Implementing the Trauma Evaluation and Management (TEAM) Course in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Trauma training provides crucial knowledge and skills for health-care providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although such training has been adapted for physicians and emergency personnel in LMICs, few courses have been offered for medical students. The Trauma Evaluation and Management (TEAM) course, developed by the American College of Surgeons, provides a valuable framework for providing this content to medical students in an LMIC-context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We implemented the TEAM course at a single medical school in rural Kenya, for final-year medical students, utilizing the multimodal instruction and reference materials provided by the American College of Surgeons. We administered precourse and postcourse assessments, adapted the content for particular low-resource considerations, expanded the course to 2 d, and utilized a multidisciplinary and multinational group of surgical expert instructors. RESULTS: The entire final-year medical school class participated, and all completed pretesting and posttesting (100%, n = 61). Posttesting revealed significant improvement (P < 0.001), demonstrating successful knowledge acquisition, with the greatest improvements among the poorest performing decile on the pretest (P < 0.05). On narrative course feedback (100% completion, n = 61), participants appreciated instructors' interactive teaching style and the course's practical demonstrations, while requesting more time allotment for trauma training. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the feasibility of implementing TEAM training for final-year medical students in Kenya and demonstrate the course's effectiveness in this context as shown by knowledge acquisition. We plan for additional study to assess interval knowledge and skill retention. With refinement based on these results, we plan to repeat and expand trauma-education initiatives for medical students in LMICs.

Damage control of civilian penetrating brain injuries in environments of low neuro-monitoring resources.

INTRODUCTION: Gunshot wounds to the head are more common in military settings. Recently, a damage control (DC) approach for the management of these lesions has been used in combat areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of civilian patients with penetrating gunshot wounds to the head, managed with a strategy of early cranial decompression (ECD) as a DC procedure in a university hospital with few resources for intensive care unit (ICU) neuro-monitoring in Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients were operated according to the DC strategy (<12 h after injury), over a 4-year period. Variables were analysed and results were evaluated according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 12 months post injury; a dichotomous variable was established as 'favourable' (GOS 4-5) or 'unfavourable' (GOS 1-3). A univariate analysis was performed using a χ(2) test. RESULTS: Forty (74.1%) of the patients survived and 36 (90%) of them had favourable GOS. Factors associated with adverse outcomes were: Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 25, bi-hemispheric involvement, intra-cerebral haematoma on the first CT, closed basal cisterns and non-reactive pupils in the emergency room. CONCLUSION: DC for neurotrauma with ECD is an option to improve survival and favourable neurological outcomes 12 months after injury in patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury treated in a university hospital with few resources for ICU neuro-monitoring.

Strengthening neurotrauma care systems in low and middle income countries.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To review basic elements to be considered in the development of effective neurotrauma care systems in low- and middle-income countries. Neurotrauma occurs more frequently in developing countries. The survival rate among neurotrauma patients depends in large part on the degree of sophistication of the trauma system. RESEARCH DESIGN: A critical review of the literature was undertaken. RESULTS: In developing countries, there are difficulties in fully integrating the resources for care if the local and regional trauma systems are poorly structured. Factors like inadequate emergency and neurointensive care, low compensation compared with elective procedures or high medico-legal risks may result in a lack of interest from the few available neurosurgeons to be fully integrated in neurotrauma care. Appropriate structuring of trauma systems according to countries needs and their functionality is a key element that would facilitate the optimal use of resources for integral neurotrauma care. CONCLUSIONS: In order to implement an efficient trauma system, organization of low cost resources such as trauma registries and quality control programmes are required. The participation of medical associations in legislative and government processes is also an important factor for the appropriate development and organization of an effective trauma system in under-privileged areas.

The Association of Blood Banks per City with Mortality Due to Traumatic Hemorrhagic Shock in Colombia: A Population-Based Analysis.

