Anesthetic approach to trauma patients in the city hospital after the 2023 Maras earthquake.

BACKGROUND: The February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaras earthquake caused significant destruction across our country. More than 50,000 people lost their lives, thousands were injured, and health facilities were damaged. Victims were transferred to hospitals in other provinces for treatment. This study evaluates the anesthesia approach applied to the injured who were transferred to our tertiary hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent surgery between February 6 and February 20, 2023. The study included earthquake victims who underwent emergency trauma surgery, aged 10 years and above. We recorded the date of admission to the hospital, demographic information, type of surgery, surgical site, anesthesia technique, preference for peripheral block, laboratory values, dialysis and intensive care needs, and survival rates. Data analysis was performed using the IBM® Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS®) Version 26.0. RESULTS: A total of 375 cases were included in the study. Of these, 323 patients underwent surgery for extremity injuries, and 35 for vertebral injuries. Among the extremity injuries, 61.6% were to the lower extremities, and 17.1% to the upper extremities. Debridement was performed on 147 patients, fasciotomy on 49 patients, and amputation on 33 patients. General anesthesia was applied to 352 patients, spinal anesthesia to 19 patients, and sedoanalgesia to four patients. Peripheral nerve block was performed on 33 patients. Dialysis treatment was administered to 105 patients. Twenty-six patients were lost during the treatment process. There were no intraoperative patient deaths. CONCLUSION: The predominance of extremity injuries among earthquake victims increases the inclination towards regional anesthesia. Incorporating Plan A blocks into basic anesthesia skills could enhance the preference for regional anesthesia in disaster situations. Furthermore, transferring the injured to advanced centers may reduce morbidity.

Do pre-burn center management algorithms work? Evaluation of pre-admission diagnosis and treatment adequacy of burn patients referred to a burn center.

Interventions for burn management until the patient is transferred to a burn center affect mortality and morbidity. Therefore, adherence to the developed algorithms is an important issue. This study aimed to determine deficiencies in different aspects of the implementation of these algorithms during the pre-admission diagnosis and treatment processes of patients referred to our burn center. This study involved a 4-year review of patients referred to our burn center. One hundred and seventy burn cases admitted by referral were enrolled in the study. Adequacy of resuscitation within the first 24 hours, adherence to guidelines, and mortality were investigated. Resuscitation performed within the first 24 hours was found to be inadequate in 88 patients (51.8%). When the burned surface area percentages were evaluated all percentages were calculated higher before arrival. There were 78 major burn cases (45.9%), and the frequency of inhalation burns, intubation requirements and renal failure were more common in this group compared to the minor burn group (P < .001). The frequency of intubation without accurate indications was found to be 70.58%. Inadequate escharotomy was detected at a rate of 52.9%, and inadequate fasciotomy at a rate of 66.6%. The mortality rate was 22.4% among all patients. Interventions undertaken during the period until the patients' referral to these centers affect mortality and morbidity. In this study, it was found that the pre-hospital applications generated were insufficient, and it was proposed that burn patient care algorithms be developed with in-service training throughout the country.

Effect of Nutritional Support Containing Arginine, Glutamine and ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate on the Protein Balance in Patients with Major Burns.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a supplementary nutritional product containing arginine, glutamine and ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) on the nutritional parameters of patients with major burns. METHODS: In a total of 40 patients with major burns treated in the Burns Unit, standard nutritional support was administered to 20 patients, and the study product was added to the standard nutritional support of the remaining 20 patients. The biochemical laboratory test results and burn severity were recorded on the first day of treatment and on Days 14 and 28. The 40 patients were divided as the study and the control group, and their results were compared. RESULTS: An increase in the albumin, prealbumin and total protein values in the group administered with the study product was found to be statistically significant compared to the control group (p=0.021, p=0.02, p<0.001, respectively). The decreases in haemoglobin and C-reactive protein (CRP) were at the levels expected in burn trauma. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the addition of arginine, glutamine and HMB to the nutrition of patients with burns had a positive effect on the protein balance.

Relationship between the albumin level and the anesthesia method and the effect on clinical course in patients with major burns.

BACKGROUND: Due to a massive increase in capillary permeability during the state of shock caused by burns, albumin and intravascular fluid rapidly move to the extravascular areas. Therefore, hypoalbuminemia is seen as an early and prolonged finding in major burns. Hypoalbuminemia leads to various problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the preoperative albumin level on perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients with major burns. METHODS: Demographic data, preoperative albumin levels, surgical records, and clinical follow-up records of a total of 61 patients who underwent surgery for major burns in our hospital for the last 2 years were examined. Intraoperative complications were recorded, such as hypotension, bradycardia, low saturation, metabolic acidosis, reduced urine output, and hyperglycemia. Postoperative complications were recorded as intubation and the use of mechanical ventilator, sepsis, ARDS, acute renal failure, tracheotomy, hemorrhage, arrest, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, tissue infection, congestive heart failure, and pleural effusion. RESULTS: In patients with albumin levels measured as <2 gr/dL and >2 gr/dL, intraoperative complications were determined at the rates of 31.4% and 20.8%, respectively, postoperative complications at 60.0% and 51.5%, respectively, and mortality rates at 40% and 25.8%, respectively (p=0.148, p=0.251, p=0.85, respectively). The cut-off point for the preoperative albumin level affecting postoperative morbidity was determined as ≥2.3 gr/dL (Area Under Curve=0.587; p<0.001; 95% Confidence Interval, 0.476-0.699; Cut-Off Albumin, ≥2.3). CONCLUSION: There is as yet no consensus on the time and dosage of the delivery of albumin in patients with major burns. Although there are studies in the literature that have shown increased morbidity and mortality rates in individuals given albumin in the intensive care, there are also reports supporting the finding that it makes a positive contribution. No useful guidelines have been obtained on the subject of hypoalbuminemia in patients with major burns. The results of this study showed that the albumin level above or below 2 gr/dL did not create any change in perioperative morbidity and mortality; however, the preoperative level above 2.3 gr/dL was the cut-off value for morbidity.