Pelvic fractures in blunt trauma patients:A comparative study

BACKGROUND Pelvic fractures(PF)with concomitant injuries are on the rise due to an increase of high-energy trauma.Increase of the elderly population with age related comorbidities further complicates the management.Abdominal organ injuries are kindred with PF due to the proximity to pelvic bones.Presence of contrast blush(CB)on computed tomography in patients with PF is considered a sign of active bleeding,however,its clinical significance and association with outcomes is debatable.AIM To analyze polytrauma patients with PF with a focus on the geriatric population,co-injuries and the value of contrast blush.METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 558 patients with PF admitted to level 1 trauma center(01/2017-01/2023).Analyzed variables included:Age,sex,mechanism of injury(MOI),injury severity score(ISS),Glasgow coma scale(GCS),abbreviated injury scale(AIS),co-injuries,transfusion requirements,pelvic angiography,embolization,laparotomy,orthopedic pelvic surgery,intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay,discharge disposition and mortality.The study compared geriatric and non-geriatric patients,patients with and without CB and abdominal co-injuries.Propensity score matching was implemented in comparison groups.RESULTS PF comprised 4%of all trauma admissions.89 patients had CB.286(52%)patients had concomitant injuries including 93(17%)patients with abdominal co-injuries.Geriatric patients compared to non-geriatric had more falls as MOI,lower ISS and AIS pelvis,higher GCS,less abdominal co-injuries,similar CB and angio-embolization rates,less orthopedic pelvic surgeries,shorter lengths of stay and higher mortality.After propensity matching,orthopedic pelvic surgery rates remained lower(8%vs 19%,P<0.001),hospital length of stay shorter,and mortality higher(13%vs 4%,P<0.001)in geriatric patients.Out of 89 patients with CB,45(51%)were embolized.After propensity matching,patients with CB compared to without CB had more pelvic angiography(71%vs 12%,P<0.001),higher embolization rates(64%vs 22%,P=0.02)and comparable mortality.CONCLUSION Half of the patients with PF had concomitant co-injuries,including abdominal co-injuries in 17%.Similarly injured geriatric patients had higher mortality.Half of the patients with CB required an embolization.

Experimental study of transient pressure wave in the behind armor blunt trauma induced by different rifle bullets

Pressure wave plays an important role in the occurrence of behind armor blunt trauma(BABT),and ballistic gelatin is widely used as a surrogate of biological tissue in the research of BABT.Comparison of pressure wave in the gelatin behind armor for different rifle bullets is lacking.The aim of this study was to observe dynamic changes in pressure wave induced by ballistic blunt impact on the armored gelatin block and to compare the effects of bullet type on the parameters of the transient pressure wave.The gelatin blocks protected with National Institute of Justice(NIJ) class III bulletproof armor were shot by three types of rifle bullet with the same level of impact energy.The transient pressure signals at five locations were recorded with pressure sensors and three parameters(maximum pressure,maximum pressure impulse,and the duration of the first positive phase) were determined and discussed.The results indicated that the waveform and the twin peak of transient pressure wave were not related to the bullet type.However,the values of pressure wave's parameters were significantly affected by bullet type.Additionally,the attenuation of pressure amplitude followed the similar law for the three ammunitions.These findings may be helpful to get some insight in the BABT and improve the structure design of bullet.

Analysis of imaging characteristics of blunt traumatic aortic dissection: an 8-year experience