Background: Hemorrhagic shock is the second leading cause of death for injured people and disproportionately affects low resource economies. The potential role of spatial allocation of blood banks and the unmet transfusion needs of patients are yet to be characterized. We aimed to estimate the effect of the number of blood banks in mortality due to traumatic hemorrhagic shock (THS) in Colombia. Methods: We performed a population-based cross-sectional study using secondary data from the Colombian Government: including annual reports from the Blood Bank Network, mortality, and population estimates for 2015-2016. International Classification of Disease 10th code T79.4 identified THS as the primary cause of death. A city-clustered multivariate negative binomial regression, weighted by violent deaths rate, was used to obtain incidence rate ratios (IRR) of death due to THS with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Of the 59,030 violent deaths in Colombia in 2015-2016, 36.76% were due to THS. Only 3.13% of Colombian municipalities had a blood bank. THS incidence decreased as the number of blood banks in a city increased, and the lowest incidence was observed at ten banks (IRR:0.18, 95%CI:0.15-0.22). Receiving medical care in a city with blood banks had a more substantial impact on THS (IRR:0.85; 95%CI:0.76-0.96). Conclusion: The number of blood banks per city was associated with lower incidence of THS deaths. These findings may highlight the inequitable distribution of blood systems and their association with preventable deaths. Further studies with more focused clinical and geographical data might clarify the geographic determinants of blood products' availability.

Failure to receive prescribed imaging is associated with increased early mortality after injury in Cameroon.

Despite having the highest rates of injury-related mortality in the world, trauma system capacity in sub-Saharan Africa remains underdeveloped. One barrier to prompt diagnosis of injury is limited access to diagnostic imaging. As part of a larger quality improvement initiative and to assist priority setting for policy makers, we evaluated trauma outcomes among patients who did and did not receive indicated imaging in the Emergency Department (ED). We hypothesize that receiving imaging is associated with increased early injury survival. We evaluated patterns of imaging performance in a prospective multi-site trauma registry cohort in Cameroon. All trauma patients enrolled in the Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) between 2017 and 2019 were included, regardless of injury severity. Patients prescribed diagnostic imaging were grouped into cohorts who did and did not receive their prescribed study. Patient demographics, clinical course, and outcomes were compared using chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore associations between radiologic testing and survival after injury. Of 9,635 injured patients, 47.5% (4,574) were prescribed at least one imaging study. Of these, 77.8% (3,556) completed the study (COMPLETED) and 22.2% (1,018) did not receive the prescribed study (NC). Compared to COMPLETED patients, NC patients were younger (p = 0.02), male (p<0.01), and had markers of lower socioeconomic status (SES) (p<0.01). Multivariate regression adjusted for age, sex, SES, and injury severity demonstrated that receiving a prescribed study was strongly associated with ED survival (OR 5.00, 95% CI 3.32-7.55). Completing prescribed imaging was associated with increased early survival in injured Cameroonian patients. In a resource-limited setting, subsidizing access to diagnostic imaging may be a feasible target for improving trauma outcomes.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Honduras: The Use of a Paper-based Surveillance System to Characterize Injuries Patterns.

Background: Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Violence is the leading cause of mortality in Honduras. However, the incidence and impact of TBI in this low-middle income country (LMIC) is unknown. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology of TBI in Honduras, as captured by an injury surveillance tool in the country's major referral center. Methods: A cross sectional review of all TBI-related emergency department visits at the main referral hospital in Honduras from January to December 2013 was conducted. The calculation of descriptive statistics from Injury Surveillance System (InSS) data was performed. Results: Of 17,971 total injuries seen in 2013, 20% were traumatic brain injuries (n=3,588). The main mechanisms of injury were falls (41.11%), road traffic accidents (23.91%), blunt trauma (20.82%), penetrating knife injuries (5.85%), and firearm injuries (2.26%). Most TBI were classified as mild; 99.69% (Glasgow Coma Scale=15). Emergency room mortality was low (1.11%). The modified Kampala Trauma Score median was 8 (interquartile range 7-8). Conclusion: Mild TBI accounts for a significant percentage of all injuries presenting to a high-volume referral center in Honduras in 2013. Despite the high incidence of violence in this country, most TBI were accidental, secondary to road traffic accidents and falls. Further research is required with more recent data as well as with prospective data collection methods.

