Thoracic Trauma: Current Approach in Emergency Medicine.

Chest trauma is the leading cause of death in people under 40. It is estimated to cause around 140,000 deaths each year. The key aims are to reduce mortality and the impact of associated complications to expedite recovery and to restore patient's conditions. The recognition of lesions through appropriate imaging and early treatment already in the emergency department are fundamental. The majority can be managed in a non-surgical way, but especially after traumatic cardiac arrest, a surgical approach is required. One of the most important surgical procedures is the Emergency Department Thoracotomy (EDT). The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis about the management of thoracic trauma, the surgical procedures, accepted indications, and technical details adopted during the most important surgical procedures for different thoracic trauma injuries. Literature from 1990 to 2023 was retrieved from multiple databases and reviewed. It is also important to emphasize the medico-legal implications of this type of trauma, both from the point of view of collaboration with the judicial authority and in the prevention of any litigation.

Evaluation of stabbing assault injuries in a tertiary emergency department: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 458,000 victims were deceased from intentional violence in 2021. A stabbing assault causes 25% of homicides. The study aims to evaluate injury patterns, trauma scores, radiological findings, types of treatment, and outcomes of stab assault patients admitted to a tertiary emergency department (ED). METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study of stabbing injury patients in the ED of Hacettepe University, Turkey. The sites and patterns of injury, radiological findings, treatment methods, consultations, and complications are acquired from the patient's files. Trauma scores and frequency of outcomes, such as the need for surgery, hospitalization, or mortality, were calculated for all patients. RESULTS: Among the 648 patients, 564 (87%) were male. The median age was 28 (interquartile range [IQR]:13). The commonly injured body parts were the extremities (75%), thorax (21.9%), and abdomen (16.9%). The median RTS was 7,84 (IQR:0), and the median ISS was 2 (IQR:3). The fluid was detected in 13 of 88 patients by FAST, solid organ injuries in 21 patients, and gastric and intestinal injuries in 11 patients by abdominal CT. One hundred sixty-one patients underwent moderate and major surgery. Complications developed in 13 patients. 74,4% of the patients (n = 482) were treated in ED and 21.8% (n = 141) of patients were hospitalized in wards, 2.3% (n = 15) in intensive care unit and 1.5% (n = 10) patients died. GCS, RTS, and probability of survival (Ps) were significantly lower, and ISS was significantly higher in deceased patients and patients who needed erythrocyte replacement. CONCLUSION: The majority of stab wounds were detected in extremities, but severe and lethal stabbing injuries were on the thorax and abdomen. In thoracoabdominal stabbing injuries, x-rays and FAST can be ineffective in detecting critical and fatal injuries. Therefore, thoracic and abdominal CT should be planned early to detect possible causes of death and make a timely and accurate diagnosis. Lower GCS, RTS, and Ps or higher ISS scores were related to the need for erythrocyte replacement.

French practice of emergency resuscitative thoracotomy. A study based on the Traumabase Registry.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Emergency resuscitative thoracotomy (ERT) has been described as a potentially life-saving procedure for trauma patients who have been admitted in refractory shock or with recent loss of sign of life (SOL). This nationwide registry analysis aimed to describe the French practice of ERT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2015 to 2021, all severe trauma patients who underwent ERT were extracted from the TraumaBase→ registry. Demographic data, prehospital management and in-hospital outcomes were recorded to evaluate predictors of success-to rescue after ERT at 24-hour and 28-day. RESULTS: Only 10/26 Trauma centers have an effective practice of ERT, three of them perform more than 1 ERT/year. Sixty-six patients (74% male, 49/66) with a median age of 37 y/o [26-51], mostly with blunt trauma (52%, 35/66) were managed with ERT. The median pre-hospital time was 64mins [45-89]. At admission, the median injury severity score was 35 [25-48], and 51% (16/30) of patients have lost SOL. ERT was associated with a massive transfusion protocol including 8 RBCs [6-13], 6 FFPs [4-10], and 0 PCs [0-1] in the first 6h. The overall success-to-rescue after ERT at 24-h and 28-d were 27% and 15%, respectively. In case of refractory shock after penetrating trauma, survival was 64% at 24-hours and 47% at 28-days. CONCLUSIONS: ERT integrated into the trauma protocol remains a life-saving procedure that appears to be underutilized in France, despite significant success-to-rescue observed by trained teams for selected patients.

