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Abdominal pain continues to be a common chief complaint in the emergency setting. While this presentation can be non-specific, there are certain findings that warrant immediate surgical intervention. Portal venous gas on imaging in the setting of peritonitis and sepsis is one such finding. Thyrotoxicosis on the other hand is an uncommon diagnosis that is associated with non-specific symptoms resulting in delayed diagnosis, a clinical scenario that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Here, we present a rare case of a patient who presented with signs and symptoms of peritonitis and portal venous gas on CT scan that was taken emergently to the operating room. No intraabdominal pathology was identified. The patient was later diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis, the presumed cause of the acute abdomen presentation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Intravenous (IV) contrast improves the sensitivity and specificity of injury detection in computerized tomography (CT). Its use is recommended in the workup of trauma patients by the American College of Surgeons and American College of Radiology. On May 9, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration declared a shortage of iodinated contrast due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the shortage has ended, the temporary lack of IV contrast forced physicians to be prudent in ordering CT scans with IV contrast. We sought to determine if there was a change in the percentage of CT contrast studies performed during the contrast shortage and if this change affected patient outcomes. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed on all adult tier 2 trauma patients at a 619-bed community-based level II trauma center who received CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis imaging as initial workup for blunt trauma from 5/9/2021-6/30/2021 (pre-shortage) and 5/9/2022-6/30/2022 (during shortage). Results: Patients were predominantly male with median age of 31-52 and of White or Hispanic ethnicity. Before the contrast shortage, all 110 trauma patients were scanned with contrast. During the shortage, 29 of 114 patients were scanned with contrast ( P < 0.001). Injuries were identified in 59% of patients scanned with contrast ( P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in blood transfusion needs, repeat CT, disposition, or mortality when comparing pre-shortage to during shortage or when comparing between non-contrast and contrast studies during the shortage. Discussion: There was a decrease in the percentage of CT contrast studies performed during the shortage. A higher percentage of injuries were identified in the patients scanned with contrast. However, there were no significant differences in patient outcomes. Certain trauma patients may be safely scanned without contrast., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Compartment syndrome (CS) is a well-known surgical emergency with high morbidity including potential long-term disability and limb loss. The most important factor determining the degree of morbidity with CS is time to treatment; therefore, early diagnosis and surgery are vital. We present a patient who fell off his bicycle and sustained cervical spine fractures causing near complete quadriplegia. He was found by the road over 12 hours later, so his creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was trended and serial examinations were performed. We identified tight deltoid, trapezius, and latissimus compartments and brought him to the operating room for fasciotomies. Although lab values and compartment pressures can be helpful, they should not guide treatment. It is important to consider atypical sites for CS and complete a head to toe physical examination. Patients should proceed to the operating room if clinical suspicion exists for CS because of the morbidity associated with a missed diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

In recent years, isolated non-operative management of penetrating liver injuries has become the standard of care for the hemodynamically stable patient. However, when the patient becomes hemodynamically unstable, adjuncts such as resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) deployed in Zone 1 can be used to achieve complete aortic occlusion from the celiac axis down. Unfortunately, hemorrhage control through REBOA comes at the risk of deadly intra-abdominal ischemia. Partial REBOA (pREBOA) introduces the opportunity to make targeted changes in volume and thus titrate the amount of aortic occlusion in real-time to adequately manage hemorrhage while allowing some distal blood flow. This is a novel approach and one which may give providers more time to gain definitive hemorrhage control while minimizing the morbidity of ischemia. Here, we present a case of life-threatening penetrating liver injury that was successfully managed non-operatively with the assistance of p-REBOA., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: J Nguyen, DO receives honoraria from Zimmer-Biomet, Teleflex, and Pry-time Medical for educational lectures.

