Articles

The effect of early versus delayed surgical debridement on the outcome of open long bone fractures at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Urgent surgical debridement of open long bone fractures is of paramount importance for prevention of subsequent infection. Due to limited information on the timing of this surgical procedure in Mwanza, Tanzani...

Authors: Njee Nobert, Nyambura Moremi, Jeremiah Seni, Ramesh M. Dass, Isdori H. Ngayomela, Stephen E. Mshana and Japhet M. Gilyoma

The severe traumatic brain injury in Austria: early rehabilitative treatment and outcome

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a great economical and logistic problem in the health care system which reduces the quality of life and productivity of the patient. The purpose of this study is to evalu...

Authors: Emanuel Steiner, Monika Murg-Argeny and Heinz Steltzer

Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection for treatment of superficial traumatic pseudoaneurysms and associated expanding hematomas: experience in five patients

Angiography allows for excellent characterization and treatment of traumatic pseudoaneurysms. However, ultrasound-guided thrombin injection for pseudoaneurysm thrombosis allows for radiation-free treatment of ...

Authors: Sri Hari Sundararajan, Phillip Murillo, Adam Khan, Vyacheslav Gendel, Christopher Gribbin, Sudipta Roychowdhury and John Nosher

Retraction Note: Decompressive craniectomy without durotomy for traumatic coma and uncontrollable intracranial hypertension

Authors: Daniel James Miller and Darlene Angela Lobel

A Ten year review of alcohol use and major trauma in a Canadian province: still a major problem

Alcohol plays a significant role in major traumatic injuries. While the role of alcohol in motor vehicle trauma (MVT) is well described, its role and approaches to prevention in other injury mechanisms is less...

Authors: Jessica McKee, Sandy L. Widder, J. Damian Paton-Gay, Andrew W. Kirkpatrick and Paul Engels

Trauma transfers to a rural level 1 center: a retrospective cohort study

The regionalization of trauma care, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986, the advent of Accountable Care Organizations and bundled payments have brought Level 1 trauma centers (TC) to a...

Authors: Sumeet V Jain, Castigliano M Bhamidipati and Robert N Cooney

“Anterior convergent” chest probing in rapid ultrasound transducer positioning versus formal chest ultrasonography to detect pneumothorax during the primary survey of hospital trauma patients: a diagnostic accuracy study

Occult pneumothorax represents a diagnostic pitfall during the primary survey of trauma patients, particularly if these patients require early positive pressure ventilation. This study investigated the accurac...

Authors: Behrad Ziapour and Houman Seyedjavady Haji

A comparison between survival from cancer before and after a physical traumatic injury: physical trauma before cancer is associated with decreased survival

Prior traumatic experiences have been associated with poorer coping strategies, greater distress, and more posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a subsequent cancer diagnosis affecting their ...

Authors: Douglas L. Delahanty, Robert Marley, Andrew Fenton, Ann Salvator, Christina Woofter, Daniel Erck, Jennifer Coleman and Farid Muakkassa

Proximal interphalangeal replantation with arthrodesis facilitates favorable esthetics and functional outcome

Management of finger amputations of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint is still controversial. Regrettably, injured PIP joints seldom regain normal active motion; thus, many investigators recommend revis...

Authors: Masaki Fujioka and Kenji Hayashida

Are traumatic bilateral adrenal injuries associated with higher morbidity and mortality?-A prospective observational study

Traumatic bilateral adrenal injuries are uncommon. Adrenal injuries are overall associated with worse outcome than non-adrenal injuries. However, direct comparative evidence between unilateral and bilateral ad...

Authors: Ananya Panda, Atin Kumar, Shivanand Gamanagatti, Ashu Seith Bhalla, Raju Sharma, Subodh Kumar and Biplab Mishra

Vascular injuries of the extremities are a major challenge in a third world country

Traumatic vascular injuries of the extremities are a major challenge especially in the third world countries. These injuries are mostly due to poor traffic laws, street crimes, firearms and blast associated in...

Authors: Fahad H. Khan, Kamal M. Yousuf and Anel R. Bagwani

Maxillofacial injuries in severely injured patients

A significant proportion of patients admitted to hospital with multiple traumas exhibit facial injuries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence and cause of facial injuries in severely injured pati...

Authors: Max J. Scheyerer, Robert Döring, Nina Fuchs, Philipp Metzler, Kai Sprengel, Clement M. L. Werner, Hans-Peter Simmen, Klaus Grätz and Guido A. Wanner

Effects of a formalized collaboration between plastic and orthopedic surgeons in severe extremity trauma patients; a retrospective study

Severe trauma to the extremities often includes a combination of fractures and soft tissue injuries. Several publications support that the patient outcome is better when skeletal stabilization is followed by e...

