30 years of polytrauma care: An analysis of the change in strategies and results of 4849 cases treated at a single institution.

The quality and progress of treatment of 4849 multiple trauma patients treated at one institution was reviewed retrospectively. Three periods, 1975-1984 (decade I; n=1469) and 1985-1994 (decade II; n=1937) and 1995-2004 (decade III; n=1443) were compared. 65% of multiple trauma patients had cerebral injuries, 58% thoracic trauma and 81% extremity fractures (37% open injuries). Injury combinations decreased during all decades with head/extremity injuries being the most common combination. Throughout the three decades pre-hospital care became more aggressive with an increase of intravenous fluid resuscitation (I: 80%, II: 97%, III: 98%). Chest tube insertion decreased after an initial increase (I: 41%, II: 83%, III: 27%) as well as intubation (I: 82%, II: 94%, III: 59%). Rescue times were progressively shortened. For initial clinical diagnosis of massive abdominal haemorrhage ultrasound (I: 17%, II: 92%, III: 97%) replaced peritoneal lavage (I: 44%, II: 28%, III: 0%). CT-scans were used more frequently for the initial diagnosis of head injuries and other injuries to the trunk throughout the observation time. With regard to complications, acute renal failure decreased by half (I: 8.4%; II: 3.7%; III: 3.9%), ARDS initially decreased but increased again in the last decade (I: 18.1%, II: 13.4%, III: 15.3%), whereas the rate of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) increased continuously (I: 14.2%, II: 18.9%, III: 19.8%) probably due to a decline of the mortality rate from 37% in the first to 22% in the second and 18% in the third decade and parallel increase of the time of death. These treatment results summarise the enormous clinical effort as well as medical progress in polytrauma management over the past 30 years. Further reduction of mortality is desirable, but probably only possible when immediate causal therapy of later posttraumatic organ failure can be established.

The multiply injured child.

The treatment of multiple traumas in children requires knowledge of common injury patterns, incidence, mortality, and the consequences and differences between these injuries in children and adult patients. However, epidemiological studies concerning pediatric multiple trauma are rare. To address this, data were collected and analyzed from 682 multiple trauma patients treated at a Level I trauma center. The patients were divided into four age-related groups (< 6 years, 6-12 years, 13-18 years, and 18-40 years) and were evaluated for trauma mechanism, injury distribution, and cause of death. Children aged 6 to 17 years mostly were injured as pedestrians and cyclists whereas infants, preschoolers, and adults more commonly were injured as car passengers. Pediatric patients suffered a significantly higher mortality than adults, with a threefold increased risk of death when injured as passengers in car accidents. Injuries to the head and the legs were most common. A lower incidence of thoracic (28% versus. 62%), abdominal (20% versus 36%), pelvic (22% versus 35%), and upper limb (32% versus 43%) trauma was observed in children (< 18 years) than in adults (18-40 years). Nevertheless, trauma to the thorax, abdomen, and head were associated with a high risk of death in all groups. Spinal cord injuries, especially in the cervical region, also carried a high risk of mortality (36.8 in the group of patients younger than 18 years and 18.9 in the group of patients 18-40 years). Children younger than 6 years had the most severe head injuries. The data show that there are important differences in incidence, mortality, and injury patterns between pediatric and adult patients with multiple traumas.

Standardized outcome evaluation after blunt multiple injuries by scoring systems: a clinical follow-up investigation 2 years after injury.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the state of rehabilitation in patients with blunt multiple injuries 2 years after their initial injuries, using several standardized scales and a recently described comprehensive scoring system, by means of a prospective clinical multicenter study. METHODS: Two years after the initial injury, patients with blunt multiple injuries (Injury Severity Score > or = 16) underwent a clinical follow-up in 5 German Level I trauma centers. The reassessment included a complete head-to-toe examination of the musculoskeletal system and a neurologic examination. The following patient-assessed health status scores were used to determine the quality of life: Short-Form 12, Functional Independence Measurement, and Musculoskeletal Function Assessment. Moreover, a comprehensive scoring system developed in our department (Hannover Score for Polytrauma Outcome [HASPOC]) was used that includes provider-report (physician's examination) and self-report (score systems) criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-four of 312 patients who had been injured between January 1995 and July 1996 were reexamined between January 1, 1997, and July 1, 1998. Among the remaining 58 patients, 9 had died by the time of follow-up, and 49 patients had not accepted the invitation. The mean age of those patients who underwent reexamination was 36 +/- 13 years, the mean Injury Severity Score was 24 +/- 6, and the mean initial Glasgow Coma Scale score was 11 +/- 4 (Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) head score of 3.3 +/- 1.1; AIS face, 1.4 +/- 0.1; AIS chest, 3.0 +/- 0.8; AIS abdomen, 1.7 +/- 0.6; and AIS extremities, 3.4 +/- 0.8). The general outcome (Short-Form 12) was as follows: grade I, 9%; grade II, 25%; grade III, 29%; grade IV, 25%; grade V, 6%; and grade VI, 6%. The outcome of the injured extremity demonstrated moderate or severe restrictions according to the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment in 41% of injuries of the lower extremity and in 16% of injuries of the upper extremity. Among patients with injuries to the lower extremity, 52% experienced pain or impaired ability to walk related to an injury of the foot or ankle, 31% indicated pain after a knee or thigh injury, and 27% indicated pain after a femoral or hip injury. The most severe deficits in the range of motion occurred in the foot and the ankle region (13.4% deficit of range of motion < 20% of normal range, p < 0.05 to other injuries). The results of the outcome obtained by self-report correlated with the clinical examination when a scoring system was used that was described recently, the HASPOC. CONCLUSION: In a standardized multicenter reexamination of patients with blunt multiple injuries, the general outcome was usually fair or good. Both the complaints and the objective results of specific extremity areas demonstrated that most limitations were because of injuries below the knee. These results were adequately reflected by a comprehensive scoring system, combining self-report and provider report (HASPOC).