ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Timely intervention is the key to the successful management of penetrating injuries to jugular veins; however, the optimal clinical management of these perforations and associated risk factors for mortality are not fully established. This study examined the trauma characteristics, vital signs, and in-hospital mortality in penetrating external and internal jugular vein injuries (PEJVI and PIJVI, respectively). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this National Trauma Data Bank database study on patients with penetrating jugular vein injuries (PJVIs), details pertaining to demographics, comorbidities, type of injury, mechanism and intent of injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS), vital signs, treatment, and outcome, were abstracted. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 548 patients with PJVIs were included in the final analysis. Patients with PEJVI were more likely to have a self-inflicted injury (p<.001) than those with PIJVI. In both groups, hemorrhage control surgery was performed in almost 60% of the patients within 24 hrs. of the injury (p=.767). Systolic blood pressure (OR 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-1.00, p=.043), Glasgow coma scale (OR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.95, p<.001), ISS (OR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.06-1.14, p<.001), and the firearm as a mechanism of injury (OR 2.85, 95% CI: 1.19-6.79, p=.018) were found to be independently associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The injury severity, hemodynamic stability, comma scale, intent, and mechanism of injury differed significantly in PEJVI and PIJVI; however, the type of PJVI did not have an independent association with in-hospital mortality.
