Violence Prevention Programs Are Effective When Initiated During the Initial Workup of Patients in an Urban Level I Trauma Center.

This study represents the first attempt at evaluating the ability of the CureViolence Hospital-Response Intervention Program (previously CeaseFire) to disrupt the pattern of violent reinjury. The clinical data points of 300 African American men who presented to our trauma center with a gunshot wound and received intervention at the bedside between 2005 and 2007 (with a 48-month follow-up) were collected. This cohort was matched with a post hoc historical control group using hospital records from 2003 to 2005. The mean age for both groups was 23.9 years. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained. Using a binary logistical regression model, we assessed the performance of three variables of interest: age at the time of the initial injury, treatment group, and initial disposition group to predict recidivism. We utilized the Nagelkerke R square method, which described the proportion of the variance of the reinjury rate and validated our findings using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (for goodness-of-fit). Six percent (n = 18) of subjects in the treatment group and 11% (n = 33) in the control group returned with a new injury, yielding a total reinjury rate of 8.5%. Most patients returned only once with another violent injury. Individuals who did not receive CureViolence services were nearly twice as likely (odds ratio = 1.94; 95% confidence interval = 1.065, 3.522) to return with a violent reinjury. This finding suggests that Hospital-Response Intervention Programs (HRIP) have a protective effect in violently injured patients. We therefore conclude our HRIP positively affected at-risk patients and prevented violent reinjury.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernias: a single-center case series of surgical management.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic abdominal wall hernias (TAWHs) are a rare clinical entity that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. There is no consensus on management of TAWH due to its low incidence and complex concomitant injury patterns. We hereby present the largest single-center case series in the USA to characterize associated injury patterns, identify optimal strategies for hernia management, and determine outcomes. METHODS: Patients who presented with a TAWH from blunt trauma requiring operative management were retrospectively identified over a 14-year period. Demographic data, Injury Severity Score (ISS), associated injuries, type of repair, durability of repair, and complications were collected, and descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were identified. The average age was 31±11 years, ISS 15±9, and body mass index 33.4±7.1 kg/m2. Mechanisms included falls (13%), motor vehicle collisions (60%), motorcycle accidents (20%), and pedestrian versus motor vehicle collisions (7%). The most commonly associated injuries included colonic injuries (53%), long bone fractures (47%), pelvic fractures (40%), and small bowel injuries (33%). Nineteen hernia repairs were performed: 6 underwent primary suture repair (32%) and 13 used mesh (68%). There were four recurrences. We could not find any significant relationship between contamination and mesh use or recurrence. There was one mortality related to sepsis. DISCUSSION: TAWHs have an associated injury pattern involving fractures and abdominopelvic visceral injuries where a tailored approach is advisable. Without hollow viscous injuries and gross contamination, these hernias can be repaired safely with mesh in the acute setting. However, in patients with gross contamination or hemodynamic instability, the risk of recurrence with primary repair must be weighed against the risk of infection and prolonged surgery with mesh repair. In those cases, a delayed reconstruction in the elective setting may be optimal.

A Case Report of Malignant Eccrine Porocarcinoma Involving the Palm Requiring Surgical Excision and Free Flap Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND Eccrine porocarcinoma (EPC) was first described in 1963 as an epidermotropic eccrine carcinoma. Fifty years later, its etiology remains poorly understood. The infrequent nature of this disease merits further inquiry into its etiology, presentation, and standards of management. Furthermore, the propensity for metastasis, which may be as high as 31% on presentation, increases the importance of investigating this rare disease. CASE REPORT The patient was a 63-year-old mechanic who presented with the lesion as a chronic wound following a chemical exposure. The lesion involved the ulnar aspect of his right palm and had concern for extension to the underlying tendons. He underwent a wide excision extending from the wrist to the proximal interphalangeal joint, preserving the ulnar neurovascular bundle. The hand was reconstructed with an anterolateral thigh fascia perforator flap and a skin graft. He had an excellent functional and cosmetic recovery. Unfortunately, he developed metastases to the lymph nodes, necessitating an axillary lymphadenectomy followed by adjuvant chemoradiation using concurrent cisplatin and docetaxel with radiation for 6 weeks. Follow-up at 18 months found no recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Cases of EPC presenting in the fingers have been managed with amputation of the involved phalanges; however, in addition to obtaining complete excision with negative margins, surgeons who deal with tumors of the hand must also consider the goals of limb preservation, functional preservation, and functional reconstruction. Options for reconstruction following excision include primary closure, dermal regeneration templates, skin grafts, flaps, and free-tissue transfer, depending on what tissue types are needed.

Outcomes in patients with gunshot wounds to the brain.

