Retrospective study of polytrauma patients’s medical records that presented abdominal trauma, comperad to abdominal trauma and extra-abdominal injuries

This study sought to retrospectively assess the relationship between intra and extra-abdominal injuries in polytrauma patients undergoing laparotomy at the Regional University Hospital of Maringá between 2017 and 2018.This study was based on 111 electronic medical records from the Brazilian public health system “SUS”, admitted to the hospital due to trauma and undergoing laparotomy, comparing two groups: abdominal injury without extra-abdominal injury (WoEI) and abdominal injury with extra-abdominal injury (WiEI).A total of 111 medical records were analyzed, 57 from 2017 and 54 from 2018. Of these 111records, 43 (39%) were trauma victims with only abdominal injuries and 68 (61%) trauma victims with abdominal and extra-abdominalinjuries. Most patients were male (85%), with an average age of 33 years, ranging from 14 to 87 years. In statistical analysis, according to the T-test, there was significance (p > 0.05) between the WoEI and WiEI groups for data collected regarding death rates and hospitalization days. As for the morbidity rate and difference between genders (male and female), there was no statistical significance (p < 0.05). Polytrauma patients are exposed to greater kinetic energy, with more severe conditions and therefore required more in-hospital care.

Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Mental Health Care of Asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers in Israel from East Africa frequently experienced traumatic events along their journey, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula, where they were subjected to trafficking and torture. Exposure to trauma has implications for rights that are contingent on refugee status. This retrospective chart review aimed to characterize the types of traumas experienced by 219 asylum seekers (149 men) from Eritrea and Sudan who sought treatment at a specialized mental health clinic in Israel, and to compare the mental health of trauma victims (n = 168) with that of non-trauma victims (n = 53). About 76.7% of the asylum seekers had experienced at least one traumatic event, of whom 56.5% were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most reported traumas were experienced en route in the Sinai, rather than in the country of origin or Israel. Few clinical differences were observed between trauma victims and non-trauma victims, or between trauma victims with and without a PTSD diagnosis. Our findings emphasize the importance of accessibility to mental and other health services for asylum seekers. Governmental policies and international conventions on the definition of human trafficking may need to be revised, as well as asylum seekers’ rights and access to health services related to visa status.

Effect of wearing a helmet on the occurrence of head injuries in motorcycle riders in Benin: a case-control study

Background In Benin, motorcycles are the main means of transport for road users and are involved in more than half of crashes. This study aims to determine the effect of wearing a helmet on reducing head injuries in road crashes in Benin. Methods This case-control study took place in 2020 and focused on road trauma victims. The sample, consisting of 242 cases (trauma victims with head injuries) for 484 controls (without head injuries), was drawn from a database of traffic crash victims recruited from five hospitals across the country from July 2019 to January 2020. Four groups of independent variables were studied: socio-demographic and economic variables, history, behavioural variables including helmet use and road-related and environmental variables. To assess the shape of the association between the independent variables and the dependent variable, a descending step-by-step binary logistic regression model was performed using an explanatory approach. Results Fewer of the subjects with a head injury were wearing a helmet at the time of the crash 69.8% (95% CI = 63.6–75.6) compared to those without a head injury 90.3% (95% CI = 87.3–92.8). Adjusting for the other variables, subjects not wearing helmets were at greater risk of head injuries (OR = 3.8, 95% CI (2.5–5.7)); the head injury rating was 1.9 (95% CI = 1.2–3.3) times higher in subjects who were fatigued during the crash than among those who were not and 2.0 (95% CI = 1.2–3.3) times higher in subjects with no medical history. Conclusion Failure to wear a helmet exposes motorcyclists to the risk of head injuries during crashes. It is important to increase awareness and better target such initiatives at the subjects most at risk.

Process of Post Traumatic Growth in Trauma Victims in Pakistan: A Qualitative Study

The facet of trauma as a constructive means is recent area of study in the field of Positive Psychology i.e, Posttraumatic growth. The present qualitative study is aimed to explore the process of PTG in the trauma victims of Pakistan. Total sample (N=40) having an equal number of participants i.e, manmade disaster (n=20, Male=10 & female=10) and natural disasters (n=20, Male=10 & female=10) was selected purposively. Interview protocol i.e, Semi-Structured Questionnaire was developed with the help of previous literature to go deep about the growth process in participants. The in-depth interviews were conducted on victims showing high Post-traumatic growth on PTGI. In-depth interviews were conducted, tape-recorded and transcribed. Themes were extracted out of bulk of the data through IPA to find out the process of PTG. Main themes were extracted and a Model of PTG was developed with the interaction of those themes.