Authors: Pehr Sommar, Yamin Granberg, Martin Halle, Ann-Charlott Docherty Skogh, Kalle T Lundgren and Karl-Åke Jansson

Occipital condyle fracture and lower cranial nerve palsy after blunt head trauma – a literature review and case report

Lower cranial nerve (IX-XII) palsy is a rare condition with numerous causes, usually non-traumatic. In the literature it has been described only a few times after trauma, mostly accompanied by a fracture of th...

Authors: Nils Christian Utheim, Roger Josefsen, Per Hjalmar Nakstad, Torfinn Solgaard and Olav Roise

Improving patient notification of solid abdominal viscera incidental findings with a standardized protocol

The increasing use of computed tomography (CT) scans in the evaluation of trauma patients has led to increased detection of incidental radiologic findings. Incidental findings (IFs) of the abdominal viscera ar...

Authors: Courtney E Collins, Nicole Cherng, Theodore McDade, Babak Movahedi, Timothy A Emhoff, Giles F Whalen, Jennifer LaFemina and Jon D Dorfman

A feasibility study of 60 consecutive patients operated for unstable thoracic cage

About 10% of adult patients in high-energy trauma sustain multiple rib fractures. Some of these patients suffer from flail chest leading to respiratory insufficiency. During last years interest and results for...

Authors: Hans P Granhed and David Pazooki

Functional outcome and satisfaction with a “self-care” protocol for the management of mallet finger injuries: a case-series

Mallet finger injuries are usually successfully treated non-operatively with a splint. Most patients are reviewed at least twice in a clinic after the initial presentation in A&E. A new protocol promoting “sel...

Authors: Katriona Brooksbank, Paul J Jenkins, Iain C Anthony, Alisdair Gilmour, Margaret P Nugent and Lech A Rymaszewski

Distribution and treatment of clavicular fractures in monotrauma and polytrauma patients

Although extensive research for the optimal treatment of clavicle fractures has been performed, comparative studies between monotrauma and polytrauma patients are lacking.

Authors: Steven Ferree, Jacqueline JEM van Laarhoven, R Marijn Houwert, Falco Hietbrink, Egbert Jan MM Verleisdonk and Luke PH Leenen

Look away: arterial and venous intravascular embolisation following shotgun injury

We describe two cases of intravascular embolization of shotgun pellets found distant to the entry site of penetrating firearm injury. The cases demonstrate antegrade embolization of a shotgun pellet from neck ...

Authors: John Vedelago, Elizabeth Dick, Robert Thomas, Brynmor Jones, Olga Kirmi, Jennifer Becker, Afshin Alavi and Wladyslaw Gedroyc

Hepatic pseudoaneurysm after traumatic liver injury; is CT follow-up warranted?

Hepatic pseudoaneurysm (HPA) is a rare complication after liver trauma, yet it is potentially fatal, as it can lead to sudden severe haemorrhage. The risk of developing posttraumatic HPA is one of the argument...

Authors: Lene Østerballe, Frederik Helgstrand, Thomas Axelsen, Jens Hillingsø and Lars Bo Svendsen

Scapula fractures in complex shoulder injuries and floating shoulders: a classification based on displacement and instability

Scapula fractures with injuries of the Superior Shoulder Suspensory Complex are often referred to as floating shoulders. However, present studies do not allow comparative evidence on indication for surgical tr...

Authors: Jan Friederichs, Mario Morgenstern and Volker Bühren

Vagus nerve stimulation improves coagulopathy in hemorrhagic shock: a thromboelastometric animal model study

Inflammation plays a major role in the multifactorial process of trauma associated coagulopathy. The vagus nerve regulates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. We hypothesized that efferent vagus nerve s...

Authors: Joao B Rezende-Neto, Roger Lage Alves, Mario Carvalho Jr, Thiago Almeida, Cyntia Trant, Christopher Kushmerick, Marcus Andrade, Sandro B Rizoli and Jose Cunha-Melo

Compartmental anatomical classification of traumatic abdominal injuries from the academic point of view and its potential clinical implication

The mechanism and outcome of traumatic abdominal injury (TAI) varies worldwide. Moreover, data comparing TAIs in each abdominal compartment are lacking. We aimed to assess from the academic point of view, TAI ...

Authors: Ayman El-Menyar, Husham Abdelrahman, Hassan Al-Thani, Ahmad Zarour, Ashok Parchani, Ruben Peralta and Rifat Latifi

Outcomes following liver trauma in equestrian accidents

Equestrian sports are common outdoor activities that may carry a risk of liver injury. Due to the relative infrequency of equestrian accidents the injury patterns and outcomes associated with liver trauma in t...