Research Grant Proposal Writing Course for Students in Higher Institutions.

Research grant proposals have become part of the everyday life of every scientist working in the field of life sciences. Although most early career researchers begin working on research grant proposals during their doctorate, laying the foundation of this complicated task should occur during their undergraduate training. This editorial serves as an introduction into research grant proposal writing for students enrolled in higher education and tackles subjects such as choosing a research topic and writing a successful grant application, as well as possible challenges and funding opportunities that we considered appropriate for students and early career researchers.

Emergency surgery workforce and its inverse relationship with multidimensional poverty in Colombia.

PURPOSE: General surgeons, anesthesiologists, obstetricians and gynecologists (ob-gyns), and orthopedic surgeons are the vital disciplines to provide emergency surgery within a healthcare system. This paper aims to examine the relationship (if any) between multidimensional poverty (MDP) and GDP per-capita with the emergency surgery workforce density in Colombia. METHODS: We performed an ecological study, where the observation units were the 32 Colombian departments. The total numbers of general surgeons, anesthesiologists, ob-gyns, and orthopedic surgeons were obtained from the "Registro Unico Nacional de Talento Humano en Salud" (ReTHUS) registry. The 2020 population projections, the incidence of MDP and the GDP per capita were obtained from the Colombian National Administrative Department of Statistics. A spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to measure the strength of the correlations between the surgical workforce density with MDP and GDP per-capita. RESULTS: There were significant moderate inverse linear correlations between the incidence of multidimensional poverty and workforce density. The correlation coefficients for the incidence of multidimensional poverty and the workforce density were - 0.5273, - 0.5620, - 0.4704, and - 0.4612 for surgeons, anesthesiologists, ob-gyns, and orthopedic surgeons, respectively. Conversely, the correlation coefficients for the GDP per-capita and the workforce density were 0.4045, 0.3822, 0.4404, and 0.3742 for surgeons, anesthesiologists, ob-gyns, and orthopedic surgeons, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study found that Colombian trauma and emergency surgery workforce density was inversely and directly correlated with multidimensional poverty and GDP per-capita levels, respectively. The relationship of these economic indicators with the surgical capacity deserves further investigation.

Neurotrauma Registry Implementation in Colombia: A Qualitative Assessment.

Objectives Latin America is among several regions of the world that lacks robust data on injuries due to neurotrauma. This research project sought to investigate a multi-institution brain injury registry in Colombia, South America, by conducting a qualitative study to identify factors affecting the creation and implementation of a multi-institution TBI registry in Colombia before the establishment of the current registry. Methods Key informant interviews and participant observation identified barriers and facilitators to the creation of a TBI registry at three health care institutions in this upper-middle-income country in South America. Results The study identified barriers to implementation involving incomplete clinical data, limited resources, lack of information and technology (IT) support, time constraints, and difficulties with ethical approval. These barriers mirrored similar results from other studies of registry implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ease of use and integration of data collection into the clinical workflow, local support for the registry, personal motivation, and the potential future uses of the registry to improve care and guide research were identified as facilitators to implementation. Stakeholders identified local champions and support from the administration at each institution as essential to the success of the project. Conclusion Barriers for implementation of a neurotrauma registry in Colombia include incomplete clinical data, limited resources and lack of IT support. Some factors for improving the implementation process include local support, personal motivation and potential uses of the registry data to improve care locally. Information from this study may help to guide future efforts to establish neurotrauma registries in Latin America and in LMICs.

Surgical Rescue in a High-volume Urban Emergency General Surgery Service at a Middle-income Country.

