PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Ivatury

Publications and source records attributed to R Ivatury.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Penetrating esophageal injuries: multicenter study of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to define the period of time after which delays in management incurred by investigations cause increased morbidity and mortality. The outcome study is intended to correlate time with death from esophageal causes, overall complications, esophageal related complications, and surgical intensive care unit length of stay. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter study involving 34 trauma centers in the United States, under the auspices of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Multi-institutional Trials Committee over a span of 10.5 years. Patients surviving to reach the operating room (OR) were divided into two groups: those that underwent diagnostic studies to identify their injuries (preoperative evaluation group) and those that went immediately to the OR (no preoperative evaluation group). Statistical methods included Fisher's exact test, Student's T test, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study involved 405 patients: 355 male patients (86.5%) and 50 female patients (13.5%). The mean Revised Trauma Score was 6.3, the mean Injury Severity Score was 28, and the mean time interval to the OR was 6.5 hours. There were associated injuries in 356 patients (88%), and an overall complication rate of 53.5%. Overall mortality was 78 of 405 (19%). Three hundred forty-six patients survived to reach the OR: 171 in the preoperative evaluation group and 175 in the no preoperative evaluation group. No statistically significant differences were noted in the two groups in the following parameters: number of patients, age, Injury Severity Score, admission blood pressure, anatomic location of injury (cervical or thoracic), surgical management (primary repair, resection and anastomosis, resection and diversion, flaps), number of associated injuries, and mortality. Average length of time to the OR was 13 hours in the preoperative evaluation group versus 1 hour in the no preoperative evaluation group (p < 0.001). Overall complications occurred in 134 in the preoperative evaluation group versus 87 in the no preoperative evaluation group (p < 0.001), and 74 (41%) esophageal related complications occurred in the preoperative evaluation group versus 32 (19%) in the no preoperative evaluation group (p = 0.003). Mean surgical intensive care unit length of stay was 11 days in the preoperative evaluation group versus 7 days in the no preoperative evaluation group (p = 0.012). Logistic regression analysis identified as independent risk factors for the development of esophageal related complications included time delays in preoperative evaluation (odds ratio, 3.13), American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Organ Injury Scale grade >2 (odds ratio, 2.62), and resection and diversion (odds ratio, 4.47). CONCLUSION: Esophageal injuries carry a high morbidity and mortality. Increased esophageal related morbidity occurs with the diagnostic workup and its inherent delay in operative repair of these injuries. For centers practicing selective management of penetrating neck injuries and transmediastinal gunshot wounds, rapid diagnosis and definitive repair should be made a high priority.

Adolescent↗

Penetrating ureteric injuries.

Injury to the ureter is relatively rare. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 21 cases of ureteric injury from penetrating trauma at the Lincoln Medical Center. Two injuries resulted from stab wounds and 19 from gunshot wounds. Total ureteric disruption occurred in 14 cases, partial transection in four and contusion in three. Preoperative screening was unreliable in accurately predicting the injury with hematuria being present in 66 per cent of cases. Similarly, intravenous urogram was diagnostic in 14 per cent and suspicious in another 42 per cent. Most injuries were diagnosed intraoperatively and exploration of the retro peritoneum remains the only definitive method of excluding ureteric injuries. Most patients were critically ill (mean ISS 27) due to associated injuries (90 per cent). Neither peritoneal contamination associated with hollow viscous injuries nor hypotension adversely affected the healing of ureteric anastomoses. Anastomotic leak developed in three (14 per cent) cases and one of them required operative correction. Another two patients developed infections related to the urinary tract.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Effect of hemorrhage on superior mesenteric artery flow during increased intra-abdominal pressures.

BACKGROUND: Elevations in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) adversely affect organ function. Prior hemorrhage and resuscitation exacerbates the cardiac and pulmonary effects of IAP. We have recently shown that superior mesenteric artery flow (SMAF) is reduced with increasing IAP. This study was designed to determine whether and how hemorrhage and resuscitation affects SMAF with increasing IAP. METHODS: Ten pigs were divided into two groups after placement of a Doppler flow probe around the proximal SMA and insertion of a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter. Group 1 underwent intraperitoneal infusion of fluid to increase IAP to 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm Hg followed by a 20-minute equilibration period at each IAP. Group 2 was hemorrhaged 20% of circulating volume followed by standard resuscitation. After equilibration, this group had IAP increased in the same manner as group 1. Cardiac output (CO), PA pressures, and SMAF were recorded 1 hour after laparotomy and after equilibration at each IAP. Comparisons were made using repeated measures of analysis of variance, Student's t test, and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: In group 2, a reduction in SMAF was noted at 30 and 40 mm Hg of IAP when compared with baseline (p = 0.009). This reduction was not seen in group 1. There was also a significant (p = 0.001) reduction in CO between baseline and all levels of increased IAP in group 2. This decrease was again not seen in group 1. The correlation between CO and SMAF in group 2 was r = 0.74, r2 = 0.55, p = 0.0001. There was no significant correlation between CO and SMAF in group 1. CONCLUSION: SMAF and CO are reduced with increasing IAP to a greater degree when preceded by hemorrhage and resuscitation. Although there is a strong correlation between the reductions in CO and SMAF, the reduction in SMAF is greater than the reduction in CO. This finding suggests that optimizing cardiac function alone during periods of even moderate levels of increased IAP may be inadequate to normalize SMAF. This lends further support for early abdominal decompression in the treatment of trauma patients with increased IAP.

