15: Trauma Flashcards
What is the hardest injury to find in blunt or penetrating trauma to the neck and how is it diagnosed?
- Esophageal injury
- Diagnosed with esophagoscopy and esophagram (best combined modality. 95% of injuries identified when this dual modality is used)
What glascow coma scale score is an indication for intracranial pressure monitoring?
GCS < 8
[ICP monitoring also indicated when there is a suspicion of elevated ICP, or when a patient with moderate to severe head injury is unable to follow clinical exam because they are intubated or for some other reason (thus GCS score unable to be determined).]
What laboratory test is used to diagnose placental abruption in a pregnant trauma patient?
Kleihauer-Betke test
[This test is used to detect fetal blood in the maternal circulation. Signs of abruption include uterine tenderness, contractions, fetal HR < 120. Abruption can be caused by shock or mechanical forces. >50% of all traumatic placental abruptions result in fetal demise.]
[UpToDate: The Kleihauer-Betke test is positive in a small proportion of abruptions. There is poor correlation between the results of this test and the presence or absence of abruption with a sensitivity of only 4%.
The immediate cause of the premature placental separation is rupture of maternal vessels in the decidua basalis, where it interfaces with the anchoring villi of the placenta. Rarely, the bleeding originates from the fetal-placental vessels. The accumulating blood splits the decidua, separating a thin layer of decidua with its placental attachment from the uterus. The bleed may be small and self-limited, or may continue to dissect through the placental-decidual interface, leading to complete or near complete placental separation. The detached portion of the placenta is unable to exchange gases and nutrients; when the remaining fetoplacental unit is unable to compensate for this loss of function, the fetus becomes compromised.
The etiology of bleeding at the decidua basalis remains speculative in most cases, despite extensive clinical and epidemiologic research. A small proportion of all abruptions are related to sudden mechanical events, such as blunt abdominal trauma or rapid uterine decompression, which cause shearing of the inelastic placenta due to sudden stretching or contraction of the underlying uterine wall. In motor vehicle crashes, an additional factor is rapid acceleration-deceleration of the uterus, which causes uterine stretch without concomitant placental stretch, leading to a shearing force between the placenta and the uterine wall. Although even minor trauma may be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, severe maternal trauma is associated with a six-fold increased risk of abruption.
The diagnosis of abruptio placentae is primarily clinical, but findings from imaging, laboratory, and postpartum pathologic studies can be used to support the clinical diagnosis. Women with an acute abruption classically present with the abrupt onset of mild to moderate vaginal bleeding and abdominal and/or back pain, accompanied by uterine contractions. The uterus has increased tone/rigidity and may be tender both during and between contractions. In patients with classic symptoms, fetal heart rate (FHR) abnormalities or intrauterine fetal demise and/or disseminated intravascular coagulation strongly support the clinical diagnosis and indicate extensive placental separation.
Ultrasound examination is useful for identifying a retroplacental hematoma and for excluding other disorders associated with vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain. A retroplacental hematoma is the classic ultrasound finding and strongly supports the clinical diagnosis, but is absent in many patients with abruption.
Postpartum, the absence of characteristic placental findings does not exclude the diagnosis. In a multicenter case-control study, standardized gross and histopathological evaluation of the placenta was only able to confirm a strong clinical diagnosis in 30% of cases (49/162).]

