Rafael Consunji

The therapeutic challenges of degloving soft-tissue injuries.

Background: Degloving soft-tissue injuries are serious and debilitating conditions. Deciding on the most appropriate treatment is often difficult. However, their impact on patients’ outcomes is frequently underestimated. Objectives: We aimed to study the incidence, clinical presentation, management and outcome of degloving soft-tissue injuries. Materials and Methods: We conducted a narrative traditional review using the key words; degloving injury and soft-tissue injuries through search engines PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus. Results: There are several therapeutic options for treating degloving soft-tissue injuries; however, no evidence-based guidelines have been published on how to manage degloving soft-tissue injuries, although numerous articles outline the management of such injuries. Conclusion: Degloving soft-tissue injuries are underreported and potentially devastating. They require early recognition, and early management. A multidisciplinary approach is usually needed to ensure the effective rehabilitation of these patients.

Epidemiology of occupational injuries by nationality in Qatar: Evidence for focused occupational safety programmes

INTRODUCTIONnOccupational injuries are the second leading cause of trauma admission in Qatar. Given the wide diversity of the countrys migrant worker populations at risk, this study aimed to analyse and describe the epidemiology of these injuries based on the workers nationality residing in Qatar.nnnMETHODSnA retrospective analysis of trauma registry data on occupational-related injuries was conducted. The analysis included all patients [aged ≥18 years] admitted to the Level I Hamad Trauma Center, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013.nnnRESULTSnOut of 6555 trauma admissions, 2015 (30.7%) patients had occupational injury. The admitted Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 4.3 per 100 occupational injury related trauma admissions. Overall non-fatal occupational injury rate was 37.34 per 100,000 workers, whereas fatal injury rate was 1.58 per 100,000 workers. Most of the workers experiencing occupational injuries were from Nepal (28%), India (20%) and Bangladesh (9%). Fatal occupational injuries were predominately among Indians (20%), Nepalese (19%), and Filipinos/Bangladeshis (both 8%). Filipinos had the highest admitted CFR at 8.2 deaths per 100 trauma admissions with the next highest being Indians and Indonesians (4.2 per 100 trauma admissions). During the study period, the incidence of severe occupational injuries decreased despite a simultaneous increase in the worker population within Qatar. Almost one in four occupational injuries was a major trauma (ISS≥16). Nepalese and Indian workers represented 29% and 18% of all major trauma cases.nnnCONCLUSIONSnNon-fatal occupational injuries appear to follow a pattern distinct from fatal ones. High-risk worker populations as defined by those with high admitted CFRs, experiencing the most severe or fatal injuries, must be the focus of targeted risk factor analysis and occupational safety interventions.

Underutilization of occupant restraint systems in motor vehicle injury crashes: a quantitative analysis from Qatar

ABSTRACT Introduction: Restraint systems (seat belts and airbags) are important tools that improve vehicle occupant safety during motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). We aimed to identify the pattern and impact of the utilization of passenger restraint systems on the outcomes of MVC victims in Qatar. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for all admitted patients who sustained MVC-related injuries between March 2011 and March 2014 inclusive. Results: Out of 2,730 road traffic injury cases, 1,830 (67%) sustained MVC-related injuries, of whom 88% were young males, 70% were expatriates, and 53% were drivers. The use of seat belts and airbags was documented in 26 and 2.5% of cases, respectively. Unrestrained passengers had greater injury severity scores, longer hospital stays, and higher rates of pneumonia and mortality compared to restrained passengers (P = .001 for all). There were 311 (17%) ejected cases. Seat belt use was significantly lower and the mortality rate was 3-fold higher in the ejected group compared to the nonejected group (P = .001). The overall mortality was 8.3%. On multivariate regression analysis, predictors of not using a seat belt were being a front seat passenger, driver, or Qatari national and young age. Unrestrained males had a 3-fold increase in mortality in comparison to unrestrained females. The risk of severe injury (relative risk [RR] = 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49–2.26, P = .001) and death (RR = 4.13, 95% CI, 2.31–7.38, P = .001) was significantly greater among unrestrained passengers. Conclusion: The nonuse of seat belts is associated with worse outcomes during MVCs in Qatar. Our study highlights the lower rate of seat belt compliance in young car occupants that results in more severe injuries, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality rates. Therefore, we recommend more effective seat belt awareness and education campaigns, the enforcement of current seat belt laws, their extension to all vehicle occupants, and the adoption of proven interventions that will assure sustained behavioral changes toward improvements in seat belt use in Qatar.