Abdomen↗

Children who are shot: a 30-year experience.

Three data sets describe the pattern of gunshot injuries to children from 1960 to 1993: The Harlem Hospital pediatric trauma registry (HHPTR), the northern Manhattan injury surveillance system (NMISS) a population-based study, and the National Pediatric Trauma Registry (NPTR). A small case-control study compares the characteristics of injured children with a control group. Before 1970 gunshot injuries to Harlem children were rare. In 1971 an initial rise in pediatric gunshot admissions occurred, and by 1988 pediatric gunshot injuries at Harlem Hospital had peaked at 33. Population-based data through NMISS showed that the gunshot rate for Central Harlem children 10 to 16 years of age rose from 64.6 per 100,000 in 1986 to 267.6 per 100,000 in 1987, a 400% increase. The case fatality for children admitted to Harlem Hospital (1960 to 1993) was 3%, usually because of brain injury, but the majority of deaths occurred before hospitalization. During the same period, felony drug arrests in Harlem increased by 163%. The neighboring South Bronx experienced the same increase in gunshot wound admissions and felony arrests from 1986 to 1993. The NPTR showed a similar injury pattern for other communities in the United States. In a case-control analysis. Harlem adolescents who had sustained gunshot wounds were more likely to have dropped out of school, to have lived in a household without a biological parent, to have experienced parental death, and to have known of a relative or friend who had been shot than community adolescents treated for other medical or surgical problems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Percutaneous tracheostomy after trauma and critical illness.

A method of percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) using a tracheostome, which permits insertion of a full-sized cuffed tracheostomy tube, was evaluated in 61 critically ill or injured patients (89% had trauma). Of the 54 trauma patients, 65% had brain injuries, 14% had injuries to the cervical spinal cord, 33% had face or jaw injuries, and 15% had lung injuries. The indications for PT were coma (46%), acute airway obstruction (5%), face or jaw injury (20%), pneumonitis (39%), adult respiratory distress syndrome (12%), and sepsis (21%). Tracheostomy was done in 51% of all cases specifically for managing pulmonary secretions, in 37% for prolonged intubation, and in 25% for neurologic lesions. The tracheostomy was done as an emergency in 5%, as urgent in 28%, and electively in 77%. Percutaneous tracheostomy was successful in 90% of the cases, and in 8% it was converted to a surgical tracheostomy after an initial percutaneous attempt. In 46% it was performed at the bedside, in 46% in the operating room, and in 7% in the emergency suite. A full-sized tracheostomy tube (#6 to #8) was used in all cases and was considered optimal or larger than needed in 87% of cases. With three exceptions the complications of PT were minor, but 30% of the patients died of their primary disease. In one case death occurred because of bronchospasm and cardiac arrest during the PT, but appeared to be independent of the type of tracheostomy. Healing after in-hospital removal (37%) was excellent in 95% of cases and 97% of physicians indicated that they would use the device again.

Adult↗

Guaiac testing in the diagnosis of rectal trauma: what is its value?

Rectal examination with guaiac testing is a standard part of the emergency department evaluation of acutely traumatized patients. Its major role is in the recognition of occult bowel injury. We questioned its efficacy in detecting occult rectal injury in patients with penetrating trauma. We reviewed the charts of 19 patients with suspected rectal injury. Ten injuries were to the abdomen, nine to the buttock, and three to the thigh. Guaiac testing was 69% (11/16) sensitive and 33% (1/3) specific. Rigid sigmoidoscopy was 100% (12/12) sensitive and 67% (2/3) specific. Sensitivity was 100% (8/8) when the two were combined. Our findings suggest that guaiac testing is not accurate enough to rule out the presence of occult rectal injury. The result of guaiac testing must not influence the decision to further evaluate patients with high-risk injuries.

Adult↗

Indications for barium enema preceding colostomy closure in trauma patients.

The need for a barium enema (BE) preceding colostomy closure is controversial. In the process of evaluating the usefulness of BE before closure of colostomies performed for colorectal injuries, we reviewed our experience with 84 trauma patients who underwent BE before colostomy closure. Patients who had their colonic injuries repaired or diverted during the initial procedure did not benefit from the precolostomy closure contrast study. In this group of patients artifacts on BE had to be ruled out by endoscopy or repeat radiography in 9.5% of patients. Barium enema was found beneficial in evaluating colorectal injuries below the peritoneal reflection in one out of 20 patients. However, since the rectal injuries are not usually explored and repaired during the initial procedure, investigation by endoscopy and contrast studies may still be indicated preceding colostomy closure.

Adolescent↗

Selective conservatism in abdominal stab wounds: the efficacy of serial physical examination.

An analysis of 186 consecutive patients with anterior abdominal stab wounds in a 2-year period was carried out to assess the efficacy of serial physical examination as the determining factor for the need for laparotomy. Of 106 patients managed by clinical evaluation, the incidence of negative laparotomy was 0.9% and three patients (2.7%) had an "unnecessary" celiotomy. There were no missed injuries or delayed detection of intraperitoneal visceral trauma. The incidence of negative laparotomy among patients subjected to wound exploration +/- peritoneal lavage (n = 41) was 2.4%, and 39 patients had mandatory laparotomy for evisceration, with a negative celiotomy rate of 20.5%. Our experience supports serial physical examination as a highly effective method of "selective conservatism" of anterior abdominal stab wounds. Mandatory laparotomy for evisceration needs further clarification.

Abdominal Injuries↗