Early Versus Delayed Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We examined early (≤24 h) versus delayed (>24 h) thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI), taking the aortic injury severity into consideration. BACKGROUND: Current trauma surgery guidelines recommend delayed TEVAR following BTAI. However, this recommendation was based on small studies, and specifics regarding recommendation strategies based on aortic injury grades are lacking. METHODS: Patients undergoing TEVAR for BTAI in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program between 2016 and 2019 were included and then stratified into 2 groups (early: ≤24 h vs. delayed: >24 h). In-hospital outcomes were compared after creating 1:1 propensity score-matched cohorts, matching for demographics, comorbidities, concomitant injuries, additional procedures, and aortic injury severity based on the acute aortic syndrome (AAS) classification. RESULTS: Overall, 1339 patients were included, of whom 1054(79%) underwent early TEVAR. Compared with the delayed group, the early group had significantly less severe head injuries (early vs delayed; 25% vs 32%; P =0.014), fewer early interventions for AAS grade 1 occurred, and AAS grade 3 aortic injuries often were intervened upon within 24 hours (grade 1: 28% vs 47%; grade 3: 49% vs 23%; P <0.001). After matching, the final sample included 548 matched patients. Compared with the delayed group, the early group had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality (8.8% vs 4.4%, relative risk: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.4; P =0.028), alongside a shorter length of hospital stay (5.0 vs 10 days; P =0.028), a shorter intensive care unit length of stay (4.0 vs 11 days; P <0.001) and fewer days on the ventilator (4.0 vs 6.5 days; P =0.036). Furthermore, regardless of the higher risk of acute kidney injury in the delayed group (3.3% vs 7.7%, relative risk: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.20-0.92; P =0.029), no other differences in in-hospital complications were observed between the early and delayed group. CONCLUSION: In this propensity score-matched analysis, delayed TEVAR was associated with lower mortality risk, even after adjusting for aortic injury grade.

Sex Related Outcomes Following Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury.

OBJECTIVE: Current literature suggests that thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in older patients with aortic aneurysms results in higher peri-operative mortality and lower long term survival in females compared with males. However, sex related outcomes in younger patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) undergoing TEVAR remain unknown. This study examined the association between sex and outcomes after TEVAR for BTAI. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all patients who underwent TEVAR for BTAI in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS-TQIP) between 2016 and 2019. The primary outcome was in hospital death. Secondary outcomes were peri-operative complications. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for demographics, comorbidities, injury severity score, and aortic injury grade. RESULTS: Two thousand and twenty-two patients were included; 26% were female. Compared with males, females were older (46 [IQR 30, 62] vs. 39 [IQR 28, 56] years; p < .001), more often obese (41% vs. 33%; p = .005), had lower rates of alcohol use disorder (4.1% vs. 8.9%; p < .001) and a higher prevalence of hypertension (29% vs. 22%; p = .001). The injury severity was comparable between females and males (Injury Severity Score ≥ 25; 84% vs. 80%; p = .11) and there was no difference in aortic injury grades when comparing females with males (grade 1, 33% vs. 33%; grade 2, 24% vs. 25%; grade 3, 43% vs. 40%; grade 4, 0.8% vs. 1.3%; p = .53). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated no difference for in hospital mortality between females and males (OR 1.02; 95% CI 0.67 - 1.53, p = .93). Compared with males, females were at lower risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.17 - 0.64; p = .001) and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.28 - 0.91; p = .023). CONCLUSION: This study did not demonstrate a sex related in hospital mortality difference following TEVAR for BTAI. However, female sex was associated with a lower risk of AKI and VAP. Future studies should evaluate sex differences and long term outcomes following TEVAR in patients with BTAI.

Navigating young minds: reliability and validity of the Greek version of kiddie - schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia - present and lifetime DSM-5 version (K-SADS-PL-GR-5).

BACKGROUND: The Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) is one of the most popular semi-structured psychiatric interviews for children and adolescents. Its latest DSM-5 version (K-SADS-PL DSM-5) has only recently been adapted and validated in various languages. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Greek version of the K-SADS-PL DSM-5. METHODS: A total of 137 patients consecutively referred for admission, aged 7-17, were included. The K-SADS-PL DSM-IV was translated and adapted to correspond to DSM-5 categories. Convergent and divergent validity were assessed against two self-report rating scales, Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Inter-rater reliability was calculated exclusively for instances where a diagnosis involved three or more patients. RESULTS: Our findings revealed good to excellent inter-rater reliability and good to excellent consensual validity across most psychiatric diagnoses, except for panic disorder. Diagnostic efficiency, measured by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, consistently showed high specificity and negative predictive validity across all diagnostic categories. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the applicability of the Greek version of the K-SADS-PL DSM-5 as a reliable and valid diagnostic tool in Greek-speaking populations.

