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Abstract Introduction Sacral stress fractures are a rare but well known cause of low back pain. This type of fracture has also been observed as a postpartum complication. To date, no cases of intrapartum sacral stress fractures have been described in the literature. Case presentation We report the case of a 26-year-old Caucasian European primigravid patient (30 weeks and two days of gestation) who presented to our outpatient clinic with severe low back pain that had started after a downhill walk 14 days previously. She had no history of trauma. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a non-displaced stress fracture of the right lateral mass of her sacrum. Following her decision to opt for non-operative treatment, our patient received an epidural catheter for pain control. The remaining course of her pregnancy was uneventful and our patient gave birth to a healthy child by normal vaginal delivery. Conclusions We conclude that a sacral stress fracture must be considered as a possible cause of low back pain during pregnancy.

Abstract Background Several large studies have identified factors associated with long-term outcome after orthopaedic injuries. However, long-term social and economic implications have not been published so far. The aim of this investigation is to study the long-term socio-economic consequences of patients sustaining severe trauma. Methods Patients treated at a level one trauma center were invited for a follow-up (at least 10 years) examination. There were 637 patients who responded and were examined. Inclusion criteria included injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 points, presence of lower and upper extremity fractures, and age between 3 and 60 years. Exclusion criteria included the presence of amputations and paraplegia. The socio-economic outcome was evaluated in three age groups: group I (< 18 years), group II (19 - 50 years), and group III (> 50 years). The following parameters were analyzed using a standardized questionnaire: financial losses, net income losses, pension precaution losses, need for a bank loan, and the decrease in number of friends. Results 510 patients matched all study criteria, and breakdown of groups were as follows: 140 patients in group I, 341 patients in group II, and 29 patients in group III. Financial losses were reported in all age groups (20%-44%). Younger patients (group I) were associated with less income losses when compared with other groups (p < 0.05). Financial deterioration was more frequently reported in age group II (p < 0.05). Social consequences (number of friends decreased) were predominantly stated in patients younger than 18 years old (p < 0.05). Conclusions Economic consequences are reported by polytraumatized patients even ten or more years after injury. Financial losses appear to be common in patients between 19 and 50 years. In contrast, social deprivation appears to be most pronounced in the younger age groups. Early socio-economic support and measures of injury prevention should focus on these specific age groups.

Abstract Background Work-hour limitations have been implemented by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in July 2003 in order to minimize fatigue related medical adverse events. The effects of this regulation are still under intense debate. In this literature review, data of effects of limited work-hours on the quality of life, surgical education, and patient care was summarized, focusing on surgical subspecialities. Methods Studies that assessed the effects of the work-hour regulation published following the implementation of ACGME guidelines (2003) were searched using PubMed database. The following search modules were selected: work-hours, 80-hour work week, quality of life, work satisfaction, surgical education, residency training, patient care, continuity of care. Publications were included if they were completed in the United States and covered the subject of our review. Manuscrips were analysed to identify authors, year of publication, type of study, number of participants, and the main outcomes. Review Findings Twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies demonstrate that the residents quality of life has improved. The effects on surgical education are still unclear due to inconsistency in studies. Furthermore, according to several objective studies there were no changes in mortality and morbidity following the implementation. Conclusion Further studies are necessary addressing the effects of surgical education and studying the objective methods to assess the technical skill and procedural competence of surgeons. In addition, patient surveys analysing their satisfaction and concerns can contribute to recent discussion, as well.

Abstract Background Overlooked injuries and delayed diagnoses are still common problems in the treatment of polytrauma patients. Therefore, ongoing documentation describing the incidence rates of missed injuries, clinically significant missed injuries, contributing factors and outcome is necessary to improve the quality of trauma care. This review summarizes the available literature on missed injuries, focusing on overlooked muscoloskeletal injuries. Methods Manuscripts dealing with missed injuries after trauma were reviewed. The following search modules were selected in PubMed: Missed injuries, Delayed diagnoses, Trauma, Musculoskeletal injuires. Three time periods were differentiated: (n = 2, 1980–1990), (n = 6, 1990–2000), and (n = 9, 2000-Present). Results We found a wide spread distribution of missed injuries and delayed diagnoses incidence rates (1.3% to 39%). Approximately 15 to 22.3% of patients with missed injuries had clinically significant missed injuries. Furthermore, we observed a decrease of missed pelvic and hip injuries within the last decade. Conclusion The lack of standardized studies using comparable definitions for missed injuries and clinically significant missed injuries call for further investigations, which are necessary to produce more reliable data. Furthermore, improvements in diagnostic techniques (e.g. the use of multi-slice CT) may lead to a decreased incidence of missed pelvic injuries. Finally, the standardized tertiary trauma survey is vitally important in the detection of clinically significant missed injuries and should be included in trauma care.

