First wave of COVID-19 impact on emergency general surgery in a Spanish tertiary hospital. A cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The need to care for patients with emergency symptoms still continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of emergency surgery procedures performed in Spanish hospitals decreased significantly during the first wave of COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study comparing the emergency surgery activity in a Spanish tertiary Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency surgery activity registered in 2019 during the equivalent time period. RESULTS: A total of 1802 patients were included in control group (CG) versus 756 in pandemic group (PG). Mean number of patients who underwent emergency surgery during the control and pandemic periods was 3.42 patients per day, in contrast to 1.62 during the pandemic period, which represents a 52.6% decrease in emergency surgery activity. During the pandemic period, most of the patients consulted after more than 72 h of symptoms, representing a delay in presenting in the ER of 23.7% when compared to CG. Surgeries due to complications from previous elective procedures decreased (12% vs. 6.1%) in PG, probably because elective procedures are being postponed. We had a 13.1% COVID-19 positivity rate. Morbidity was higher during pandemic (52.5% vs. 35.2%). Mortality rates in patients undergoing emergency surgery was higher in PG (12.1% vs. 4.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the first wave of COVID-19 in emergency surgery activity has been profound. A significant reduction in emergency surgery was observed, along with longer time periods between patients' onset of symptoms and their arrival at the Emergency Department. Higher morbidity was also observed during the pandemic period.

Injury patterns from major urban terrorist bombings in trains: the Madrid experience.

BACKGROUND: Terrorist urban mass casualty incidents (MCI) in the last 3 years have targeted commuter trains at rush hour, producing large numbers of casualties. Civilian care providers are usually not familiar with the types of blast injuries sustained by victims of these MCI. METHODS: We focus on the injury patterns sustained by casualties of the Madrid, 11 March 2004, terrorist bombings, at the seven hospitals that received most victims. Data were gathered of casualties who had injuries other than superficial bruises, transient hearing loss from barotrauma without eardrum perforation, and/or emotional shock. The degree of severity in critical patients was assessed with the ISS. RESULTS: The bombings resulted in 177 immediate fatalities, 9 early deaths, and 5 late deaths. Most survivors had noncritical injuries, but 72 (14%) of 512 casualties assessed had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15. The critical mortality rate was of 19.5%. The most frequently injured body regions were the head-neck and face. Almost 50% of casualties had ear-drum perforation, and 60% of them were bilateral. There were 43 documented cases of blast lung injury, with a survival rate of 88.3%. Maxillofacial and open long-bone fractures were most prevalent. Gustillo's grade III of severity predominated in tibia-fibular and humeral fractures. Upper thoracic fractures (D1-6 segment) represented 65% of all vertebral fractures and were associated with severe blast to the torso. Severe burns were uncommon. Eye injuries were frequent, although most were of a mild-to-moderate severity. Abdominal visceral lesions were present in 25 (5%) patients. A multidisciplinary approach was necessary in most operated patients, and orthopedic trauma procedures accounted for 50% of the caseload in the first 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: Ninety-three percent of the fatalities of the Madrid trains terrorist bombings were immediate, and most survivors had noncritical injuries. Closed doors increased the immediate fatality rate in the trains. Severely wounded casualties presented specific patterns of injuries, some of them life-threatening and unusual in other types of trauma mechanisms. Ear-lobe amputations and upper thoracic spine fractures were markers of critical injuries.

Marjolin's ulcer arising from a laparostomy scar.

Marjolin's ulcer is the malignant transformation of a scar, usually as a squamous cell carcinoma. An uncommon presentation form is from a laparostomy scar. A 49-year-old patient that had a laparostomy during the treatment of a necrohemorrhagic pancreatitis in 1987 complained 13 years later of a 20-cm ulcer on the laparostomy scar. A resection of the abdominal wall including the ulcer and a segmental transverse colectomy were performed because of infiltration by an invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Ten months later, axillary lymphadenectomy was performed because of lymph node metastasis. Currently, the patient is free of disease. Lymph node infiltration is frequent in squamous cell carcinoma on Marjolin's ulcer and survival is not good. Prophylaxis of this disease includes meticulous care of wounds, with early skin grafts when required and treatment of infections.