Prehospital Intubation of Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Dutch Nationwide Trauma Registry Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are commonly intubated during prehospital treatment despite a lack of evidence that this is beneficial. Accumulating evidence even suggests that prehospital intubation may be hazardous, in particular when performed by inexperienced EMS clinicians. To expand the limited knowledge base, we studied the relationship between prehospital intubation and hospital mortality in patients with severe TBI in a large Dutch trauma database. We specifically hypothesized that the relationship differs depending on whether a physician-based emergency medical service (EMS) was involved in the treatment, as opposed to intubation by paramedics. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using the Dutch Nationwide Trauma Registry that includes all trauma patients in the Netherlands who are admitted to any hospital with an emergency department. All patients treated for severe TBI (Head Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥4) between January 2015 and December 2019 were selected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between prehospital intubation and mortality while adjusting for potential confounders. An interaction term between prehospital intubation and the involvement of physician-based EMS was added to the model. Complete case analysis as well as multiple imputation were performed. RESULTS: 8946 patients (62% male, median age 63 years) were analyzed. The hospital mortality was 26.4%. Overall, a relationship between prehospital intubation and higher mortality was observed (complete case: OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.35-2.57, p < 0.001; multiple imputation: OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.56-2.36, p < 0.001). Adding the interaction revealed that the relationship of prehospital intubation may depend on whether physician-based EMS is involved in the treatment (complete case: p = 0.044; multiple imputation: p = 0.062). Physician-based EMS involvement attenuated but did not completely remove the detrimental association between prehospital intubation and mortality. CONCLUSION: The data do not support the common practice of prehospital intubation. The effect of prehospital intubation on mortality might depend on EMS clinician experience, and it seems prudent to involve prehospital personnel well proficient in prehospital intubation whenever intubation is potentially required. The decision to perform prehospital intubation should not merely be based on the largely unsupported dogma that it is generally needed in severe TBI, but should rather individually weigh potential benefits and harms.

Should We Be Using Upstream Beta-Blocker Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Controversy exists whether beta-blockers should be given before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or to defer their administration for up to 24 hours. RECENT FINDINGS: Animal studies, most of them conducted in the 1970s and 1980s, showed evidence that early beta-blocker administration may reduce infarct size. Subsequent human studies had mixed results on infarct size and survival. More specifically, in the current primary PCI era, only four studies evaluated the impact of early intravenous beta-blocker administration after acute myocardial infarction, only two of them before PCI. All studies agree that in hemodynamically stable patients, early intravenous beta-blocker administration is safe and protected against malignant arrhythmias. Nevertheless, results on infarct size and mortality are equivocal. Considering the heterogeneity of currently available data, further studies are still needed to assess the benefit of early injection of metoprolol in STEMI patients in a large double-blinded and randomized design versus placebo.

Child and Parent Mental Health Problems in Pediatric Celiac Disease: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to estimate the levels of mental health problems in children with celiac disease (CD) along with their parents' mental health status, to compare these levels with those of healthy controls and to investigate how these problems are affected by a gluten-free diet (GFD). METHODS: Our study constituted 50 patients with CD at diagnosis before the initiation of a GFD (age 8.6 ±â€Š3.7 years, group A), 39 patients with CD on a GFD for at least 12 months (age 10.4 ±â€Š3.4 years, group B) and 38 healthy controls (age 7.7 ±â€Š3.8 years, group C), as well as their parents. One of the parents of each child completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90-R) to evaluate the children's and parents' mental health problems, respectively. Twenty patients in group A were reevaluated at least 12 months after initiation of a GFD (group D). RESULTS: At diagnosis, CD patients had higher scores in the CBCL for internalizing problems than healthy controls (55.7 ±â€Š10.3 vs 47.9 ±â€Š15.4, P = 0.007) and their parents demonstrated increased severity of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, than the parents of healthy controls (0.72 ±â€Š0.49 vs 0.54 ±â€Š0.58, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: CD patients at diagnosis and their parents, had more mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, than healthy controls.

Pre-hospital transfusion of red blood cells. Part 1: A scoping review of current practice and transfusion triggers.

