Damage control in the emergency department, a bridge to life.

Patients with hemodynamic instability have a sustained systolic blood pressure less or equal to 90 mmHg, a heart rate greater or equal to 120 beats per minute and an acute compromise of the ventilation/oxygenation ratio and/or an altered state of consciousness upon admission. These patients have higher mortality rates due to massive hemorrhage, airway injury and/or impaired ventilation. Damage control resuscitation is a systematic approach that aims to limit physiologic deterioration through strategies that address the physiologic debt of trauma. This article aims to describe the experience earned by the Trauma and Emergency Surgery Group (CTE) of Cali, Colombia in the management of the severely injured trauma patient in the emergency department following the basic principles of damage control surgery. Since bleeding is the main cause of death, the management of the severely injured trauma patient in the emergency department requires a multidisciplinary team that performs damage control maneuvers aimed at rapidly controlling bleeding, hemostatic resuscitation, and/or prompt transfer to the operating room, if required.

Un paciente politraumatizado hemodinámicamente inestable es aquel que ingresa al servicio de urgencias con una presión arterial sistólica menor o igual de 90 mmHg, una frecuencia cardiaca mayor o igual a 120 latidos por minuto y un compromiso agudo de la relación ventilación/oxigenación y/o del estado de conciencia. Por esta razón, existe una alta mortalidad dentro de las primeras horas de un trauma severo ya sea por una hemorragia masiva, una lesión de la vía aérea y/o una alteración de la ventilación. Siendo el objetivo de este artículo describir el manejo en urgencias del paciente politraumatizado hemodinámicamente inestable de acuerdo con los principios de control de daños. El manejo del paciente politraumatizado es una estrategia dinámica de alto impacto que requiere de un equipo multidisciplinario de experiencia. El cual debe de evolucionar conjunto a las nuevas herramientas de diagnóstico y tratamiento endovascular que buscan ser un puente para lograr una menor repercusión hemodinámica en el paciente y una más rápida y efectiva estabilización con mayores tasas de sobrevida.

Hemodynamically unstable non-compressible penetrating torso trauma: a practical surgical approach.

Penetrating torso trauma is the second leading cause of death following head injury. Traffic accidents, falls and overall blunt trauma are the most common mechanism of injuries in developed countries; whereas, penetrating trauma which includes gunshot and stabs wounds is more prevalent in developing countries due to ongoing violence and social unrest. Penetrating chest and abdominal trauma have high mortality rates at the scene of the incident when important structures such as the heart, great vessels, or liver are involved. Current controversies surround the optimal surgical approach of these cases including the use of an endovascular device such as the Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) and the timing of additional imaging aids. This article aims to shed light on this subject based on the experience earned during the past 30 years in trauma critical care management of the severely injured patient. We have found that prioritizing the fact that the patient is hemodynamically unstable and obtaining early open or endovascular occlusion of the aorta to gain ground on avoiding the development of the lethal diamond is of utmost importance. Damage control surgery starts with choosing the right surgery of the right cavity in the right patient. For this purpose, we present a practical and simple guide on how to perform the surgical approach to penetrating torso trauma in a hemodynamically unstable patient.

El trauma penetrante del torso representa la segunda causa de muerte de origen traumático después del trauma craneoencefálico. En países desarrollados existe mayor prevalencia de trauma cerrado, asociado principalmente a accidentes de tránsito o caídas de grandes alturas. Mientas, que en países en vía de desarrollo el trauma penetrante es más prevalente con heridas por arma de fuego o por arma blanca asociado a la violencia y las desigualdades sociales. El trauma penetrante torácico y abdominal pueden presentar altas tasas de mortalidad en la escena del trauma si se comprometen estructuras importantes como el corazón, los grandes vasos o el hígado. Actualmente, existen controversias sobre el adecuado abordaje quirúrgico con la implementación o no de dispositivos endovasculares como el balón de resucitación endovascular de oclusión aórtica (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Oclussion of the Aorta - REBOA) y la realización de ayudas imagenológicas. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar el conocimiento sobre este tema, basado en la experiencia adquirida durante los últimos 30 años con el manejo del trauma, cirugía general y cuidado crítico. Sostenemos que en un paciente hemodinámicamente inestable se debe realizar una temprana oclusión aórtica endovascular o abierta con el objetivo de evitar el desarrollo o propagación del rombo de la muerte. Con este propósito, presentamos una guía práctica y sencilla sobre el abordaje quirúrgico del paciente hemodinámicamente inestable con trauma penetrante del torso.