Authors: Anita Balakrishnan, Reyad Abbadi, Kathryn Oakland, Saurabh Jamdar, Simon JF Harper, Neville V Jamieson, Emmanual L Huguet, Asif Jah and Raaj K Praseedom

A necessary evil? Intra-abdominal hypertension complicating burn patient resuscitation

Severe burns are devastating injuries that result in considerable systemic inflammation and often require resuscitation with large volumes of fluid. The result of massive resuscitation is often raised intra-ab...

Authors: Paul B McBeth, Kim Sass, Duncan Nickerson, Chad G Ball and Andrew W Kirkpatrick

Routinely recorded versus dedicated time registrations during trauma work-up

Since time intervals are used to determine quality of trauma care, it is relevant to know how reliable those intervals can be measured. The aim of our study was to assess the reliability of time intervals as r...

Authors: Joanne C Sierink, Evin WM de Jong, Niels WL Schep and J Carel Goslings

Diagnostic significance of rib series in minor thorax trauma compared to plain chest film and computed tomography

Rib series (RS) are a special radiological technique to improve the visualization of the bony parts of the chest.

Authors: Patrick Hoffstetter, Christian Dornia, Stephan Schäfer, Merle Wagner, Lena M Dendl, Christian Stroszczynski and Andreas G Schreyer

Abdominal injuries in a major Scandinavian trauma center – performance assessment over an 8 year period

Damage control surgery and damage control resuscitation have reduced mortality in patients with severe abdominal injuries. The shift towards non-operative management in haemodynamically stable patients sufferi...

Authors: Sigrid Groven, Christine Gaarder, Torsten Eken, Nils Oddvar Skaga and Paal Aksel Naess

Traumatic injury among females: does gender matter?

Trauma remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Generally, the incidence of traumatic injuries is disproportionately high in males. However, trauma in females is underreported.

Authors: Ayman El-Menyar, Hany El-Hennawy, Hassan Al-Thani, Mohammad Asim, Husham Abdelrahman, Ahmad Zarour, Ashok Parchani, Ruben Peralta and Rifat Latifi

PHTLS ® (Prehospital Trauma Life Support) provider courses in Germany – who takes part and what do participants think about prehospital trauma care training?

The goal of this study was to examine PHTLS Provider courses in Germany and to proof the assumption that formation of physicians and paramedics in prehospital trauma care can be optimized.

Authors: Christian B Frank, Christoph G Wölfl, Aidan Hogan, Arnold J Suda, Thorsten Gühring, Bernhard Gliwitzky and Matthias Münzberg

Trauma surgery associations and societies: which organizations match your goals?

This focused summary is a multi-institutional, multi-national, and multi-generational project designed to briefly summarize current academic trauma societies for both trainees and faculty alike. The co-authors...

Authors: Chad G Ball, Sean C Grondin, Colin Schieman, David V Feliciano, Elijah Dixon, Andrew W Kirkpatrick, Rao R Ivatury, Jeffrey P Salomone and Lawrence R Reed

Routine versus ad hoc screening for acute stress following injury: who would benefit and what are the opportunities for prevention

Screening for acute stress is not part of routine trauma care owing in part to high variability of acute stress symptoms in identifying later onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of thi...

Authors: Nathaniel Bell, Boris Sobolev, Stephen Anderson, Robert Hewko and Richard K Simons

Reviewer acknowledgement 2013

The editors of the Journal of Trauma Management and Outcomes and BioMed Central would like to show our appreciation for the following reviewers for their time, hard work and support by reviewing manuscripts for t...

Authors: Dirk Stengel and Annette Luckmann

Mortality after road traffic crashes in a system with limited trauma data capability

Africa has 4% of the global vehicles but accounts for about one tenth of global vehicular deaths. Major trauma in Kenya is associated with excess mortality in comparison with series from trauma centers. The de...

Authors: Hassan Saidi, Ben Kasyoka Mutiso and Julius Ogengo

Propensity for performing interventions in pre-hospital trauma management – a comparison between physicians and non-physicians

In 2005, the Advanced Life Support (ALS) teams delivering pre-hospital care in RegionSkane in southern Sweden received additional support by physicians, who were part of “Pre-hospital acute teams” (PHAT). The ...

Authors: Mathias C Blom, Ludwig Aspelin and Kjell Ivarsson

Management of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome: a review

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk of developing of intra abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).

Authors: Leanne Hunt, Steve A Frost, Ken Hillman, Phillip J Newton and Patricia M Davidson

The impact of shorter prehospital transport times on outcomes in patients with abdominal vascular injuries

Most deaths in patients with abdominal vascular injuries (ABVI) are caused by exsanguination and irreversible shock. Therefore, time to definitive hemorrhage control is an important factor affecting survival. ...