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this scoping review is to describe the current use of pre-hospital transfusion of red blood cells (PHTRBC) and to evaluate criteria used to initiate PHTRBC. The effects on patients' outcomes will be reviewed in Part 2. BACKGROUND: Haemorrhage is a preventable cause of death in trauma patients, and transfusion of red blood cells is increasingly used by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for damage control resuscitation. However, there are no guidelines and little consensus on when to initiate PHTRBC. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science were searched through January 2019; 71 articles were included. RESULTS: Transfusion triggers vary widely and involve vital signs, clinical signs of poor tissue perfusion, point of care measurements and pre-hospital ultrasound imaging. In particular, hypotension (most often defined as systolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mmHg), tachycardia (most often defined as heart rate ≥ 120/min), clinical signs of poor perfusion (eg, prolonged capillary refill time or changes in mental status) and injury type (ie, penetrating wounds) are common pre-hospital transfusion triggers. CONCLUSIONS: PHTRBC is increasingly used by Emergency Medical Services, but guidelines on when to initiate transfusion are lacking. We identified the most commonly used transfusion criteria, and these findings may provide the basis for consensus-based pre-hospital transfusion protocols.

Pre-hospital transfusion of red blood cells. Part 2: A systematic review of treatment effects on outcomes.

The primary aim of this systematic review is to describe the effects of prehospital transfusion of red blood cells (PHTRBC) on patient outcomes. Damage control resuscitation attempts to prevent death through haemorrhage in trauma patients. In this context, transfusion of red blood cells is increasingly used by emergency medical services (EMS). However, evidence on the effects on outcomes is scarce. PubMed and Web of Science were searched through January 2019; 55 articles were included. No randomised controlled studies were identified. While several observational studies suggest an increased survival after PHTRBC, consistent evidence for beneficial effects of PHTRBC on survival was not found. PHTRBC appears to improve haemodynamic parameters, but there is no evidence that shock on arrival to hospital is averted, nor of an association with trauma induced coagulopathy or with length of stay in hospitals or intensive care units. In conclusion, PHTRBC is increasingly used by EMS, but there is no strong evidence for effects of PHTRBC on mortality. Further research with study designs that allow causal inferences is required for more conclusive evidence. The combination of PHTRBC with plasma, as well as the use of individualised transfusion criteria, may potentially show more benefits and should be thoroughly investigated in the future. The review was registered at Prospero (CRD42018084658).

Pathophysiology of the aortic regurgitation Doppler signal end-diastolic notching: "A-dip insight".

A 76-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of severe decompensated heart failure. Initial echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, grade II diastolic dysfunction, and mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation. The aortic regurgitant Doppler signal exhibited an end-diastolic notching, called an A-dip. After intravenous diuretic therapy and 3 kg weight loss, a new echocardiogram was performed showing a grade I diastolic dysfunction and complete abolishment of the A-dip. Aortic A-dip is a rare finding denoting increased LV filling pressures. Conditions that favor its occurrence are increased LV stiffness, low diastolic blood pressure, and preserved left atrial contractility.

The Use of Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Treat Respiratory Symptoms Associated With COVID-19: A Theoretical Hypothesis and Early Clinical Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a pandemic with no specific therapeutic agents and substantial mortality, and finding new treatments is critical. Most cases are mild, but a significant minority of patients develop moderate to severe respiratory symptoms, with the most severe cases requiring intensive care and/or ventilator support. This respiratory compromise appears to be due to a hyperimmune reaction, often called a cytokine storm. Vagus nerve stimulation has been demonstrated to block production of cytokines in sepsis and other medical conditions. We hypothesize that non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) might provide clinical benefits in patients with respiratory symptoms similar to those associated with COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information on two case reports was obtained via email correspondence and phone interviews with the patients. RESULTS: Both patients reported clinically meaningful benefits from nVNS therapy. In case 1, the patient used nVNS to expedite symptomatic recovery at home after hospital discharge and was able to discontinue use of opioid and cough suppressant medications. In case 2, the patient experienced immediate and consistent relief from symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath, as well as an improved ability to clear his lungs. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary observations and a strong scientific foundation suggest that nVNS might provide clinical benefits in patients with COVID-19 via multiple mechanisms.

How to Utilize My App Reviews? A Novel Topics Extraction Machine Learning Schema for Strategic Business Purposes.

