Post-Traumatic Retroperitoneal Hematoma Caused by Superior Rectal Artery Pseudoaneurysm.

BACKGROUND Pseudoaneurysms are a known pathology commonly recognized after disruption of the vascular wall leads to the development of a hematoma. Although pseudoaneurysms are common, occurrence in the location of the superior rectal artery is exceedingly rare, has been documented in the literature only 7 times, and can be extremely dangerous. Patients can present with vague abdominal complaints, pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, and development of hematomas, and can progress to hemodynamic instability related to hypovolemia. This phenomenon requires swift recognition and patient management, as well as stabilization, to achieve desired results and minimize morbidity and mortality. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 79-year-old man who presented after minor trauma with gastrointestinal bleeding and was diagnosed with a retroperitoneal hematoma. Although he was stabilized and discharged, conventional angiography diagnosing and treating his causative superior rectal artery pseudoaneurysm was not completed until a second traumatic event resulted in recurrent presentation with worsened symptoms and retroperitoneal hematoma enlargement. CONCLUSIONS Superior rectal artery pseudoaneurysm is a rarely-reported phenomenon, usually occurring after a traumatic event. It can lead to significant anemia, hypovolemic shock, blood transfusion, and other serious consequences. It can be difficult to diagnose given its location and obscurity. However, upon diagnosis, swift treatment is recommended, for which a variety of both surgical and endovascular approaches have been employed to prevent exsanguination.

Improving Compliance With Protocol-Driven Care in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury Patients by Implementing an Electronic Clinical Compliance Monitoring Tool.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major cause of death and disability each year in the United States. Implementation of preestablished evidence-based guidelines has been associated with a decrease in overall TBI mortality and disability. OBJECTIVES: An electronic clinical monitoring tool was developed for monitoring compliance with evidence-based TBI treatment protocols to improve the overall care and outcomes in this patient population. METHODS: This project was designed as a process improvement project. For the preimplementation cohort of TBI patients, aggregate compliance data (by patient) were obtained from the Brain Trauma Foundation Trial patient registry maintained at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for the time between 2011 and 2012. The postimplementation cohort includes all patients older than 18 years who have sustained a TBI requiring clinical monitoring devices. RESULTS: There was a statistical significance between groups; the TBI-2017 group demonstrated better compliance with anticonvulsant use and cerebral perfusion pressure maintenance. In addition, overall compliance was better in the TBI-2017 cohort compared with the TBI-2012 cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic brain injury-specific education and frequent assessments improved compliance between TBI-2012 and TBI-2017, resulting in a higher percentage in overall survivors in the latter group.