BACKGROUND:Traumatic aortic dissection(TAD)has a low incidence but extremely high mortality.It always presents atypical clinical manifestations that are easily missed or misdiagnosed.This study mainly aims to describe the imaging characteristics and management of TAD patients.METHODS:A retrospective analysis of 27 blunt TAD patients was performed between 2013 and 2020.Demographic features,imaging characteristics,and management were analyzed.RESULTS:Twenty-seven patients with type B aortic dissection(age 56.04±16.07 years,20 men)were included.Aortic intimal tears were mostly initiated from the aortic isthmus.The sizes of the proximal intimal tears in the greater curvature were larger than those in the lesser curvature(1.78±0.56 cm vs.1.24±0.52 cm,P=0.031).Compared with those in the control group,the maximum diameters of the aortic arch,thoracic aorta,and abdominal aorta in the TAD patients were all significantly widened(all P<0.050).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the maximum diameter of the thoracic aorta was an independent risk factor for TAD,with a predictive value with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)of 0.673.Finally,26 patients successfully underwent delayed thoracic endovascular aortic repair(TEVAR),and the remaining one patient was treated conservatively.No progression of aortic dissection or death occurred during the six-month follow-up period.CONCLUSIONS:In blunt trauma,the aortic isthmus is the most common site of proximal intimal tears.An accurate diagnosis of TAD requires an overall consideration of medical history and imaging characteristics.Delayed TEVAR might be an eff ective therapeutic option for TAD.

Contribution of EFAST Ultrasound in the Management of Chest and Abdomen’s Blunt Trauma in the City of Parakou, Benin

Background: Blunt thoracic and abdominal traumas are frequent and have a poor prognosis in the absence of prompt diagnosis and adequate management. An ultrasound performed in the emergency room allows a precise diagnosis and a better orientation of the victims. Objective: To assess the contribution of EFAST ultrasound in the management of blunt thoracic and abdominal traumas. Patients and method: Cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study with prospective data collection carried out from February 20th to August 20th, 2017 in the emergency and intensive care units of the Parakou University Hospital Centre. An ultrasound machine fitted with a 3.5 MHz convex probe was used to search for post-traumatic effusion by the EFAST technique on admission and then as needed over 24 hours and after surgery. Results: Sixty-three patients were collected with an 85.71% male predominance. The average age was 31.36 ± 13.29 years. The time to perform the EFAST ultrasound was 7 ± 3 min. EFAST was positive in 50.79% of patients. Five patients (7.93%) received emergency treatment for hemodynamic instability and positive EFAST within an average of 3.46 ± 2 hours. Eighteen patients (27.58%) received after monitoring by EFAST, surgery within 9 hours 12 minutes (hemoperitoneum) and 27 hours 58 minutes (hemothorax). Two patients were tested positively for EFAST after surgery. Conclusion: The introduction of an EFAST ultrasound as a sorting tool in an environment with limited resources is desirable and feasible.

Chest X-rays in detecting injuries caused by blunt trauma

BACKGROUND:The appropriate sequence of different imagings and indications of thoracic computed tomography(TCT)in evaluating chest trauma have not yet been clarified at present.The current study was undertaken to determine the value of chest X-ray(CXR)in detecting chest injuries in patients with blunt trauma.METHODS:A total of 447 patients with blunt thoracic trauma who had been admitted to the emergency department(ED)in the period of 2009–2013 were retrospectively reviewed.The patients met inclusion criteria(age>8 years,blunt injury to the chest,hemodynamically stable,and neurologically intact)and underwent both TCT and upright CXR in the ED.Radiological imagings were re-interpreted after they were collected from the hospital database by two skilled radiologists.RESULTS:Of the 447 patients,309(69.1%)were male.The mean age of the 447 patients was 39.5±19.2(range 9 and 87 years).158(35.3%)patients were injured in motor vehicle accidents(MVA).CXR showed the highest sensitivity in detecting clavicle fractures[95%CI 78.3(63.6–89)]but the lowest in pneuomediastinum[95%CI 11.8(1.5–36.4)].The specificity of CXR was close to 100%in detecting a wide array of entities.CONCLUSION:CXR remains to be the first choice in hemodynamically unstable patients with blunt chest trauma.Moreover,stable patients with normal CXR are candidates who should undergo TCT if significant injury has not been ruled out.