Eficacia de los agentes hemostáticos para el control de hemorragias externas en sanidad militar / Effectiveness of hemostatic agents to control external bleeding in military health

Introducción: Es creciente el uso de nuevos agentes hemostáticos para controlar la hemorragia en entornos militares. Objetivos: Sintetizar y analizar la evidencia disponible sobre la eficacia de diferentes agentes hemostáticos utilizados en ambientes tácticos, transportados por los combatientes del ejército. Desarrollo: Se realizó una revisión narrativa de artículos publicados en inglés y español, en las bases de datos Medline (PubMed), Cochrane, Web of Science y en revistas, protocolos, libros y manuales del ámbito de urgencias y emergencias en el campo de batalla, que analizaron el fenómeno de estudio y cumplieron los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Tras la búsqueda y selección de los estudios, 7 artículos fueron incluidos en la síntesis narrativa. En los estudios se utilizaron los siguientes agentes hemostáticos QuikClot®, HemCon®, Celox® y el ChitoGauze HemCon®; en la mayoría de los estudios, los agentes hemostáticos tuvieron una eficacia superior al 88 por ciento para detener, disminuir y controlar la hemorragia externa en víctimas de combate, sobre todo en zonas de unión (articulaciones) y para reducir la morbilidad y mortalidad. Solo QuikClot® tuvo efectos secundarios negativos, al provocar quemaduras. El correcto manejo de los agentes hemostáticos requiere de formación previa, lo que evita errores de administración. Conclusiones: Los agentes hemostáticos son eficaces para el abordaje de la hemorragia externa y aumentan la supervivencia en víctimas de combate. Es necesario formar a los profesionales para evitar errores en su manejo. Futuros estudios deben indagar cuál de estos agentes es más eficaz(AU)

Introduction: The use of new hemostatic agents to control hemorrhage in military environments is growing. Objectives: To synthesize and analyze the available evidence about the effectiveness of the different hemostatic agents utilized in tactical environments that are transported by army fighters. Development: A narrative review of articles published in English and Spanish, in Medline (PubMed), Cochrane and Web of Science, and magazines, protocols, books, and manuals in the field of emergency and battlefield emergencies, who analyzed the study phenomenon and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After searching and selecting the studies, 7 articles were included in the narrative synthesis. In the studies, the following hemostatic agents were used QuikClot®, HemCon®, Celox®, and ChitoGauze HemCon®, in most studies, hemostatic agents were more than 88 percent effective in stopping, reducing, and controlling external hemorrhage in combat victims, especially in union areas, also decreasing morbidity and mortality. Only QuikClot® had negative side effects causing burns. The correct handling of hemostatic agents requires prior training, which avoids administration mistakes. Conclusions: Hemostatic agents are effective for treating external hemorrhage in combat victims and increasing their survival. It is necessary to train professionals to avoid mistakes in their handling. Future studies should investigate which of these agents is more effective(AU)

Advanced Trauma Life Support® Update 2019: Management and Applications for Adults and Special Populations.

As the principal operating room resuscitationists, anesthesiologists must be familiar with the principles of Advanced Trauma Life Support®, 10th edition. This edition recommends a highly structured approach to trauma patients and endorses several advances in trauma resuscitation. There are less stringent guidelines for crystalloid administration, references to video-assisted laryngoscopy, suggested use of viscoelastic methods to guide transfusion decisions, and other changes reflecting recent advances. This article discusses trauma team approach to resuscitation, greater focus on special populations, de-emphasis of spinal immobilization in favor of restriction of spinal motion, and other updates and technical advances.

Trauma in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Approach to the Mother and Fetus.