Role of endovascular management on outcomes in patients with traumatic inferior vena cava injuries.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the association between the injury mechanism and repair type with outcomes in patients with traumatic inferior vena cava injuries. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of the ACS-TQIP database (2017-2020), including patients with traumatic IVC injuries. Patients were stratified by injury mechanism and type of repair and compared. RESULTS: Out of 1334 patients, 5 â€‹% underwent endovascular repair while 95 â€‹% had an open procedure. Overall, 74.7 â€‹% sustained a penetrating injury. On multivariable regression analysis, the type of repair was not associated with mortality and morbidity for patients with penetrating injuries. However, among patients with blunt injuries, endovascular repair was associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality (aOR:0.35, p â€‹= â€‹0.020) and non-venous thromboembolism (VTE) morbidity (aOR:0.41, p â€‹= â€‹0.015), and higher odds of VTE complications (aOR:6.74, p â€‹< â€‹0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the type of repair did not impact morbidity and mortality in patients with penetrating injuries, endovascular repair was identified as the only modifiable predictor of reduced non-VTE morbidity and mortality in patients with blunt injuries.

Epidemiology of civilian's gunshot wound injuries admitted to intensive care unit: A retrospective, multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies investigated the outcome of patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for gunshot wounds (GSW). The purpose of this study was to determine the 28-day mortality, and to analyze the impact of variables on the mortality of patients admitted to ICU with GSW in four French University Hospitals level-1 regional trauma centers. METHOD: All medical files of adult patients (above fifteen years old) admitted to four French University Hospitals level-1 regional trauma centers for GSW were retrospectively analyzed from January 1st 2015 to June 30th 2021. The primary aim was to determine 28-day death rate of patients admitted in ICU for GSW. The secondary aim was to describe biological parameters, injuries and management of patients admitted to our ICUs, and to identify the variables associated with the 28-day mortality rate. A multivariate analysis allowed determining independent mortality factors. A Kaplan-Meier analysis compared mortality according to head injury. RESULTS: Among 17,262 patients screened, 173 (1 %) were admitted for GSW and 162 were analyzed. The 28-day mortality rate was 24.7 %. 77.5 % of deaths occurred within the first 48 h after ICU admission, and 87.5 % of deaths within three days of ICU admission. The 28-day death rate of patients with head injury was significantly higher as compared to patients without head injury (p < 0.001). Out of forty deaths, twenty-three (57.5 %) were due to head injury, and nine (22.5 %) were due to bleeding. The mechanisms were assault (45.1 %), suicide (34.6 %), accident (4.9 %) and unidentified (15.4 %). In a multivariate analysis, variables associated with the 28-day death rate were age, pre-hospital Glasgow coma score, and Injury Severity Score. CONCLUSION: GSW represented 1 % of ICU admission. The 28-day mortality rate was 24.7 %. 77.5 % of deaths occurred within the first 48 h due to head injuries and bleeding. Head injuries were associated with significantly higher mortality rate.