Authors: Chad G Ball, Brian H Williams, Clarisse Tallah, Jeffrey P Salomone and David V Feliciano

Paediatric injuries at Bugando Medical Centre in Northwestern Tanzania: a prospective review of 150 cases

Injuries continue to be the leading cause of death and disability for children. The is a paucity of published data on paediatric injuries in our local environment. This study describes the etiological spectrum...

Authors: Raymond Simon, Japhet M Gilyoma, Ramesh M Dass, Mabula D Mchembe and Phillipo L Chalya

Citywide trauma experience in Mwanza, Tanzania: a need for urgent intervention

Trauma remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in resource limited countries. There is paucity of published reports on trauma care in Tanzania, particularly the study area. This study was carried ou...

Authors: Phillipo L Chalya, Ramesh M Dass, Mabula D Mchembe, Nkinda Mbelenge, Isdori H Ngayomela, Alphonce B Chandika, Japhet M Gilyoma and Joseph B Mabula

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Decompressive craniectomy without durotomy for traumatic coma and uncontrollable intracranial hypertension

Authors: Daniel James Miller and Darlene Angela Lobel

Inter-observer reliability assessment of the Schatzker, AO/OTA and three-column classification of tibial plateau fractures

The purpose of our study was to evaluate inter-observer reliability of the Three-Column classifications with conventional Schatzker and AO/OTA of Tibial Plateau Fractures.

Authors: Yi Zhu, Cheng-Fang Hu, Guang Yang, Dong Cheng and Cong-Feng Luo

The risk of early mortality of polytrauma patients associated to ISS, NISS, APACHE II values and prothrombin time

The early hemodynamic normalization of polytrauma patients may lead to better survival outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic quality of trauma and physiological scores from widely used s...

Authors: Ladislav Mica, Kaspar Rufibach, Marius Keel and Otmar Trentz

Treatment provider is most predictive of ED dismissal in minimally-injured trauma patients: a retrospective review

Secondary triage protocols have been described in the literature as physiologic (first-tier) criteria and mechanism-related (second-tier) criteria to determine the level of trauma activation. There is debate a...

Authors: Diane L S Hunt, Gina M Berg, Rosalee E Zackula, Francie H Ekengren, Diana Lippoldt, Elizabeth Ablah and Ruth Wetta

Outcome after severe multiple trauma: a retrospective analysis

Aim of this study was to evaluate prognosis of severely injured patients.

Authors: Christian von Rüden, Alexander Woltmann, Marc Röse, Simone Wurm, Matthias Rüger, Christian Hierholzer and Volker Bühren

Distraction by a monotube fixator to achieve limb lengthening: predictive factors for tibia trauma

Management of post trauma tibia bone gap varied with orthopedic surgeons’ experience and tools available. Study aims to determine predictive factors for distraction by a monotube fixator (DMF) outcome in post ...

Authors: Olayinka O Adegbehingbe, Owolabi D Ojo, Paul O Abiola, Abimbola L Ariyibi, Lawrence M Oginni and John A Obateru

Retrospective review of the use and costs of routine chest x rays in a trauma setting

Chest x-rays (CXR) are routinely obtained on blunt trauma patients. Many patients also receive additional imaging with thoracic computed tomography scans for other indications. We hypothesized that in hemodyna...

Authors: Kristina Ziegler, James M Feeney, Colleen Desai, David Sharpio, Wiiliam T Marshall and Michael Twohig

Welcome to a decade of action that can make a change!

The Journal of Trauma Management and Outcomes welcomes the launch of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. More than 100 countries around the world will kick off the first global Decade of Action for...

Authors: Uli Schmucker, Axel Ekkernkamp and Dirk Stengel

Outcome after thoracoscopic ventral stabilisation of thoracic and lumbar spine fractures

Thoracoscopic-assisted ventral stabilisation for thoracolumbar fractures has been shown to be associated with decreased recovery time and less morbidity when compared with open procedures. However, there are a...

Authors: Roman Pfeifer, Miguel Pishnamaz, Derek Dombroski, Nicole Heussen, Hans-Christoph Pape and Bernhard Schmidt-Rohlfing

Calculating trauma triage precision: effects of different definitions of major trauma

Triage is the process of classifying patients according to injury severity and determining the priority for further treatment. Although the term “major trauma” represents the reference against which over- and ...

Authors: Hans Morten Lossius, Marius Rehn, Kjell E Tjosevik and Torsten Eken

Late decompressive craniectomyafter traumatic brain injury: neurological outcome at 6 months after ICU discharge

The choice of optimal treatment in traumatic brain injured (TBI) patients is a challenge. The aim of this study was to verify the neurological outcome of severe TBI patients treated with decompressive craniect...

Authors: Giovanni Cianchi, Manuela Bonizzoli, Giovanni Zagli, Simona di Valvasone, Simona Biondi, Marco Ciapetti, Lucia Perretta, Furio Mariotti and Adriano Peris