Trauma is a significant contributor to maternal and fetal morbidity and death in the United States. The nature of the evaluation of the pregnant trauma patient is intense and multidisciplinary. Although it invites unique opportunities for collaboration with our surgical colleagues, it also increases the risk of misunderstanding and conflict. We present in this Viewpoint a standardized fetal trauma survey that seamlessly integrates with Advanced Trauma Life Support (American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL) in an effort to create a more reliable and collaborative experience in the trauma room.

Efficacy of a Novel Surgical Manikin for Simulating Emergency Surgical Procedures.

The practical component of the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) course typically includes a TraumaMan® manikin. This manikin is expensive; hence, a low-cost alternative (SurgeMan®) was developed in Brazil. Our primary objective was to compare user satisfaction among SurgeMan, TraumaMan, and porcine models during the course. Our secondary objective was to determine the user satisfaction scores for SurgeMan. This study included 36 ATLS students and nine instructors (4:1 ratio). Tube thoracostomy, cricothyroidotomy, pericardiocentesis, and diagnostic peritoneal lavage were performed on all the three models. The participants then rated their satisfaction both after each activity and after the course. The porcine and TraumaMan models fared better than SurgeMan for all skills except pericardiocentesis. In the absence of ethical or financial constraints, 58 per cent of the students and 66 per cent of the instructors indicated preference for the porcine model. When ethical and financial factors were considered, no preference was evident among the students, whereas 66 per cent of instructors preferred SurgeMan over the others. The students gave all three models an overall adequacy rating of >80 per cent; the instructors gave only the animal models an adequacy rating of <80 per cent. Although the users were more satisfied with TraumaMan than with SurgeMan, both were considered acceptable for the ATLS course.

Caso: No ingreso en UCI como limitación de soporte vital / Case: No admission to the ICU as a limitation of life support

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Model assisted sensitivity analyses for hidden bias with binary outcomes.

In medical and health sciences, observational studies are a major data source for inferring causal relationships. Unlike randomized experiments, observational studies are vulnerable to the hidden bias introduced by unmeasured confounders. The impact of unmeasured covariates on the causal effect can be assessed by conducting a sensitivity analysis. A comprehensive framework of sensitivity analyses has been developed for matching designs. Sensitivity parameters are introduced to capture the association between the missing covariates and the exposure or the outcome. Fixing sensitivity parameter values, it is possible to compute the bounds of the p-value of a randomization test on causal effects. We propose a model assisted sensitivity analysis with binary outcomes for the general 1:k matching design, which provides results equivalent to the conventional nonparametric approach in large sample. By introducing a conditional logistic outcome model, we substantially simplify the implementation and interpretation of the sensitivity analysis. More importantly, we are able to provide a closed form representation for the set of sensitivity parameters for which the maximum p-values are non-significant. This methodology can be easily extended to matching designs with multilevel treatments. We illustrate our method using a U.S. trauma care database to examine mortality difference between trauma care levels.

Advanced Trauma Life Support Time Standards.

INTRODUCTION: Trauma readiness is critical to military medicine. Without medical centers that include persistent volumes of trauma, simulation has become the means to maintain and practice those skills. To create those simulations, standards for both design and metrics to evaluate practitioners are required. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four traumas were monitored and times to completion of the various steps of Advanced Trauma Life Support were recorded and tabulated. The times recorded for level 1 and level 2 traumas were compared without statistical differences identified. RESULTS: Normative times for various portions of the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol were provided. These include time to airway assessment, breathing assessment, circulation assessment, establishment of intravenous, completion of primary survey, chest X-ray, first set of vitals, and focused assessment with sonography for trauma scan. CONCLUSIONS: Using these mean times, simulations can be created to best replicate traumas and evaluate the capabilities of practitioners.

Standardizing the initial resuscitation of the trauma patient with the Primary Assessment Completion Tool using video review.