Penetrating abdominal stab and gunshot injuries: 10-year experience of a secondary public hospital located in a suburban area with solo surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma care systems are life-saving significant implementations of a country's healthcare systems. Trauma care requires well-established trauma settings and organizations with experienced trauma teams including experienced emergency medicine, surgery and anesthesiology staff. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of penetrating abdominal injuries treated by solo surgeons in a suburban area. METHODS: Medical records of the patients who were admitted to the emergency department with penetrating abdominal injuries between January 2012 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were evaluated based on their injury sites and treatment approaches. RESULTS: In total, 110 patients with anterior abdominal penetrating injuries were enrolled in the study; 83 (75.4%) were stabbed and 27 (24.6%) had gunshot wounds. According to the injury site, there were 90 (81.8%) anterior; 11 (11%) right thoracoabdominal and 9 (7.2%) left thoracoabdominal injuries. Fifty-one (61.4%) stab wounds were treated with immediate laparotomy and 21 (41.1%) of these operations resulted in negative or nontherapeutic laparotomy. Also, 32 (38.6%) stab wounds were managed nonoperatively; three (9.3%) failed conservative management and received delayed laparotomy. All gunshot wounds were treated with immediate laparotomy and 14.8% resulted in either negative or nontherapeutic laparotomy. On-call surgeons were found to be more prone to perform immediate laparotomy on weekends when they were on call for 48 or 72 hours. CONCLUSION: Being a solo surgeon may increase negative laparotomy rates of penetrating abdominal injuries. This high percentage (41.1%) of negative laparotomy rates can be reduced by establishing well-organized trauma teams.

CTA Imaging of Peripheral Arterial Injuries.

Traumatic vascular injuries consist of direct or indirect damage to arteries and/or veins and account for 3% of all traumatic injuries. Typical consequences are hemorrhage and ischemia. Vascular injuries of the extremities can occur isolated or in association with major trauma and other organ injuries. They account for 1-2% of patients admitted to emergency departments and for approximately 50% of all arterial injuries. Lower extremities are more frequently injured than upper ones in the adult population. The outcome of vascular injuries is strictly correlated to the environment and the time background. Treatment can be challenging, notably in polytrauma because of the dilemma of which injury should be prioritized, and treatment delay can cause disability or even death, especially for limb vascular injury. Our purposes are to discuss the role of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis of vascular trauma and its optimized protocol to achieve a definitive diagnosis and to assess the radiological signs of vascular injuries and the possible pitfalls.

Penetrating trauma on the rise- nine-year trends of severe trauma in Sweden.

PURPOSE: Sweden has an established trauma system involving national trauma criteria and the Swedish trauma registry (SweTrau), since over a decade. Meanwhile, the injury panorama has evolved, with an increase in gang-related violence in the Swedish community. In this study, we aimed to investigate long-term trends in mortality, management and trauma type in two major Swedish trauma centers over a nine-year period. METHODS: All trauma patients with a New Injury Score (NISS) > 15 or a Trauma Alert (TA) call during 2013-2021 were identified in the participating centers' SweTrau registries. Data were analysed regarding mortality, proportion of emergency interventions, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, mechanism of injury and type of trauma (penetrating or blunt). To assess trends, Chi-Squared test for trend and JoinPoint regression method were used. RESULTS: A total of 10,587 patients were included in the study. Mortality remained unchanged over time in patients with NISS > 15 (10.0-10.9%, p = 0.963) but increased in patients with a TA and NISS < 15 (1.3-2.7%, p = 0.005). For NISS > 15, the proportion undergoing emergency interventions was stable (53.9%-48.8%, p = 0.297) while ICU admissions declined (62.1%-45.7%, p < 0.001). Penetrating trauma increased (12.4-19.6%, p < 0.001), including knife (10.0-15.7%, p < 0.001) and gunshot wounds (2.3-3.8%, p < 0.001), whereas accidents involving motorcycles (8.8%-7.0%, p = 0.004) and pedestrians (5.3%-2.2%, p < 0.001) decreased. Assaults (both penetrating and blunt) increased from 14.7 to 21.4% (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this trend analysis at two major Swedish trauma centers during 2013-2021, penetrating trauma increased with over 50% while traffic injuries decreased. The rise in mortality in patients with a TA and NISS < 15 is concerning and requires further evaluation, as do the reduction in ICU admissions.

