Management and outcome of pancreatic trauma:a 6-year experience at a level I trauma center

Background: Pancreatic trauma (PT) accounts for less than 1% of all trauma admissions. Occasionally, PT is undetected during theprimary survey and becomes apparent only when complications arise. It occurs in up to 5% of blunt abdominal trauma cases and 12%of individuals with penetrating abdominal injuries. Management is determined by the status of the main pancreatic duct and associatedinjuries.Methods: This was an ambispective study conducted at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center, All India Institute ofMedical Sciences,New Delhi, from January 2015 to December 2017 (retrospective), and January 2019 to December 2020 (prospective). In total, 113patients with PT were included in this study.Results:We analyzed the data of 113 patients with PT included in this study, of whichmales predominated (93.7%). Blunt PT was presentin 101 patients (89.4%) and penetrating PT in 12 patients (10.6%). Half of the patients (51.3%) had the American Association for theSurgery of Trauma grade III PT, followed by grade II (18.6%), and grade I (15%). Of the total 113 patients, 68 (60.2%) were treated withoperative management, and 45 (39.8%) with nonoperative management. Distal pancreatectomy, with or without splenectomy, was themost common procedure performed in our study, followed by drainage. There were 27 mortalities (23.8%) during the study period, ofwhich 7 were directly related to PT and 20 were due to other organ-related sepsis and hemorrhagic shock.Conclusion: Pancreatic trauma is rare but challenging for trauma surgeons, with persistent management controversies. Early diagnosisis important for favorable results;however, a delay in diagnosis has been associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Low-grade pancreaticinjuries can be successfully managed nonoperatively, whereas high-grade pancreatic injuries require surgical intervention.

Traumatic cardiac injury： Experience from a level-1 trauma centre

Purpose： Traumatic cardiac injury （TCI） is a challenge for trauma surgeons as it provides a short thera- peutic window and the management is often dictated by the underlying mechanism and hemodynamic status, The current study is to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of TCI. Methods： Prospectively maintained database of TCI cases admitted at a Level-I trauma center from July 2008 to June 2013 was retrospectively analyzed. Hospital records were reviewed and statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 15. Results： Out of 21 cases of TCI, 6 （28.6%） had isolated and 15 （71.4%） had associated injuries. Ratio be- tween blunt and penetrating injuries was 2：1 with male preponderance. Mean ISS was 31.95. Thirteen patients （62%） presented with features suggestive of shock. Cardiac tamponade was present in 12 （57%） cases and pericardiocentesis was done in only 6 cases of them. Overall 19 patients underwent surgery, Perioperatively 8 （38,1%） patients developed cardiac arrest and 7 developed cardiac arrhythmia. Overall survival rate was 71.4%. Mortality was related to cardiac arrest （p = 0.014）, arrhythmia （p = 0.014）, and hemorrhagic shock （p = 0.04）. The diagnostic accuracy of focused assessment by sonography in trauma （FAST） was 95.24%. Conclusion： High index of clinical suspicion based on the mechanism of injury, meticulous examination by FAST and early intervention could improve the overall outcome.

Are fails more common than road traffic accidents in pediatric trauma？ Experience from a Level 1 trauma centre in New Delhi, India

Purpose： The epidemiology of pediatric trauma is different in different parts of the world. Some researchers suggest falls as the most common mechanism, whereas others report road traffic accidents （RTAs） as the most common cause. The aim of this study is to find out the leading cause of pediatric admissions in Trauma Surgery in New Delhi, India. Methods： Inpatient data from January 2012 to September 2014 was searched retrospectively in Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre Trauma Registry. All patients aged 18 years or less on index presentation admitted to surgical ward/ICU or later taken transfer by the Department of Trauma Surgery were included. Data were retrieved in predesigned proformas. Information thus compiled was coded in unique alphanumeric codes for each variable and subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 21. Results： We had 300 patients over a 33 month period. Among them, 236 （78.6%） were males and 64 （21.3%） females. Overall the predominant cause was RTAs in 132 （43%） patients. On subgroup analysis of up to 12 years age group （n - 147）, the most common cause was found to be RTAs again. However, falls showed an incremental upward trend （36.05% in up to 12 age group versus 27% overall）, catching up with RTAs （44.89%）. Pediatric Trauma Score （PTS） ranged from 0 to 12 with a mean of 8.12 _＋ 2.022. 223 （74.33%） patients experienced trauma limited to one anatomic region only, whereas 77 （25.66%） patients suffered polytrauma. 288 patients were discharged to home care. Overall, 12 patients expired in the cohort. Median hospital stay was 6 days （range 1-182）. Conclusion： Pediatric trauma is becoming a cause of increasing concern, especially in the developing countries. The leading cause of admissions in Trauma Surgery is RTAs （43%） as compared to falls from height （27%）; however, falls from height are showing an increasing trend as we move to younger age groups. Enhancing road safety alone may not be a lasting solution for prevention of pediatric trauma and local injury patterns must be taken into account when formulating policies to address this unique challenge.

Innocuous cardiac gunshot that proved fatal： A bitter lesson learned

The management of hemodynamically normal patients with retained intra-pericardial foreign body re- mains a matter of conjecture. The available literature supports non-operative management of such innocuous foreign bodies. We report our experience of a hemodynamically normal patient with a retained intra-pericardial pellet from a firearm injury. He initially received successful non-operative management but developed fatal hemopericardium 21 days after injury. In this paper, we discussed the pitfalls in the management of such injuries in light of the available literature and summarized the clinical experience.

Varied presentations, magnitude, and outcome of traumatic neck injuries at a level I trauma center

Introduction:Traumatic neck injuries(TNIs)constitute 5%–10%of all trauma cases.These injuries can be caused by either penetrating or blunt trauma.Patients can have a varied presentation like cut injury over the neck,bleeding,neck swelling,breathing difficulty,dysphagia,etc.Methods:This was a retrospective observational study conducted at a level I trauma center in India from January 2016 to March 2020.One hundred thirty patients who required admission and intervention due to TNIs were included in this study.Results:One hundred thirty patients with neck injuries were included in this study.Males were predominant(91.5%)with the age ranging from 10 to 70years.The most common mechanism of injury was physical assault(40.7%),followed by road traffic injury(23.8%)and self-inflicted injuries(18.4%).Penetrating trauma was predominant.Open neck wound with bleeding was the most common presenting symptom.Zone II injuries were more common(83.8%)followed by zone I(12.3%)and zone III(3.8%).Soft tissue injury including skin,platysma breach,and strap muscle injury was present in 46.9% of patients.Laryngopharyngeal injury was present in 13.8%,tracheal injury in 28.5%,vascular injury in 13.8%,and esophageal injury in 4.6% of patients.Conclusion:Penetrating neck trauma is more common than blunt in developing countries like India.Advanced Trauma Life Support(ATLS)protocol guides the initial management.The definitive management depends on the type and mechanism of injury,anatomical level,severity,and the organ injured.