A Novel Treatment for Massive Hemorrhage after Maternal Trauma in Pregnancy.

Background Trauma in pregnancy can lead to life-threatening hemorrhage. Conventional treatments of hemorrhage include medical and surgical management. However, if these measures fail uterine compression is an option to control bleeding. We present a case where this management was employed. Case A patient presented at 36 weeks of gestation with multiple injuries after a motor vehicle collision and experienced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The use of a Bakri balloon in combination with external compression with Coban, a sterile self-adherent bandage, after delivery temporized her bleeding and allowed her to become stable for further management. Conclusion When other measures fail and a hysterectomy is considered unsafe, the combination of internal and external uterine compression is an option.

Comparing Outcomes Between "Pull" Versus "Push" Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Acute Care Surgery: Under-Reported Pull Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Incidence of Tube Dislodgement.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) complications are often under-reported in the literature, especially regarding the incidence of tube dislodgement (TD). TD can cause significant morbidity depending on its timing. We compared outcomes between "push" and "pull" PEGs. We hypothesized that push PEGs, because of its T-fasteners and balloon tip, would have a lower incidence of TD and complications compared with pull PEGs. METHODS: We performed a chart review of our prospectively maintained acute care surgery database for patients who underwent PEG tube placement from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2013. Data regarding age, gender, body mass index, indications (trauma versus nontrauma), and complications (including TD) were extracted. Procedure-related complications were classified as either major if patients required an operative intervention or minor if they did not. We compared outcomes between pull PEG and push PEG. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with major complications. RESULTS: During the 4-y study period, 264 patients underwent pull PEGs and 59 underwent push PEGs. Age, gender, body mass index, and indications were similar between the two groups. The overall complications (major and minor) were similar (20% pull versus 22% push, P = 0.61). The incidence of TD was also similar (12% pull versus 9% push, P = 0.49). However, TD associated with major complications was higher in pull PEGs but was not statistically significant (6% pull versus 2% push, P = 0.21). Multiple regression analysis showed that dislodged pull PEG was associated with major complications (odds ratio 29.5; 95% confidence interval, 11.3-76.9; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of pull PEG TD associated with major complications is under-recognized. Specific measures should be undertaken to help prevent pull PEG TD. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, therapeutic.

Surgical management of pancreatic necrosis: A practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic or peripancreatic tissue necrosis confers substantial morbidity and mortality. New modalities have created a wide variation in approaches and timing of interventions for necrotizing pancreatitis. As acute care surgery evolves, its practitioners are increasingly being called upon to manage these complex patients. METHODS: A systematic review of the MEDLINE database using PubMed was performed. English language articles regarding pancreatic necrosis from 1980 to 2014 were included. Letters to the editor, case reports, book chapters, and review articles were excluded. Topics of investigation included operative timing, the use of adjuvant therapy and the type of operative repair. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations methodology was applied to question development, outcome prioritization, evidence quality assessments, and recommendation creation. RESULTS: Eighty-eight studies were included and underwent full review. Increasing the time to surgical intervention had an improved outcome in each of the periods evaluated (72 hours, 12-14 days, 30 days) with a significant improvement in outcomes if surgery was delayed 30 days. The use of percutaneous and endoscopic procedures was shown to postpone surgery and potentially be definitive. The use of minimally invasive surgery for debridement and drainage has been shown to be safe and associated with reduced morbidity and mortality. CONCLUSION: Acute Care Surgeons are uniquely trained to care for those with pancreatic necrosis due their training in critical care and complex surgery with ongoing shock. In adult patients with pancreatic necrosis, we recommend that pancreatic necrosectomy be delayed until at least day 12. During the first 30 days of symptoms with infected necrotic collections, we conditionally recommend surgical debridement only if the patients fail to improve after radiologic or endoscopic drainage. Finally, even with documented infected necrosis, we recommend that patients undergo a step-up approach to surgical intervention as the preferred surgical approach. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review/guideline, level III.

Moped collisions among patients with revoked drivers' licenses are a significant public health problem: a retrospective cohort study.

Many states do not require a license to operate a moped, defined as a motor vehicle with less than 50-cc engine displacement. These vehicles may therefore serve as a mode of transportation for those who are driving without a license and who may have a history of prior high-risk behavior. We hypothesized that those involved in moped collisions were more likely to have previous convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other non-DWI offenses than those on conventional motorcycles. At a Level I trauma center, we queried the trauma registry from January 2005 to October 2010 for admissions after motorcycle or moped collisions. Classification of mechanism of injury was verified through chart review. Corrections databases from our state were then reviewed for previous convictions for DWI and other offenses. One thousand seventy-three patients over the study period were involved in motorcycle or moped collisions; 94 were from another state. Of the patients identified from our state, 249 had moped collisions and 730 had motorcycle collisions. Forty-nine per cent (121) of moped drivers had a history of DWI versus only 8 per cent (56) of motorcycle drivers (P ≤ 0.05). Sixty-four per cent (161) of moped drivers were previously convicted of a crime versus 20 per cent (146) of those on motorcycles (P ≤ 0.05). Moped drivers were significantly more likely to have a prior conviction of DWI as well as prior convictions of other crimes, establishing a pattern of disregard for the law. The use of these vehicles without a license likely presents a risk to public safety. Legislation to require licensing before moped operation should be considered.

Amantadine inhibits platelet-activating factor induced clathrin-mediated endocytosis in human neutrophils.

Receptor signaling is integral for adhesion, emigration, phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species production in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Priming is an important part of PMN emigration, but it can also lead to PMN-mediated organ injury in the host. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) primes PMNs through activation of a specific G protein-coupled receptor. We hypothesize that PAF priming of PMNs requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) of the PAF receptor (PAFr), and, therefore, amantadine, known to inhibit CME, significantly antagonizes PAF signaling. PMNs were isolated by standard techniques to >98% purity and tested for viability. Amantadine (1 mM) significantly inhibited the PAF-mediated changes in the cellular distribution of clathrin and the physical colocalization [fluorescence resonance energy transfer positive (FRET+)] of early endosome antigen-1 and Rab5a, known components of CME and similar to hypertonic saline, a known inhibitor of CME. Furthermore, amantadine had no effect on the PAF-induced cytosolic calcium flux; however, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was significantly decreased. Amantadine inhibited PAF-mediated changes in PMN physiology, including priming of the NADPH oxidase and shape change with lesser inhibition of increases in CD11b surface expression and elastase release. Furthermore, rimantadine, an amantadine analog, was a more potent inhibitor of PAF priming of the N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-activated oxidase. PAF priming of PMNs requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis that is inhibited when PMNs are pretreated with either amantadine or rimantadine. Thus, amantadine and rimantadine have the potential to ameliorate PMN-mediated tissue damage in humans.