Diagnosis and management of colonic injuries following blunt trauma

AIM: To retrospectively evaluate the preoperative diagnostic approaches and management of colonic injuries following blunt abdominal trauma. METHODS: A total of 82 patients with colonic injuries caused by blunt trauma between January 1992 and December 2005 were enrolled. Data were collected on clinical presentation, investigations, diagnostic methods, associated injuries, and operative management. Colonic injury-related mortality and abdominal complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Colonic injuries were caused mainly by motor vehicle accidents. Of the 82 patients, 58 (70.3%) had other associated injuries. Laparotomy was performed within 6 h after injury in 69 cases (84.1%), laparoscopy in 3 because of haemodynamic instability. The most commonly injured site was located in the transverse colon. The mean colon injury scale score was 2.8. The degree of faecal contamination was classified as mild in 18 (22.0%), moderate in 42 (51.2%), severe in 14 (17.1%), and unknown in 8 (9.8%) cases. Sixty-seven patients (81.7%) were treated with primary repair or resection and anastomosis. Faecal stream diversion was performed in 15 cases (18.3%). The overall mortality rate was 6.1%. The incidence of colonic injury- related abdominal complications was 20.7%. The only independent predictor of complications was the degree of peritoneal faecal contamination (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Colonic injuries following blunt trauma are especially important because of the severity and complexity of associated injuries. A thorough physical examination and a combination of tests can be used to evaluate the indications for laparotomy. One stage management at the time of initial exploration is mostoften used for colonic injuries.

Pancreatic Body Fracture does not Necessarily Imply Loss of Ductal Integrity Following Blunt Trauma Abdomen—A Rare Image

Pancreatic injuries can result in significant morbidity and mortality if missed or unnoticed and also pose a great challenge in terms of diagnosis and treatment. We present a case of an 11 year old boy presenting with history of blunt trauma abdomen following handle bar injury. He had signs of abdominal distension and CECT of the abdomen showed transection of the pancreas in the region of junction between the body and tail. On exploratory laparotomy there was rupture at junction of body and tail of pancreas with intact pancreatic duct and a spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy was performed. In the presence of an intact pancreatic duct conservative management should be offered however this patient underwent spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy because of pancreatitis and necrosis ensuing in the pancreatic remnant margin. Hence, complete transection does not necessarily mean loss of ductal integrity and decision to preserve or remove the distal pancreas should not be based merely on ductal integrity but probably other factors also i.e. pancreatitis and necrosis.

Gastric blunt traumatic injuries: A computed tomography grading classification

AIM To produce a radiological grading of gastric traumatic injuries. METHODS In our study, we retrospectively analyzed 32 cases of blunt gastric traumatic injuries and compared computed tomography(CT) data with patients' surgical or medical development. In all cases, a basal phase was acquired, and an intravenous contrast material was administered via an antecubital venous catheter with acquisition in the venous phase(70-90 s). In addition, a further set of delayed scans was performed 4-5 min after the first scanning session, without supplementary intravenous contrast material, to identify or better define areas of active bleeding. All CT examinations were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists, with more than 5 years of experience in emergency radiology, to detect signs of gastric injuries and/or associated abdominal lesions according to literature data. Specific CT findings for gastric rupture include luminal content extravasation and discontinuity of the gastric wall, while CT findings suggestive of injury consisted of free peritoneal fluid, extraluminal air, pneumatosis, and thickening and hematoma of gastric wall.RESULTS We found 32 gastric traumatic injuries. In 22 patients(68.8%), the diagnosis was based on the surgical findings; in the other 10 patients(31.2%), the diagnosis was based on the clinical and CT radiological data. We observed discontinuity of the gastric wall and luminal content extravasation in 1 patient(3.1%); in 10 patients(31.2%), there was extra-luminal air in the peritoneum. In 28 patients(87.5%), there was peritoneal fluid, which was blood in 14 patients(hematoma in 11 patients and contrast material extravasation from active bleeding in 3 patients). In 15 patients(46.9%), there was gastric wall thickening. In 3 patients, it was possible to identify a prevalent involvement of the external layer of the gastric wall, whereas, in 2 patients, the inner side of the gastric wall presented with major involvement. In 3 patients(9.4%), pneumatosis of the gastric wall was detected. In 19(59.4%) patients, the stomach was full. The fundus was the most frequently damaged part of the stomach because it was involved in 17 patients(53.1%). Based on the observed data, we identified four grades of gastric lesions.CONCLUSION A radiologic score is helpful for guiding the diagnosis and management(surgical or conservative) of gastric blunt traumatic injuries and stratify patients according to short-term outcomes.

