scholarly journals Dehydroepiandrosterone: a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment and rehabilitation of the traumatically injured patient

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Bentley ◽  
Jon Hazeldine ◽  
Carolyn Greig ◽  
Janet Lord ◽  
Mark Foster

Abstract Severe injuries are the major cause of death in those aged under 40, mainly due to road traffic collisions. Endocrine, metabolic and immune pathways respond to limit the tissue damage sustained and initiate wound healing, repair and regeneration mechanisms. However, depending on age and sex, the response to injury and patient prognosis differ significantly. Glucocorticoids are catabolic and immunosuppressive and are produced as part of the stress response to injury leading to an intra-adrenal shift in steroid biosynthesis at the expense of the anabolic and immune enhancing steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphated metabolite dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). The balance of these steroids after injury appears to influence outcomes in injured humans, with high cortisol: DHEAS ratio associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Animal models of trauma, sepsis, wound healing, neuroprotection and burns have all shown a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, improved survival and increased resistance to pathological challenges with DHEA supplementation. Human supplementation studies, which have focused on post-menopausal females, older adults, or adrenal insufficiency have shown that restoring the cortisol: DHEAS ratio improves wound healing, mood, bone remodelling and psychological well-being. Currently, there are no DHEA or DHEAS supplementation studies in trauma patients, but we review here the evidence for this potential therapeutic agent in the treatment and rehabilitation of the severely injured patient.

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kobi Peleg ◽  
Michael Rozenfeld ◽  
Eran Dolev ◽  

ABSTRACTObjective: Trauma casualties caused by terror-related events and children injured as a result of trauma may be given preference in hospital emergency departments (EDs) due to their perceived importance. We investigated whether there are differences in the treatment and hospitalization of terror-related casualties compared to other types of injury events and between children and adults injured in terror-related events.Methods: Retrospective study of 121 608 trauma patients from the Israel Trauma Registry during the period of October 2000-December 2005. Of the 10 hospitals included in the registry, 6 were level I trauma centers and 4 were regional trauma centers. Patients who were hospitalized or died in the ED or were transferred between hospitals were included in the registry.Results: All analyses were controlled for Injury Severity Score (ISS). All patients with ISS 1-24 terror casualties had the highest frequency of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions when compared with patients after road traffic accidents (RTA) and other trauma. Among patients with terror-related casualties, children were admitted to ICU disproportionally to the severity of their injury. Logistic regression adjusted for injury severity and trauma type showed that both terror casualties and children have a higher probability of being admitted to the ICU.Conclusions: Injured children are admitted to ICU more often than other age groups. Also, terror-related casualties are more frequently admitted to the ICU compared to those from other types of injury events. These differences were not directly related to a higher proportion of severe injuries among the preferred groups.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2012;6:14–19)


CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S78
Author(s):  
V. Belhumeur ◽  
C. Malo ◽  
A. Nadeau ◽  
S. Hegg ◽  
A. Gagné ◽  
...  

Introduction: It was demonstrated that the early trauma team activation (TTA) could improve younger trauma patients outcomes and mortality rates. However, the link between older patient prognosis improvement and the activation / effectiveness of the Trauma team (TT) is still unclear. There is also a lack of information about the exact and optimal structure of TTs and their activation criteria, which may differ across centers. The main objective of this study is to provide a description of the current TT available in level 1 and 2 centres across Canada. Methods: In 2017, a survey using a modified Dillman technique was sent to 210 health professionals scattered across all Canadian trauma care facilities. The survey included questions regarding 1) the presence and the composition of a TT, 2) the established TT activation criteria, and finally 3) the initial patient care. Results: A total of 107 (57%) completed surveys were received. Among them, only 22 (11.7%) were from level 1 or 2 centres and were therefore considered for analyses. Seventeen respondents had a TT in their centre, and they all shared their TT activation criteria (1 to 27 different indications). Most frequently mentioned criteria were: suspected injuries (58.8%), judgment of the emergency physician (41.2%), systolic blood pressure (47.1%), Glasgow Coma score (35.3%) and respiratory rate (28%). In presence of a prehospital care warning trauma, the initial assessment of a severely injured patient is exclusively completed by a member of the TT for only 35.1% of the respondents. For 11.8% of respondents, TT coordinates airway management. For 64.7% of participants, the TT leader is the dedicated care provider to accompany patients until final orientation. Conclusion: These results suggest a great variability across Canada regarding the roles assumed by the TT, but also regarding the activation criteria leading them to take action.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Benhamed ◽  
Amina Ndiaye ◽  
Thomas Lieutaud ◽  
Marion Douplat ◽  
Amaury Gossiome ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundThoracic trauma is the third most common cause of death in multi-trauma patients and is associated with poor short-term outcomes since it is responsible for up to 25% of trauma-related deaths. One of the most frequent mechanism is road traffic accident (RTA), affecting particularly young patients. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of severe injuries in each body region on the mortality of multi-trauma patients with a particular attention to thoracic trauma. Secondary objectives were to investigate risk factors for mortality in multi-trauma patients but also to describe the epidemiology and injury pattern of these patients when presenting with at least one abbreviated injury scale (AIS) ≥2 thoracic injury (AISThorax≥2).MethodsRetrospective study that included RTA occurring from January 1997 to December 2016. Patients of all ages included in the Rhône RTA registry, with at least one AIS ≥2 injury in any body region were included. Two subgroups were defined according to whether patients presented at least one AISThorax≥2 injury or not. Multivariate regression analysis with mortality as outcome was performed. ResultsA total of 46,526 patients had at least one AIS≥2 injury, among them 6,382 (13.7%) had at least one AISThorax≥2 injury. In the AISThorax≥2 group, the median [IQR] ISS was 14 [6-7] and 16.2% (n=1,031) patients died. Severe (AIS≥3) head (OR=26.8, 95%CI [20.4;35.2]) and thoracic (OR=12.2, 95%CI [8.4;17.7]) injuries were associated with death; as was age [40-59 years (OR=1.3, 95%CI [1.1;1.5]), 60-79 years (OR=2.1, 95%CI [1.7;2.6]), and ≥80 years (OR=5.5, 95%CI [4.2;7.3])], male sex (OR=1.5, 95%CI [1.3;1.7]), RTA occurring in a highway (OR=1.9, 95%CI [1.5;2.4]) or in a rural road (OR=1.8, 95%CI [1.5;2.1]). The most frequent thoracic injury was that of the chest wall (62.1%, n=5,419). The most frequent concomitant AIS≥2 injuries affected the head (29.1%), upper extremities (26.8%), and lower extremities (25.8%).ConclusionsThe present study found that the severity of thoracic trauma was an independent and significant risk factor for death in multi-trauma patients as was age, being a car occupant and having a crash in a rural road or a highway.