Introduction: The capacity for prompt "rescue" from death in patients with complications has become an important marker of the quality of care since mortality and morbidity have been identified as incongruous indicators. This study aims to describe the incidence of "surgical rescue" failure and the outcomes of emergency general surgery (EGS) patients at a large academic medical center. Materials and methods: In our high-volume surgical hospital, an electronic EGS registry was developed to automatically capture in-hospital information and outcomes from the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Surgical complications were included in an online application and automatically captured in the electronic EGS registry, and prospectively screened from June to July 2017 for acute EGS surgical patients from operative procedures. Results: A total of 501 patients (average age: 53.9 ± 20.9, 56.5% female) underwent 882 EGS procedures. Thirteen patients (2.6%) of the 501 patients required "surgical rescue", mainly for uncontrolled sepsis (43%) and anastomotic leakage (30%). The surgical rescue failure rate (inability to prevent death after a surgical complication) was 15.4%. Patients requiring critical care (OR = 3.3, IC 95%: 1.04, 10.5), hospital admission (p = 0.038), and hospital LOS (days) (p = 0.004) were significantly higher for the surgical rescue patients than for those without complications. Conclusion: Surgical failure to rescue rate was similar among high-volume EGS services, as has recently been described in the United States. The latest development and implementation of an electronic automatic captured EGS registry database in our academic medical center will serve to build best practices for "surgical rescue" and drive quality improvement programs.

The tenets of intrathoracic packing during damage control thoracic surgery for trauma patients: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Although Damage Control Thoracic Surgery (DCTS) has become a provocative alternative to treat patients with chest injuries who are critically ill and physiologically depleted, the management approaches of chest-packing and the measurement of clinically relevant outcomes are not well established. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the available knowledge and evidence about intra-thoracic packing during DCTS for trauma patients. We furthermore inform on the management approaches, surgical strategies, and mortality associated with this intervention. METHODS: We identified articles in MEDLINE and SCOPUS. We reviewed all studies that included trauma patients with chest injuries and managed with intrathoracic packing during DCTS. Studies were eligible if the use of intrathoracic packing in trauma populations was reported. RESULTS: We identified 14 studies with a total of 211 patients. Overall, intrathoracic packing was used in 131 trauma patients. Packing was most commonly used to arrest persistent coagulopathic bleeding or oozing either from raw surfaces or repaired structures and in conjunction with other operative techniques. Pneumonectomy was a deadly intervention; however, one study reported survivors when pneumonectomy was deferred. CONCLUSION: Packing is a feasible, reliable and potentially effective complementary method for hemorrhage control. Therefore, we recommend that packing can be used liberally as a complement to rapid lung-sparing techniques.

Trauma care training for National Police nurses in Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: In response to a requirement for advanced trauma care nurses to provide combat tactical medical support, the antinarcotics arm of the Colombian National Police (CNP) requested the Colombian National Prehospital Care Association to develop a Combat Tactical Medicine Course (MEDTAC course). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of this course in imparting knowledge and skills to the students. METHODS: We trained 374 combat nurses using the novel MEDTAC course. We evaluated students using pre- and postcourse performance with a 45-question examination. Field simulations and live tissue exercises were evaluated by instructors using a Likert scale with possible choices of 1 to 4. Interval estimation of proportions was calculated with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Differences in didactic test scores were assessed using a t-test at 0.05 level of statistical significance. RESULTS: Between March 2006 and July 2007, 374 combat nursing students of the CNP were trained. The difference between examination scores before and after the didactic part of the course was statistically significant (p < 0.01). After the practical session of the course, all participants (100%) demonstrated competency on final evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The MEDTAC course is an effective option improving the knowledge and skills of combat nurses serving in the CNP. MEDTAC represents a customized approach for military trauma care training in Colombia. This course is an example of specialized training available for groups that operate in austere environments with limited resources.

Injury Profile of Children 0-14 Years Old in Honduras.

