Pursuing More Aggressive Timelines in the Surgical Treatment of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI): A Retrospective Cohort Study with Subgroup Analysis

Background: The optimal timing of surgical therapy for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of “ultra-early” (<4 h) versus “early” (4–24 h) time from injury to surgery in terms of the likelihood of neurologic recovery. Methods: The effect of surgery on neurological recovery was investigated by comparing the assessed initial and final values of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS). A post hoc analysis was performed to gain insight into different subgroup regeneration behaviors concerning neurological injury levels. Results: Datasets from 69 cases with traumatic spinal cord injury were analyzed. Overall, 19/46 (41.3%) patients of the “ultra-early” cohort saw neurological recovery compared to 5/23 (21.7%) patients from the “early” cohort (p = 0.112). The subgroup analysis revealed differences based on the neurological level of injury (NLI) of a patient. An optimal cutpoint for patients with a cervical lesion was estimated at 234 min. Regarding the prediction of neurological improvement, sensitivity was 90.9% with a specificity of 68.4%, resulting in an AUC (area under the curve) of 84.2%. In thoracically and lumbar injured cases, the estimate was lower, ranging from 284 (thoracic) to 245 min (lumbar) with an AUC of 51.6% and 54.3%. Conclusions: Treatment within 24 h after TSCI is associated with neurological recovery. Our hypothesis that intervention within 4 h is related to an improvement in the neurological outcome was not confirmed in our collective. In a clinical context, this suggests that after TSCI there is a time frame to get the right patient to the right hospital according to advanced trauma life support (ATLS) guidelines.

Maternal morbidity of adolescent pregnant women

Background: In Mexico, it is estimated that the adolescent population represents 29% of the population of childbearing age. The present study aimed to analyze the obstetric results of 3310 adolescent pregnant women attended in a third level hospital. Material and methods: All records of pregnant women aged 19 years or less up to the date of admission were analyzed at the Mónica Pretelini Saenz Maternal Perinatal Hospital during the period from January 2018 to June 2020, with the following variables: age, pregnancy, resolution obstetric, severe preeclampsia, preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. Results: A total of 13874 pregnant women were attended, of which 3310 (24%) patients were adolescents. The overall frequency of obstetric complications was 21%, including obstetric hemorrhage (13%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (8%). Regarding postpartum obstetric hemorrhage events, classified according to the Advanced Trauma Life Support shock scale, they were categorized as Grade 1 – 338 cases, Grade II – 76 cases, Grade III – 11 cases and Grade IV – 1 case. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy highlight preeclampsia as the most frequent with a total of 97 cases, followed by 89 cases of severe preeclampsia, 58 cases of gestational hypertension, 14 cases of chronic hypertension and 3 cases of chronic hypertension with preeclampsia. Conclusions: The main complications found in the Mexican pregnant adolescent population were obstetric hemorrhage, which was more frequent in the population aged 15 to 19 years, and hypertensive disorders, which occurred more frequently in the population aged 9 to 14 years.

Major trauma

This chapter discusses the management of major trauma. Trauma is the leading cause of death in the first four decades of life, and every minute, more than nine people die from injuries and violence. Trimodal distribution of death implies death from injury occurs in one of three time periods: first peak (within seconds to minutes), second peak (within minutes to several hours), and third peak (after several days to weeks). The ‘golden hour’ refers to the period when medical care can make the maximum impact on death and disability. A systematic, rapid initial assessment is essential and this includes preparation, triage, primary survey (ABCDE), resuscitation, secondary survey, continued monitoring, and reevaluation and definitive care. The chapter then looks at the advanced trauma life support (ATLS) system. It also considers thoracic injuries, abdominal trauma, vascular injuries, and head injuries.

EP.TU.54Surgical curriculum concordance: requiem for the educational dream

Aim This study aimed to analyse the degree of relative variation in specialty-specific competencies required for Certification of Completion of Training (CCT) set by the UK Joint Committee for Surgical Training (JCST) 2021 curriculum. Methods Regulatory body guidance related to operative and non-operative surgical skill competencies required for CCT were analysed and compared. Results Wide inter-speciality variation was demonstrated in the minimum number of logbook cases (median 815; range 54-2100), indexed operations (8; 5-24), Procedure Based Assessments (35; 6-110). Academic competencies related to peer reviewed publications, communications to learned societies, and audits were aligned at zero, zero, and three across specialties respectively. Mandatory courses have been standardised with Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) being the sole pre-requisite CCT for all. Discussion JCST certification guidelines have broadly standardised competency domains, yet large discrepancies persist regarding operative indicative numbers, and assessments. This article serves as a definitive CCT guide regarding prevailing changes.