Crepitus, stridor, and/or respiratory compromise in the setting of neck trauma are indicative of what injury?
Laryngeal fracture or tracheal injury
[These are airway emergencies. Need to secure airway emergently in the ER - usually with cricothyroidotomy.]
What kind of dressing should be applied to a sucking chest wound (open pneumothorax)?
Occlusive dressing with tape on 3 sides to prevent development of a tension pneumothorax while allowing the lung to expand with inspiration
[Wound needs to be at least 2/3 the diameter of the trachea to be significant.]
[UpToDate: A “sucking” chest wound exists when air enters the pleural cavity preferentially via an open chest wound, rather than the lungs via the trachea. Placement of an occlusive dressing, taped on three sides, over a sucking chest wound can seal off air entry into the pleural cavity and prevent the expansion of a pneumothorax. Evidence of a tension pneumothorax (eg, severe dyspnea with asymmetric breath sounds and hypotension) requires prehospital decompression with needle thoracostomy.]
What imaging should be obtained immediately in a stable patient with penetrating chest trauma?
Chest Xray
[Place chest tube for pneumothorax or hemothorax.]
[UpToDate: In general, a plain chest radiograph is obtained for all hemodynamically stable patients who present with penetrating chest trauma, whether or not they are experiencing signs or symptoms of intrathoracic injury. For stable patients, many recommend obtaining a posteroanterior (PA) film with the patient upright. With more severely injured patients, this approach is often impractical and possibly dangerous if spinal injuries are suspected. Supine anteroposterior (AP) films are generally obtained in such cases. Retrospective studies suggest that chest radiographs taken during expiration do not increase the sensitivity for detecting pneumothorax.
We recommend that an ultrasound examination of the chest (E-FAST) be performed in all hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating chest trauma. Ultrasound is easily portable, immediately available, and non-invasive. Overall, ultrasound appears to have superior sensitivity and similar specificity to supine AP chest radiography for the identification of pneumothorax in adults. Of note, the size and location of a pneumothorax affects ultrasound’s accuracy (as is the case with plain radiographs); small apical and medial pneumothoraces are more difficult to detect.
When the heart can be clearly visualized (eg, hemothorax does not obscure the image), the sensitivity of the cardiac portion of the FAST examination for identifying hemopericardium after penetrating chest trauma is reported to be as high as 100%, decreasing the need to obtain formal echocardiography. However, if the FAST examination cannot be performed or is inadequate because the heart cannot be well visualized or findings are ambiguous, formal transthoracic echocardiography should be performed if there is any concern for cardiac injury.
Indications for obtaining a chest CT in a hemodynamically stable patient with penetrating thoracic trauma include the following:
- Trajectory of a penetrating object crosses the mediastinum or middle of the chest.
- Symptoms or signs concerning for esophageal or tracheobronchial or vascular injury are present.
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms consistent with injury are present that are not explained adequately by a plain chest radiograph.
These indications are not exhaustive and if there is clinical suspicion for a thoracic injury on other grounds it is reasonable to obtain a CT. CT of the chest demonstrates the greatest sensitivity and specificity for detecting pneumothorax and hemothorax, and most studies of ultrasound and chest radiographs use CT as the gold standard. However, CT exposes the patient to higher levels of radiation and may not be necessary if initial and follow-up plain chest radiographs are normal and there is no clinical suspicion for aortic or other major thoracic injury.
Any patient with a knife or gunshot wound that traverses the mediastinum should be evaluated with a chest CT. Injuries to a number of vital structures, including the heart, great vessels, esophagus, and trachea, can be missed on plain chest radiograph. If CT reveals that the wound track does not traverse the mediastinum or travel close to vital structures, additional diagnostic imaging, such as angiography, echocardiography, and esophagoscopy, may be unnecessary.]

What is the motor component of the th Glasgow coma scale?
- 6 points: Follows commands
- 5 points: Localizes pain
- 4 points: Withdraws from pain
- 3 points: Flexion with pain (decorticate)
- 2 points: Extension with pain (decerebrate)
- 1 point: No response
[For GCS score _<_14 patient needs a head CT. For GCS score _<_10 Patient requires intubation. For GCS score _<_8 Patient needs ICP monitor.]