COVID-19: A national rise in penetrating trauma cared for by a prepared trauma system.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the collective American psyche. Socioeconomic hardships including social isolation led to an increase in firearm sales. Previous regional studies demonstrated increased penetrating trauma during the pandemic but it is unclear if trauma systems were prepared for this influx of penetrating injuries. This study aimed to confirm this increased penetrating trauma trend nationally and hypothesized penetrating trauma patients treated during the pandemic had a higher risk of complications and death, compared to pre-pandemic patients. Methods: The 2017-2020 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was divided into pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic years (2020). Bivariate analyses and a multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed controlling for age, comorbidities, injuries, and vitals on arrival. Results: From 3,525,132 patients, 936,890 (26.6 %) presented during the pandemic. The pandemic patients had a higher rate of stab-wounds (4.8 % vs. 4.5 %, p > 0.001) and gunshot wounds (5.8 % vs. 4.6 %, p < 0.001) compared to pre-pandemic patients. Among penetrating trauma patients, the rate and associated risk of in-hospital complications (5.0 % vs. 5.1 %, p = 0.38) (OR 0.98, CI 0.94-1.02, p = 0.26) was similar between pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts but adjusted risk of mortality decreased during the pandemic (8.3 % vs. 8.3 %, p = 0.45) (OR 0.92, CI 0.89-0.96, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This national analysis confirms an increased rate of penetrating trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a higher rate of gunshot injuries. However, this did not result in an increased risk of death or complications suggesting that trauma systems across the country were prepared to handle a dual pandemic of COVID and firearm violence.

Unsafe Practices of Motorcycle Riders in El Petén, Guatemala: A Community Observational Study and a Retrospective Institutional Review.

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes from trauma at the major referral hospital [Hospital Nacional de San Benito (HNSB)] in El Petén, Guatemala, have not been analyzed. Empirical evidence demonstrated a high number of motorcycle accidents (MAs). We hypothesized a large incidence of head trauma with poor outcomes in MAs compared to all other forms of blunt trauma. METHODS: Our hypothesis was tested by performing a community observational study and a retrospective chart review in El Petén, Guatemala. An independent observer catalogued 100 motorcycle riders on the streets of El Petén for riding practices as well as helmet utilization. HNSB does not have electronic medical records. For this study, we performed a retrospective chart review of randomly selected nonconsecutive trauma admission at HNSB between March 2018 and June 2023. Blunt trauma was compared between MAs versus all others. Variables were examined by parametric and nonparametric tests as well as contingency table analyses. RESULTS: Most motorcycles riders involved multiple individuals (2.61 ± 0.79/motorcycle). Seventy riders included children (median = 1.0 [Q1-Q3 range = 1.0-3.0]/motorcycle). Overall, only three riders were wearing helmets. Forty-one were women. Of patients presenting to HNSB with trauma, 91 charts were reviewed (33.0 [20.0-37.0] y old; male 89%), 76.7% were blunt, and 23.3% were penetrating trauma. Within blunt trauma, 57.1% were MAs versus 42.9% all others; P = 0.13. MAs were younger (29.5 [20.0-37.0] versus 34.0 [21.8-45.8] y old; P < 0.05) and of similar gender (male 82.5% versus 96.6%; P = 0.1). More MAs had a computed tomography (70.0% versus 30.0%; P < 0.01) and they were more likely to present with head trauma (72.5% versus 46.7%; P = 0.04) but similar Glasgow Coma Scale (15.0 [13.5-15.0] versus 15.0 [12.5-15.0]; P = 0.7). MAs were less likely to require surgical intervention (37.5% versus 56.7%; P = 0.05) but had similar hospital length of stay (4.0 [2-6] versus 4.0 [2-10.5] d; P = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe motorcycle practices in El Petén are staggering. Most trauma at HNSB is blunt, and likely from MAs. More patients with MAs presented with head trauma. However, severe trauma might be transferred to higher level hospitals or mortality might occur on scene, which will need further investigations. Assessment of mortality from trauma admissions is ongoing. These findings should lead to enforcement of safe motorcycle practices in El Petén, Guatemala.

Obesity and Penetrating Trauma: Outcomes from a Level 1 Trauma Center in New York City.