Background: No studies to date have evaluated the use of rigid plate fixation for emergent sternotomy in trauma patients. We evaluated our use of rigid plate fixation vs wire cerclage in patients requiring emergent sternotomy. We hypothesized there would be no difference in complications related to sternal closure between the two groups., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study to include all patients who underwent emergent sternotomy from 1/1/2018 to 1/31/2021 and survived to have their sternum closed. Outcomes in patients closed with wire cerclage group (WC) were compared to patients who underwent rigid plate fixation (RPF)., Results: Twenty-two patients underwent emergent sternotomy. There were 11 patients in each group. There was no significant difference in admission demographics, ISS, or admission characteristics between the two groups. Complication rates related to closure (wound infection and hardware removal) were not significantly different (WC 27% vs RPF 9%, P = .58). Neither hospital length of stay (WC: 29 days vs RPF: 13 days, P = .13), ICU length of stay (WC: 6 days vs RPF: 7 days, P = .62), nor the number of ventilator days (WC: 3 days vs RPF: 1 day, P .11) were statistically different. All patients survived to discharge., Discussion: This is the first study comparing RPF and WC for sternotomy closure in the setting of trauma. We found no difference in the rate of wound related complications. This study demonstrates the feasibility of rigid plate fixation for trauma sternotomy closure and lays the foundation for future prospective studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Jonathan Nguyen has received speaker honorarium from Zimmer Biomet.

