• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Purpose: The purposes of this study are finding the elements for a fast determination of the need for a transfusion to a multiple trauma patient arriving at this clinic in the initial stage establishing objective bases for a doctor in an emergency department to determine the need for a transfusion immediately after a patient has arrived at the emergency department, and providing treatment by considering various factors based on the nine criteria suggested in the emergency room transfusion score (ETS). Methods: This study was conducted on 375 multiple-trauma patients who visited the Chosun University Hospital Emergency Medical Center and activated the Emergency Trauma Team from January 2010 to December 2013. The patients were divided into the transfused group and the non-transfused group by retrospectively analyzing their medical records. Subsequently, the medical records were examined using the nine items suggested by the ETS and the results were analyzed. Results: Three hundred seventy-five patients with multiple traumas visited the Chosun University Hospital Emergency Medical Center and activated the Emergency Trauma Team. Among them, 258 died and 117 recovered and left the hospital. The deceased patients consisted of 182 males and 76 females with an average age 45. Of the 375, 165 were transferred from other hospitals, and 245 were blunt trauma patients. One hundred sixty-nine patients were injured in traffic accidents, and 119 of those 169 who had systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg died. Two hundred twenty-six (60.3%) out of the 375 patients with multiple traumas received an emergency blood transfusion and their average age was 48. The 375 patients consisted of 156 males, 151 who had been transferred from other hospitals, 218 who presented with blunt trauma, 134 who had been injured in traffic accidents, 156 who had a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg, 134 who scored higher than 9 points on the GCS, and 162 who had a stable pelvic fracture of these 143 died. Conclusion: During this study, 226 (60.3%) out of the patients with multiple traumas received an emergency blood transfusion. After analyzing the results related to emergency blood transfusion by using ETS, we found that an emergency blood transfusion had to be prepared quickly when patients were transferred from other hospitals when the systolic blood pressure was less than 90 mmHg. when abnormalities had been detected by ultrasonography and when the patient presented with a stable pelvic fracture.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.485-491
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• 2016

Objective : The aims of the Korean Neuro-Trauma Data Bank System (KNTDBS) are to evaluate and improve treatment outcomes for brain trauma, prevent trauma, and provide data for research. Our purpose was to examine the mortality rates following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a retrospective study and to investigate the sociodemographic variables, characteristics, and causes of TBI-related death based on data from the KNTDBS. Methods : From 2010 to 2014, we analyzed the data of 2617 patients registered in the KNTDBS. The demographic characteristics of patients with TBI were investigated. We divided patients into 2 groups, survivors and nonsurvivors, and compared variables between the groups to investigate variables that are related to death after TBI. We also analyzed variables related to the interval between TBI and death, mortality by region, and cause of death in the nonsurvivor group. Results : The frequency of TBI in men was higher than that in women. With increasing age of the patients, the incidence of TBI also increased. Among 2617 patients, 688 patients (26.2%) underwent surgical treatment and 125 patients (4.7%) died. The age distributions of survivors vs. nonsurvivor groups and mortality rates according the severity of the brain injury, surgical treatment, and initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were statistically significantly different. Among 125 hospitalized nonsurvivors, 70 patients (56%) died within 7 days and direct brain damage was the most common cause of death (80.8%). The time interval from TBI to death differed depending on the diagnosis, surgical or nonsurgical treatment, severity of brain injury, initial GCS score, and cause of death, and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion : Using the KNTDBS, we identified epidemiology, mortality, and various factors related to nonsurvival. Building on our study, we should make a conscious effort to increase the survival duration and provide rapid and adequate treatment for TBI patients.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2016

Objectives: Submental intubation has been advocated as an alternative to classical tracheostomy for certain indicated panfacial trauma surgeries. Surgeons should have various options for airway management in maxillofacial trauma patients. Most maxillofacial injuries involve occlusal derangements, which might require intraoperative occlusal corrections; hence, orotracheal intubation is not ideal. Maxillofacial surgeons generally prefer nasotracheal intubation; however, in cases with concomitant skull base fracture or nasal bone fracture, nasotracheal intubation might not be suitable; in these situations, tracheostomy is typically performed. However, the possible complications of tracheostomy are well known. Due to trauma situations and to avoid the complications of tracheostomy, submental intubation would be an ideal alternative procedure in selected maxillofacial trauma surgery patients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and usefulness of a submental intubation technique for panfacial trauma surgery. Moreover, we intended to share our experience of submental intubation and to recommend this simple, safe procedure for certain panfacial trauma surgeries. Materials and Methods: In five panfacial trauma patients, we performed submental intubation for airway management; the mean time required for the procedure was only eight minutes. Results: We were able to execute this procedure safely in a short time without any intraoperative or postoperative complications. Conclusion: Submental intubation is a safe and simple technique for airway management in indicated panfacial trauma surgery patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2024