Acquiring knowledge about users' opinion and what they say regarding specific features within an app, constitutes a solid steppingstone for understanding their needs and concerns. App review utilization helps project management teams to identify threads and opportunities for app software maintenance, optimization and strategic marketing purposes. Nevertheless, app user review classification for identifying valuable gems of information for app software improvement, is a complex and multidimensional issue. It requires foresight and multiple combinations of sophisticated text pre-processing, feature extraction and machine learning methods to efficiently classify app reviews into specific topics. Against this backdrop, we propose a novel feature engineering classification schema that is capable to identify more efficiently and earlier terms-words within reviews that could be classified into specific topics. For this reason, we present a novel feature extraction method, the DEVMAX.DF combined with different machine learning algorithms to propose a solution in app review classification problems. One step further, a simulation of a real case scenario takes place to validate the effectiveness of the proposed classification schema into different apps. After multiple experiments, results indicate that the proposed schema outperforms other term extraction methods such as TF.IDF and χ2 to classify app reviews into topics. To this end, the paper contributes to the knowledge expansion of research and practitioners with the purpose to reinforce their decision-making process within the realm of app reviews utilization.

Effect of Physician-Staffed Emergency Medical Services (P-EMS) on the Outcome of Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Traumatic injury is the fourth leading cause of death in western countries and the leading cause of death in younger age. However, it is still unclear which groups of patients benefit most from advanced prehospital trauma care. A minimal amount is known about the effect of prehospital physician-based care on patients with specifically traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this review is to assess the effect of physician-staffed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on the outcome of patients with severe TBI. Methods: Literature searches have been performed in the bibliographic databases of PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library. Data concerning (physician-staffed) prehospital care for patients with severe TBI were only included if the control group was based on non-physician-staffed EMS. Primarily the mortality rate and secondarily the neurological outcome were examined. Additionally, data concerning hypotension, hypoxia, length of stay (hospital and intensive care unit) and the number of required early neurosurgical interventions were taken into account. Results: The overall mortality was decreased in three of the fourteen included studies after the implementation of a physician in the prehospital setting. One study found also a decrease in mortality only for patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 6-8. Strikingly, two other studies reported higher mortality, one for all the included patients and one for patients with GCS 10-12 only. Neurological outcome was improved in five studies after prehospital deployment of a physician. One study reported that more patients had a poor neurological outcome in the P-EMS group. Results of the remaining outcome measures differed widely. Conclusion: The included literature did not show a clear beneficial effect of P-EMS in the prehospital management of patients with severe TBI. The available evidence showed contradictory results, suggesting more research should be performed in this field with focus on decreasing heterogeneity in the compared groups.

Hemorrhage Treatment Adjuncts in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

Hemorrhaging is the leading cause of preventable death after trauma. In our helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS), we introduced a bundle of 3 hemostatic adjuncts: 1) tourniquet, 2) hemostatic chitosan-based wound packings, and 3) tranexamic acid (TXA). The real-life frequency of applying these adjuncts in HEMS remains unclear. Therefore, we analyzed our electronic HEMS database regarding the use of these hemostatic adjuncts. We analyzed all subsequent dispatches of our HEMS "Lifeliner 1" within a searchable digital database (01.02.2013-22.05.2018). This HEMS operates 24/7, servicing ∼4.5 million inhabitants of the Netherlands. During the 75-month study period, we registered 15,759 dispatches, of which 8,658 were canceled, and 7,101 included on-site patient care, including 4,928 (69.4%) trauma cases. In total, we recorded 78 tourniquet applications (1.1% of patients), 104 hemostatic wound packings (1.5% of patients), and 1,379 cases with prehospital TXA administration (19.4% of patients). This difference in the use of hemostatics has several contributors, including a possible lack of awareness for tourniquets and procoagulant wound packing, a high proportion of blunt trauma with internal bleeding not accessible to tourniquet or wound packing, and a liberal use of TXA (eg, in patients with unproven hemorrhage). Besides creating awareness for those hemostatic adjuncts, the practical implications of our findings need further evaluation in future studies.

[Mitral clipping in the treatment of secondary mitral regurgitation]. / Clip mitral dans l'insuffisance mitrale secondaire.

Secondary mitral regurgitation is a frequent valvulopathy due to left ventricle remodeling. Although, its poor prognostic has been established, surgical interventions have shown no substantial benefits in terms of mortality benefit. MitraClip represents a transcatheter alternative. Two randomized trials - MITRA-FR and COAPT comparing the clipping versus optimal medical therapy- have confirmed the feasibility of this intervention in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation. MITRA-FR did not show any significant benefit for the MitraClip group with respect to the composite endpoint (all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure) at 12 months. On the other hand, COAPT showed a clear superiority of MitraClip in terms of mortality and rehospitalization rates, compared to the conservative treatment alone at 24 months.