2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Blass ◽  
C Reimann ◽  
S Ellinger ◽  
H Goost ◽  
C Burger ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 06-16
Author(s):  
R. Seghiri ◽  
A. Essamri

Spirulina is a microalga used in traditional folk medicine in Morocco for the treatment of various health disorders. The wound healing activity of Moroccan Spirulina is unknown. In the current study, aqueous extracts of Spirulina platensis were investigated for acute toxicity and wound healing activity in Swiss Albino mice and White New Zealand rabbits, respectively. The LD50 (amount of substance required to kill 50% of the test population) of the microalga was greater than 5,000 mg/kg. Healing after application of the same amount of ointment on differently induced (mechanical, chemical, and thermal) wounds was about the same, over five weeks. Aqueous extract had remarkable healing activity on rabbits’ skin, possessing significantly greater healing effect for mechanical and chemical burns than controls. Moreover, the hair growing time was faster in treated groups; Spirulina-treated groups did not show any contamination with microbes compared to others. This study affirms that Spirulina platensis can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for wound healing not only as a complementary medicine but also in conventional medicine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (36) ◽  
pp. 4675-4684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabierjiang Jiapaer ◽  
Takuya Furuta ◽  
Yu Dong ◽  
Tomohiro Kitabayashi ◽  
Hemragul Sabit ◽  
...  

Background: Glioblastomas (GBMs) are aggressive malignant brain tumors. Although chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) can extend patient survival, most patients eventually demonstrate resistance. Therefore, novel therapeutic agents that overcome TMZ chemoresistance are required to improve patient outcomes. Purpose: Drug screening is an efficient method to find new therapeutic agents from existing drugs. In this study, we explored a novel anti-glioma agent by drug screening and analyzed its function with respect to GBM treatment for future clinical applications. Methods: Drug libraries containing 1,301 diverse chemical compounds were screened against two glioma stem cell (GSC) lines for drug candidate selection. The effect of selected agents on GSCs and glioma was estimated through viability, proliferation, sphere formation, and invasion assays. Combination therapy was performed to assess its ability to enhance TMZ cytotoxicity against GBM. To clarify the mechanism of action, we performed methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, gelatin zymography, and western blot analysis. Results: The acyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor 2-fluoropalmitic acid (2-FPA) was selected as a candidate anti-glioma agent. 2-FPA suppressed the viability and stem-like phenotype of GSCs. It also inhibited proliferation and invasion of glioma cell lines. Combination therapy of 2-FPA with TMZ synergistically enhanced the efficacy of TMZ. 2-FPA suppressed the expression of phosphor-ERK, CD133, and SOX-2; reduced MMP-2 activity; and increased methylation of the MGMT promoter. Conclusion: 2-FPA was identified as a potential therapeutic agent against GBM. To extend these findings, physiological studies are required to examine the efficacy of 2-FPA against GBM in vivo.


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S69-S69
Author(s):  
V. Tsang ◽  
K. Bao ◽  
J. Taylor

Introduction: Whole-body computed tomography scans (WBCT) are a mainstay in the work-up of polytrauma or multiple trauma patients in the emergency department. While incredibly useful for identifying traumatic injuries, WBCTs also reveal incidental findings in patients, some of which require further diagnostic testing and subsequent treatment. Although the presence of incidental findings in WBCTs have been well documented, there has been no systematic review conducted to organize and interpret findings, determine IF prevalence, and document strategies for best management. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, PUBMED, and EMBASE. Specific journals and reference lists were hand-mined, and Google Scholar was used to find any additional papers. Data synthesis was performed to gather information on patient demographics, prevalence and type of incidental findings (IFs), and follow-up management was collected. All documents were independently assessed by the two reviewers for inclusion and any disagreements were resolved by consensus. Results: 1231 study results were identified, 59 abstracts, and 12 included in final review. A mean of 53.9% of patients had at least one IF identified, 31.5% had major findings, and 68.5% had minor findings. A mean of 2.7 IFs per patient was reported for articles that included number of total IFs. The mean age of patients included in the studies were 44 years old with IFs more common in older patients and men with more IFs than women. IFs were most commonly found in the abdominal/pelvic region followed by kidneys. Frequency of follow-up documentation was poor. The most common reported mechanisms of injury for patients included in the study were MVA and road traffic accidents (60.0%) followed by falls from >3m (23.2%). Conclusion: Although there is good documentation on the mechanism of injury, patient demographics, and type of IF, follow-up for IFs following acute trauma admission lacks documentation and follow-up and is an identified issue in patient management. There is great need for systematic protocols to address management of IFs in polytrauma patients.


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