As women surgeons continue to represent a minority within the surgical field while also holding lower ranked positions, gaining a sub-specialized set of clinical skills through surgical fellowships, like surgical critical care (SCC), is one approach to advance within the surgical field. A cross-sectional analysis was performed investigating the websites of all 106 US-based SCC fellowships. A total of 116 SCC fellows were included in this analysis, comprising 67 (59.3%) men and 46 (40.7%) women. There were 977 SCC fellowship faculty were evaluated, comprising 619 (67.9%) men and 292 (32.1%) women. Additionally, 103 SCC fellowship program directors were analyzed, consisting of 77 (74.8%) men and 26 (25.2%) women. There is a significantly lower proportion of women fellows and faculty members (P < .001) compared to men. SCC programs with female program directors on average have higher proportions of female fellows and faculty compared to programs with male program directors (52% and 36% vs 31% and 29%, respectively). There is a stable yet unbalanced gender distribution throughout all positions in SCC fellowship programs. Actively supporting women surgeons pursuing SCC fellowship and removing barriers to their advancement through effective interventions can disrupt the persistently low prevalence of women SCC fellows, faculty, and program directors., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is often defined as the transfusion of ≥10 units of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in 24 hours. The purpose of this study is to determine which factors most significantly contribute to mortality in patients receiving MTP after trauma., Methods: An initial database search followed by retrospective chart review was performed on patients treated at four trauma centers in Southern California. Data were collected on all patients who received MTP, defined as at least 10 units PRBCs within the first 24 hours of admission, between January 2015 and December 2019. Patients with isolated head injuries were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine which factors most significantly influenced mortality., Results: Of 1278 patients who met our inclusion criteria in the database, 596 (46.6%) survived and 682 (53.4%) died. On univariate analysis initial vitals and labs, except for initial hemoglobin and initial platelet count were significant predictors of mortality. A multivariate regression model showed the strongest predictors of mortality were pRBC transfusions at 4 hours (OR 1.073, CI 1.020-1.128, P = .006) and 24 hours (OR 1.045, CI 1.003-1.088, P = .036), and FFP transfusion at 24 hours (OR 1.049, CI 1.016-1.084, P = .003)., Conclusion: Our data indicates that several factors may contribute to mortality in patients receiving MTP. In particular age, mechanism, initial GCS, and PRBC transfusions at 4 and 24 hours provided the strongest correlation. Further multicenter trials are indicated to provide further guidance in deciding when to discontinue massive transfusion., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Traumatic abdominal wall hernias (TAWH) are relatively uncommon; however, the shearing force that results in fascial disruption could indicate an increased risk of visceral injury. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the presence of a TAWH was associated with intra-abdominal injury requiring emergent laparotomy., Methods: The trauma registry was queried over an 8-year period (7/2012-7/2020) for adult patients with blunt thoracoabdominal trauma diagnosed with a TAWH. Those patients who were identified with a TAWH and greater than 15 years of age were included in the study. Demographics, mechanism of injury, ISS, BMI, length of stay, TAWH size, type of TAWH repair, and outcomes were analyzed., Results: Overall, 38,749 trauma patients were admitted over the study period, of which 64 (.17%) had a TAWH. Patients were commonly male (n = 42, 65.6%); the median age was 39 years (range 16-79 years) and a mean ISS of 21. Twenty-eight percent had a clinical seatbelt sign. Twenty-seven (42.2%) went emergently to the operating room, the majority for perforated viscus requiring bowel resection (n = 16, 25.0%), and 6 patients (9.4%) who were initially managed nonoperatively underwent delayed laparotomy. Average ventilator days was 14 days, with a mean ICU LOS of 14 days and mean hospital LOS of 18 days. About half of the hernias were repaired at the index operation, 6 of which were repaired primarily and 10 with mesh., Conclusion: The presence of a TAWH alone was an indication for immediate laparotomy to evaluate for intra-abdominal injury. In the absence of other indications for exploration, nonoperative management may be safe., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Cirrhosis and chronic liver disease cause a myriad of systemic health problems mostly caused by the presence of portal hypertension. Esophageal varices are one result of portal hypertension. They can rupture and bleed, which can be catastrophic in already coagulopathic liver failure patients. We present a patient who presented with decompensated liver failure for transplant. He developed a severe and refractory gastrointestinal bleed and was put on an octreotide infusion to increase splanchnic flow and decrease portal pressures. He subsequently developed complete heart block. Understanding the mechanisms of octreotide is imperative due to its frequent use in medically complex patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: Using rectal contrast computed tomography (CT) to identify traumatic colorectal injuries has become commonplace; however, these injuries remain relatively infrequent findings on CTs obtained for penetrating back and flank trauma. We conducted a meta-analysis to ascertain the efficacy of rectal contrast CT in identifying such injuries in victims penetrating injuries., Methods: PubMed and Embase were queried for relevant articles between 1974 and 2022. Review articles, case studies, and non-English manuscripts were excluded. Studies without descriptive CT and operative findings were excluded. Positive scans refer to rectal contrast extravasation. Sensitivity and specificity of rectal contrast CT scans were calculated with aggregated CT findings that were cross-referenced with laparotomy findings., Results: Only 8 manuscripts representing 506 patients quantified colorectal injuries and specified patients with rectal contrast extravasation. Seven patients with true colorectal injuries had no contrast extravasation on CT. There was one true positive scan. Another scan identified contrast extravasation, but laparotomy revealed no colorectal injury. Rectal contrast had sensitivity of 12.5%, specificity 99.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) 50%, negative predictive value (NPV) 99%, and a false negative rate of 88% in identifying colonic injuries., Discussion: The summation of 8 manuscripts suggest that the addition of rectal contrast in identifying colonic and rectal injuries may be of limited utility given its poor sensitivity and may be unnecessary. In its absence, subtle clues such as hematomas, extraluminal air, IV-dye extravasation, and trajectory may be additional indicators of injury. Further investigations are required to demonstrate a true benefit for the addition of rectal contrast.

Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

In health care, second victims are traumatized clinicians involved in unanticipated or untoward patient events. Programs that address second victim syndrome are sparse and its diagnosis often goes unrecognized. Consistently, literature has identified gaps in support resources, leading to compromised patient care and provider health. This project evaluates the need for second victim resources in trauma care providers at a tertiary public level 1 trauma hospital by electronically implementing a validated second victim survey over 5 weeks. Our results illustrate that second victim syndrome is prevalent among 57.1% of trauma care providers, of which 22.9% agree that second victim syndrome results in some form of undesirable work intentions.

