Evolving concepts and strategies in the management of polytrauma patients

Lactate, lactate clearance, and lactate-to-albumin ratio in predicting mortality in patients with critical polytrauma: A retrospective observational study

Lactate is a product of anaerobic metabolism used to determine prognosis in critically ill trauma patients. This study investigates the mortality-predictive performance of lactate, lactate clearance, and lactate-to-albumin ratio (LAR) on admission in patients with polytrauma in a tertiary center's intensive care unit (ICU). Polytrauma patients in the ICU between June 2019 and June 2022 were evaluated. The diagnosis of polytrauma was made according to the Berlin criteria, a widely accepted and comprehensive system for classifying the severity of multiple injuries. Patients were classified into survivor and mortality groups. The predictive performance of lactate, lactate clearance (24th hour), and LAR for 28-day mortality was compared. The study included 176 patients. The median age of the entire population was 35 (24-50) years, and 78.4% (n = 138) were male. Motor vehicle accidents were the most common cause of polytrauma in patients (48.9%, n = 86). The most common head injuries were detected in the patients (59.1%, n = 104). In the mortality group, median lactate and lactate (24th hour) levels were significantly higher (P < .001). Median albumin and LAR values were significantly lower (P < .001). Although 24-hour lactate clearance was lower in the mortality group, no significant difference was detected (36.1% vs 42.3%, P = .052). In multivariate regression analysis, LAR was an independent predictor of mortality (P < .001). In receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, the cutoff value of lactate was ≥5.4, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.84), the cutoff value of lactate clearance was ≤39.2, AUC was 0.60, (95% CI, 0.51-0.69), and the cutoff value of LAR was value ≥1.50, AUC 0.83 (95% CI, 0.75-0.90). In critically ill polytrauma patients, LAR on ICU admission is an independent predictor of mortality and has acceptable prognostic value. LAR is superior to lactate and 24-hour lactate clearance in predicting mortality.

Nursing interventions and activities for patients with multiple traumas: An integrative review

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to identify nursing interventions and activities for patients with multiple traumas who have variations in physical mobility.

METHODS

We used integrative literature review following Whittemore and Knafl method and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses' guidelines and adopting the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Classification Medicine - Levels of Evidence. The data collection was carried out between October and December 2019 and updated in May 2022, in the following databases: Virtual Health Library, Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica dataBASE, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PubMed®, SciVerse Scopus, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science.

FINDINGS

There were 103 articles to be fully read and evaluated. From these, 34 publications were selected. Most nursing interventions and activities identified were placed in the NIC class Activity and Exercise Management in the Physiological: Basic domain, which has interventions to organize or to assist with physical activity, energy conservation, and expenditure; followed by Elimination Management (interventions to establish and maintain regular bowel and urinary elimination patterns and manage complications due to altered patterns); Immobility Management (interventions to manage restricted body movement and the sequelae); Nutrition Support (interventions to modify or maintain nutritional status); Physical Comfort Promotion (interventions to promote comfort using physical techniques); and Self-Care Facilitation (interventions to provide or assist with routine activities of daily living).

CONCLUSIONS

The interventions and nursing activities found in this research were not only related to the change in mobility in victims of multiple traumas but also aimed to prevent the consequences of immobility and to take care of already established conditions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING PRACTICE

This research enables the taxonomy's development and the validation of interventions for selected groups of patients. This allows the contribution to the development of the NIC-an important resource to improve nursing practice in teaching, research, and care.

Management of a road traffic accident poly-trauma patient in a limited regional resource hospital setting in Tanzania: Review of literature and case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Poly-trauma is among the top ten leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Road traffic injuries are the major cause of mortality in the overall burden of deaths related to injuries. The aim of this publication is to show how important are the principles of management in saving life even in austere limited resource settings.

CASE PRESENTATION

We herein present a case of a 17-year-old male who presented to our emergency department about an hour after being involved in motor traffic accident in a semiconscious state, in hypovolemic shock and sustained multiple injuries. He had multiple limb and ribs fractures and blunt abdominal injury. He was rushed to the hospital where he was resuscitated at the emergency department and admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was scheduled for surgery the following day. His post-operative recovery was uneventful and was discharged after one month.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

The scarce resources and efforts spent on these patients prove to be futile in many situations because of delayed admission, lack of proper pre-hospital care and associated complications which cause irreversible damage. Management of a Poly-trauma patient should start from the scene of accident, during transportation and finally in the hospital by following all the principles of poly-trauma management using a multi-disciplinary approach.

