Investigation of Respiratory Failure in Multiple-Trauma Patients:

Analysis of clinical risk factors associated with the prognosis of severe multiple-trauma patients with acute lung injury

BACKGROUND

Several clinical risk factors have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of acute lung injury (ALI). However, these studies have included a general trauma patient population, without singling out the severely injured multiple-trauma patient population.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the potential risk factors that could affect the prognosis of ALI in multiple-trauma patients and investigate the prognostic effects of certain risk factors among different patient subpopulations.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, severely injured multiple-trauma patients with early onset of ALI from several trauma centers were studied. Potential risk factors affecting the prognosis of ALI were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses.

RESULTS

There were 609 multiple-trauma patients with ALI admitted to the emergency department and emergency intensive care unit during the study period. The nine risk factors that affected prognosis, as indicated by the unadjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, were the APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score, duration of trauma, age, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, pulmonary contusion, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), multiple blood transfusions in 6 h, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and aspiration of gastric contents. Specific risk factors also affected different patient subpopulations in different ways.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients older than 65 years and with multiple (> 10 units) blood transfusions in the early stage after multiple trauma were found to be independent risk factors associated with deterioration of ALI. The other factors studied, including pulmonary contusion, APACHE II score ≥ 20, ISS ≥ 16, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and aspiration of gastric contents, may predict the unfavorable prognosis of ALI in the early stage of trauma, with their effects attenuating in the later stage. Duration of trauma ≥ 1 h and the presence of DIC may also indicate unfavorable prognosis during the entire treatment period.

The analysis of risk factors of impacting mortality rate in severe multiple trauma patients with posttraumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesize that not all of the traditional risk factors of impacting mortality rate in commonly traumatic populations with posttraumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are independently associated with those patient populations identified with severe multiple trauma. Rather, we postulate that there may exist significantly different impacting degrees of specific risk factors in stratified patients (surviving beyond 24 and 96 hours)--more severe multiple trauma with higher injury score and long-term mechanical ventilation as well.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study regarding trauma as a single cause for emergency intensive care unit admission. Twenty-two items of potential risk factors of impacting mortality rate were calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses to find distinctive items in these severe multiple trauma patients.

RESULTS

The unadjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of mortality rate were found to be associated with 6 (out of 22) risk factors, namely, (1) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, (2) duration of trauma factor, (3) aspiration of gastric contents, (4) sepsis, (5) pulmonary contusion, and (6) duration of mechanical ventilation. Significant results also appeared in stratified patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Impact of pulmonary contusion and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score contributing to prediction of mortality may exist in the early phase after trauma. Sepsis is still a vital risk factor referring to systemic inflammatory response syndrome, infection, secondary multiple organ dysfunction, etc. Discharging trauma factors as early as possible becomes the critical therapeutic measure. Aspiration of gastric contents in emergency intensive care unit admission could lead to incremental mortality rate due to aspiration pneumonia. Long-standing mechanical ventilation should be constrained because it is likely to cause severe refractory complications.