Protocolo combinado de fijación externa y arteriografía en fracturas de pelvis con inestabilidad hemodinámica asociada: estudio retrospectivo sobre 79 casos / A combined external fixation and arteriography protocol for pelvic fractures with associated hemodynamic instability: retrospective study of 79 cases

Objetivo. Las fracturas de pelvis se asocian con frecuencia a sangrado intrapélvico arterial y/o venoso, ocasionando una mortalidad elevada que varía entre el 10 y 50%. Existen numerosos protocolos de tratamiento publicados para el control temprano de la hemorragia, que coinciden en la necesidad de un abordaje decidido y multidisciplinario combinando distintas maniobras terapéuticas. El objetivo del presente estudio consiste en determinar la aplicabilidad y la evolución clínica y los resultados de la aplicación de un algoritmo diagnóstico terapéutico, en un grupo de 79 pacientes con fractura de pelvis e inestabilidad hemodinámica mantenida asociada. Material y método. Estudio retrospectivo sobre una serie de pacientes con fractura de pelvis e inestabilidad hemodinámica asociada ingresados en nuestro centro desde 1994 a 2004. Los criterios de inclusión fueron: pacientes con fractura de pelvis por mecanismo de alta energía e inestabilidad hemodinámica definida como tensión arterial sistólica < 90 mmHg al ingreso o necesidades transfusionales superiores a dos unidades de concentrado de hematíes durante las primeras 12 horas. Resultados. Se utilizó fijación externa en 45 pacientes (57%) y 48 pacientes (61%) fueron sometidos a arteriografía, encontrándose sangrado arterial activo intrapélvico en 44 casos (56%). Veintiún pacientes precisaron de arteriografía y fijación externa de manera secuencial. Se realizó laparotomía en 24 pacientes. La incidencia de complicaciones sistémicas fue alta y la mortalidad del 19%. La aplicación del algoritmo fue elevada, excepto para el grupo de pacientes que precisó laparotomía y tenía configuración de fractura en libro abierto. Dicho grupo presentó una mortalidad elevada. Conclusiones. La incidencia de lesiones arteriales comprobadas por arteriografía fue muy alta. El empleo de un protocolo combinado de fijación externa y arteriografía adaptado a las características asistenciales de cada centro permite controlar el sangrado intrapélvico en un número importante de casos. Las indicaciones de laparotomía deben restringirse al tratamiento del hemoperitoneo y de fracturas abiertas, y debe acompañarse siempre de fijación externa

Purpose. Frequently pelvic fractures are associated with arterial and/or venous intrapelvic bleeding, resulting in a high mortality rate ranging between 10 and 50%. Numerous treatment protocols have been published for the early control of hemorrhage. All of them agree on the need of a determined and multi-disciplinary approach that combines various therapeutic methods. The purpose of this study is to determine the applicability, clinical evolution and results of a therapeutic diagnostic algorithm used with a group of 79 patients with a pelvis fracture and a related hemodynamic instability. Materials and methods. This is a retrospective study of a series of patients with a pelvic fracture associated to hemodynamic instability, who were admitted to our hospital between 1994 and 2004. The inclusion criteria were as follows: patients with a high-energy pelvic fracture and hemodynamic instability. The criteria used to define hemodynamic instability were a systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg on admission or transfusion needs higher than 2 units of red cell concentrate in the first 12 hours. Results. External fixation was used for 45 patients (57%). 48 patients (61%) were subjected to an arteriography, which revealed active arterial intrapelvic bleeding in 44 cases (56%). Twenty-one patients required an arterography plus external fixation, one after the other. twenty-four patients underwent a laparotomy. The incidence of systemic complications was high and mortality stood at 19%. The application of the algorithm was fairly widespread, except for patients requiring a laparotomy and presenting with an open-book type fracture. This group had a high mortality rate. Conclusions. The incidence of arteriography-validated arterial lesions was very high. The use of a combined external fixation and arteriography protocol, adapted to the specific health-care characteristics of each hospital makes it possible to check intrapelvic bleeding in quite a large number of cases. Indications for laparotomy should be restricted to the treatment of the hemoperitoneum and of open fractures, and should always be accompanied by some external fixation device