INTRODUCTION: Gunshot wounds to the brain (GSWB) confer high lethality and uncertain recovery. It is unclear which patients benefit from aggressive resuscitation, and furthermore whether patients with GSWB undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have potential for survival or organ donation. Therefore, we sought to determine the rates of survival and organ donation, as well as identify factors associated with both outcomes in patients with GSWB undergoing CPR. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, multicenter study at 25 US trauma centers including dates between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. Patients were included if they suffered isolated GSWB and required CPR at a referring hospital, in the field, or in the trauma resuscitation room. Patients were excluded for significant torso or extremity injuries, or if pregnant. Binomial regression models were used to determine predictors of survival/organ donation. RESULTS: 825 patients met study criteria; the majority were male (87.6%) with a mean age of 36.5 years. Most (67%) underwent CPR in the field and 2.1% (n=17) survived to discharge. Of the non-survivors, 17.5% (n=141) were considered eligible donors, with a donation rate of 58.9% (n=83) in this group. Regression models found several predictors of survival. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. CONCLUSION: We found that GSWB requiring CPR during trauma resuscitation was associated with a 2.1% survival rate and overall organ donation rate of 10.3%. Several factors appear to be favorably associated with survival, although predictions are uncertain due to the low number of survivors in this patient population. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. These results are a starting point for determining appropriate treatment algorithms for this devastating clinical condition. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

A Traumatic Direct Inguinal Hernia from Pelvic Ring Disruption.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic fractures usually involve a high-energy traumatic mechanism and account for approximately 3% of all blunt traumatic skeletal injuries. Additional musculoskeletal injuries are found in over 80% of unstable pelvic fractures. Traumatic abdominal wall hernias (TAWHs) are a rare entity, and traumatic inguinal hernias (TIHs) associated with open-book pelvic fractures have not been described previously. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 45-year-old male motorcyclist involved in a collision resulting in a traumatic direct inguinal hernia due to abdominal wall disruption from an open-book pelvic fracture. He underwent a combined operation with an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of his pelvic fracture and an abdominal wall reconstruction with a modified Stoppa technique utilizing mesh for his hernia. DISCUSSION: This is a unique presentation of a TIH due to an open-book pelvic fracture after blunt abdominal trauma. The formation of TAWH is typically from a combination of local tangential shearing forces and a sudden rise in intraabdominal pressures damaging the muscle, fascia, and peritoneum while the skin remains intact. In patients without hollow viscous injuries and gross contamination, these hernias can be repaired safely with mesh in the acute setting simultaneously with pelvic reduction.

Surgical treatment for a case of coronary steal from a traumatic coronary artery-cameral fistula after blunt cardiac injury.

INTRODUCTION: Blunt cardiac trauma covers a spectrum of injuries from clinically insignificant myocardial contusions to lethal ruptures of cardiac valves and chambers. Traumatic coronary artery-cameral fistulas (TCAF) are a rare sequelae of blunt chest trauma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old male developed a TCAF after a motor vehicle collision. He was found on admission to be in cardiogenic shock with an elevated troponin and intermittent bifascicular block. An echocardiogram revealed hypokinesis of the mid-anteroseptal myocardium with an ejection fraction of 50%. Cardiac catheterization revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) with a fistulous connection to the right ventricle, shown to be associated with reversible anterior wall ischemia from distal LAD coronary steal phenomenon on a nuclear perfusion scan. Given the ischemic burden, he was treated with operative revascularization via a single vessel coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) using the left internal mammary artery to LAD. DISCUSSION: Early repair of TCAF can halt the progression of complications like left-to-right shunting, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. The two best described operative approaches to surgical closure of the fistula are either via external ligation or direct repair from within the recipient chamber, possibly with bypass grafting distal to the fistula site. Transcatheter closure and conservative management has been described for select patients with iatrogenic fistulas in recent literature. CONCLUSION: High levels of clinical suspicion are necessary for the early detection and intervention of TCAF. Surgical or transcatheter interventions including fistula ligation and CABG can prevent later complications of heart failure.

A Randomized Controlled Trial on Intra-Abdominal Irrigation during Emergency Trauma Laparotomy; Time for Yet Another Paradigm Shift.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal volume of abdominal irrigation that will prevent surgical site infections (both deep and superficial), eviscerations and fistula formations; and improve 30-day mortality in trauma patients. METHODS: We conducted a three-arm parallel clinical superiority randomized controlled trial comparing different volumes of effluent (5, 10 and 20 liters) used in trauma patients (both blunt and penetrating) age 14 and above undergoing an emergency laparotomy between April 2002 and July 2004 in a busy urban Level 1 trauma center. RESULTS: After randomization, a total of 204 patients were analyzed. All patient groups were comparable with respect to age, gender distribution, admission injury severity score, and mechanism of injury, estimated blood loss and degree of contamination. The mortality rate overall was 1.96% (4/204).No differences were noted with respect to contamination, wound infection, fistula formation, and evisceration. The twenty liter group (Group III) showed a trend toward an increased incidence of deep surgical site infections when compared to the five liter (Group I) (p=0.051) and ten liter (Group II) (p=0.057) groups. This did not however reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The old surgical adage "the solution to pollution is dilution" is not applicable to trauma patients. Our results suggest that using more irrigation, even when large amounts of contamination have occurred, does not reduce post-operative complications or affect mortality; and it may predispose patients to increased incidence of abscess formation. (Trial registration number: ISRCTN66454589).