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an intervention originally developed to prevent and deter substance abuse. Adaptation of the SBIRT model to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may potentially reduce acute stress symptoms after traumatic injury. We conducted a prospective randomized control study of adult patients admitted for gunshot wounds. Patients were randomized to intervention (INT) vs. treatment as usual (TAU) groups. INT received the newly developed SBIRT Intervention for Trauma Patients (SITP)-a 15-minute session with elements of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. SITP took place during the index hospitalization; both groups had followup at 30 and 90 days at which time a validated PTSD screening tool, PCL-5, was administered. Most of the 46 participants were young (mean age = 30.5y), male (91.3%), and black (86.9%). At three-month follow-up, SBIRT and TAU patients had similar physical healing scores but the SBIRT arm showed reductions in PTSD symptoms.

Risks of intimate partner violence (IPV) escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic given mitigation measures, socioeconomic hardships, and isolation concerns. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of IPV. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis for IPV incidence at a single level 1 trauma center located in the United States. IPV cases were identified by triangulation of institutional data sources. There were 4,624 traumatic injuries of which 292 (6.3%) were due to IPV. IPV-related injury admissions increased 17% in the weeks following the COVID lockdown (RR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.19). Over a quarter of victims (27.4%) were male. Compared to before COVID, victims of IPV during the pandemic were younger (p = .04); no difference in mechanism or severity of injury was found. Our results suggest an ongoing need for universal IPV screening during health emergencies to avoid missed opportunities for IPV detection and referral to support services.

Rib fractures result in serious morbidity and mortality after trauma. Although there is ongoing debate about surgical rib fixation, it is increasingly important for some patients. Minimally invasive techniques for rib fixation are gaining traction within the trauma community. We present an observational experience at our level 1 trauma center with our first 10 cases of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) internal rib fixation. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery internal plates are especially helpful for rib fractures under the scapula, which are difficult to access traditionally. This technique is also excellent at reducing complex segmental fractures as the bridge can span across multiple fractures with a single post on either side. They also work well for posterior fractures where multiple screws cannot be placed. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery internal rib fixation is a viable and exciting option for surgical fixation. The plates work particularly well for certain fracture patterns.

Visceral vascular injuries are relatively uncommon even in busy urban trauma centers. The inferior vena cava (IVC) is the most frequently injured visceral vein and can be a complex operative challenge. Despite advances in early volume resuscitation, improved transport times, prompt operative intervention, and hemorrhage control, mortality rates have remained largely unchanged. This article conducts an in-depth review of the literature surrounding IVC injuries and a detailed discussion of operative strategies and management as survivability is ultimately dependent on the grade of injury, location, and the presence of hemorrhagic shock.

Introduction: In trauma patients with pelvic fractures, computed tomography (CT) scans are a critical tool to evaluate life-threatening hemorrhage. Contrast extravasation, or "blush", on CT may be a sign of bleeding, prompting a consult for angiography and possible embolization. However, the utility of blush on CT is controversial. We sought to evaluate our experience with patients who sustained pelvic fractures and had blush on CT., Method: A retrospective review was performed for all patients with blunt pelvic fractures between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Demographic, clinical, radiographic, and injury data were obtained. Comparison of mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS was performed for 3 subgroups: angio versus no angio; embo versus no embo; prophylactic embo versus therapeutic embo. We also calculated the sensitivity, specify, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of CT blush to predict the need for embolization., Results: 889 patients were found to have a blunt pelvic fracture. 51 patients had blush on CT scan. 29 (56.9%) underwent angiography. 17 (58.6%) of these 29 patients were found to have extravasation and were embolized. 12 patients had an angio with no extravasation, and 6 of these patients (50%) underwent prophylactic embolization. No significant difference was found for hospital LOS, ICU LOS, or mortality in our 3 groups. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for CT blush were 74%, 96%, 33%, 99%, respectively., Conclusion: Patients with active extravasation undergoing embolization had similar outcomes to patients without active extravasation. Blush on CT scan had low sensitivity and low PPV but high specificity and high NPV. Future studies need to include careful attention to the CT protocol utilized as well as patient selection.

