Predictores de mortalidad precoz en pacientes con trauma complejo hemorrágico / Early mortality predictors in patients with complex hemorrhagic trauma

RESUMEN Fundamento: El trauma complejo es un problema de salud a nivel mundial y cuando es de tipo hemorrágico la mortalidad es superior a los otros tipos de traumas complejos. Objetivo: Determinar las variables predictoras de mortalidad precoz en pacientes hospitalizados con trauma complejo hemorrágico en una institución hospitalaria del segundo nivel de atención en Cuba. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio transversal en el Hospital General Provincial Camilo Cienfuegos de Sancti Spíritus, durante 6 años. Se incluyeron 207 pacientes. Las variables se agruparon en sociodemográficas, enfermedades crónicas asociadas, mecanismo lesional, tipo de trauma, localización topográfica, tiempo entre admisión hospitalaria, diagnóstico y tratamiento, complicaciones precoces, tratamiento médico y quirúrgico, y mortalidad precoz. Se elaboró un árbol de decisión mediante el método Chaid exhaustivo, la variable dependiente fue la mortalidad por trauma complejo hemorrágico. Resultados: Predominaron los pacientes del sexo masculino (85 %), con 60 años y menos (83 %), con trauma contuso (57.5 %) y politraumatizados (42.5 %). Predominaron también los que presentaron acidosis metabólica (66.7 %), coagulopatía aguda (44.4 %), hipotermia (41.5 %). El 30 % de los pacientes falleció precozmente. El árbol de decisión tuvo una sensibilidad de 82.3 %, una especificidad de 97.2 % y un porcentaje global de pronóstico correcto del 92.8 %. Se identificaron 4 variables predictores de mortalidad: hipotermia, acidosis metabólica, coagulopatía aguda y trauma penetrante. Conclusiones: La probabilidad más alta de fallecer precozmente durante un trauma complejo hemorrágico se da entre pacientes con hipotermia, acidosis metabólica, coagulopatía aguda y trauma penetrante.

ABSTRACT Background: Complex trauma is a worldwide health problem and when hemorrhagic, mortality is higher than other types of complex trauma. Objective: To determine predictive variables of early mortality in hospitalized patients with complex hemorrhagic trauma in a second care level hospital in Cuba. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital in Sancti Spíritus, for 6 years. 207 patients were included. The variables were grouped into sociodemographic, associated chronic diseases, injury mechanism, type of trauma, topographic location, time between hospital admission, diagnosis and treatment, early complications, medical and surgical treatment, and early mortality. A decision tree was developed using the exhaustive Chaid method, the dependent variable was mortality due to complex hemorrhagic trauma. Results: Male patients (85 %), 60 years and younger (83 %), with blunt trauma (57.5 %) and polytraumatized patients (42.5 %) predominated. Those who presented metabolic acidosis (66.7 %), acute coagulopathy (44.4 %), and hypothermia (41.5 %) also predominated. 30 % of patients died early. The decision tree had a sensitivity of 82.3 %, a specificity of 97.2 % and an overall percentage of correct forecast of 92.8 %. Four variables that predicted mortality were identified: hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, acute coagulopathy, and penetrating trauma. Conclusions: The highest probability of early dying during a complex hemorrhagic trauma occurs among patients with hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, acute coagulopathy and penetrating trauma.

Triada mortal en pacientes politraumatizados, relación conmortalidad y severidad / Prognostic value of the lethal triad among patients with multiple trauma

Background: Patients who have suffered multiple traumatic injuries, have a serious risk for death. Hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy are three complications in these patients, whose presence is known as lethal triad and indicates bad prognosis.Aim: To determine if the lethal triad in multiple trauma patients is associated withhigher mortality and Injury Score Severity (ISS). Material and Methods: Onehundred multiple trauma patients aged 26 to 56 years (90 males), admitted toan emergency room, were studied. Body temperature, prothrombin time, partialthromboplastin time, platelet count and blood gases were determined on admission.Results: Twenty six patients had the lethal triad and 15% died in the emergencyroom within the first 6 hours. No death was recorded among the 74 patients withoutthe lethal triad. The mean ISS among patients with and without the lethal triad was31.7 and 25.6, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The presence of the lethal triadamong patients with multiple trauma is associated with a higher mortality and ISS.

Clinical utility of standard base excess in the diagnosis and interpretation of metabolic acidosis in critically ill patients

The aims of this study were to determine whether standard base excess (SBE) is a useful diagnostic tool for metabolic acidosis, whether metabolic acidosis is clinically relevant in daily evaluation of critically ill patients, and to identify the most robust acid-base determinants of SBE. Thirty-one critically ill patients were enrolled. Arterial blood samples were drawn at admission and 24 h later. SBE, as calculated by Van Slyke's (SBE VS) or Wooten's (SBE W) equations, accurately diagnosed metabolic acidosis (AUC = 0.867, 95 percentCI = 0.690-1.043 and AUC = 0.817, 95 percentCI = 0.634-0.999, respectively). SBE VS was weakly correlated with total SOFA (r = -0.454, P < 0.001) and was similar to SBE W (r = -0.482, P < 0.001). All acid-base variables were categorized as SBE VS <-2 mEq/L or SBE VS <-5 mEq/L. SBE VS <-2 mEq/L was better able to identify strong ion gap acidosis than SBE VS <-5 mEq/L; there were no significant differences regarding other variables. To demonstrate unmeasured anions, anion gap (AG) corrected for albumin (AG A) was superior to AG corrected for albumin and phosphate (AG A+P) when strong ion gap was used as the standard method. Mathematical modeling showed that albumin level, apparent strong ion difference, AG A, and lactate concentration explained SBE VS variations with an R² = 0.954. SBE VS with a cut-off value of <-2 mEq/L was the best tool to diagnose clinically relevant metabolic acidosis. To analyze the components of SBE VS shifts at the bedside, AG A, apparent strong ion difference, albumin level, and lactate concentration are easily measurable variables that best represent the partitioning of acid-base derangements.