Intrathoracic pressure impulse predicts pulmonary contusion volume in ballistic blunt thoracic trauma.

BACKGROUND: Blunt thoracic trauma including behind armour blunt trauma or impact from a less lethal kinetic weapon (LLKW) projectile may cause injuries, including pulmonary contusions that can result in potentially lethal secondary complications. These lung injuries may be caused by intrathoracic pressure waves. The aim of this study was to observe dynamic changes in intrathoracic hydrostatic pressure during ballistic blunt thoracic trauma and to find correlations between these hydrostatic pressure parameters (especially the impulse parameter) and physical damages. METHODS: Thirty anesthetized pigs sustained a blunt thoracic trauma. In group 1 (n = 20), pigs were protected by a National Institute of Justice class III or IV bulletproof vest and shot with 7.62 NATO bullets. In group 2 (n = 10), pigs were shot by an LLKW. Intrathoracic pressure was recorded with an intraesophageal pressure sensor and three parameters were determined: intrathoracic maximum pressure, intrathoracic maximum pressure impulse (PI(max)), and the Pd.P/dt(max), derived from Viano's viscous criterion. Relative right lower lung lobe contusion volume was also measured. RESULTS: Different thoracic loading conditions were obtained. PI(max) best correlated with relative pulmonary contusion volume (R² = 0.64 and p < 0.0001). This result was homogenous for all experiments and was not related to the type of chest impact (LLKW-induced trauma or behind armour blunt trauma). CONCLUSIONS: The PI(max) is a good predictor of pulmonary contusion volume after ballistic blunt thoracic trauma. It is a useful criterion when the kinetic energy record or thoracic wall displacement data are unavailable, and the recording and calculation of this physical value are quite simple on animals.

Comprehensive evaluation of coagulation in swine subjected to isolated primary blast injury.

Blast is one of the major causes of injury and death in recent armed conflicts. With increased use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 71% of combat casualties are caused by explosions. Blast injuries can range from primary (caused by shock wave) to quaternary injuries (e.g., burns), and such injuries can result in an acute coagulopathy denoted by a hypocoagulable state. It is not clear if this coagulopathy observed in victims of explosion is caused by local or general effect of the primary blast injury itself. In this study, 13 pigs were subjected to severe isolated open-field blast injury and we measured indices of coagulation impairment during the first hour after injury: ROTEM, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, coagulation factors, thrombin generation potential, platelet count, platelet activation, platelet function, and procoagulant microparticle formation. After 1 h, the mortality was 33%. No coagulation dysfunction was observed in the survivors in this period. This study presented a highly reproducible and consistent isolated blast injury in large mammals with comprehensive coagulation testing. The data suggest that isolated primary blast injury is not responsible for acute coagulopathy of trauma in victims of explosion but seems to lead to an early hypercoagulable state.

Physiological implications of mechanical effects of +Gz accelerations on brain structures.

BACKGROUND: In certain flight configurations, fighter pilots are exposed to high Gz acceleration (G) which may induce inflight loss of consciousness (G-LOC). When acceleration is of high amplitude, and the onset rate very rapid, G-LOC can occur extremely suddenly. HYPOTHESIS: Mechanisms other than brain hypoxia could be involved, enhancing its effects. In order to study the mechanical effects induced by such accelerations on cerebral structures, we estimated the stresses imposed on cerebral tissue when the brain is exposed to +Gz acceleration forces. METHODS: An "in vitro" experiment was performed to measure brain deformations during centrifugation. A finite element model of the brain was formulated. RESULTS: Computations indicate that traction and shear stresses are enhanced around the tentorial notch, and that compression stresses increase at the base of the cerebral hemispheres. CONCLUSION: The amplitude of these stresses is not sufficient to directly disturb proper nerve cell functioning. However, they could interfere with brain vessels as external surface forces, thus enhancing vessel collapse and brain ischemia.

Comparison of thoracic wall behavior in large animals and human cadavers submitted to an identical ballistic blunt thoracic trauma.

BACKGROUND: Several models of ballistic blunt thoracic trauma are available, including human cadavers and large animals. Each model has advantages and disadvantages regarding anatomy and physiology, but they have not been compared with identical ballistic aggression. METHODS: To compare thoracic wall behavior in 40-kg pigs and human cadavers, the thorax of 12 human cadavers and 19 anesthetized pigs were impacted with two different projectiles at different speeds. On the thoracic wall, the peak acceleration, peak velocity, maximal compression, viscous criterion, and injury criteria (e.g. abbreviated injury scale and number of rib fractures) were recorded. The correlations between these motion and injury parameters and the blunt criterion were compared between the two groups. The bone mineral density of each subject was also measured. RESULTS: The peak acceleration, the peak velocity and the viscous criterion were significantly higher for the pigs. The AIS and the number of rib fractures were significantly higher for human cadavers. The bone mineral density was significantly higher for cadavers, but was, for the two groups, significantly lower than for 30-year-old human. CONCLUSION: The motion of the pig's thoracic wall is greater than that of the human cadaver, and the severity of the impact is always greater for human cadavers than for pigs. In addition, pig bone is more elastic and less brittle than older human cadaver bone. Due to the bone mineral density, the thoracic wall of human adults should be more rigid and more resistant than the thoracic wall of human cadavers or pigs.

Dynamic effects of a 9 mm missile on cadaveric skull protected by aramid, polyethylene or aluminum plate: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Most military helmets are designed to prevent penetration by small firearms using composite materials in their construction. However, the transient deformation of the composite helmet during a non penetrating impact may result in severe head injury. METHOD: Two experimental designs were undertaken to characterize the extend of injuries imparted by composite panels using in protective helmets. In the first series, 21 dry skulls were protected by polyethylene plates, with gaps between the protective plate and skull ranging from 12 to 15 mm. In another design, using 9 cadavers, heads were protected by aluminum, aramid, or polyethylene plates. Specimens were instrumented with pressure gauges to record the impact response. The ammunition used in these experiments was 9 mm caliber and had a velocity of 400 m/s. A macroscopic analysis of the specimens quantified fractures and injuries, which were then related to the measured pressures. RESULTS: Protective plates influenced both the levels of injury and the intracranial pressure. Injuries were accentuated as the plates was changed from aluminum to composite materials and ranged from skin laceration to extensive skull fractures and brain contusion. Fractures were associated with brain parenchymal pressures in excess of 560 kPa and cerebrospinal fluid pressure of 150 kPa. An air gap of a few millimeters between the plate and the head was sufficient to decrease these internal pressures by half, significantly reducing the level of injury. CONCLUSIONS: Ballistic helmets made of composite materials could be optimized to avoid extensive transient deformation and thus reduce the impact and blunt trauma to the head. However, this deformation cannot be completely removed, which is why the gap between the helmet and the head must be maintained at more than 12 mm.