Purpose: Recent advancements in interventional radiology have made angioembolization an invaluable modality in trauma care. Angioembolization is typically performed by interventional radiologists. In this study, we aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of emergency angioembolization performed by trauma surgeons. Methods: We identified trauma patients who underwent emergency angiography due to significant trauma-related hemorrhage between January 2020 and June 2023 at Jeju Regional Trauma Center. Until May 2022, two dedicated interventional radiologists performed emergency angiography at our center. However, since June 2022, a trauma surgeon with a background and experience in vascular surgery has performed emergency angiography for trauma-related bleeding. The indications for trauma surgeon-performed angiography included significant hemorrhage from liver injury, pelvic injury, splenic injury, or kidney injury. We assessed the angiography results according to the operator of the initial angiographic procedure. The term "failure of the first angioembolization" was defined as rebleeding from any cause, encompassing patients who underwent either re-embolization due to rebleeding or surgery due to rebleeding. Results: No significant differences were found between the interventional radiologists and the trauma surgeon in terms of re-embolization due to rebleeding, surgery due to rebleeding, or the overall failure rate of the first angioembolization. Mortality and morbidity rates were also similar between the two groups. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis evaluating failure after the first angioembolization, pelvic embolization emerged as the sole significant risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 3.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-10.33; P=0.041). Trauma surgeon-performed angioembolization was not deemed a significant risk factor in the multivariable logistic regression model. Conclusions: Trauma surgeons, when equipped with the necessary endovascular skills and experience, can safely perform angioembolization. To further improve quality control, an enhanced training curriculum for trauma surgeons is warranted.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.242-247
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• 2021

Purpose: Blunt cardiac injuries (BCI) have a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic myocardial contusion to cardiac rupture and death. BCIs rarely require surgical intervention, but can be rapidly fatal, requiring prompt evaluation and surgical treatment in some cases. The aim of this study was to identify potential factors associated with in-hospital mortality after surgery in patients with BCI. Methods: The medical records of 15 patients who had undergone emergency cardiac surgery for BCI between January 2014 and August 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. We included trauma patients older than 18 years admitted to Regional Trauma Center, Gachon University Gil Medical Center during the study period. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Results: Non-survivors showed a significantly higher Injury Severity Score (p=0.001) and Abbreviated Injury Scale in the chest region (p=0.001) than survivors. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-Organ Injury Scale Grade V injuries were significantly more common in non-survivors than in survivors (p=0.031). Non-survivors had significantly more preoperative packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions (p=0.019) and were significantly more likely to experience preoperative cardiac arrest (p=0.001) than survivors. Initial pH (p=0.010), lactate (p=0.026), and base excess (BE; p=0.026) levels showed significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: Initial pH, lactate, BE, ventricular injury, the amount of preoperative PRBC transfusions, and preoperative cardiac arrest were potential predictors of in-hospital mortality.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.37-48
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• 2021