What is the most commonly injured organ in penetrating trauma?
Small bowel
[Some texts say the liver is most common. Can be hard to diagnose early in blunt trauma.]
What is the major source of morbidity in patients with traumatic duodenal injury?
Fistulas
[Often close with time. Treatment is bowel rest, TPN, octreotide, conservative management for 4-6 weeks.]
[UpToDate: Duodenal injuries are associated with very high complications rates. In a systematic review of 15 case series describing more than 1400 patients with duodenal injuries, complications occurred in 64% of the patients. Complications related to duodenal injury include intraabdominal abscess, posttraumatic pancreatitis, and duodenal fistula, which are discussed below.
Risk factors for complications following duodenal repair include blunt mechanism or high-energy missile injury, injuries involving more than 75% of duodenal circumference, injury of the 1st or 2nd portion of the duodenum, delay in repair greater than 24 hours, and common bile duct injury.
Intraabdominal abscess – The most common complication of duodenal injuries is intraabdominal abscess, which occurs in 11% to 18% of patients. Fluid collections are managed with antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. Reoperation is generally not needed.
Post-traumatic pancreatitis – Post-traumatic pancreatitis complicates duodenal injury in 3% to 15% of patients. Management of post-traumatic pancreatitis is similar to the management of other forms of pancreatitis with bowel rest and nutritional support.
Duodenal fistula – The most life-threatening complication of duodenal injury is duodenal fistula, which occurs in about 7% of patients. Management consists of drainage to control the fistula output, drainage of any associated intraabdominal abscesses, broad spectrum antibiotics, fluid therapy, and nutritional support. In patients who develop a high-output duodenal fistula, re-exploration should be performed, and pyloric exclusion should be considered if not previously performed. Managing patients who have undergone diversion already remains challenging.]
What is the most common cause of death after a myocardial contusion and when is it most at risk of happening?
- Ventricular arrhythmia (V-tach and V-fib)
- Highest risk in first 24 hours
[Supraventricular tacchycardia is the most common overall arrhythmia in these patients. Patients should be placed on cardiac monitoring for 24-48 hours.]
What are 4 indications for emergent surgical spine decompression?
- Fracture or dislocation not reducible with distraction
- Open fractures
- Soft tissue or bony compression of the cord
- Progressive neurologic dysfunction
[UpToDate: Indications for cervical spine surgery include significant cord compression with neurologic deficits, especially those that are progressive, that are not amenable or do not respond to closed reduction, or an unstable vertebral fracture or dislocation. Neurologically intact patients are treated nonoperatively unless there is instability of the vertebral column. Most penetrating injuries require surgical exploration to ensure that there are no foreign bodies imbedded in the tissue, and also to clean the wound to prevent infection.
Defining surgical indications for closed thoracolumbar fractures has been somewhat more challenging, in part because of difficulties defining spinal instability in these lesions. The Denis anatomic-based classification based on a three-column model of spinal stability has somewhat limited clinical utility, as it does not clearly accommodate all fracture types. The Thoracolumbar Injury Severity Score has been proposed as an alternative and uses a scoring system of three variables: the morphology of the injury, the integrity of the posterior ligamentous complex, and the neurologic status of the patient. A total score of less than four indicates a nonoperative injury; more than four, an operative injury; and four, an injury that is operative at the surgeon’s discretion. This algorithm has good intrarater and interrater reliability. The clinical efficacy of the algorithm itself remains to be prospectively evaluated.]
Which one upper extremity and one lower extremity fracture most commonly result in compartment syndrome?
- Upper extremity: Supracondylar humerus fracture
- Lower extremity: Tibial fracture
What is the most common site of facial nerve injury with a temporal skull fracture?
Geniculate ganglion
[Temporal bone fracture is the most common cause of facial nerve injury.]

What is the treatment for a bile duct injury in a trauma patient?
- <50% of circumference: Repair over stent
- >50% of circumference: Choledochojejunostomy
[10% of duct anastomoses leak. Place drains intraop.]
What is the eye opening component of the Glasgow coma scale?
- 4 points: Spontaneous opening
- 3 points: Opens to command
- 2 points: Opens to pain
- 1 point: No response
[For GCS score <14 patient needs a head CT. For GCS score <10 Patient requires intubation. For GCS score <8 Patient needs ICP monitor.]