Single institutional experience of management of penetrating trauma chest

Chest trauma is now the second most common non-intentional traumatic injury. Chest trauma is associated with high mortality. Control of blood loss and stabilization of vital organs is of vital importance over diagnostic and therapeutic measures. Bleeding may arise from chest wall, intercostal or internal mammary arteries, great vessels, mediastinum, myocardium, lung parenchyma, diaphragm or abdomen. Modified early warning signs (MEWS) score of >9 on presentation have shown higher rate of mortality. Diagnostic modalities such as extended-focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) have been effective. The type of surgical approach alters according to the site of injury. We here presented our experience with six such patients. All the six patients involved in this study had penetrating trauma chest with various sharp weapons including dagger, ice pick, flag post. Time of presentation of all these patients were delayed due to ours being a tertiary centre. The patients were explored on the basis of eFAST findings, intercostal drainage, hemodynamics. Out of the six patients two patients succumbed and the patients who died also had high MEWS score. All the patients were approached surgically with respect to the type of injury sustained. Penetrating chest trauma present a challenging clinical situation which warrants early evaluation and intervention. The cases of chest trauma then be it blunt or penetrating should always be treated within the advanced trauma life support (ATLS) guidelines followed by the definitive management. Regardless of any penetrating object, the foreign body should be left in situ and only to be removed under vision. If in case the penetrating object has already been removed the operative intervention is decided on the amount of drainage. With blunt chest trauma, approximately 15% of the deaths result directly from intrathoracic injury, but with penetrating chest trauma, nearly 100% of the deaths result from intrathoracic injury. Hence, the operative exploration of the chest in penetrating chest trauma and should be done on emergent basis as the mechanism of injury, vital organ damage and hemodynamic status all equate to higher rate of mortality.

Management of Panfacial Trauma: Sequencing and Pitfalls

Panfacial trauma refers to high-energy mechanism injuries involving two or more areas of the craniofacial skeleton, the frontal bone, the midface, and the occlusal unit. These can be distracting injuries in an unstable patient and, as in any trauma, Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocols should be followed. The airway should be secured, bleeding controlled, and sequential examinations should take place to avoid overlooking injuries. When indicated, neurosurgery and ophthalmology should be consulted as preservation of brain, vision, and hearing function should be prioritized. Once the patient is stabilized, reconstruction aims to reduce panfacial fractures, restore the horizontal and vertical facial buttresses, and resuspend the soft tissue to avoid the appearance of premature aging. Lost or comminuted bone can be replaced with bone grafts, although adequate reduction should be ensured prior to any grafting. Operative sequencing can be performed from top-down and outside-in or from bottom-up and inside-out depending on patient presentation. All protocols can successfully manage panfacial injuries, and the emphasis should be placed on a systematic approach that works from known areas to unknown areas.

Comparison of the Previous and Current Trauma-Related Shock Classifications: A Retrospective Cohort Study from a Level I Trauma Center

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> The aim was to examine the predictive value of the hypovolemic shock classification currently accepted by the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) program over the previous one, which used only vital signs (VS) for patient allocation. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality; as secondary outcome, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and base deficit (BD) data were compared and investigated in terms of mortality prediction. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Retrospective analysis at a level I trauma center between 2014 and 2019. Adult patients treated by trauma teams were allocated into severity classes (I–IV) based on the criteria of the current and previous ATLS classifications, respectively. The prognostic values for the classifications were determined with Fisher’s exact test and χ² test for independence, and compared with the 2-proportion Z test. The individual variables were analyzed with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 156 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mortality was effectively predicted by both classifications, and there was no statistically significant difference between the predictive performances. According to ROC analyses, GCS, BD and SBP had significant prognostic values while HR change was ineffective in this regard. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The currently used ATLS shock classification does not appear to be superior to the VS-based previous classification. GCS, BD and SBP are useful parameters to predict the prognosis. Changes in HR do not reflect the clinical course accurately; thus, further studies will be needed to determine the value of this parameter in trauma-associated hypovolemic-hemorrhagic shock conditions.

Assessment of the maxillofacial patientMaxillofacial trauma and ATLS®

The assessment of the facial trauma patient requires a systematic approach with initial emphasis given to the principles of the Advanced Trauma Life Support® programme. Specific assessment of injury to the maxillofacial skeleton and associated ocular injuries are also described in this chapter.