Shuichi Hagiwara

Usefulness of fibrin degradation products and d-dimer levels as biomarkers that reflect the severity of trauma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the levels of fibrin degradation products (FDPs) and d‐dimer (DD) in blood for reflecting the severity of trauma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records of trauma patients who were transferred to the emergency department of Gunma University Hospital between January 2010 and December 2010. The relationships among Injury Severity Score, mean blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, FDP, and DD on arrival were examined in those patients. RESULTS: A total of 122 patients were included in this study. The coefficients of correlation of FDP (r = 0.710) and DD (r = 0.636) with Injury Severity Score were higher than those of other parameters. In addition, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of FDP and DD were larger than those of other parameters (0.757 and 0.756, respectively). The cutoff value of FDP from the Youden index was 4.70 &mgr;g/mL, and the sensitivity and specificity values were 75.9% and 68.4%, respectively. The cutoff value of DD from the Youden index was 2.55 &mgr;g/mL, and the sensitivity and specificity values were 75.9% and 73.7%, respectively. There were four patients requiring more than 10 U of red blood cell transfusion within 24 hours after trauma (a unit of red blood cell transfusion is made from 200 mL of whole blood in Japan). In those four patients, the mean values of FDP and DD were 90.8 &mgr;g/mL (range, 5.7–160 &mgr;g/mL) and 45.3 &mgr;g/mL (range, 3.2–66.4 &mgr;g/mL), respectively, and those data were much higher than the mean of all patients. The mean values of FDP and DD in four patients who died were 244.6 &mgr;g/mL (range, 158.4–420 &mgr;g/mL) and 102.8 &mgr;g/mL (range, 32.8–240 &mgr;g/mL), respectively. Both FDP and DD in patients who died were remarkably elevated immediately after trauma. CONCLUSION: FDP and DD levels may be useful parameters for initial evaluation of the severity of trauma, massive blood transfusion, and mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/epidemiological study, level III

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mimicking Liver Abscesses in a Cirrhotic Patient with Severe Septic Shock as a Result of Salmonella O9 HG Infection.

We describe a case of severe Salmonella O9 HG sepsis with a mass in the liver, which was diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by autopsy of the liver. The patient was a 67-year-old man with chronic high blood pressure. In addition, he was an alcoholic and had been drinking every day for many years. He had had a dinner of ‘sukiyaki’ with a raw egg two days before admission. The next morning, he had developed vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Salmonella O9 HG was found in the blood and stool cultures. In the computed tomography (CT) finding of the liver, there was a 2 cm early-enhanced mass with a multilocular structure, with ringed enhancement and daughter nodes. Since we thought that the mass was a liver abscess, we performed needle aspiration from the liver mass and were able to withdraw blood. Despite adequate antibiotic treatment, the patient died as a result of complications on the 55th day after admission. After the patient’s death, we conducted an autopsy. There were two HCC masses, a moderately-differentiated and a well-differentiated mass, as a result of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. As the HCC had multilocular cyst-like structures, which were fiber- and necrosis-rich, CT images of the liver masses resembled abscesses.

Prediction of extravasation in pelvic fracture using coagulation biomarkers

PURPOSE To evaluate the usefulness of coagulation biomarkers, which are easy and quick to analyze in emergency settings, for prediction of arterial extravasation due to pelvic fracture. PATIENTS AND METHODS The medical records of pelvic fracture patients transferred to the emergency department of Gunma University Hospital between December 2009 and May 2015 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups, those with (Extra(+)) and without (Extra(-)) arterial extravasation on enhanced CT or angiography. Levels of fibrin degradation products (FDP), D-dimer, fibrinogen, the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen, the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, the Glasgow Coma Scale, pH, base excess, hemoglobin and lactate levels, the pattern of pelvic injury, and injury severity score were measured at hospital admission, and compared between the two groups. Parameters with a significant difference between the two groups were used to construct receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS The study included 29 patients with pelvic fracture. FDP, D-dimer, the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen and the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen were the most useful parameters for predicting arterial extravasation due to pelvic fracture. FDP, D-dimer, the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen, the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen, and hemoglobin and lactate levels were significantly higher in the Extra(+) group than in the Extra(-) group (FDP, 354.8μg/mL [median] versus 96.6μg/mL; D-dimer, 122.3μg/mL versus 42.1μg/mL; the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen, 3.39 versus 0.42; the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen, 1.14 versus 0.18; hemoglobin, 10.5g/dL versus 13.5g/dL; lactate, 3.5mmol/L versus 1.7mmol/L). The area under the ROC curves for FDP, D-dimer, the ratio of FDP to fibrinogen, the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen, hemoglobin and lactate levels were 0.900, 0.882, 0.918, 0.900, 0.815 and 0.765, respectively. CONCLUSION Coagulation biomarkers, and hemoglobin and lactate levels could be useful to predict the existence of arterial extravasation due to pelvic fracture. The ratio of FDP to fibrinogen and the ratio of D-dimer to fibrinogen were the most accurate markers. Coagulation biomarkers may enable more rapid and specific treatment for pelvic fracture.