Aim: At the University Medical School Hospital in Honduras, a paper-based injury surveillance system (InSS) registered all injury cases in the emergency department in 2013. This is the first study to identify the injury profiles of children in Honduras, using the InSS data. Materials and methods: A case-series study was carried out using the InSS. Children aged 0-14 years were identified in the data set, and the descriptive statistics and bivariate analyzes were completed using this data. Results: Of 17,971 study patients, 5,873 (32.7%) patients were 0-14 years old with an average age of 7.3 ± 4.1 years. Unintentional injuries, most commonly road traffic incidents, falls, and blunt force trauma, constituted 94.2% of the total injuries. In all, 1.9% (109) self-inflicted injuries and 3.9% (230) deliberate interpersonal injuries with 35.8% due to blunt force trauma and 22.6% due to gunshot wounds. The mortality rate was 0.2%, and 84% of children spent 3 or fewer days in the hospital. Firearm injuries were more severe and resulted in a longer hospital stay. Conclusion: Childhood injuries are highly prevalent and a public concern throughout Honduras. This study profiles these injuries of over an entire year and provides insight into the types of interventions that could be effective in preventing and managing the high burden of pediatric injuries in this region. Clinical significance: This study provides the groundwork to profiling the high burden of injuries in Honduran children. Targeted injury prevention strategies and interventions can begin to be developed and implemented using the profile.

Objetivo: En el Hospital Escuela de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Honduras, un sistema de vigilancia de lesiones en papel (InSS) registró todos los casos de lesiones en el Departamento de Emergencias en el año 2013. Utilizando los datos del InSS, este estudio es el primero en describir el perfil de las lesiones en niños en Honduras. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de serie de casos utilizando el InSS. Se identificaron los pacientes de 0 a 14 años en el conjunto de datos, y se realizaron estadísticas descriptivas y análisis bivariados utilizando estos datos. Resultados: Hubo 5.873 pacientes de 0­14 años de un total de 17.971 pacientes (32,7%) con una edad promedio de 7,3 ± 4,1 años. Las lesiones no intencionales, más comunes fueron los eventos de tránsito, las caídas y los traumatismos contundentes; en total constituyeron el 94,2% del total de lesiones. Hubo 1.9% (109) lesiones autoinfligidas y 3.9% (230) lesiones interpersonales deliberadas con 35.8% debido a traumatismos contundentes y 22.6% debido a heridas por armas de fuego. La tasa de mortalidad fue del 0,2% y el 84% de los niños pasaron 3 días o menos en el hospital. Las lesiones por arma de fuego fueron más graves y resultaron en una estancia hospitalaria más prolongada. Conclusión: Las lesiones infantiles son altamente prevalentes y una preocupación en salud pública en Honduras. Este estudio describe estas lesiones y proporciona información sobre los tipos de intervenciones que podrían ser efectivas para prevenir y manejar la alta carga de lesiones pediátricas en esta región. Importancia clínica: El estudio proporciona la base para perfilar la alta carga de lesiones en los niños hondureños. Estrategias e intervenciones de prevención de lesiones pueden comenzar a desarrollarse e implementarse utilizando este perfil.

Penetrating cardiac trauma in stab wounds: A study of diagnostic accuracy of the cardiac area.

BACKGROUND: Stab wounds (SW) to the thorax raises suspicion for cardiac injuries; however, the topographic description is variable. The present study aims to evaluate different topographical descriptions within the thorax and establish their diagnostic value in penetrating cardiac trauma by SW. METHODS: Medical records of all patients admitted to our center with thoracic SW from January 2013 to June 2016 were included in this study. Diagnostic value potential was measured using different areas of the thorax described in the literature. RESULTS: In this study, we analyzed 306 cases. Thirty-eight (12.4%) patients had a cardiac injury managed surgically. Death by cardiac injury occurred in seven (18.4%) patients. The cardiac area defined between the right mid-clavicle line until the left anterior axillary line, and between 2nd and 6th intercostal spaces was the more accurate. It has sensitivity of 97.3%, specificity 72%, positive predictive value 33%, negative predictive value 99.4% and accuracy 75.1% for penetrating cardiac trauma. ROC was 0.894 IC 95% (0.760-0.901). CONCLUSION: Among the thoracic areas, topographical limits between the right mid-clavicle line and the left anterior axillary line, and between 2nd and 6th intercostal spaces are the more accurate and are highly indicative of cardiac injury in patients with SW to the thorax.