L'insuffisance mitrale secondaire est une pathologie fréquente dont la prise en charge médicale est primordiale. L'approche chirurgicale n'a pas montré de bénéfice significatif en termes de réduction de la mortalité. Récemment, les procédures d'implantation de clips mitraux ont été analysées au cours de deux études randomisées (MITRA-FR et COAPT) qui comparent le clip à un traitement médicamenteux optimal. MITRA-FR n'a pas montré de bénéfice du clip par rapport au traitement médicamenteux pour le critère de jugement primaire (mortalité de toute cause et réhospitalisation pour insuffisance cardiaque) à 12 mois. A l'opposé, l'étude COAPT a montré un clair bénéfice du MitraClip par rapport au traitement conservateur en termes de mortalité globale et réhospitalisation pour insuffisance cardiaque à 24 mois.

Limitations in Prehospital Communication Between Trauma Helicopter, Ambulance Services, and Dispatch Centers.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital communication with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is carried out in hectic situations. Proper communication among all medical personal is required to enhance collaboration, to provide the best care and enable shared situational awareness. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article was to give insight into current Dutch prehospital emergency care communication among all EMS and evaluate the usage of a new physician staffed helicopter EMS (P-HEMS) cancellation model. METHODS: Trauma-related P-HEMS dispatches between November 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015 for the Lifeliner 1 were included; a random sample of 100 dispatches was generated. Tape recordings on all verbal prehospital communication between the dispatch center, EMS, and P-HEMS were transcribed and analyzed. Qualitative content analysis was performed, using open coding to code key messages. RESULTS: Ninety-two tape recordings were analyzed. The most frequent reason for P-HEMS dispatch was suspicion of brain injury (24%). The cancellation model was followed in 66%, overruled in 9%, and not applicable in 25%. The main reason for not adhering to the model was hemodynamic stability. In 5% of P-HEMS dispatches, a complete ABCD (airway, breathing, circulation, disability) methodology was used for handover, in 9% a complete Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation technique, in 2% a complete Mechanism-Injuries-Signs-Treatment method was used. The other handovers were incomplete. CONCLUSIONS: Prehospital handover between EMS on-scene and P-HEMS often entails insufficient information. The cancellation model for P-HEMS is frequently used and promotes adequate information transfer. To increase joined decision-making, more patient and situational information needs to be handed over. Standardization of prehospital trauma handovers will facilitate this and improve trauma patient's outcome.

Preoperative chest radiographs in hip fracture patients: is there any additional value?

PURPOSE: Preoperative screening in hip fracture patients is vital to minimize perioperative complications. Preoperative chest radiographs (POCR) are performed in many hip fracture patients. Earlier research showed that few POCR abnormalities influence perioperative policy. However, no studies in nonelective patient with a specific surgical conditions have been performed. With many hip fractures per year worldwide, a significant cost reduction could be made by performing selective POCR without compromising the quality of care. This study assessed the need for POCR in hip fracture patients. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of low-energy trauma patients was performed aged 18 years and older in the VU University Medical Center for a hip fracture in a 5-year period. All preoperative diagnostics were analyzed. All adjourned operations were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 642 patients were included, 70% female, matching current epidemiologic figures. The POCR showed abnormalities in 22.6%. In 0.6% the POCR lead to an adjournment of the operation (2.8% of abnormal POCR's). These patients suffered from pneumonia. The POCR in these cases acted as a confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Many factors involving the treatment of hip fracture patients are of importance in minimizing the risk of complications and mortality during and after admission. In 0.6% of all performed POCR's an abnormality leads to the adjournment of the operation. In all four cases the POCR matched the clinical findings. Because the additional value of the POCR in hip fracture patients was limited, we think that its selective use in clinical abnormalities is safe and will reduce unnecessary costs.

Complications after laparotomy for trauma: a retrospective analysis in a level I trauma centre.

