Hiroshi Homma

Impact of mobile angiography in the emergency department for controlling pelvic fracture hemorrhage with hemodynamic instability.

OBJECTIVE Rapid trauma evaluation and intervention without time delay are considered integral to time-efficient management of trauma patients, particularly for those with hemodynamic instability. This study examined the impact of immediate availability of mobile angiography with digital subtraction angiography technology in the emergency department (ED) for hemodynamically unstable multiple trauma patients with pelvic injury. MATERIALS This retrospective review examined a cohort of all blunt trauma patients with pelvic injury who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) using mobile angiography by trauma surgeons in the ED. This system was set up on a 24-hour basis with full-time trauma surgeons available in-hospital. Data collected included clinical characteristics, injury severity, resuscitation intervals from admission through to completion of hemostasis, metabolic factors (pH and core body temperature), mortality, and TAE-related complications. RESULTS Subjects comprised 29 patients (hemodynamically stable group, n = 17; hemodynamically unstable group, n = 12) with a median age of 36 years (interquartile range [IQR], 29-53 years). Mean shock index, injury severity score, and trauma and injury severity score were 1.1 +/- 0.5, 32 +/- 12, and 0.79 +/- 0.27, respectively. Median intervals from ED arrival to diagnosis and from diagnosis to starting TAE were 66 minutes (IQR, 42-80 minutes) and 30 minutes (IQR, 25-37 minutes), respectively. Median interval from diagnosis to completion of TAE was 107 minutes (IQR, 93-130 minutes). Physical and anatomic injury statuses were more severe in the hemodynamically unstable group than in the hemodynamically stable group. However, intervals from diagnosis to starting TAE and from diagnosis to completion of hemostasis did not differ significantly between groups. No exacerbations of metabolic factors during resuscitation were identified. Pelvic injury related mortality was 17% and no TAE-related complications were encountered. CONCLUSION Immediate availability of mobile angiography in the ED seems safe and effective for hemodynamically unstable trauma patients with pelvic injury and results in a rapid improvement in resuscitation intervals without leaving the ED. An adequately randomized controlled trial of mobile angiography in this subset of patients, who would seem to derive the most benefit from mobile angiography, would be ideal.

Saturated Salt Solution Method: A Useful Cadaver Embalming for Surgical Skills Training

AbstractThis article evaluates the suitability of cadavers embalmed by the saturated salt solution (SSS) method for surgical skills training (SST).SST courses using cadavers have been performed to advance a surgeons techniques without any risk to patients. One important factor for improving SST is the suitability of specimens, which depends on the embalming method. In addition, the infectious risk and cost involved in using cadavers are problems that need to be solved.Six cadavers were embalmed by 3 methods: formalin solution, Thiel solution (TS), and SSS methods. Bacterial and fungal culture tests and measurement of ranges of motion were conducted for each cadaver. Fourteen surgeons evaluated the 3 embalming methods and 9 SST instructors (7 trauma surgeons and 2 orthopedists) operated the cadavers by 21 procedures. In addition, ultrasonography, central venous catheterization, and incision with cauterization followed by autosuture stapling were performed in some cadavers.The SSS method had a sufficient antibiotic effect and produced cadavers with flexible joints and a high tissue quality suitable for SST. The surgeons evaluated the cadavers embalmed by the SSS method to be highly equal to those embalmed by the TS method. Ultrasound images were clear in the cadavers embalmed by both the methods. Central venous catheterization could be performed in a cadaver embalmed by the SSS method and then be affirmed by x-ray. Lungs and intestines could be incised with cauterization and autosuture stapling in the cadavers embalmed by TS and SSS methods.Cadavers embalmed by the SSS method are sufficiently useful for SST. This method is simple, carries a low infectious risk, and is relatively of low cost, enabling a wider use of cadavers for SST.

Introduction of Mobile Angiography into the Trauma Resuscitation Room

BACKGROUND Digital subtraction angiography is frequently required in the initial evaluation of trauma patients. We hypothesized that mobile digital subtraction angiography technology directly into the trauma resuscitation area would save time in restoring metabolic derangements for patients with on-going hemorrhage. MATERIALS This is a retrospective review of a cohort of trauma patients treated before and after the direct availability of mobile angiography in the trauma resuscitation room performed by the trauma surgeons. Data collected for comparison-included demographics, hemodynamic variables, metabolic factors (pH and temperature), units of blood administered, and outcomes. RESULTS Mean age, Shock Index, and Injury Severity Score were similar. The interval from the decision to perform transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) to starting TAE were significantly different (59 minutes +/- 45 minutes vs. 31 minutes +/- 11 minutes, p = 0.001). The other resuscitation intervals were similar. The mean Deltabody temperature from emergency department arrival through completion of TAE between the two groups were significantly different (-1.18 +/- 1.69 vs. -0.08 +/- 1.42, p = 0.026). The mean DeltapH from emergency department arrival through completion of TAE were also significantly different (-0.118 +/- 0.083 vs. 0.028 +/- 0.127, p = 0.001). There were clinically significant correlations between Deltabody temperature and resuscitation interval, and between DeltapH and resuscitation interval. CONCLUSION The introduction of mobile angiography into the trauma resuscitation room and the immediate availability of trained trauma surgeons to perform diagnostic and therapeutic angiographic procedures shortened the time required to restore normal physiology.

