Yen-Hong Kuo

Impact of preinjury anticoagulation in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Introduction: This study was undertaken to examine the impact of various anticoagulation agents in head injury patients. Methods: The medical records and trauma registry were used to analyze the data. All adult trauma patients using aspirin, clopidogrel bisulfate (Plavix®), warfarin (Coumadin®), or heparin and admitted to the hospital with computed tomography (CT) scan evidence of brain injuries were included in the study. Patients were classified into three groups based on medication used. Results: From July 2004 through December 2006, 29 patients admitted to the trauma center were found to be on anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents. The control group consisted of 63 patients with CT evidence of head injury not on antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications. There were no significant differences among the groups regarding age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale, Injury Severity Score, mortality (P = 0.65), ventilator days (P = 0.69), intensive care unit (ICU) days (P = 0.65), total hospital days (P = 0.41) or discharge disposition (P = 0.65). Conclusion: Prehead injury anticoagulation did not have any significant impact on outcomes.

Report Card on Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP): Nationwide Inpatient Sample Infection Data 2001–2006

BACKGROUND The administration of appropriate antibiotics in a timely fashion with discontinuation post-operatively is the first of the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) initiatives and was expected to reduce post-operative infections significantly. This study aimed at determining whether SCIP has had an effect on surgical site infections (SSIs). METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the infection rates of adult patients (age≥18 years) having elective cholecystectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and colectomies from 2001-2006 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The population consisted of all patients older than 18 years who had colon resection or cholecystectomy and were discharged from a hospital included in the NIS. Annual infection rates were determined for each of the operations. RESULTS Post-operative infections rose steadily and significantly (p<0.0001) in colon surgery from 2001 to 2006. A significant increase in SSIs also was seen in open (p=0.0001) and laparoscopic (p<0.0001) cholecystectomy from 2001 to 2006. Length of stay was significantly longer in infected than in non-infected patients. CONCLUSION The factors that contributed to the observed increase in the infection rate should be identified to improve the SCIP initiatives.

Sensitivity and specificity of CT scan and angiogram for ongoing internal bleeding following torso trauma

Background Occult internal bleeding in the trauma patient which remains undiagnosed and unaddressed has the potential to result in morbidity or mortality. Advancements in CT and angiography have played an integral role in the management of this patient population. Objective The purpose of the study was to identify the sensitivity and specificity of CT scan and angiography in detecting ongoing internal bleeding. Methods Consecutive patients who sustained torso trauma and subsequently underwent CT scan and angiography were included in this study. Data reviewed included clinical information, CT scan and angiography readings. Extravasations of contrast from CT scan and/or angiogram were considered positive for ongoing internal bleeding. Results From January 2002 through July 2007, 113 adult trauma patients sustaining torso trauma underwent CT scan of chest or abdomen followed by angiography. Sixty-six patients were negative for extravasation from either of the tests. Twenty-four of 35 patients had both positive CT scans and angiograms. Eleven patients with positive CT scans did not have bleeding on angiogram. Similarly, 12 out of 36 patients with positive angiograms did not show any extravasation of contrast on CT scan. Both modalities had a specificity of 100% based on clinical definition. The sensitivities of CT scan and angiogram were 74.5% and 76.6%, respectively. They were not significantly different (p=0.95). The negative predictive values for CT and angiogram were 84.6% and 85.7%. They were not significantly different (p=0.95) either. When CT scan was used alone, 25.5% of bleeding patients were missed. Conclusions The sensitivity of CT scan and angiography at detecting ongoing bleeding was around 75% across the torso injury spectrum.

Initial systolic blood pressure and ongoing internal bleeding following torso trauma.

Objective: Recent studies have suggested that an initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the range of 90–110 mmHg in a trauma patient may be indicative of hypoperfusion and is associated with poor patient outcome. However, the use of initial SBP as a surrogate for predicting internal bleeding is yet to be validated. The purpose of this study was to assess the presenting SBPs in patients with torso trauma and evidence of ongoing internal hemorrhage. Setting and Design: This was a retrospective chart review conducted at the Level II Trauma Center. Patients and Methods: Adult patients who sustained trauma and underwent chest and/or abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans and angiography were included in the study. Demographic and clinical information was extracted from patients who had CT scan and angiography. Extravasation of contrast material on CT scan and angiography was considered positive for ongoing internal bleeding. Results: From January 2002 through July 2007, a total of 113 consecutive patients were included in this study. Forty-seven patients had evidence of ongoing internal bleeding (41.6%; 95% confidence interval: 32.4%, 51.2%). When comparing patients with and without ongoing bleeding, these two groups were similar in their gender, race, pulse, injury severity score and shock index. However, bleeding patients were typically older [mean (standard deviation): 44.5 (20.5) vs 37.3 (19.1) years; P = 0.051], had a lower initial SBP [116.2 (36.0) vs 130.0 (30.4) mmHg; P = 0.006] and had a higher Glasgow coma scale (GCS) [13.1 (4.0) vs 12.1 (4.4); P = 0.09]. From a multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age (P = 0.046) and lower SBP (P = 0.01) were significantly associated with bleeding, when controlled for gender, race and GCS. Among the 47 patients with ongoing bleeding, only seven patients (15%) had a SBP lower than 90 mmHg and 25 patients (53%) had a SBP higher than or equal to 120 mmHg. The spleen was the most frequently injured organ identified with active bleeding. Conclusions: Initial SBP cannot predict the ongoing internal bleeding.