The principles of fracture management in patients with multiple injuries continue to be of crucial importance. Early treatment of unstable polytraumatized patients with head, chest, abdomen or pelvic injuries, with blood loss followed by immediate fracture fixation (Early Total Care -ETC) may be associated with secondary life threatening posttraumatic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Development of SIRS is typically a function of the type and severity of the initial injury (the "first hit"). Immediate Fracture fixation, using reamed nails or plates, in such unstable patients with multiple injuries is subsequently defined as the "second hit" and may be associated with development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiple organ failure (MOF), with relatively high morbidity and mortality. The other alternative for long bone fracture fixation in unstable polytraumatized patients is based on immediate treatment of life threatening conditions related to the injuries, followed by the initial use of minimally invasive modular external frames for long bone fractures and is called Damage Control Orthopedics (DCO) and is widely accepted. In order to refine the DCO concept and to avoid an overuse of external fixation, the "Safe Definitive Surgery" (SDS) concept has been introduced, which is a dynamic synthesis of both strategies (ETC and DCO). The SDS strategy employs clinical parameters and includes repeated assessment of patients. The following paper is going to summarize historical backgrounds and recent concepts in treatment of polytraumatized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pre-hospital trauma life support (PHTLS®) includes a standardized algorithm for pre-hospital care. Implementation of PHTLS® led to improved outcome in less developed medical trauma systems. We aimed to determine the impact of PHTLS® on quality of pre-hospital care in a European metropolitan area. We hypothesized that the introduction of PHTLS® was associated with improved efficiency of pre-hospital care for severely injured patients and less emergency physician deployment. Methods: We included adult polytrauma (ISS > 15) patients that were admitted to our level one trauma center during a 7-year time period. Patients were grouped based on the presence or absence of a PHTLS®-trained paramedic in the pre-hospital trauma team. Group I (no-PHTLS group) included all casualties treated by no-PHTLS®-trained personnel. Group II (PHTLS group) was composed of casualties managed by a PHTLS® qualified team. We compared outcome between groups. Results: During the study period, 187,839 rescue operations were executed and 280 patients were included. No differences were seen in patient characteristics, trauma severity or geographical distances between groups. Transfer times were significantly reduced in PHTLS® teams than non-qualified teams (9.3 vs. 10.5 min, P = 0.006). Furthermore, the in-field operation times were significantly reduced in PHTLS® qualified teams (36.2 vs. 42.6 min, P = 0.003). Emergency physician involvement did not differ between groups. Conclusion: This is the first study to show that the implementation of PHTLS® algorithms in a European metropolitan area is associated with improved efficiency of pre-hospital care for the severely injured. We therefore recommend considering the introduction of PHTLS® in metropolitan areas in the first world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) represents a pandemic that has led to adjustments of routine clinical practices. The initial management in the trauma bay follows detailed international valid algorithms. This study aims to work out potential adjustments of trauma bay algorithms during a global pandemic in order to reduce contamination and to increase safety for patients and medical personnel. Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared patients admitted to the trauma bay of one academic level-one trauma centre in March and April 2019 with patients admitted in March and April 2020. Based on these datasets, possible adjustments of the current international guidelines of trauma bay management were discussed. Results: Group Pan (2020, n = 30) included two-thirds the number of patients compared with Group Ref (2019, n = 44). The number of severely injured patients comparable amongst these groups: mean injury severity score (ISS) was significantly lower in Group Pan (10.5 ± 4.4 points) compared with Group Ref (15.3 ± 9.2 points, p = 0.035). Duration from admission to whole-body CT was significantly higher in Group Pan (23.8 ± 9.4 min) compared with Group Ref (17.3 ± 10.7 min, p = 0.046). Number of trauma bay admissions decreased, as did the injury severity for patients admitted in March and April 2020. In order to contain spreading of SARS Cov-2, the suggested recommendations of adjusting trauma bay protocols for severely injured patients include (1) minimizing trauma bay team members with direct contact to the patient; (2) reducing repeated examination as much as possible, with rationalized use of protective equipment; and (3) preventing potential secondary inflammatory insults. Conclusion: Appropriate adjustments of trauma bay protocols during pandemics should improve safety for both patients and medical personnel while guaranteeing the optimal treatment quality. The above-mentioned proposals have the potential to improve safety during trauma bay management in a time of a global pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to 20% of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients develop severe inflammatory complications with diffuse pulmonary inflammation, reflecting acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A similar clinical profile occurs in severe trauma cases. This review compares pathophysiological and therapeutic principles of severely