Background: Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in trauma scenarios; however, there has been conflicting evidence on outcomes of obesity and penetrating injuries, specifically gunshot wounds and stab wounds. We hypothesized that obesity may be protective due to a "cushioning effect" attributed to increased adiposity. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting to a Level 1 Trauma Center with a penetrating trauma (gunshot/stab) injury during 2008-2021. Patients with a BMI ≥ 30 were compared to those with a BMI < 30. The primary outcome was Injury Severity Score (ISS). Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, days on ventilation, length of hospital stay, service of admission (trauma surgery, general surgery, discharged home, general medical floor), the body region of injury(s), Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), OR requirement, type of surgery, and discharge status. Statistical analysis was performed using χ2-test or Fisher's exact tests for categorical data, and Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables with p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the mechanism of injury. Results: There were 721 patients that met inclusion criteria, of which 540 were classified in the non-obese group and 181 (25.1%) in the obese group. The primary outcome, mean ISS score, in obese patients (9.0, SD = 13.0) and non-obese patients (9.4, SD = 13.8) was similar between groups respectively. Secondary outcomes, which included rates of severe abdominal injury (AIS ≥ 3), rates of intra-abdominal organ injury, and rates of gastro-intestinal resection, were also similar between non-obese and obese patients. Conclusion: This study did not demonstrate the existence of a "cushioning effect" in the setting of penetrating traumatic injury. Patients with increased BMI had similar a ISS score and patterns of injury as their non-obese counterparts.

Steel bar penetrating cervical spinal canal without neurological injury: A case report.

BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of cervical spinal canal penetrating trauma and review the relevant literatures. CASE SUMMARY: A 58-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with a steel bar penetrating the neck, without signs of neurological deficit. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated that the steel bar had penetrated the cervical spinal canal at the C6-7 level, causing C6 and C7 vertebral body fracture, C6 left lamina fracture, left facet joint fracture, and penetration of the cervical spinal cord. The steel bar was successfully removed through an open surgical procedure by a multidisciplinary team. During the surgery, we found that the cervical vertebra, cervical spinal canal and cervical spinal cord were all severely injured. Postoperative CT demonstrated severe penetration of the cervical spinal canal but the patient returned to a fully functional level without any neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: Even with a serious cervical spinal canal penetrating trauma, the patient could resume normal work and life after appropriate treatment.

Comparison of Patterns and Demographics of Isolated Traumatic Mandibular Fracture Between Incarcerated and General Populations.

Introduction The management of maxillofacial trauma can be challenging in different unique clinical presentations. While maxillofacial fractures vary in location based on the mechanism of injury, the mandibular fracture is noted to be one of the most common facial fractures. The objective of this study was to explore the differences in injury patterns, outcomes, and demographics of isolated traumatic mandibular fractures between incarcerated and general populations. Methods This retrospective study analyzed consecutive patients presenting for trauma care from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020, at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC). Patients 18 years and older were included in this study. Patients diagnosed with mandibular fracture as the primary diagnosis at admission and discharge were identified using the International Classification of Disease, Ninth and Tenth Revision (ICD-9, ICD-10) Code. Patient demographics were extracted from their electronic medical records and included race, marital status, and insurance status. Results A total of 1080 patients with confirmed mandibular fractures were included in the final analysis. Among these patients, 87.5% (n=945) were males, 40% (n=432) of the patients were Hispanic, and the average age was 31.55 years old. The most common mechanism of injury was blunt trauma secondary to assault. Compared to the general population with mandibular fracture, the incarcerated patients with mandibular fracture were more likely to be males (96.1% vs 86.1% for incarcerated population vs. general population respectively, p=0.0005). No other variables were statistically different between these two groups. Conclusion The evidence from this study suggests that the patterns, outcomes, and demographics of mandibular fracture in both incarcerated and general populations are similar.

Detect, Dispatch, Drive: A Study of ShotSpotter Acoustic Technology and Transport of Gunshot Victims.