Trauma resuscitation requiring massive transfusion: a descriptive analysis of the role of ratio and time

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate whether early administration of high plasma to red blood cells ratios influences outcomes in injured patients who received massive transfusion protocol (MTP).MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted at the only level 1 national trauma center in Qatar for all adult patients(≥18xa0years old) who received MTP (≥10 units) of packed red blood cell (PRBC) during the initial 24xa0h post traumatic injury. Data were analyzed with respect to FFB:PRBC ratio [(highu2009≥u20091:1.5) (HMTP) vs. (lowu2009<u20091:1.5) (LMTP)] given at the first 4xa0h post-injury and also between (>4 and 24xa0h). Mortality, multiorgan failure (MOF) and infectious complications were studied as well.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 4864 trauma patients were admitted to the hospital, 1.6 % (nu2009=u200977) of them met the inclusion criteria. Both groups were comparable with respect to initial pH, international normalized ratio, injury severity score, revised trauma score and development of infectious complications. However, HMTP was associated with lower crude mortality (41.9 vs. 78.3 %, pu2009=u20090.001) and lower rate of MOF (48.4 vs. 87.0 %, pu2009=u20090.001). The number of deaths was 3 times higher in LMTP in comparison to HMTP within the first 30xa0days (36 vs. 13 cases). The majority of deaths occurred within the first 24xa0h (80.5 % in LMTP and 69 % in HMTP) and particularly within the first 6xa0h (55 vs. 46 %).ConclusionsAggressive attainment of high FFP/PRBC ratios as early as 4xa0h post-injury can substantially improve outcomes in trauma patients.

Early high ratio platelet transfusion in trauma resuscitation and its outcomes

Introduction: The optimal ratio of platelets (PLTs) to packed red blood cell (PRBC) in trauma patients requiring massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is still controversial. This report aims to describe the effect of attaining a high PLT:PRBC ratio (≥1:1.5) within 4 h postinjury on the outcomes of trauma patients receiving MTP. Methods: Over a 24-month period, records of all adult patients with traumatic injury who received MTP were retrospectively reviewed. Data were analyzed with respect to PLT:PRBC ratio ([high-MTP ≥1:1.5] [HMTP] vs. [low-MTP <1:1.5] [LMTP]) given within the first 4 h postinjury and also between (>4 and 24 h). Baseline demographic, clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes were compared according to HMTP and LMTP. Results: Of the total 3244 trauma patients, PLT:PRBC ratio was attainable in 58 (1.2%) patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 32.3 ± 10.7 years; the majority were males (89.6%) with high mean Injury Severity Score (ISS): 31.9 ± 11.5 and Revise Trauma Score (RTS): 5.1 ± 2.2. There was no significant association between age, gender, type of injury, presenting hemoglobin, International Normalized Ratio, ISS, and RTS. The rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (38.9% vs. 10.8%; P = 0.02) and wound infection (50% vs. 10.8%; P = 0.002) were significantly higher in the HMTP group. However, HMTP was associated with lower rate of multiple organ failure (MOF) (42.1% vs. 87.2%, P = 0.001) and mortality (36.8% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.001) within the first 30 days postinjury. Conclusions: Our study revealed that early attainment of high PLT/PRBC ratio within 4 h postinjury is significantly associated with lower MOF and mortality in trauma patients.

Traffic-related pedestrian injuries amongst expatriate workers in Qatar: a need for cross-cultural injury prevention programme

Qatar is a rapidly developing country in which expatriate workers constitute the majority of population. Also, Qatar is an example of right-sided road driving convention (RDC) country. The aim of our study is to analyse the traffic-related pedestrian injuries (TRPI) amongst expatriates in relation to RDC. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of TRPI patients who were admitted to the only Level I trauma centre in Qatar between 2009 and 2011 was performed. Demographics, country of origin, time of injury, injury severity score (ISS), RDC, morbidity and mortality were analysed. Of the 4997 injured patients, 601 (12%) were pedestrians. Of these, 92% were expatriates. The mean age was 31.8 ± 17 and 64% of them were 18–45 years old. Mean ISS was higher in those who were injured on weekends (15.4 ± 10) in comparison to working days (13.5 ± 10) (p = 0.04). The overall mortality was 15%. Sixty-seven percent of those who died were from left RDC countries. Expatriate workers, originally from left RDC countries are disproportionately affected by TRPI. This group of injured patients requires focused injury prevention programmes that are culture and language appropriate.

Incidence, Demographics, and Outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury in The Middle East: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUNDnTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious global public health challenge. We aimed to assess the pattern of TBI in the Middle East, as reported in the last decade.nnnMETHODSnLiterature searches were conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google scholar electronic databases. The search terms used in different combinations were epidemiology, incidence, case fatality, mortality, intracranial injury, brain injury, head injury, and the country names. Additional searches were conducted using reference lists of studies and review articles for selection of relevant articles. The search yielded 1082 articles; of which 701 duplicates and 346 articles were excluded. Thirty-five original studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted using standardized Excel form and pilot tested. Median with interquartile range (IQR) was used to estimate the incidence rate and mortality of TBI.nnnRESULTSnIn the Middle East region, the median TBI incidence rate per capita was 45 (IQR, 38.5-367) per 100,000. The overall median emergency department-based TBI mortality, which included all age groups and all injury severities, was 10% (IQR, 7.75-15.75). We estimated the overall median mortality for head trauma studies based on emergency department admissions as 6% (IQR, 3-18) among all age groups and all injury severities. The overall TBI-related median mortality in the intensive care unit-based studies was 25% (IQR, 15.5-47).nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe epidemiology of TBI in the Middle East remains understudied. The use of a globally recognized definition of TBI will contribute greatly to improve its reporting, analysis, and interpretation and to establish appropriate injury prevention programs.