Isolated Blunt Traumatic Diaphragmatic Rupture in a Case of Situs Inversus

Situs inversus, a very rare congenital anomaly of reversal site of thoracic and abdominal organs, can be very problematic to surgeon while dealing with a case of trauma in emergency. Surgical procedures are considered difficult, complex and more challenging in patients with this condition due to the anatomical difference and position of organs. We came across an interesting and very rare case of isolated blunt traumatic diaphragmatic injury in a case of situs inversus. Traumatic injuries of the diaphragm are uncommon and isolated blunt traumatic injuries of diaphragm are very rare. Our case is very unique of its kind of situs inversus with isolated right sided diaphragmatic rupture in a 60-year-old male patient presenting 4 hours after blunt trauma to chest and abdomen.

Ventricular Septal Defect after Blunt Trauma in a Case of Preexisting Prosthetic Mitral Valve

We present a case of an isolated large ventricular septal defect (VSD) following blunt chest trauma in a motor vehicle accident in the patient with preexisting mechanical mitral valve. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large muscular VSD with significant left to right shunt along with septal edema. Surgical repair was performed in view of Qp:Qs of 2.5 with significant hemodynamic instability despite intra-aortic balloon pump. The ventricular septal defect was found in apical muscular portion of the interventricular septum, which was closed through left ventriculotomy. We here discuss the possible mechanisms of damage and importance of timely surgery. To conclude, minor looking external injury might contain devastating damage inside, especially with patients on anti-coagulant therapy.

Blunt Traumatic Pericardial Rupture with Traumatic Amaurosis Fugax Presenting as Massive Haemothorax: A Conundrum?

Introduction: Blunt traumatic pericardial rupture (BTPR) or traumatic pericardiotomy is a rare typical trauma. It is usually discovered at autopsy. Surgical repair is mandatory especially if prompt diagnosis is made because of the associated high mortality. Clinical Case: We report the successful management and survival of BTPR patient after chest trauma presenting with massive haemothorax and transient loss of vision, necessitating urgent surgical treatment. The patient was involved in a road traffic accident having a head-on collision with the rear of the vehicle ahead whiles trying to overtake it. Discussion: It is usually discovered at autopsy or during emergent surgical exploration through either sternotomy or thoracotomy [1] due to its delayed diagnosis, unusual presentation, association with other major cardiopulmonary injuries and complications such as cardiac herniation, fatal arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Conclusion: Blunt traumatic pericardial rupture should be suspected in any patient in whom hemodynamic instability occurs rapidly after trauma without evidence of major bleeding. Prompt surgical exploration may yield excellent results.

Panscleritis After Blunt Ocular Trauma in A Child with Epididymitis

We reported an 8-year-old boy with panscleritis in left eye and right epididymitis after falling on the ground.Etiologic diagnosis played a key role in this case.Systemic examinations ruled out systemic autoimmune diseases,tumors,and infections as the cause of scleritis and suggested that the disease was caused by a local delayedtype hypersensitivity(DTH)induced by ocular trauma and was non-infectious.Still,the right epididymitis was infectious.Both conditions were treated successfully using steroids and antibiotics,respectively.Thus,early etiologic diagnosis and reasonable treatment are crucial to prevent visual loss.

Necroptosis plays a crucial role in the exacerbation of retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma

Retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma may directly affect prognosis and lead to vision loss.To investigate the pathological changes and molecular mechanisms involved in retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma,we established a weight drop injury model of blunt ocular trauma in male Beagle dogs.Hematoxylin-eosin staining,immunofluorescence staining,western blotting,and TUNEL assays were performed to investigate retinal injury within 14 days after blunt ocular trauma.Compared with the control group,the thicknesses of the inner and outer nuclear layers,as well as the number of retinal ganglion cells,gradually decreased within 14 days after injury.The number of bipolar cells in the inner nuclear layer began to decrease 1 day after injury,while the numbers of cholinergic and amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer did not decrease until 7 days after injury.Moreover,retinal cell necroptosis increased with time after injury;it progressed from the ganglion cell layer to the outer nuclear layer.Visual electrophysiological findings indicated that visual impairment began on the first day after injury and worsened over time.Additionally,blunt ocular trauma induced nerve regeneration and Müller glial hyperplasia;it also resulted in the recruitment of microglia to the retina and polarization of those microglia to the M1 phenotype.These findings suggest that necroptosis plays an important role in exacerbating retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma via gliosis and neuroinflammation.Such a role has important implications for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Spinal cord injury in the setting of traumatic thoracolumbar fracture is not reliably associated with increased risk of associated intra-abdominal injury following blunt trauma:An analysis of a National Trauma Registry database

