimated blood loss was 4764 +/- 5349 mL. Mean intraoperative fluid replacement was 22 034 mL. One hundred one patients (73%) experienced 228 complications, for a mean of 2.26 complications per patient. Group 1 patients spent a longer time in the operating room (mean, 4.09 +/- 1.99 hours; range, 0.4-9.5 hours) vs group 2 patients (mean, 2.34 +/- 1.50 hours; range, 0.3-6.2 hours; P<.001). The surgical intensive care unit length of stay was 23.5 +/- 18.3 days vs 8.7 +/- 14.9 days (P<.001), and the hospital length of stay was 37.4 +/- 27.5 days vs 12.4 +/- 21.0 days (P<.001) in survivors and nonsurvivors, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend close monitoring of intraoperative outcome predictors as validated within our guidelines and recommend following our model for early institution of damage control.

Cardiac abnormalities in children with sickle cell anemia.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) results in chronic volume overload of the heart due to hemodilution. Previous echocardiographic studies of cardiac function in children with SCA have not accounted for these abnormal loading conditions. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine how the degree of anemia and transfusion status relate to cardiac findings and (2) evaluate cardiac function using load-independent parameters of function. We evaluated 77 patients with SCA, ages 2 to 22 years (mean +/- SD = 11.7 +/- 4.7), using physical examination, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. We compared two groups of patients. Group 1 consisted of 57 non-transfused patients, and Group 2 consisted of 20 patients on a chronic transfusion protocol. Group 1 patients exhibited a significantly lower hemoglobin, higher cardiac output, and larger left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimension and LV mass than groups 2 (P < 0.05). However, the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening-wall stress index (a load-independent measure of systolic function) was normal and not statistically different between the two groups. Conversely, the LV myocardial performance index (a measure of combined systolic and diastolic function) was significantly higher in Group 2 (P < 0.001), possibly indicating impaired myocardial diastolic function. SCA in children results in a volume-overloaded heart with a significant increase in LV dimensions and mass, both proportional to the degree of anemia. Despite these abnormal loading conditions, systolic function is preserved. Patients on a chronic transfusion protocol may develop diastolic dysfunction despite iron chelation therapy.

Outcome in hemoglobin SC disease: a four-decade observational study of clinical, hematologic, and genetic factors.

Over the past 40 years, we observed 284 subjects with hemoglobin SC disease (Hb SC) for 2,837 person-years. We examined the association of the course of clinical events with hematologic and genetic factors. The mean entry age was 21 years, although 15% entered before one year of age. The mean Hb concentration was 11.3 g/dL, the mean fetal hemoglobin was 2.5%, and the mean MCV was 84.4 fL. Twenty-five subjects died at a median age of 37 years. Chronic organ-specific complications occurred in 112 subjects (39.4%), with advanced retinopathy in 65 subjects (22.9%) and osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis) in 42 subjects (14.8%). We identified the beta-globin haplotypes in 82 subjects and the alpha-gene status in 79. Twenty-nine percent had alpha-thalassemia-2. The beta(CI) haplotype was present in 85.4%. We found a decreased incidence of retinopathy in the beta(CI) subjects compared to the non-beta(CI) subjects (33% vs. 67%; P = 0.049) with a later mean onset age (29 years vs. 21 years; log-rank test, P= 0.026). We also found a consistent pattern of decreased morbidity in subjects who had alpha-thalassemia-2 in comparison to those who did not. We found a reduced risk of chronic organ-specific complications (log-rank test, P= 0.003), lower incidence of sickle crisis (48% vs. 80%, P= 0.001), later onset of gallbladder disease (age of onset: 55 years vs. 34 years; P= 0.055), and lower risk of osteonecrosis (log-rank test, P= 0.024). Our findings suggest that Hb SC subjects who have not inherited alpha-thalassemia-2 might benefit from erythrocyte rehydration therapy.