Clinical Significance and Prognostic Implications of Quantifying Pulmonary Contusion Volume in Patients with Blunt Chest Trauma

Background Pulmonary contusion (PC) is the most frequent blunt chest injury which could be used to identify patients at high-risk of clinical deterioration. We aimed to investigate the clinical correlation between PC volume and outcome in patients with blunt chest trauma (BCT). Material/Methods BCT patients with PC were identified retrospectively from the prospectively collected trauma registry database over a 2-year period. Contusion volume was measured and expressed as percentage of total lung (CTCV) volume using three-dimensional reconstruction of thoracic CT images on admission. Data included patients’ demographics, mechanism of injury (MOI) and injury severity, associated injuries, CTCV, mechanical ventilation, complications, and mortality. Results A total of 226 BCT patients were identified to have PC with a mean age of 35.2 years. Motor vehicle crash (54.4%) and falls (16.4%) were the most frequent MOIs. Bilateral PC (61.5%) was more prevalent than right-sided (19.5%) and left-sided PC (19%). CTCV had a significant positive correlation with ISS; whereas, age and PaO2/FiO2 ratio showed a negative correlation (p<0.05 for all). The median CTCV was significantly higher in patients who developed in-hospital complications (p=0.02). A CTCV >20% was associated with increasedrisk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), blood transfusion and prolonged mechanical ventilation. However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that CTCV alone was not an independent predictor of in-hospital outcomes. Presence of chest infection, CTCV, and Injury Severity Scores were predictors of ARDS. Conclusions Quantifying pulmonary contusion volume could allow identification of patients at high-risk of ARDS. CTCV has a significant correlation with injury severity in patients with BCT. Further prospective studies are needed to address the validity of CTCV in the patients care.

Home-related falls: An underestimated mechanism of injury

BACKGROUND: The home is a leading location for falls, but the epidemiology and outcome of falls at home (FH) have not been adequately described. Our aim was to evaluate FH, particularly in the bathroom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with a history of FH admitted to the Level I trauma center in Qatar. Patients were divided into Group 1: <60 years and Group 2: 60 year or older, and their data were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients with FH in the bathroom with a mean age of 51 ± 18 years, mostly males (73.5%) were identified over 3 years. One out of every 50 trauma patients admitted was a victim of a fall in the bathroom. Group 2 had significantly more females and sustained a single-site injury. Group 1 had more involvement of alcohol (P = 0.02) and sustained more multiple injuries (44% vs. 23%; P = 0.02). The mean Injury Severity Score and length of hospital stay was comparable among the two groups. Head, abdomen, and facial injuries were significantly higher in Group 1 whereas lower extremity injuries and mortality were significantly higher in Group 2. CONCLUSION: FH, particularly in the bathroom, is an underrecognized mechanism of injury with a unique dichotomous epidemiology based on age. This needs increased public awareness and primary prevention programs for high-risk populations.

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: a 5-year descriptive study from the National Trauma Center in Qatar

BackgroundThe epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) have not been adequately documented from the rapidly developing countries in the Arab Middle East. We aimed to describe the hospital-based epidemiologic characteristics, injury mechanisms, clinical presentation, and outcomes of pTBI and analyze key characteristics and determinant of pTBI that could help to make recommendations for policies to improve their care.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study in a level 1 trauma center (2010–2014) for all pTBI patients. Data were analyzed and compared according to different patient age groups.ResultsOut of 945 traumatic brain injury patients, 167 (17.7%) were ≤u200918xa0years old with a mean age of 10.6xa0±xa05.9 and 81% were males. The rate of pTBI varied from 5 to 14 cases per 100,000 children per year. The most affected group was teenagers (15–18xa0years; 40%) followed by infants/toddlers (≤u20094xa0years; 23%). Motor vehicle crash (MVC; 47.3%) was the most frequent mechanism of injury followed by falls (21.6%). MVC accounted for a high proportion of pTBI among teenagers (77.3%) and adolescents (10–14xa0years; 48.3%). Fall was a common cause of pTBI for infants/toddlers (51.3%) and 5–9xa0years old group (30.3%). The proportion of brain contusion was significantly higher in adolescents (61.5%) and teenagers (58.6%). Teenagers had higher mean Injury Severity Scoring of 24.2xa0±xa09.8 and lower median (range) Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 (3–15) (Pxa0=xa00.001 for all). The median ventilatory days and intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were significantly prolonged in the teenage group. Also, pTBI in teenage group showed higher association with pneumonia (46.4%) and sepsis (17.3%) than other age groups (Pxa0=xa00.01). The overall mortality rate was 13% (nxa0=xa022); 11 died within the first 24xa0h, 7 died between the second and seventh day and 4 died onexa0week post-admission. Among MVC victims, a decreasing trend of case fatality rate (CFR) was observed with age; teenagers had the highest CFR (85.7) followed by adolescents (75.0), young children (33.3), and infants/toddlers (12.5).ConclusionsThis local experience to describe the burden of pTBI could be a basis to adopt and form an efficient, tailored strategy for safety in the pediatric population.