INTRODUCTION: Our previous work demonstrated that use of ShotSpotter (SS), a gunfire detection system, and use of police department (PD) transport decreased response and transport time for gunshot wound (GSW) victims versus events with non-ShotSpotter (NSS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate transport trends and how they are linked to SS in the period of 2016-2021 in Camden, NJ. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective observational study. Demographics, response time, transport time, and clinical data were collected. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test, and linear regression to correct for transport time and method of transport were used to compare outcomes (P < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 267 GSWs were included: 77 emergency medical technicians (EMS)-SS, 41 EMS-NSS, 116 PD-SS, and 33 PD-NSS. When comparing response from 2016 to 2021, PD improved from 4 to 2 min (P = 0.001). EMS improved from 6.4 min (EMS-NSS) and 4.5 min (EMS-SS) to 5 min (EMS- NSS) and 4 min (EMS-SS) (P = 0.281). In addition, PD transport times, 5 min (SS) and 4 min (NSS), were faster than EMS, 9 min (SS and NSS) (P < 0.001). Overall PD transport volume increased with a peak in 2020 (68.3%). There was also an increase in PD-NSS transport 4% to 37.9% (P < 0.001). EMS-SS transport decreased from 54.7% to 6.9% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The presence of SS technology in a small urban setting continues to be associated with a higher rate of PD transport of GSW victims. The critical time of dispatch and transport for both PD and EMS has shown durable improvement.

Case Report: Traumatic cardiac arrest due to pericardial tamponade: successful pericardiocentesis with a Shaldon catheter.

In this report, we describe the successful resuscitation of a 4-year-old child who suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest during a routine procedure in the operating room. The diagnosis of a sanguineous pericardial tamponade was made by emergency ultrasonography. Consecutive subxiphoid pericardiocentesis with an adult Shaldon catheter led to return of spontaneous circulation. Subsequent thoracotomy and surgical suturing definitively stopped the bleeding from the right ventricle. The combined expertise of all perioperative disciplines was decisive for the patient's survival.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of routine computed tomography angiography (CTA) for lower extremity penetrating trauma.

BACKGROUND: Routine evaluation with CTA for patients with isolated lower extremity penetrating trauma and normal ankle-brachial-indices (ABI) remains controversial. While prior literature has found normal ABI's (≥0.9) and a normal clinical examination to be adequate for safe discharge, there remains concern for missed injuries which could lead to delayed surgical intervention and unnecessary morbidity. Our hypothesis was that routine CTA after isolated lower extremity penetrating trauma with normal ABIs and clinical examination is not cost-effective. METHODS: We performed a decision-analytic model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of obtaining a CTA routinely compared to clinical observation and ABI evaluation in hemodynamically normal patients with isolated penetrating lower extremity trauma. Our base case was a patient that sustained penetrating lower extremity trauma with normal ABIs that received a CTA in the trauma bay. Costs, probability, and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) were generated from published literature. RESULTS: Clinical evaluation only (no CTA) was cost-effective with a cost of $2056.13 and 0.98 QALYs gained compared to routine CTA which had increased costs of $7449.91 and lower QALYs 0.92. Using one-way sensitivity analysis, routine CTA does not become the cost-effective strategy until the cost of a missed injury reaches $210,075.83. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with isolated, penetrating lower extremity trauma with normal ABIs and clinical examination do not warrant routine CTA as there is no benefit with increased costs.

Assessment of Early and Late Management of Submental Gunshot Wounds.

Background: Management of submental gunshot wounds is becoming more common and requires complex surgical decisions. Objective: Compare outcomes of early and definitive reconstructive techniques following submental gunshot wounds. Methods: Retrospective chart review evaluated subjects who sustained a self-inflicted submental gunshot. The incidence of complications requiring unplanned operations was compared for early management techniques of skin/soft tissue, bone, and mucosal lining and definitive reconstructive techniques using Fisher's or Pearson Chi-square exact test with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The total of 27 patients were included. Early techniques included skin = primary soft tissue closure (n = 19) versus wound vacuum-assisted closure (n = 8); mandible = open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) (n = 19) versus external fixation (n = 8); and oral mucosal lining = primary mucosal closure (n = 20) versus dermal substitute (n = 7). Definitive management included ORIF (n = 10, 37%), ORIF with bone grafting (n = 8, 30%), and microvascular free-flap (n = 9, 33%). The incidence of complications requiring unplanned operation when using dermal substitutes for mucosal lining management was statistically higher than primary closure (p < 0.001); otherwise the complication rates of surgical techniques were equivalent. Conclusion: Several surgical decisions and techniques can be utilized at the time of early and definitive management of submental gunshot wounds. Only the use of dermal substitutes for mucosal lining is associated with a significantly higher rate of unplanned operation.