Purpose:There is a common opinion that spinal fractures usually reflect the substantial impact of injuries and therefore may be used as a marker of significant associated injuries,specifically for intra-abdominal injury(IAI).The impact of concomitant spinal cord injury(SCI)with the risk of associated IAI has not been well clarified.The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of IAIs in patients suffering from spinal fractures with or without SCI.Methods:A retrospective cohort study using the Israeli National Trauma Registry was conducted.Patients with thoracic,lumbar and thoracolumbar fractures resulting from blunt mechanisms of injury from January 1,1997 to December 31,2018 were examined,comparing the incidence,severity and mortality of IAIs in patients with or without SCI.The collected variables included age,gender,mechanism of injury,incidence and severity of the concomitant IAIs and pelvic fractures,abbreviated injury scale,injury severity score,and mortality.Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad InStat?Version 3.10,with Chi-square test for independence and two sided Fisher’s exact probability test.Results:Review of the Israeli National Trauma Database revealed a total of 16,878 patients with spinal fractures.Combined thoracic and lumbar fractures were observed in 1272 patients(7.5%),isolated thoracic fractures in 4967 patients(29.4%)and isolated lumbar fractures in 10,639 patients(63.0%).The incidence of concomitant SCI was found in 4.95%(63/1272),7.65%(380/4967)and 2.50%(266/10639)of these patients,respectively.The overall mortality was 2.5%,proving higher among isolated thoracic fracture patient than among isolated lumbar fracture counterparts(11.3%vs.4.6%,p<0.001).Isolated thoracic fractures with SCI were significantly more likely to die than non-SCI counterparts(8.2%vs.3.1%,p<0.001).There were no differences in the incidence of IAIs between patients with or without SCI following thoracolumbar fractures overall or in isolated thoracic fractures;although isolated lumbar fractures patients with SCI were more likely to have renal(3.4%vs.1.6%,p=0.02)or bowel injuries(2.3%vs.1.0%,p=0.04)than the non-SCI counterparts.Conclusion:SCI in the setting of thoracolumbar fracture does not appear to be a marker for associated IAI.However,in a subset of isolated lumbar fractures,SCI patient is associated with increased risks for renal and bowel injury.

Clinical study on Hypotony following blunt ocular trauma

AIM: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of hypotony in patients with blunt ocular trauma. METHODS: The medical records of 145 patients with blunt ocular trauma were reviewed. Hypotony was defined as an average intraocular pressure (IOP) of 5mmHg or less for three times. RESULTS: Among these 145 patients, hypotony was noted in 10 (6.9%) patients. The rate of hypotony in patients with ciliochoroidal detachment was 66.7% (2 out of 3 eyes), and 5.6% (8 out of 142 eyes) in patients without ciliochoroidal detachment,the difference was statistically significant (P=0.003). The rate of hypotony in patients with traumatic retinal detachment was 18.5% (5 out of 27 eyes), and 4.2% (5 out of 118 eyes) in patients without traumatic retinal detachment, the difference was statistically significant (P=0.026). The rate of hypotony in the patients with anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy was 42.9% (3 out of 7 eyes) and 5.1% (7 out of 138 eyes) in the patients without anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy, the difference was statistically significant(P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Ocular hypotension is a complication of blunt ocular trauma. The risk factors include ciliochoroidal detachment, traumatic retinal detachment, and anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Ruptured azygos vein caused by blunt trauma on left chest

Rupture of the azygos vein caused by blunt trauma is rare. According to the literature there are total of 21cases of azygos vein injury since 1978 although the actual occurrence number may be much higher.^1,2 Mostly, it is the result of traffic accidents. If the diagnosis and treatment is delayed, patients will be dying of bleeding and hemorrhagic shock. So far its mortality rate is about 40% for patients with ruptured azygos vein even if they underwent operation^3 We present a patient who had blunt trauma on his left chest, which caused right haemothorax due to ruptured azygos vein.