Enteral supplementation enriched with glutamine, fiber, and oligosaccharide prevents gut translocation in a bacterial overgrowth model.

BACKGROUND Normal gut flora plays an important role in the intestinal mucosal barrier function under various critical conditions. The flora may alter after severe insults, such as trauma and shock. Enteral nutrition should preserve the gut environment; however, full support is usually difficult for severely ill patients because of impaired gastrointestinal motility. Currently, we have commercial enteral supplementation product enriched with glutamine, dietary fiber, and oligosaccharide (GFO) in Japan. This study examines the hypothesis that the enteral supplementation ameliorates gut injury induced by a bacterial overgrowth model, even in small volumes and quantities. MATERIALS Balb/c mice received antibiotics (4 mg/mL of streptomycin) in their drinking water for 4 days to kill the normal gut flora after which they were orally inoculated with a streptomycin-resistant strain of Escherichia coli, known as E. coli C-25. The mice that were administered bacterial monoassociation received 0.5 mL of GFO twice daily (GFO group) or 10% of glucose solution (GLU group). Unsupplemented drinking water was used for control animals (control) whose gut flora was normal. The mice were killed and their mesenteric lymph nodes complex was harvested and processed to test gut bacterial translocation. The cecal population levels of bacteria and ileum histology were also examined. RESULTS The incidence and magnitude of gut translocation to the lymph nodes complex in the GLU group were significantly higher than those in the control (p < 0.01). Treatment with GFO prevented the gut translocation although animals in the GFO group had same level of the cecal bacterial population. Histologic findings in the ileum were not different between the GLU and GFO. CONCLUSION GFOs supplement prevented gut translocation for bacterial overgrowth even in small volumes and quantities. The intestinal histologic findings could not explain the protective mechanisms of GFO. Further studies may be needed to elucidate the benefit of the partial enteral nutrition.

Hemostasis with emergently modified application of intra-aortic balloon occlusion in a patient with impending cardiac arrest following blunt proximal thigh amputation

A 30‐year‐old woman had her left thigh run over by a train. We tried to compress the left femoral area to control the arterial bleeding, but bleeding continued from the stump and injured soft tissue. The application of a tourniquet bandage also failed because of the limited remaining thigh. She developed impending cardiac arrest. As the left femoral arterial pulsation was still palpable, we inserted an intra‐aortic balloon occlusion catheter percutaneously. The hemorrhage from the stump region decreased rapidly. She was transferred to an operating room to carry out surgical hemostasis, and it was confirmed with deflation of the balloon in the common iliac artery.

Protective effects of free radical scavenger edaravone against xanthine oxidase-mediated permeability increases in human intestinal epithelial cell monolayer.

The barrier function of the intestinal mucosa can be disturbed under a variety of pathologic insults. Reactive oxygen species play an important role in intestinal mucosal injury. This in vitro study examines the hypothesis that a free radical scavenger, edaravone (ED), ameliorates gut epithelial permeability increase caused by xanthine oxidase (XO)–mediated oxidative stress in a cell monolayer model. Human intestinal epithelial (HIE) cells were grown as monolayer in bicameral chambers. Twenty milliunits per milliliter of XO+0.25 mM of xanthine (XO+X group) or saline (control) were administered into the basal chambers. Another set of chambers was treated with XO+X and 0.6 mg/ml of ED (XO+X+ED group). The permeability was assessed by quantifying the transepithelial passage of fluorescence in isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. In another series of experiments, Escherichia coli C-25 was also applied in an apical chamber to evaluate the bacterial translocation through the monolayer. The concentration of the fluorescence in isothiocyanate-labeled dextran in the basal chamber of the control group was significantly higher than the control (705 ± 50.2 vs 155 ± 45.4 mg/dl, P < .01). Treatment with ED prevented this permeability increase induced by the oxidative stress (P < .01). The incidence of bacterial translocation through the HIE monolayer in XO+X group was also higher than that of the control group (75 vs 13%, P < .05). Increased HIE cell monolayer permeability mediated by xanthine and XO was significantly attenuated with ED. This synthesized radical scavenger may have potential clinical applications against gut mucosal barrier dysfunction.

