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Blunt aortic injury (BAI) after chest trauma is a potentially lethal condition. Rapid diagnosis is important to appropriately treat patients. The purpose of this study was to compare CT with intravenous contrast (CTI) to CT with angiography (CTA) in the initial evaluation of blunt chest trauma patients. This was a retrospective review of all blunt trauma patients who received a CTI or CTA during the initial evaluation at an urban Level I trauma center from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013. Two-hundred and eighty-one trauma patients met inclusion criteria. Most, 167/281 (59%) received CTI and 114/281 (41%) received CTA. There were no differences between cohorts in age, gender, initial heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and Glasgow Coma Scale in emergency department. Mortality rates were similar for CTI and CTA (4% vs 8%, P = 0.20). CTI identified an injury in 54 per cent compared with 46 per cent in CTA (P = 0.05). Overall, 2 per cent of patients had BAI with similar rates in CTI and CTA (2% vs 2%, P = 0.80). BAI was not missed using either CTI or CTA. Trauma patients studied with CTI had similar diagnostic findings as CTA. CTI may be preferable to CTA during the initial assessment for possible BAI because of a single contrast injection for whole body CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blunt aortic injury (BAI) after chest trauma is a potentially lethal condition that requires rapid diagnosis for appropriate treatment. We compared CT with IV contrast (CTI) with CT with angiography (CTA) during the initial phase of care at an urban Level I trauma center from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013. Overall, 281 patients met inclusion criteria with 167 (59%) CTI and 114 (41%) CTA. There were no differences between cohorts in age, gender, initial heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and Glasgow Coma Scale. Mortality rates were similar for CTI and CTA (4% vs 8%, P = 0.20). CTI identified any chest injury in 54 per cent of patients compared with 46 per cent with CTA (P = 0.05). The rate of BAI was similar with CTI and CTA (2% vs 2%, P = 0.80), and neither modality was falsely negative. We conclude that CTI and CTA are similar at evaluating trauma patients for BAI, although CTI may be preferable during the initial assessment phase because the contrast injection may be combined with abdominal scanning and image time is reduced when whole-body CT is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain associated with rib fractures impairs respiratory function and increases pulmonary morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine how epidural catheters alter mortality and complications in trauma patients. We performed a retrospective study involving adult blunt trauma patients with moderate-to-severe injuries from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013. During the 10-year period, 526 patients met the inclusion criteria; 43/526 (8%) patients had a catheter placed. Mean age of patients with epidural catheter (CATH) was higher compared with patients without epidural catheter (NOCATH) (54 vs 48 years, P = 0.021), Injury Severity Score was similar (26 CATH vs 27 NOCATH, P = 0.84), and CATH had higher mean rib fractures (7.4 vs 4.1, P < 0.001). Mortality was lower in CATH (0% vs 13%, P = 0.006). Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) rate was higher in CATH (12% vs. 5%, P = 0.036). After regression analysis, we found catheter placement to be a predictor for DVT (adjusted odds ratios 2.80, P = 0.036). Our center noted increased use of epidural catheters in patients who present with moderate-to-severe injuries. Patients with catheters were older and had a mean of 7.4 ribs fractured. The epidural cohort had longer hospital LOS and decreased mortality. In contrast to other studies, DVT rates were increased in patients who received epidural catheters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is used to resuscitate patients in hemorrhagic shock. Our goal was to review MTP use in the elderly. All trauma patients who required activation of MTP at an urban Level I trauma center from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Elderly was defined as age ≥ 60 years. Sixty-six patients had MTP activated: 52 nonelderly (NE) and 14 elderly (E). There were no statistically significant differences between the two cohorts for gender, injury severity score, head abbreviated injury scale, emergency department Glasgow Coma Scale, initial hematocrit, intensive care unit length of stay, or hospital length of stay. Mean age for NE was 35 years and 73 years for E (P < 0.01). Less than half (43%) of E patients with activation of MTP received 10 or more units of blood products compared with 69 per cent of the NE (P = 0.07). Mortality rates were similar in the NE and the E (53%vs 50%, P = 0.80). After multivariate analysis with Glasgow Coma Scale, injury severity score, and blunt versus penetrating trauma, elderly age was not a predictor of mortality after MTP (P = 0.35). When MTP is activated, survival to discharge in elderly trauma patients is comparable to younger patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]