BACKGROUND: Major trauma resuscitations at pediatric trauma centers have an elevated risk for error because of their high acuity and relatively low frequency. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) treatment paradigm was established to improve the management of trauma patients during the initial resuscitation phase and has been shown to improve outcomes through a standardized approach. The goal of this quality improvement project was to decrease assessment physician variability and improve the compliance with the ATLS primary assessment for major resuscitations. METHODS: A video review tool was developed to score the assessment physician on completion of the primary survey components using ATLS format. Interrater reliability and content validity were established for the tool. Data were collected through video review of the trauma response team in the emergency department for all Level 1 trauma alert activations with general consent. Chi-square and regression analyses were used to evaluate the data at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year from the baseline period. RESULTS: A total of 142 patient videos were scored between July 28, 2015, and August 1, 2016. Eleven patients were reviewed during the baseline period, and only 9.1% of the total scores were ≥85. Thirty days following project implementation, 37.5% were ≥ 85. Six months following project implementation, 64.4% scored ≥85. One year following project implementation, 91.5% scored ≥85. These were statistically significant changes (p < .0001) with less variability over time. CONCLUSION: Effective leadership using a standardized approach during the trauma resuscitation has been found to have a positive effect on task completion and the overall functioning of the trauma team. This focused quality improvement project improved compliance with ATLS format and decreased variability by the assessment physician, potentially improving patient safety and outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.

Teaching Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS): A nationwide retrospective analysis of 8202 lessons taught in Germany.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether faculty who teach the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course would improve with experience and, correspondingly, ratings from course evaluations would increase. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of student evaluations of 262 ATLS courses held between 2008 and 2012. SETTING: All ATLS courses held between 2008 and 2012 nationwide in Germany. PARTICIPANTS: All ATLS student course evaluations covering 8202 lessons, 81 instructors, 36 course directors, and 5 coordinators. RESULTS: ATLS courses in Germany attained high levels of student satisfaction. Satisfaction levels increased steadily over the 5-year period studied. The entire staff influenced this finding. Teaching quality improved the most within the first 100 lessons taught. Skill stations received better evaluations than lectures, and local courses were less satisfactory than national course formats. The 2 demonstrations that open the course were the top rated events. Skill stations, including a human phantom, were highly rated; the cricothyrotomy station was top rated. CONCLUSION: The German ATLS course evaluations indicated steady improvement over the 5-year study. The level of experience of course coordinators, directors, and instructors influenced this finding. Teaching quality improved most within the first 100 lessons taught, and then reached a steady state. Skill stations received better evaluations than lectures, and local courses were less satisfactory than national course formats.

Suport vital en trauma 2015 / No disponible

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Formació en suport vital i implementació de les guies 2015 / No disponible

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Indicadores de proceso como herramienta para monitorizar la asistencia al paciente con traumatismo grave en Cataluña / Process indicators: tools for monitoring the management of severe trauma cases in Catalonia

Objetivos: Los indicadores de proceso (IP) se han utilizado ampliamente para monitorizar los procesos asistenciales al paciente traumático. Nuestro objetivo es analizar la capacidad de un registro hospitalario de traumatismo grave para evaluar algunos aspectos de la atención inicial al traumatismo grave. Método: Observacional, retrospectivo de datos incluidos en un registro poblacional. A partir de un consenso de expertos se seleccionaron una serie de IP que se aplicaron a una población de accidentados. Los IP seleccionados analizan algunos aspectos de la atención inicial, diagnósticos y terapéuticos. Cuatro de ellos se refieren a la fase prehospitalaria y 5 a la fase hospitalaria. Para todos ellos se calculó la tasa de cumplimiento (observados vs esperados). Resultados: Fueron analizados 1.526 casos (44,4%) correspondientes al año 2013 y 1.908 (55,6%) del 2014. Tres de los cuatro IP relacionados con la atención prehospitalaria pudieron ser analizados: intubación orotraqueal en paciente con puntuación de la Escala del Coma de Glasgow (GCS) mas o igual a 8 (84% de cumplimiento); acceso vascular canalizado antes de la llegada al hospital (83,4% de cumplimiento); y contención cervical aplicada in situ (72,7% de cumplimiento). En la fase hospitalaria: realización de tomografía computarizada (TC) craneal en los primeros 60 min en GCS menor o igual a 13 (5,3% de cumplimiento); craneotomía en paciente candidato en las primeras 2 horas después del diagnóstico (65% de cumplimiento); exploración diagnóstica en traumatismo abdominal en los primeros 60 minutos en pacientes con presión arterial sistólica (PAS) menor o igual a 90 mmHg (89,3% de cumplimiento); y laparotomía o angiografía terapéutica en paciente candidato en las 4 primeras horas tras el trauma abdominal y PAS menor o igual a 90 (51,7% de cumplimiento). El último indicador, cirugía de fractura abierta en las primeras 8 horas tras el accidente, presentó un 69,9% de cumplimiento. Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio muestra las posibilidades y dificultades que un registro de traumatismo en base hospitalaria ofrece para evaluar la asistencia al paciente traumático a través de indicadores de proceso establecidos (AU)