The Relationship Between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Pediatric Trauma.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic created difficulties in access to care. There was also increased penetrating trauma in adults, which has been attributed to factors including increased firearm sales and social isolation. However, less is known about the relationship between the pandemic and pediatric trauma patients (PTPs). This study aimed to investigate the national incidence of penetrating trauma in PTPs, hypothesizing a higher rate with onset of the pandemic. We additionally hypothesized increased risk of complications and death in penetrating PTPs after the pandemic versus prepandemic. METHODS: We included all PTPs (aged ≤17-years-old) from the 2017-2020 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database, dividing the dataset into two eras: prepandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic (2020). We performed subset analyses of the pandemic and prepandemic penetrating PTPs. Bivariate analyses and a multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Of the 474,524 PTPs, 123,804 (26.1%) were from the pandemic year. The pandemic era had increased stab wounds (3.3% versus 2.8%, P > 0.001) and gunshot wounds (5.5% versus 4.0%, P < 0.001) compared to the prepandemic era. Among penetrating PTPs, the rates and associated risk of in-hospital complications (2.6% versus 2.8%, P = 0.23) (odds ratio 0.90, confidence interval 0.79-1.02, P = 0.11) and mortality (4.9% versus 5.0%, P = 0.58) (odds ratio 0.90, confidence interval 0.78-1.03, P = 0.12) were similar between time periods. CONCLUSIONS: This national analysis confirms increased penetrating trauma, particularly gunshot wounds in pediatric patients following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this increase, there was no elevated risk of death or complications, suggesting that trauma systems adapted to the "dual pandemic" of COVID-19 and firearm violence in the pediatric population.

AAST grade of liver injury is not the single most important consideration in decision making for liver trauma.

BACKGROUND: The liver is one of the most injured organs in both blunt and penetrating trauma. The aim of this study was to identify whether the AAST liver injury grade is predictive of need for intervention, risk of complications and mortality in our patient population, and whether this differs between blunt and penetrating-trauma mechanisms. METHODS: Retrospective review of all liver injuries from a single high-volume metropolitan trauma centre in South Africa from December 2012 to January 2022. Inclusion criteria were all adults who had sustained traumatic liver injury. Patients were excluded if they were under 15 years of age or had died prior to operation or assessment. Statistical analysis was undertaken using both univariate and multivariate models. RESULTS: 709 patients were included, of which 351 sustained penetrating and 358 blunt trauma. Only 24.3 % of blunt compared to 76.4 % of penetrating trauma patients underwent laparotomy (p< 0.001). In blunt trauma, increasing AAST grade correlated directly with rates of laparotomy with an odds ratio of 1.7 (p < 0.001). In penetrating trauma, there was no statistical significance between increasing AAST grade and the rate of laparotomy. The rate of bile leak was 4.5 % (32/709) and of rebleed was 0.7 % (5/709). Five patients underwent ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy for bile leak, and three required angio-embolization for rebleeding. Increasing AAST grades were significantly associated with the odds of bile leak in both blunt and penetrating trauma. There was a statistically significant increase in the odds of a rebleed with increasing AAST grade in penetrating trauma. Five patients rebled, of which three died. Seven patients developed hepatic necrosis. Seventy-six patients died (10 %). There were 34/358 (9 %) deaths in the blunt cohort and 42 /351 (11 %) deaths in the penetrating trauma cohort. CONCLUSION: AAST grade in isolation is not a good predictor of the need for operation in hepatic trauma. Increasing AAST grade was not found to correlate with increased risk of mortality for both blunt and penetrating hepatic trauma. In both blunt and penetrating trauma, increasing AAST grade is significantly associated with increased bile leak. The need for ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy to manage bile leak in our setting is low. Similarly, the rate of rebleeding and of angioembolization was low.