Acute kidney injury in severely injured patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to identify possible associations between clinical and laboratory variables and the risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) in severely injured patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for whom creatine kinase (CK) levels were available. METHODS: For this retrospective observational study, we analyzed adult trauma patients admitted to the ICU from 2011 to 2015 at Fundación Valle del Lili (FVL) University Hospital. Our primary outcome was the incidence of AKI. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess risk factors for this outcome. RESULTS: A total of 315 patients were included. The trauma mechanisms were blunt (n = 130), penetrating (n = 66) and blast (n = 44) trauma. The median (interquartile range, IQR) of injury severity score (ISS) was 21 (16-29). AKI developed in 75 patients (23.8%). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the thoracic abbreviated injury scale (AIS) value (median (IQR) in the AKI group: 3 (0-4)), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score (median (IQR) in the AKI group: 18 (10-27)), CK greater than 5000 U/L, lactic acid concentration at admission, and dobutamine administration were independently associated with AKI. CONCLUSION: We found that age, APACHE II score, thoracic trauma, lactic acidosis, and dobutamine administration were independently associated with AKI. Trauma surgeons need to be aware of the increased odds of AKI if one of these factors is identified during the evaluation and treatment of injured patients.

Outcomes With the Use of Bag-Valve-Mask Ventilation During Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest in the Pragmatic Airway Resuscitation Trial.

BACKGROUND: While emergency medical services (EMS) often use endotracheal intubation (ETI) or supraglottic airways (SGA), some patients receive only bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). Our objective was to compare patient characteristics and outcomes for BVM ventilation to advanced airway management (AAM) in adults with OHCA. METHODS: Using data from the Pragmatic Airway Resuscitation Trial, we identified patients receiving AAM (ETI or a SGA), BVM ventilation only (BVM-only), and BVM ventilation as a rescue after at least one failed attempt at advanced airway placement (BVM-rescue). The outcomes were return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 72-hour survival, survival to hospital discharge, neurologically intact survival (Modified Rankin Scale ≤ 3), and the presence of aspiration on a chest radiograph. Comparisons were made using generalized mixed-effects models while adjusting for age, sex, initial rhythm, EMS-witnessed status, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, response time, study cluster, and advanced life support first on scene. RESULTS: Of 3,004 patients enrolled, there were 282 BVM-only, 2,129 AAM, and 156 BVM-rescue patients with complete covariates. Shockable initial rhythms (34% vs. 18.6%) and EMS-witnessed arrests (21.6% vs. 11.3%) were more likely in BVM-only than AAM but similar between BVM-rescue and AAM. Compared to AAM, BVM-only patients had similar ROSC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96 to 1.73), but higher 72-hour survival (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.42 to 2.69), survival to discharge (OR = 4.47, 95% CI = 3.03 to 6.59), and neurologically intact survival (OR = 7.05, 95% CI = 4.40 to 11.3). Compared to AAM, BVM-rescue patients had similar ROSC (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.47 to 1.12) and 72-hour survival (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.66 to 1.77) but higher survival to discharge (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.17 to 3.95) and neurologically intact survival (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.20 to 5.81). Aspiration incidence was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Bag-valve-mask-only ventilation is associated with improved OHCA outcomes. Despite similar rates of ROSC and 72-hour survival, BVM-rescue ventilation was associated with improved survival to discharge and neurologically intact survival compared to successful AAM.

Characterization of tissue oxygen saturation and the vascular occlusion test: influence of measurement sites, probe sizes and deflation thresholds.