injured trauma patients and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The development of sequential organ failure in trauma parallels deterioration seen in severe COVID-19. Based on established pathophysiological models in the field of trauma, two complementary pathways of disease progression into severe COVID-19 have been identified. Furthermore, the transition from local contained disease into systemic and remote inflammation has been addressed. More specifically, the traumatology concept of sequential insults ('hits') resulting in immune dysregulation, is applied to COVID-19 disease progression modelling. Finally, similarities in post-insult humoral and cellular immune responses to severe trauma and severe COVID-19 are described. To minimize additional 'hits' to COVID-19 patients, we suggest postponing all elective surgery in endemic areas. Based on traumatology experience, we propose that immunoprotective protocols including lung protective ventilation, optimal thrombosis prophylaxis, secondary infection prevention and calculated antibiotic therapy are likely also beneficial in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Finally, rising SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality rates mandate exploration of out-of-the box treatment concepts, including experimental therapies designed for trauma care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In addition, its aetiologies are heterogeneous, and the outcome depends on the underlying cause. In trauma care, changes in diagnostics, management and treatment may influence the outcome of posttraumatic ARDS over time, which are attributable to geographic distribution, relate to the definition used and depend on the injury severity. Methods: We selected studies by searching PubMed using the MeSH terms "acute respiratory distress syndrome", "mortality" and "trauma" and all their combinations. Studies that reported mortality rates for polytrauma patients with ARDS were included. We excluded studies with selected population collectives (e.g. burn patients, isolated thoracic trauma and paediatric trauma) and non-trauma studies. Studies were stratified according to the recruitment year of patients into Decade 1 (prior 1990), Decade 2(1990–1999), Decade 3 (2000–2009) and Decade 4 (later 2009); geographic location (North America or Europe), the definition used in the different studies (American European Consensus Conference (AECC) definition or Berlin definition) and the mean injury severity of the patient populations, respectively. Results: Twenty-three studies between 1 January 1980 and 30 June 2018 were included in the analysis (486,861 patients, 52,561 with posttraumatic ARDS). There was a wide variation in mortality rates among the studies (4–39%). The overall pooled mean mortality rate for all studies was 21.8%, SD ± 8.3%. The mean mortality over the last four decades was similar between decade 1 (25.8%), decade 2 (20.6%), decade 3 (20.7%) and decade 4 (22.5%). Geographical observations comparing Europe and North America revealed no difference [Europe (22.1%) and North America (21.7%)]. The ARDS mortality in publications using the Berlin definition (23%) was comparable to the mortality rate in publications using the AECC definition (22.9%). The mortality rate based on the injury severity showed no alteration (ISS ≤ 25 points, 22.6%, ISS > 25 points, 22.6%). Conclusion: In this systematic review, there was no change in the mortality rate over the last four decades, no geographical difference within Western societies, no dependence on the ARDS definition used and no association with injury severity, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dysregulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) biology is associated with the development of inflammatory complications after trauma, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It has been demonstrated that intramedullary nailing is both associated with altered pulmonary neutrophil deposition and the occurrence of ARDS. This standardized study aimed to characterize the long-term remote neutrophil response in the lungs in case of a femur fracture and intramedullary nailing.Methods: A standardized rat model including intramedullary nailing and a femur fracture was utilized. Groups were terminated after observation times of three, seven and 14 days. Neutrophils were isolated from lung parenchyma and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and analyzed by flow cytometry. Absolute neutrophil numbers as well as membrane expression levels of CD11b, CD62L, and CD11a were compared.Results: Pulmonary neutrophil numbers were increased 3 days after intervention. Membrane expression levels of CD11b (P < 0.01), CD62L (P < 0.01), and CD11a (P = 0.06) on parenchymal PMNs increased as well after 3 days. Thereafter, values restored gradually to physiological levels. Furthermore, neutrophil activation status patterns between parenchymal and BALF neutrophil pools did not correlate.Conclusions: The current study demonstrates that IMN and a femur fracture are associated with transient increased pulmonary PMN deposition, as well as a specific pattern of activation characterized by temporary increased selectin and integrin receptor expression on pulmonary neutrophils. This phenomenon might play an important role in the pathomechanism of ARDS after IMN. Moreover, we found striking differences between parenchymal and BALF-neutrophil populations, demonstrating the limited readout potential of BALF analysis to investigate the entire pulmonary neutrophil pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Severely injured patients experience substantial immunological stress upon traumatic insult. Next to the direct local tissue injury also other organs, which are not directly injured such as liver and lung, are frequently affected