CONCLUSION

Timely diagnosis and proper management of a Poly-trauma patient can save life even in limited resource Centers.

Risks in the Management of Polytrauma Patients: Clinical Insights

Polytrauma, a patient's condition with multiple injuries that involve multiple organs or systems, is the leading cause of mortality in young adults. Trauma-related injuries are a major public health concern due to their associated morbidity, high disability, associated death, and socioeconomic consequences. Management of polytrauma patients has evolved over the last few decades due to the development of trauma systems, improved pre-hospital assessment, transport and in-hospital care supported by complementary investigations. Recognising the mortality patterns in trauma has led to significant changes in the approach to managing these patients. A structured approach with application of advanced trauma life support (ATLS) algorithms and optimisation of care based on clinical and physiological parameters has led to the development of early appropriate care (EAC) guidelines to treat these patients, with subsequent improved outcomes in such patients. The journey of a polytrauma patient through the stages of pre-hospital care, emergency resuscitation, in-hospital stabilization and rehabilitation pathway can be associated with risks at any of these phases. We describe the various risks that can be anticipated during the management of polytrauma patients at different stages and provide clinical insights into early recognition and effective treatment of these to improve clinical outcomes.

Acquired Factor XIII Deficiency in Patients with Multiple Trauma

INTRODUCTION

Fibrin stabilizing factor (FXIII) plays a crucial role in blood clotting, tissue repair, and immune defense. FXIII deficiency after trauma can lead to prolonged wound healing due to persistent infections or coagulation disorders. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of acquired FXIII deficiency after trauma and to provide a description of the time-course changes of important coagulation parameters in relation to FXIII activity. In this context, patient characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment modalities were examined with respect to their influence on FXIII activity. Furthermore, the effects of in vitro administration of FXIII on clot firmness and outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury were investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two trauma cohorts (A and B) were examined prospectively in a two-center study, and another (cohort C) was examined retrospectively. In cohort A (trauma patients, n=880) routine laboratory tests were conducted, and FXIII activity was measured. In cohort B (polytrauma patients, n=26), additional clinical parameters were collected, and in-vitro FXIII administration and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) analyses were performed. In cohort C (polytrauma patients with severe traumatic brain injury [sTBI], n=84), the impact of initially measured FXIII activity on clinical outcomes after sTBI was investigated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at least 6 months after trauma.

RESULTS

The prevalence of FXIII activity <70% in cohort A was 12.4%, with significant differences in age, Hb, fibrinogen, and Hct levels, platelet count, aPTT, and INR (vs. prevalence of FXIII activity >70%). Cohort B showed a decrease in FXIII activity from 85% to 58% after 7 days. FXIII deficiency correlated with time after trauma, aPTT, and fibrinogen level, lactate, and Hb levels. In-vitro administration of FXIII showed a positive influence on clot firmness due to improved maximum clot firmness (MCF in FIBTEM) and reduced maximum lysis (ML in EXTEM). Finally, a significant difference in FXIII activity between patients after sTBI with good and poor clinical outcomes was observed 6 months after trauma.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that trauma-associated FXIII deficiency is a common coagulation disorder, with FXIII deficiency increasing further in the first 7 days after trauma, the period of early surgical care. In vitro administration of FXIII was able to demonstrate significant clot stabilizing effects. For trauma patients with sTBI, FXIII activity could serve as a prognostic parameter, as it differed significantly between patients with good and poor clinical outcomes.

Trauma-induced pulmonary thromboembolism: What's update?

Trauma-induced pulmonary thromboembolism is the second leading cause of death in severe trauma patients. Primary fibrinolytic hyperactivity combined with hemorrhage and consequential hypercoagulability in severe trauma patients create a huge challenge for clinicians. It is crucial to ensure a safe anticoagulant therapy for trauma patients, but a series of clinical issues need to be answered first, for example, what are the risk factors for traumatic venous thromboembolism? How to assess and determine the status of coagulation dysfunction of patients? When is the optimal timing to initiate pharmacologic prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism? What types of prophylactic agents should be used? How to manage the anticoagulation-related hemorrhage and to determine the optimal timing of restarting chemoprophylaxis? The present review attempts to answer the above questions.