INTRODUCTION: Tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and the vascular occlusion test (VOT) can identify tissue hypoperfusion in trauma and sepsis. However, the technique is neither standardized nor uses the same monitoring site. We hypothesized that baseline and VOT StO2 would be different in the forearm (F) and thenar eminence (TH) and that different minimal StO2 values during the VOT would result in different reoxygenation rates (ReO2). METHODS: StO2 and its change during the VOT were simultaneously measured in the F and TH, with 15 mm and 25 mm probes, using the 325 InSpectra monitor in 18 healthy, adult volunteers. Two VOTs were done to a threshold thenar StO2 of 40% interchanging the 15 mm and 25 mm probes between sites. Two additional VOTs were done to thresholds of 50% and 30%. Baseline StO2 (BaseO2), the deoxygenation rate (DeO2) and ReO2 were compared between sites, probes and (%O2/minute) thresholds. Results are presented as the median (interquartile range), P-value. RESULTS: BaseO2, DeO2, ReO2, area under the curve and hyperemia duration values were different when comparing TH vs. F and 15 mm vs. 25 mm probes. ReO2 was different between different thresholds for the TH and 15 mm probes. TH15 mm vs. F15 mm: BaseO2, 90.4 (85.2, 93.5) vs. 85.2 (80.7, 90.2), P = 0.031; DO2, -12.1 (-16.2, -11.3) vs. -8.5 (-10.3, -7.8), P = 0.011; ReO2, 297.2 (213.7, 328.6), P < 0.0001; 15 mm vs. 25 mm probe: BaseO2, 97.2 (89.4, 94.7) vs. 87.3 (81.7, 90.9), P = 0.016; DeO2, -18.0 (-24.1, -14.8) vs. -9.9 (-15.3, -6.5), P < 0.0001; and ReO2, 401.6 (331.7, 543.2) vs. 160.5 (132.3, 366.9), P = 0.012, respectively. TH15 mm vs. TH25 mm: BaseO2, P = 0.020; DeO2, P < 0.0001; and ReO2, P < 0.0001. Threshold StO2 values (15 mm probe only): ReO2, P = 0.003; DeO2, P = 0.60. ReO2 at 40% and 50% StO2 thresholds, P = 0.01. CONCLUSIONS: BaseO2, DeO2 and ReO2 were different when measured in different anatomical sites (F and TH) and with different probe sizes, and ReO2 was different with differing VOT release StO2 threshold values. Thus, standardization of the site, probe and VOT challenge need to be stipulated when reporting data.

A clinical series of packing the wound tract for arresting traumatic hemorrhage from injuries of the lung parenchyma as a feasible damage control technique.

Background: Tractotomy has become the standard of care for transfixing through-and-through lung injuries as it can be performed quickly with little blood loss and a low risk of complications. However, packing with laparotomy pads could be a feasible alternative to tractotomy on selected patients. We describe a series of four patients with lung trauma in which packing of the pulmonary wound tract was used as the primary and unique surgical strategy for arresting hemorrhage from injuries of the lung parenchyma. Methods: Packing of the traumatic tract is achieved by gently pulling a laparotomy pad with a Rochester clamp and adjusting it to the cavity to stop the bleeding. The pack is removed in a subsequent surgery by moistening and tractioning it softly to avoid additional damage. The operation is completed by manual compression of the wounded lobe. We present a case series of our experience with this approach. Results: From 2012 to 2016, we treated four patients with the described method. The mechanism was penetrating in all them. The clinical condition was of exsanguinations with multiple sources of hemorrhage. There were three patients with peripheral injuries to the lung and one with a central injury to the pulmonary parenchyma. Bleeding was stopped in all the cases. Three patients survived. A patient had recurrent pneumothorax which was resolved with a second chest tube. Conclusion: Packing of the traumatic tract allowed rapid and safe treatment of transfixing through-and-through pulmonary wounds in exsanguinating patients under damage control from several bleeding sources.