Availability of on-site acute vascular interventional radiology techniques performed by trained acute care specialists: a single emergency center experience.

INTRODUCTION Comprehensive treatment of a patient in acute medicine and surgery requires the use of both surgical techniques and other treatment methods. Recently, acute vascular interventional radiology techniques (AVIRTs) have become increasingly popular, enabling adequately trained in-house experts to improve the quality of on-site care. METHODS After obtaining approval from our institutional ethics committee, we conducted a retrospective study of AVIRT procedures performed by acute care specialists trained in acute medicine and surgery over a 1-year period, including those conducted out of hours. Trained acute care specialists were required to be certified by the Japanese Association of Acute Medicine and to have completed at least 1 year of training as a member of the endovascular team in the radiology department of another university hospital. The study was designed to ensure that at least one of the physicians was available to perform AVIRT within 1 h of a request at any time. Femoral sheath insertion was usually performed by the resident physicians under the guidance of trained acute care specialists. RESULTS The study sample comprised 77 endovascular procedures for therapeutic AVIRT (trauma, n = 29, and nontrauma, n = 48) among 62 patients (mean age, 64 years; range, 9–88 years), of which 55% were male. Of the procedures, 47% were performed out of hours (trauma, 52%; and nontrauma, 44%). Three patients underwent resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in the emergency room. No major device-related complications were encountered, and the overall mortality rate within 60 days was 8%. The recorded causes of death included exsanguination (n = 2), pneumonia (n = 2), sepsis (n = 1), and brain death (n = 1). CONCLUSION When performed by trained acute care specialists, AVIRT seems to be advantageous for acute on-site care and provides good technical success. Therefore, a standard training program should be established for acute care specialists or trauma surgeons to make these techniques a part of the standard regimen. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapy/care management study, level V.

Is there a self-preserving hypothermic mechanism in shock?

Hypoxia-induced hypothermia (HIH) is regarded as an adaptive response to hypoxia in a variety of creatures, but no details of the mechanism have yet been elucidated in the clinical setting. This study was designed to analyze alteration of core body temperature with hemorrhagic shock and to clarify HIH in the clinical setting. Patients were categorized in the hemorrhage shock (S, n = 15) or cardiopulmonary arrest (C, n = 88) group. The tympanic membrane temperature (TMT) was measured, and the length of the interval of call-to-arrival (CTA) at a hospital was set as the time-course parameter. There was a significant negative linear relationship between CTA interval and TMT (S group: TMT = −0.055°C, CTA = +36.1 min, r = −0.833, P < 0.001; C group: TMT = −0.046°C, CTA = +36.3 min, r = −0.548, P < 0.001). Analysis of variance revealed no significant difference in the slope of the regression lines of both groups. However, when the CTA interval was used as a covariate, there was a significant difference in the TMT (P = 0.014), which means that the regression line of the S group was significantly lower than that of the C group with time. Furthermore, in the S group, all patients were hypothermic (<35°C) when their CTA interval was more than 20 min; on the other hand, in the C group, only 64 (75%) of 85 were hypothermic. Patients in S group were more likely to become hypothermic (P < 0.05). In humans with cellular hypoxia, HIH takes place, as seen in other animals. This result emphasizes the necessity for studies of analysis of the mechanisms of temperature control and determination of optimal body temperature during acute critical care.

Effectiveness of cadaver-based educational seminar for trauma surgery: skills retention after half-year follow-up

In Japan, trauma surgery training remains insufficient, and on‐the‐job training has become increasingly difficult because of the decreasing number of severe trauma patients and the development of non‐operative management. Therefore, we assessed whether a 1‐day cadaver‐based seminar is effective for trauma surgery training.

A 71-year-old female with giant goiter associated with tracheomalacia

A 71‐year‐old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with severe dyspnea followed by unconsciousness. She had a history of hyperthyroidism and her anterior neck was markedly swollen. After ventilation was started, she soon became conscious with the improvement of oxygenation. Computed tomography findings indicated giant goiter surrounding the trachea. Later, we carried out a thyroidectomy for the giant goiter (800 g), and tracheostomy. Bronchoscopy carried out at the end of surgery showed a deformed tracheal wall on breathing. During inspiration, the collapsed wall of the trachea occluded the airway, although the tracheal wall recovered to normal during expiration. We diagnosed this case as acquired tracheomalacia and a tracheal stent graft made of silicon was inserted immediately after bronchoscopy.