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PubMed ID: 29786816, BACKGROUND: Traffic accidents are still an important public health issue in our country and intra-vehicle accidents cause substantial morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of seating position on morbidity and mortality in traffic accidents. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the Emergency Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University between May 1, 2014 and November 30, 2014 due to injuries in motor vehicles and who signed informed consent were included. RESULTS: In total, 519 cases were included, and 329 (63.4%) were male and 190 (36.6%) were female. The average age was 33.11±16.86 (range, 0–85) years. It was noted that the accidents most frequently occurred between 18.00 and 23.59 (36.3%) hours, in the car (79%), and due to collision with another car (61.7%). Although 39.5% of the injured individuals were drivers, 26.4% were front seat passengers. From a forensic medicine perspective, life-threatening injuries were approximately twice more common (37.5%– 13.6%) in accidents with >110 km/h speed compared with accidents with 110 km/h speed caused approximately twice the amount (56.3%–26.3%) of injuries that cannot be resolved with simple medical intervention compared with accidents with

PubMed ID: 27849321, BACKGROUND: The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate traumatic aortic transection patients and their bedside plain chest radiographs for signs of aortic injury. METHODS: Emergency department (ED) patients from a 5-year period with traumatic aortic transection who were over 18 years of age were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, mechanism of trauma, Revised Trauma Score, Glasgow Coma Score, vital signs, physical exam findings, laboratory parameters, length of stay in the ED, and patient outcomes were documented. Bedside plain chest radiograph images were interpreted by 2 emergency medicine specialists and 1 radiologist. RESULTS: Thirty patients, mean age 45.87±16.14 years (70% male), were enrolled. Most common trauma mechanism was motor vehicle accident (53.3%). Agreement rates between emergency medicine specialists and radiologist were found to be “excellent” and “substantial” in identifying mediastinal widening and multiple left sided rib fractures; and “fair” in identifying widened paraspinal line, and transthoracic vertebral fractures. CONCLUSION: Though not completely reliable, bedside plain chest radiographs and physical examination findings may be useful in detecting aortic injury during primary survey when the patient is unstable and cannot be sent for chest computerized tomography. Appropriate further imaging studies should be carried out as appropriate based on patient’s hemodynamic status. © 2016, TJTES.

PubMed ID: 23884674, BACKGROUND We aimed to show the sensitivity of Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (e-FAST) for detection of pneumothorax, hemothorax and intraabdominal injury. We also investigated the relationship between e-FAST and need for invasive treatment. METHODS This study included patients who experienced multiple trauma. The emergency physician, who had no clinical information about the patient, performed e-FAST. Findings on a supine chest X-ray and invasive interventions were recorded. The results of abdomen and thorax computed tomography (CT) were reviewed (the size of the pneumothorax was scored). RESULTS Compared with CT, the sensitivities of e-FAST for intraabdominal injury and hemothorax were 54.5% and 71%, respectively. The patients with hemothorax and intraabdominal injuries were not identified with e-FAST, didn't need for invasive intervention. Pneumothorax diagnosis was established in 27 patients with e-FAST (sensitivity 81.8%) from among 33 (30.8%) pneumothorax patients. According to the grading on CT, pneumothoraces less than 1 cm in width and not exceeding the midcoronal line in length were not identified. e-FAST was positive for all patients performed with tube thoracostomy. CONCLUSION e-FAST can be used with high sensitivity for determination of pneumothorax requiring invasive procedure. It has low sensitivity in the diagnosis of intraabdominal injury and hemothorax; however, e-FAST can predict the need for invasive procedures.