Background and objectives: Process indicators have been widely used to monitor the way trauma care is provided. We aimed to analyze whether data from a hospital’s severe trauma register could facilitate the evaluation of aspects of the initial management of severe injuries. Methods: Observational, retrospective population-based study. A working group of experts selected a set of trauma care process indicators relevant to some aspects of initial care, diagnosis, and treatment of severely injured patients. Four of the indicators referred to prehospital care and 5 to hospital care. We calculated the observed and expected compliance rates for all the indicators. Results: A total of 1526 cases (44.4%) were analyzed for 2013; 1908 (55.6%) were analyzed for 2014. We were able to evaluate 3 of the 4 prehospital process indicators: endotracheal intubation in patients with a score of less than or equal to to 8 on the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) (84% compliance), venous access established before hospital arrival (83.4%), and placement of a neck collar to immobilize the cervical spine (72.7%). Compliance for the hospital-phase indicators were as follows: performance of a computed tomography scan of the head within 60 minutes in cases with a GCS of less than or equal to 13 (5.3% compliance, craniotomy in candidate patients within 2 hours of diagnosis (65%), diagnostic examination for abdominal injuries within 60 minutes in patients with systolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg (89.3%), and therapeutic laparotomy or angiography within 4 hours of abdominal injury in candidate patients with systolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg (51.7%). Compliance was 69.9% for the last process indicator: surgical treatment of open fractures within 8 hours of an accident. Conclusion: Our findings show that a hospital trauma register provides data about care process indicators that can allow us to monitor the quality of care of severely injured patients (AU)

Successful Resuscitation: Novel Partnership between Paramedics and U.S. Coast Guard.

In this article, we present a notable case that illustrates a novel partnership between a United States Coast Guard small boat station and a civilian paramedic response unit. Patients who experience medical emergencies in remote environments are at particularly high risk for morbidity and mortality. For the most serious conditions, delayed contact with Advanced Life Support (ALS) has grave results. Typically, these circumstances involve small groups of individuals and cannot be easily predicted. The waters off the coasts of Maui, Hawaii, however, host millions of residents and visitors annually, with activities including swimming, snorkeling, diving, parasailing, and other types of ocean recreation. As a result, medical and rescue emergencies are not uncommon, many with poor outcomes. Prior to October of 2013, a Coast Guard response boat crew with limited medical training and equipment responded to most off shore cases. Since October 2013, a paramedic from Maui County EMS co-responds aboard the Coast Guard boat with a full complement of ALS equipment. This partnership has resulted in some significant improvements in patient outcome, and strengthened a collaborative emergency services system. The experience has also indicated the need for continued improvement in early activation and communication, as well as reinforcing the importance of primary prevention.

[Comparative characteristics of domestic and foreign means of the first aid on the battlefield and in the epicenter of emergency situation].

Comparative characteristics of domestic and foreign means of the first aid on the battlefield and in the epicentre of emergency situation. The results of comparative analysis of domestic and foreign means of the first aid on the battlefield and in the epicentre of emergency situation are presented. It was found that the first aid means used in the Armed Forces are effective and allow performing specified activities, regardless of the qualifications and assisting skills. Modern innovative means of providing emergency and urgent care may be used on the stages of medical evacuation of military and military hospitals.

Timing of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in severe traumatic brain injury: Impact on overall mortality.

