Traumatismo cerebrovascular contuse

Over the past decade, the recognition and subsequent management of blunt cerebrovascular injuries has undergone a marked evolution. Originally thought to be a rare occurrence, blunt cerebrovascular injuries are now diagnosed in approximately 1% of blunt trauma patients. The recognition of a clinically silent period allows for angiographic screening for injuries based upon the mechanism of trauma and the patient's constellation of injuries. Comprehensive screening of patients has resulted in the early diagnosis of blunt cerebrovascular injuries during the asymptomatic phase, thus allowing treatment that could prevent neurologic sequelae. Although the ideal regimen of antithrombotic therapy is yet to be determined, treatment with either antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents has been shown to reduce the blunt cerebrovascular injuries related stroke rate. Blunt cerebrovascular injury is a rare but potentially devastating injury; appropriate angiographic screening in high-risk patients should be performed and prompt treatment initiated to prevent ischemic neurologic events.Durante a década passada, o reconhecimento e tratamento do traumatismo cerebrovascular contuso, sofreu importante evolução. Este tipo de ferimento era considerado como ocorrência rara, mas atualmente o quadro é diagnosticado em cerca de 1% dos pacientes. O reconhecimento da existência de um período clínico silencioso permite uma seleção angiográfica baseada no mecanismo de trauma e na sistematização dos ferimentos dos pacientes. A avaliação sistemática e a suspeita diagnóstica precoce destes pacientes tem resultado em rápido confirmação durante a fase assintomática, permitindo a instauração de tratamento cuja meta é impedir o desenvolvimento de seqüelas neurológicas. Embora o tratamento ideal, antitrombótico, ainda precise ser determinado, o uso de agentes antiplaquetários ou anticoagulantes reduz a incidência de lesões cerebrovasculares relacionada a fenômenos tromboembolíticos. O traumatismo cerebrovascular contuso é raro, porém devastador. A seleção angiográfica apropriada em pacientes de alto risco deve ser realizada e o tratamento deve ser imediatamente iniciado para impedir eventos neurológicos isquêmicos

Emergency department thoracotomy for the critically injured patient: Objectives, indications, and outcomes

In the past three decades there has been a significant clinical shift in the performance of emergency department thoracotomy (EDT), from a nearly obligatory procedure before declaring any trauma patient to select patients undergoing EDT. The value of EDT in resuscitation of the patient in profound shock but not yet dead is unquestionable. Its indiscriminate use, however, renders it a low-yield and high-cost procedure. Overall analysis of the available literature indicates that the success of EDT approximates 35% in the patient arriving in shock with a penetrating cardiac wound, and 15% for all penetrating wounds. Conversely, patient outcome is relatively poor when EDT is done for blunt trauma; 2% survival in patients in shock and less than 1% survival with no vital signs. Patients undergoing CPR upon arrival to the emergency department should be stratified based upon injury and transport time to determine the utility of EDT. The optimal application of EDT requires a thorough understanding of its physiologic objectives, technical maneuvers, and the cardiovascular and metabolic consequences

"Metabolic staging" after major trauma - a guide for clinical decision making?

Metabolic changes after major trauma have a complex underlying pathophysiology. The early posttraumatic stress response is associated with a state of hyperinflammation, with increased oxygen consumption and energy expenditure. This hypercatabolic state must be recognized early and mandates an early nutritional management strategy. A proactive concept of early enteral "immunonutrition" in severely injured patients, is aimed at counterbalancing the negative aspects of hyperinflammation and hypercatabolism in order to reduce the risk of late complications, including infections and posttraumatic organ failure. Recently, the concept of "metabolic staging" has been advocated, which takes into account the distinct inflammatory phases and metabolic phenotypes after major trauma, including the "ischemia/reperfusion phenotype", the "leukocytic phenotype", and the "angiogenic phenotype". The potential clinical impact of metabolic staging, and of an appropriately adapted "metabolic control" and nutritional support, remains to be determined

Reconstruction of an emergency thoracotomy wound with free rectus abdominis flap: Anatomic and radiologic basis for the surgical technique

An alcoholic 50-year-old male patient with a history of schizophrenia sustained stab wounds into both ventricles and left lung, and survived following an emergency department thoracotomy. The EDT wound, however became infected requiring serial debridements of soft tissue, rib cartilage and sternum. Regional flap options such as pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscle flaps could not be employed due to inadequate reach of these flaps. Additionally, bilateral transection of the internal mammary arteries during emergency thoracotomy eliminated the use of rectus abdominis muscles as pedicled flaps based on the superior epigastric vasculature. Therefore, the EDT wound was reconstructed by using the right rectus abdominis muscle as a free flap. The deep inferior epigastric vessels of the flap were anastomosed to the right internal mammary vessels proximal to their transection level in the third-forth intercostal space. The flap healed with no further wound complications