Blunt trauma related chest wall and pulmonary injuries: An overview

Physical traumas are tragic and multifaceted injuries that suddenly threaten life.Although it is the third most common cause of death in all age groups,one out of four trauma patients die due to thoracic injury or its complications.Blunt injuries constitute the majority of chest trauma.This indicates the im porta nee of chest trauma among all traumas.Blunt chest trauma is usually caused by motor vehicle accident,falling from height,blunt instrument injury and physical assault.As a result of chest trauma,many injuries may occur,such as pulm onary injuries,and these require urge nt in terve ntion.Chest wall and pulmonary injuries range from rib fractures to flail chest,pneumothorax to hemothorax and pulmonary contusion to tracheobronchial injuries.Following these injuries,patients may present with a simple dyspnea or even respiratory arrest.For such patie nt,it is imports nt to understa nd the treatme nt logic and to take a multidisciplinary approach to treat the pulmonary and chest wall injuries.This is because only 10%of thoracic trauma patients require surgical operation and the remaining 90%can be treated with simple methods such as appropriate airway,oxygen support,maneuvers,volume support and tube thoracostomy.Adequate pain control in chest trauma is sometimes the most basic and best treatment.With definite diagnosis,the morbidity and mortality can be significantly reduced by simple treatment methods.

Central retinal artery occlusion and traumatic optic neuropathy following blunt ocular trauma

Dear Editor,We are writing to present a case report of central retinal artery occlusion（CRAO）and traumatic optic neuropathy（TON）with immediate visual loss caused by blunt facial trauma with a soccer ball.CRAO is an ophthalmic emergency with an estimated incidence of 10 in 1 million.

Spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy in an isolated blunt pancreatic trauma

Blunt isolated pancreatic trauma is uncommon,accounting for 1%-4% of high impact abdominal injuries.In addition,its diagnosis can be difficult;physical signs may be poor and laboratory findings nonspecific,resulting in delayed treatment.Preserving the spleen during distal pancreatectomy (DP) is controversial.One of the spleen's functions regards immunity;complications following splenectomy include leukocytosis,thrombocytosis,overwhelming post splenectomy sepsis and some degree of immunodeficiency.This is why many authors favor its preservation.We describe a case of a young man with an isolated pancreatic trauma due to a blunt abdominal trauma with a delayed presentation who was treated with spleen-preserving DP and we discuss the value of this procedure with reference to the literature.

Emergency repair of blunt traumatic bronchus injury presenting with massive air leak

Blunt traumatic tracheobronchial injury is rare,but can be potentially life-threatening.It accounts for only 0.5%-2%of all trauma cases.Patients may present with non-specific signs and symptoms,requiring a high index of suspicion with accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.A 26-year-old female was brought into the emergency department after sustained a blunt trauma to the chest from a high impact motor vehicle accident.She presented with signs of respiratory distress and extensive subcutaneous emphysema from the chest up to the neck.Her airway was secured and chest drain was inserted for right sided pneumothorax.CT of the neck and thorax revealed a collapsed right middle lung lobe with a massive pneumothorax,raising the suspicion of a right middle lobe bronchus injury.Diagnosis was confirmed by bronchoscopy.In view of the difficulty in maintaining her ventilation and persistent pneumothorax with a massive air leak,immediate right thoracotomy via posterolateral approach was performed.The right middle lobar bronchus tear was repaired.There were no intra-or post-operative complications.She made an uneventful recovery.She was asymptomatic at her first month follow-up.A repeated chest X-ray showed expanded lungs.Details of the case including clinical presentation,imaging and management were discussed with an emphasis on the early uses of bronchoscopy in case of suspected blunt traumatic tracheobronchial injury.A review of the current literature of tracheobronchial injury management was presented.