OBJECTIVE To estimate the sensitivity and specificity of emergency department (ED) ultrasound for the detection of solid organ injury following blunt abdominal trauma. METHODS A prospective cohort study performed in the ED of an urban Level I trauma center on patients who sustained blunt abdominal trauma. Following initial standard trauma evaluation, patients underwent a secondary ultrasound ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to describe point-of-care ultrasound and Color flow Duplex Doppler characteristics of penetrating and blunt trauma-related vascular injuries of the limbs and neck. METHODS Penetrating and blunt trauma-related vascular injuries such as vein disruption, intimal flap, deep vein thrombosis, arterial dissection, pseudoaneurysm, and arteriovenous fistulae are dis...

Nonoperative management of both blunt and penetrating injuries can be challenging. During the past three decades, there has been a major shift from operative to increasingly nonoperative management of traumatic injuries. Greater reliance on nonoperative, or "conservative" management of abdominal solid organ injuries is facilitated by the various sophisticated and highly accurate noninvasive ima...

INTRODUCTION The use of guidelines regarding the termination or withholding of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in traumatic cardiac arrest patients remains controversial. This study aimed to describe the outcomes for victims of penetrating and blunt trauma who received prehospital CPR. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of a statewide major trauma registry using data from 2001 to...

BACKGROUND/AIM Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) characterised by speed and precision is increasingly accessible in emergency wards. The aim of our study was to determine the most common injuries to the chest region, as well as type associated extrathoracic injuries, and the treatment outcome. METHODS This prospective study included 61 patients with blunt trauma who were submitted to c...

OBJECTIVE to compare the frequency and the severity of diagnosed injuries between pedestrians struck by motor vehicles and victims of other blunt trauma mechanisms. METHODS retrospective analysis of data from the Trauma Registry, including adult blunt trauma patients admitted from 2008 to 2010. We reviewed the mechanism of trauma, vital signs on admission and the injuries identified. Severity...

OBJECTIVE Thoracic injuries are among the most severe forms of trauma and also a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) has recently provided an alternative method to simultaneously diagnose and manage patients sustaining chest injuries. We analyze our experience with VATS in the setting of thoracic trauma detailing indications for exploration, procedur...

Imaging plays an essential part of chest trauma care. By definition, the employed imaging technique in the emergency setting should reach the correct diagnosis as fast as possible. In severe chest blunt trauma, multidetector computer tomography (MDCT) has become part of the initial workup, mainly due to its high sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of the technique for the detection and characte...

INTRODUCTION Lightning is the second most common storm-related cause of death. The mortality following lightning strike is 10% to 30% and a large proportion of these people suffer cardiopulmonary arrest at the time of the strike. Much less commonly, solid organ injuries occur from either primary or secondary blunt force trauma. CASE PRESENTATION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first...

Duodenal trauma is an uncommon injury associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Upper gastrointestinal radiological studies and computed tomography may lead to the diagnosis of blunt duodenal trauma. Exploratory laparotomy remains as the ultimate diagnostic test if a high suspicion of duodenal injury continues even in the face of absent or equivocal radiographic signs. The majority o...