BACKGROUND: The care of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is complex and confounded by uncertainty in prognoses. Studies have demonstrated significant unexplained variation in mortality between centers. Possible explanations include differences in the quality and intensity of care across centers, including the appropriateness and timing of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies. We postulated that centers with a preponderance of early deaths might have a more pessimistic approach to the TBI patient, which would be reflected in an increased hospital TBI-related mortality. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Time to death was used as a proxy for time to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies. Centers were classified as early or late based on when the majority (75th percentile) of their TBI-related deaths occurred. We evaluated the association between adjusted mortality and center classification using a hierarchical multivariable model. Two hundred trauma centers contributing data to the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program from 2010 through 2013 were involved. The cohort included 17,505 patients with severe isolated TBI. RESULTS: One hundred eight centers were classified as early centers. The 75th percentile for time to death was 4 days among early centers versus 7 days in late centers. Mortality was 34% and 33%, respectively. After adjustment for case mix, care in an early center was not associated with increased odds of death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.09). Higher odds of death were independently associated with age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, head Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score, multiple comorbidities, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral mass lesions, brainstem lesions, and signs of compressed or absent basal cisterns. CONCLUSION: Centers rendering early decisions related to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in TBI patients, as measured by time until death, do not have worse outcomes than those making later decisions. How and when these decisions are made requires further exploration to balance an opportunity for clinical improvement with appropriate resource use. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III.

Atención inicial al politraumatizado maxilofacial: evaluación de la vía aérea y la circulación / Initial care of maxillofacial polytrauma patients: evaluation of the airway and circulation

Introducción: la traumatología facial es una vertiente de la Cirugía Maxilofacial, donde son necesarios conocimientos profundos de disciplinas tales como anatomía, fisiología, patología, y la estrecha relación con otras especialidades (quirúrgicas o no). Objetivo: realizar una revisión bibliográfica sobre la atención al politraumatizado maxilofacial, enfatizando en aspectos relacionados con el Soporte Vital Avanzado en Trauma y dentro de él, el manejo de la vía aérea con la estabilización de la columna cervical, de la ventilación y la circulación. Métodos: se realizó una revisión bibliográfica en el periodo comprendido entre diciembre de 2014 y enero de 2015. Se evaluaron revistas de impacto de Web of Sciencies (41 revistas) y 6 libros. Se consultaron las bases de datos de sistemas referativos MEDLINE, PubMed y SciELO. Se utilizaron como descriptores maxilofacial trauma, maxilofacial emergency, emergency management, critical care y sus equivalentes en español. Se incluyeron artículos en idioma inglés y español, publicados preferentemente en los últimos 5 años. Se obtuvieron 147 artículos. El estudio se circunscribió a 50 que enfocaban estas temáticas de manera más integral. Análisis e integración de la información: al analizar el comportamiento de los artículos referidos al tema, en relación con su representatividad en las revistas científicas, se halló que 6 por ciento correspondió a la Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Conclusiones: la atención eficaz del politraumatizado maxilofacial asegura resultados satisfactorios, tanto en la conservación de la vida, como desde el punto de vista estético y funcional. En esta temática es imprescindible manejar las directrices del Soporte Vital Avanzado del trauma y dentro de él, el manejo de la vía aérea con la estabilización de la columna cervical, ventilación y circulación(AU)

Introduction: facial traumatology is a branch of maxillofacial surgery requiring deep knowledge about disciplines such as anatomy, physiology and pathology, as well as their close relationship to other specialties, either surgical or not. Objective: carry out a bibliographic review about the care of maxillofacial polytrauma patients, highlighting aspects related to advanced trauma life support, particularly management of the airway with cervical spine stabilization, ventilation and circulation. Methods: a bibliographic review was performed which covered the period from December 2014 to January 2015. The evaluation included high impact journals from theWeb of Sciences (41 journals) and 6 books. The databases MEDLINE, PubMed and SciELO were consulted, using the search terms maxillofacial trauma, maxillofacial emergency, emergency management and critical care, and their Spanish counterparts. The review included papers in English and Spanish, preferably published the last five years. Of the 147 papers obtained, the reviewers selected the 50 which approached the study topics in a more comprehensive manner. Data analysis and integration: Analysis of the representativeness of papers in scientific journals revealed that 6 percent corresponded to the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Conclusions: effective care of maxillofacial polytrauma patients ensures satisfactory results, both in the preservation of life as from an esthetic and functional point of view. It is indispensable to have a good command of advanced trauma life support guidelines, particularly the management of the airway with stabilization of the cervical spine, ventilation and circulation(AU)