by a so-called remote organ damage (ROD) after trauma. Thus, we studied the inflammatory response of lung and liver either after isolated femur fracture as example for ROD, or after multiple trauma in a porcine polytrauma model. Methods: Twenty-four male pigs (Sus scrofa) underwent either isolated standardized femoral fracture (monotrauma, MT, n = 12) or polytrauma (PT, n = 12). PT consisted of a femur fracture, lung contusion, liver laceration, hemorrhagic shock, subsequent resuscitation and surgical fracture fixation. Six animals served as controls (sham). After 72 h inflammatory changes were determined by analyses of the interleukin (IL)-6 gene expression and tissue infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN, myeloperoxidase staining). ROD in MT, and lung as well as liver damage in PT were assessed histologically by hematoxylin–eosin staining. Expression of phosphorylated p65 NF-κB was evaluated by immunohistology. Results: IL-6 increased in lungs and liver in both groups MT and PT, respectively, compared to sham. Similarly, PMN infiltration of the lungs and liver increased significantly after both MT and PT compared to sham. Histological evaluation demonstrated tissue damage notably in lungs after MT, while tissue damage after PT was found in both lung and liver after PT. p65 NF-κB tended to an increase upon MT, and was significantly enhanced after PT in both tissues. Conclusion: Our data indicate that remote organ damage after MT notably in lungs was associated with an enhanced inflammatory response. Severe polytrauma substantially intensifies this response and organ damage in the underlying model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spleen is the most frequently injured organ in blunt abdominal trauma and blunt abdominal trauma is a frequent cause of childhood injuries [[1]]. Further, this study is to the first to demonstrate that pediatric splenic injury severity, rather than other trauma or patient specific admission parameters, predicts persistent hemodynamic instability after trauma and therefore the need for early surgical intervention. Adding to APSA-recommendations, the current study demonstrates that splenic injury severity/grade seems to affect treatment decision-making and is predictive for NOM success not only in isolated splenic injuries, but also in patients with multiple injuries. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: The treatment of abdominal solid organ injuries has shifted towards non-operative management (NOM). However, the feasibility of NOM for penetrating splenic trauma is unclear and outcome is believed to be worse than NOM for penetrating liver and kidney injuries. Hence, the aim of the current systematic review was to evaluate the feasibility of selective NOM in penetrating splenic injury. Methods: A review of literature was performed using Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Studies on adult patients treated by NOM for splenic injuries were included and outcome was documented and compared. Results: Five articles from exclusively level-1 and level-2-traumacenters were selected and a total of 608 cases of penetrating splenic injury were included. Nonoperative management was applied in 123 patients (20.4%, range 17–33%). An overall failure rate of NOM of 18% was calculated. Mortality was not seen in patients selected for nonoperative management. Contra-indicatons for NOM included hemodynamic instability, absence of abdominal CT-scanning to rule out concurrent injuries and peritonitis. Conclusions: This review demonstrates that non-operative management for penetrating splenic trauma in highly selected patients has been utilized in several well-equipped and experienced trauma centers. NOM of penetrating splenic injury in selected patients is not associated with increased morbidity nor mortality. Data on the less well-equipped and experienced trauma centers are not available. More prospective studies are required to further define exact selection criteria for non-operative management in splenic trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The first and largest peak of trauma mortality is encountered on the trauma site. The aim of this study was to determine whether these trauma-related deaths are preventable. We performed a systematic literature review with a focus on pre-hospital preventable deaths in severely injured patients and their causes. Methods: Studies published in a peer-reviewed journal between January 1, 1990 and January 10, 2018 were included. Parameters of interest: country of publication, number of patients included, preventable death rate (PP = potentially preventable and DP = definitely preventable), inclusion criteria within studies (pre-hospital only, pre-hospital and hospital deaths), definition of preventability used in each study, type of trauma (blunt versus penetrating), study design (prospective versus retrospective) and causes for preventability mentioned within the study. Results: After a systematic literature search, 19 papers (total 7235 death) were included in this literature review. The majority (63.1%) of studies used autopsies combined with an expert panel to assess the preventability of death in the patients. Pre-hospital death rates range from 14.6 to 47.6%, in which 4.9–11.3% were definitely preventable and 25.8–42.7% were potentially preventable. The most common (27–58%) reason was a delayed treatment of the trauma victims, followed by management (40–60%) and treatment errors (50–76.6%). Conclusion: According to our systematic review, a relevant amount of the observed mortality was described as preventable due to delays in treatment and management/treatment errors. Standards in the pre-hospital trauma system and management should be discussed in order to find strategies to reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]