Usefulness of serum fibrin degradation products and D-dimer levels as biomarkers to predict return of spontaneous circulation in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival: comparison with acid–base balance

We evaluated the usefulness of fibrin degradation products and D‐dimer levels in blood to predict return of spontaneous circulation in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival compared with anion gap and albumin‐corrected anion gap.

Model for predicting the injury severity score

To determine the formula that predicts the injury severity score from parameters that are obtained in the emergency department at arrival.

Prognostic factors in emergency patients aged 90 years and older

We evaluated the relation between general status on arrival and prognosis in patients aged 90 years and older who were admitted to our department through the emergency room, with the aim of assisting the development of a treatment policy for elderly people.

FDP/fibrinogen ratio reflects the requirement of packed red blood cell transfusion in patients with blunt trauma

Purpose To find factors that predict the requirement of packed red blood cells (pRBC) transfusion in patients with blunt trauma on arrival at the hospital. Methods We conducted blood tests in trauma patients whose trauma severity was suspected as being 3 and over in the Abbreviated Injury Scale. Patients were divided into the blood transfusion (BT) and control groups according to the requirement of pRBC transfusion within 24 h after arrival. Results We analyzed 347 patients (BT group, n = 14; control group, n = 333). On univariate analysis, there were significant differences in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), rate of positive FAST (focused assessment with sonography for trauma) finding, hematocrit, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen (Fib), and level of fibrin degradation products (FDP). On multivariable analysis, positive FAST finding, GCS, Fib, and FDP influenced the requirement of pRBC transfusion. In the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Fib and FDP were markers that predicted the requirement of pRBC transfusion. The FDP/Fib ratio had a better correlation with the requirement of pRBC transfusion than FDP or Fib. Conclusions The FDP/Fib ratio can be easily measured and may be a predictor of the need for pRBC transfusion.

Does the number of emergency medical technicians affect the neurological outcome of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?

Background: It is unclear whether the number of paramedics in an ambulance improves the outcome of patients with out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or not. Methods and Results: This study was a prospective, observational study conducted on patients with OHCA. Patients were divided into the One‐paramedic group (Group O) and the Two‐or‐more‐paramedic group (Group T) and we analyzed the differences. Patients who were treated with only basic life support during transportation, and whose cause of cardiac arrest were extrinsic cause such as trauma and poisoning were excluded. Good neurological outcome was defined as cerebral performance category (CPC) 1 or 2. In Group O, there were 1516 patients (male/female, 922/594). In Group T, there were 2932 patients (male/female, 1798/1134). Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was obtained in 528 patients (34.8%) in Group O and 1058 patients (36.1%) in Group T (p = 0.589). 320 patients (21.1%) in Group O and 656 patients (22.4%) in Group T were admitted to hospital after ROSC (p = 0.461). At 90 days, there were 57 survivors (3.8%) in Group O and 114 survivors (3.9%) in Group T (p = 0.873). At 90 days, 14 patients (0.9%) in Group T had a CPC of 1 or 2, while 30 patients (1.0%) in Group T did so (p = 0.87). From the results of logistic regression analysis, age [odds ratio (OR): 0.983, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.952–0.993], witnessed OHCA (OR: 4.583, 95% CI: 1.587–13.234), and shockable rhythm as first documented (OR: 19.67, 95% CI: 9.181–42.13) were associated with good outcome. Conclusion: The number of paramedics in an ambulance did not affect the outcome in OHCA patients.

Metallo‐β‐lactamase‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in a non‐hospital environment

A 92‐year‐old female resident at a nursing home was transported to the emergency department unconscious, hypotensive, and febrile. Chest X‐rays and computed tomography revealed a permeation shadow in the right lung. The patient was diagnosed with sepsis due to pneumonia. At the time of admission, she had not received antibiotics or treatment using medical devices over the past 6 months. Two sets of samples were taken for blood and sputum cultures, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from all cultures. The strain was identified as metallo‐β‐lactamase‐producing K. pneumoniae, and the patient was successfully treated with tazobactam–piperacillin. This case indicates that metallo‐β‐lactamase‐producing K. pneumoniae infection occurred in a non‐hospital environment.

Successful endovascular therapy in an elderly patient with severe hemorrhage caused by traumatic injury

Abstract An 85-year-old female suffered pelvic fracture, multiple rib fractures, right hemopneumothorax, and blunt abdominal aortic injury in a traffic accident. After transfer to our hospital, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed immediately for hemorrhage from the bilateral internal iliac arteries. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) after TAE showed an increase of hematoma and extravasation at the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Therefore, emergency abdominal endovascular aortic repair was performed on the same day. On the 3rd day after transfer, metabolic acidosis worsened suddenly, and enhanced CT revealed intestinal necrosis. Emergency surgery for the intestinal necrosis was performed. The patient was transferred to the previous hospital on the 31st day after transfer. Endovascular treatment is useful for elderly patients with severe trauma. However, the preservation and/or reconstruction of the blood flow to important organs should be monitored.