PURPOSE: Laparotomy is a potential life-saving procedure after traumatic abdominal injury. There is limited literature about morbidity and mortality rates after trauma laparotomy. The primary aim of this study is to describe the complications which may occur due to laparotomy for trauma. METHODS: Retrospective evaluated single-centre study with data registry up to 1 year after initial laparotomy for trauma was performed in a level 1 trauma centre in The Netherlands. Between January 2000 and January 2011, a total of 2390 severely injured trauma patients (ISS ≥ 16) were transported to the VUMC. Patient demographics; mechanism of injury; injury patterns defined by Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Revised Trauma Score (RTS); surgical interventions and findings; and morbidity and mortality were documented. RESULTS: A total of 92 trauma patients who underwent a trauma laparotomy met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 71 % were male. Median age was 37 years. Median ISS was 27. Mechanisms of injury comprised of car accidents (20 %), fall from height (17 %), motorcycle accidents (12 %), pedestrian/cyclist hit by a vehicle (9 %) and other in three patients (5 %). Penetrating injuries accounted for 37 % of the injuries, consisting of stab wounds (21 %) and gunshot wounds (16 %). Complications classified by the Clavien-Dindo Classification of Surgical Complications showed grade I complications in 21 patients (23 %), grade II in 36 patients (39 %), grade III in 21 patients (23 %), grade IV in 2 patients (2 %) and grade V in 16 patients (17 %). CONCLUSION: Laparotomy for trauma has a high complication rate resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Most events occur in the early postoperative period. Further prospective research needs to be conducted in order to identify possibilities to improve care in the future.

Degenerated Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Investigation and Management Options.

With the expansion of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to younger and lower-surgical-risk patients, many younger and less comorbid patients will be treated with TAVR and are expected to have a life expectancy that will exceed the durability of their transcatheter heart valve. Consequently, the number of patients requiring reintervention will undoubtedly increase in the near future. Redo-TAVR and TAVR explantation followed by surgical aortic valve replacement are the different therapeutic options in the event of bioprosthetic valve failure and the need for reintervention. Patients often anticipate being able to benefit from a redo-TAVR in the event of bioprosthetic valve failure after TAVR, despite the lack of long-term data and the risk of unfavourable anatomy. Our understanding of the feasibility of redo-TAVR is constantly improving thanks to bench test studies and growing worldwide experience. However, much remains unknown. In clinical practice, one of the heart team's objectives is to anticipate the need to reaccess the coronary arteries and implant a second or even a third valve when life expectancy may exceed the durability of the transcatheter heart valve. In this review, we address key definitions in the diagnosis of structural valve deterioration and bioprosthetic valve failure, as well as patient selection and procedural planning for redo-TAVR to reduce periprocedural risk, optimise hemodynamic performance, and maintain coronary access. We describe the bench testing and literature in the redo-TAVR and TAVR explantation fields.

Parameters influencing health-related quality of life after severe trauma: a systematic review (part II).

INTRODUCTION: It is increasingly recognized that health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a relevant outcome to study in populations comprising severely injured patients. Although some studies have readily demonstrated a compromised HRQoL in those patients, evidence regarding factors that predict HRQoL is scarce. This hinders attempts to prepare patient-specific plans that may aid in revalidation and improved life satisfaction. In this review, we present identified predictors of HRQoL in patients that have suffered severe trauma. METHODS: The search strategy included a database search until the 1st of January 2022 in the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science, and reference checking. Studies were eligible for inclusion when (HR)QoL was studied in patients with major, multiple, or severe injury and/or polytrauma, as defined by authors by means of an Injury Severity Score (ISS) cut-off value. The results will be discussed in a narrative manner. RESULTS: A total of 1583 articles were reviewed. Of those, 90 were included and used for analysis. In total, 23 possible predictors were identified. The following parameters predicted reduced HRQoL in severely injured patients and came forward in at least more than three studies: higher age, female gender, lower extremity injuries, higher rate of injury severity, lower achieved educational level, presence of (pre-existing) comorbidities and mental illness, longer duration of hospital stay, and high level of disability. CONCLUSION: Age, gender, injured body region, and severity of injury were found to be good predictors of health-related quality of life in severely injured patients. A patient-centered approach, based on individual, demographic, and disease-specific predictors, is highly recommended.

Traumatic Cardiac Arrest-A Narrative Review.

A paradigm shift in traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) perception switched the traditional belief of futility of TCA resuscitation to a more optimistic perspective, at least in selected cases. The goal of TCA resuscitation is to rapidly and aggressively treat the common potentially reversible causes of TCA. Advances in diagnostics and therapy in TCA are ongoing; however, they are not always translating into improved outcomes. Further research is needed to improve outcome in this often young and previously healthy patient population.