Background: Injury to the celiac artery secondary to a blunt mechanism of trauma is an extremely rare injury that accounts for only 1%-2% of all visceral vascular lesions. Although rare, this injury is associated with significant mortality. Despite this high mortality, there are currently only a few published case series of blunt celiac artery injuries in the literature. This study sought to review all cases of blunt celiac artery injuries that presented to our Level I trauma center over a 5-year period., Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of all patients who presented with a traumatic blunt celiac artery injury between January 2012 and March 2017., Results: A total of 10 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. The majority of patients were male (7/10, 70%), the average age was 38.3 ± 16.1 years, and overall mortality was 20% (2/10). On average, patients spent 10.2 ± 6.5 days in the hospital, 4.4 ± 4.5 days in the ICU, and 1.6 ± 2.0 days on the ventilator. The majority of patients presented with either an intimal dissection (3/10, 30%) or an intraluminal thrombus (3/10, 30%). Other injuries included pseudoaneurysms (2/10, 20%), complete avulsion (1/10, 10%), and an intimal dissection with thrombus (1/10, 10%). Of these injuries, 2 (20%) were noted to have retrograde flow on imaging studies including computed tomography angiography and a visceral angiogram. The majority of patients (8/10, 80%) were managed nonoperatively, and 5 (50%) patients were discharged home on aspirin. One patient who was initially managed nonoperatively required an unplanned return to the operating room for ischemic bowel, liver, and stomach. There were no other complications noted., Discussion: Traumatic blunt injury to the celiac artery is rare. Although there are multiple treatment options, there is currently no consensus in regard to management guidelines. In this case series, the majority of patients were successfully managed nonoperatively suggesting that a selective approach for intervention on patients with a blunt celiac artery injury should be considered.

Causes of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) are varied and can result from both medical and surgical diseases. Early recognition of ACS and prompt surgical treatment has been shown to improve mortality. We hypothesize that earlier recognition of ACS and earlier involvement by surgical specialists may improve mortality. A retrospective review between July 2010 and July 2015 was performed of adult patients who underwent decompressive laparotomy for ACS. Patients were divided into surgical and medical intensive care units (SICU and MICU) arms. Twenty patients were included (MICU = 12; SICU = 8) without significant difference between the groups. Median time from admission to suspicion for MICU patients was 60 hours versus 13 hours for SICU patients ( P = 0.013). Time from suspicion to surgical consult was 60 minutes versus 0 minutes, respectively ( P = 0.003), however, time from surgical consult to intervention was not different. Mortality rate in the MICU was 83 per cent versus 12.5 per cent in the SICU ( P = 0.005). Patients in the SICU who developed ACS were more quickly diagnosed than those in the MICU. These patients had a shorter time from suspicion of ACS to surgical consultation and eventual surgical intervention, and was associated with improved survival. A multidisciplinary approach, including early surgical consultation, for patients in whom there is a suspicion of ACS may contribute to improved mortality.

To reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), limiting use of indwelling catheters is encouraged with alternative collection methods and early removal. Adverse effects associated with such practices have not been described. We also determined if CAUTI preventative measures increase the risk of catheter-related complications. We hypothesized that there are complications associated with early removal of indwelling catheters. We described complications associated with indwelling catheterization and intermittent catheterization, and compared complication rates before and after policy updates changed catheterization practices. We performed retrospective cohort analysis of trauma patients admitted between August 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013 who required indwelling catheter. Associations between catheter days and adverse outcomes such as infection, bladder overdistention injury, recatheterization, urinary retention, and patients discharged with indwelling catheter were evaluated. The incidence of CAUTI and the total number of catheter days pre and post policy change were similar. The incidence rate of urinary retention and associated complications has increased since the policy changed. Practices intended to reduce the CAUTI rate are associated with unintended complications, such as urinary retention. Patient safety and quality improvement programs should monitor all complications associated with urinary catheterization practices, not just those that represent financial penalties.