Purpose: Mortality due to trauma is relevant to both low-income and high-income countries. A diversity of causes leads to mortality such as, socioeconomic status and geographic factors. This study sought to differentiate between cases of mortality in a metropolitan city and a rural area, with data from critical trauma patients. Methods: Community-based severe trauma surveillance data from 2018 was used in this study. Logistic regression was conducted to compare the odds ratios between deaths that occurred in a metropolitan city and a rural area. Multiple logistic regression by controlling variables such as type of medical institution and injury severity score was conducted to estimate the effect on the trauma patients. Results: In total, 28,217 participants were selected as total population. We observed that the odds of death decreased as the level of the trauma center increased. Compared to the metropolitan city, the odds ratio of rural areas was 1.44. The odds ratio increased as the injury severity score increased. Conclusion: This study suggests that the mortality of critical trauma patients is higher in rural areas than in metropolitan cities. More studies are needed to expand on this.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the severity of trauma, many scoring systems and predictive models have been presented. The quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) is a simple scoring system based on vital signs, and we expect it to be easier to apply to trauma patients than other trauma assessment tools. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study of trauma patients who visited the emergency department of Jeju National University Hospital. We excluded patients under the age of 18 years and unknown outcomes. We calculated the qSOFA, the Modified Early Warning Score (mEWS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and Injury Severity Score (ISS) based on patients' initial vital signs and assessments performed in the emergency department (ED). The primary outcome was mortality within 14 days of trauma. We analyzed qSOFA scores using multivariate logistic regression analysis and compared the predictive accuracy of these scoring systems using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results: In total, 27,764 patients were analyzed. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis of the qSOFA, the adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI) for mortality relative to a qSOFA score of 0 were 27.82 (13.63-56.79) for a qSOFA score of 1, 373.31 (183.47-759.57) for a qSOFA score of 2, and 494.07 (143.75-1698.15) for a qSOFA score of 3. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for the qSOFA, mEWS, ISS, and RTS in predicting the outcomes, for mortality, the AUROC for the qSOFA (AUROC [95% CI]; 0.912 [0.871-0.952]) was significantly greater than those for the ISS (0.700 [0.608-0.793]) and RTS (0.160 [0.108-0.211]). Conclusions: The qSOFA was useful for predicting the prognosis of trauma patients evaluated in the ED.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the trauma care system of our hospital, in which emergency physicians care for major trauma patients in the emergency intensive care unit (ICU) in consultation with intervention radiologists and surgeons. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in an emergency ICU of a tertiary referral hospital. We enrolled consecutive patients who had been admitted to our emergency ICU with major trauma from March 2007 to September 2010. We collected data with respect to demographic findings, mechanisms of injury, the trauma and injury severity score (TRISS), emergency surgery, angiographic intervention, and 6-month mortality. Then, we compared the observed and predicted survivals of the patients. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration plots by using 10 groups, one for each decile, of predicted mortality were used to evaluate the fitness of TRISS. P-values of greater than 0.05 represent a fair calibration. Results: Among 116 patients, 12 (10.34%) were dead within 6 months after admission to the ICU, and 29 (25.00%) and 38 (32.80%) patients received emergency surgery and angiographic intervention, respectively. The mean injury severity score and revised trauma score were $36.97{\pm}17.73$ and $7.84{\pm}6.75$, respectively. The observed survival and the predicted survival of the TRISS were 89.66% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84.03~95.28%) and 69.85% (95% CI: 63.80~75.91%), respectively. The calibration plots showed that the observed survival of our patients was consistently higher than the predicted survival of the TRISS ($p$ <0.001). Conclusion: The observed survival for the trauma care system of our hospital, in which emergency physicians care for major trauma patients in the emergency ICU in consultation with intervention radiologists and surgeons, was higher than the predicted survival of the TRISS.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2022

The spleen is the most commonly injured organ after blunt abdominal trauma. Nonoperative management (NOM) is the standard treatment for blunt splenic injuries in haemodynamically stable patients without peritonitis. Complications of NOM include rebleeding, new pseudoaneurysm formation, splenic abscess, and symptomatic splenic infarction. These complications hinder the NOM of patients with blunt splenic injuries. We report a case in which a large haemorrhagic fluid collection that occurred after angio-embolisation was resolved by percutaneous drainage in a patient with liver cirrhosis who experienced a blunt spleen injury.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of acalculous cholecystitis after multiple trauma with fractures and to analyze the characteristics of cholecystitis. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of multiple trauma patients with fractures between April 2010 and April 2012. Sixty- nine patients were identified, and the average age was 46.8(range: 15-74) years. Data were collected regarding associated injury, injury severity score (ISS), the diagnosis time after trauma, diagnostic tool, and management Results: There were three cases(4.3%) of cholecystitis among the 69 cases, and cholecystitis was diagnosed an average of 20.7(range: 8-33) days after injury. Two patients complained of abdominal pain at diagnosis, but the other patient who had undergone surgery for small bowel perforation at the time of the injury had no abdominal pain. All three patients had abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) at diagnosis. The cholecystitis was confirmed with ultrasonography or computed tomography, and all cases were acalculous cholecystitis. At first, percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage was performed; then, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) was tried an average of 12(range: 11-13) days later. An laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully done in only one case, the other cases being converted to an open cholecystectomy due to severe inflammation. Conclusion: The incidence of acaculous cholecystitis was 4.3% after multiple trauma with fractures. We should consider cholecystitis in patients with abdominal pain, fever and elevated LFTs after multiple trauma.