What is the surgical approach to esophageal injuries?
- Neck: Left side approach
- Upper 2/3 of thoracic esophagus: Right thoracotomy
- Lower 1/3 of thoracic esophagus: Left thoracotomy
[Always drain esophageal and hypopharyngeal repairs - 20% leak rate.]
[UpToDate: The cervical esophagus is generally approached via an incision along the medial border of the left sternocleidomastoid; a right-sided, or if bilateral access is required (eg, coexistent tracheal injury), a transverse incision can be used. However, the chest should also be prepped into the field in case broader exposure is required. Violation of the platysma by a penetrating object predicts deeper injury of vital neck structures 24% to 33% of the time. This includes a 10.8% to 12.6% rate of esophageal injury.
Due to the anatomic confines of the neck, cervical esophageal injuries can often be managed with drainage alone. First and foremost is the identification of associated injuries including the airway, major vessels, and spine. Dissection should begin along the lateral edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle with judicious use of cautery. The omohyoid muscle is then divided and the lateral aspect of the esophagus is exposed. Care must be taken to avoid injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which includes careful retraction of the deeper structures (a finger on the trachea is best), minimal use of cautery and, if cautery is used, bipolar rather than monopolar cautery. The retroesophageal space should be opened sharply. If an injury is readily identified, it may be closed in two layers without tension. Otherwise, closed-suction drains may be simply placed behind the esophagus and in any potentially contaminated space with subsequent wound closure. The patient should be kept nil per os (NPO) and restudied with barium esophagram in approximately one week based on drain output.
The hemodynamically stable patient in whom the diagnosis has been confirmed by endoscopy should undergo posterolateral thoracotomy. The proximal esophagus (upper and middle third) is approached via right lateral thoracotomy incision (fifth to eighth interspace depending on the suspected site of injury) and the distal esophagus (lower third) via a left thoracotomy (seventh or eighth interspace).
Special considerations in the context of trauma include the following:
- For patients requiring immediate transport to the operating room, without time for radiologic or preoperative endoscopic assessment, endoscopy and bronchoscopy can be performed intraoperatively. Intraoperative endoscopy aids in identifying the site(s) of perforation, and to assess for a leak following repair. Following endoscopy, place a nasogastric tube under direct vision if an injury is identified.
- Primary thoracic esophageal repairs should be buttressed with pleura, pericardium, intercostal muscle, or diaphragm. The stomach should not be pulled up into the chest to buttress a distal esophageal injury, as this tends to create severe gastroesophageal reflux due to the disruption of the gastroesophageal junction.
- Wide chest drainage using closed-suction drains is necessary following repair.]
What do the following look like on CT and which vessel is injuried?
- Epidural hematoma:
- Subdural hematoma:
- Epidural hematoma: Biconcave (lens-shaped) deformity on CT caused by arterial bleeding from the middle meningeal artery
- Subdural hematoma: Crescent-shaped deformity on CT caused by tearing of venous plexus (bridging veins) that cross between the dura and arachnoid

How is asymptomatic penetrating trauma to the neck managed by zone?
- Zone I:
- Zone II:
- Zone III:
- Zone I: Need angiography, bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, and barium swallow; a pericardial window may be indicated. May need median sternotomy to reach these lesions
- Zone II: Need neck expoloration in OR
- Zone III: Need angiography and laryngoscopy. May need jaw subluxation/digastric and sternocleidomastoid muscle release/mastoid sinus resection to reach vascular injuries in this location
[UpToDate: Mortality in patients with penetrating neck injury (PNI) appears to be highest with Zone I injuries (below the cricoid cartilage).
The management of penetrating neck injuries (PNIs), particularly in stable patients, has remained a source of debate among trauma surgeons for decades. A brief summary of this debate is provided above.
Improvements in diagnostic imaging technology, particularly multidetector helical computed tomography with angiography (MDCT-A), have led many trauma centers to discard anatomic zone-based protocols for the management of PNI in favor of a “no-zone” approach. No-zone algorithms are based on patient stability and the presence of soft versus hard signs of injury, regardless of injury location (ie, the zone of the neck involved), whereas zone-driven approaches are based on the location of the external wound.
MDCT-A has high sensitivity and specificity for laryngotracheal and vascular injuries, and identifies many pharyngoesophageal injuries, thereby eliminating the need for multiple imaging studies to assess each type of injury. In addition, MDCT-A enables clinicians to assess signs of injury situated close to important internal structures (so-called “proximity wounds”) and determine whether these are high or low risk, thereby allowing for better informed decisions concerning the need for observation or surgical exploration.
Studies using MDCT-A in the assessment of PNI patients have shown that important discrepancies frequently exist between the location of the entry wound and the structures injured. As an example, one prospective study found that one in five surface wounds located in Zone II extended across Zone I or Zone III internally. Furthermore, when multiple neck wounds are present in more than one region, zone-driven protocols become unclear. Perhaps most importantly, use of a zone-based approach in stable, symptomatic patients has led to a high rate of negative surgical exploration in Zone II injuries.
The no-zone approach is relatively new and evidence about its effectiveness is limited. One potential problem is the limitations of MDCT-A for detecting pharyngoesophageal injuries, which are potentially life-threatening if missed. Given the controversies about the management of PNI, limited evidence base, and variability in resources and experience, decisions about whether to use a selective, zone-based management approach or a no-zone approach will vary by local expertise and resources and are likely to remain institution-specific for the time being.]

What is the treatment for an anterior and a posterior nose bleed?
Anterior: Packing
Posterior: Attempt balloon tamponade first, may need angioembolization of internal maxillary artery or ethmoidal artery
[UpToDate: Most epistaxis is anterior, occurring in Kiesselbach’s plexus; posterior bleeds can cause significant hemorrhage. Anterior bleeds arise most commonly from trauma; other etiologies for anterior and posterior bleeds include coagulation or platelet disorders, vascular lesions, nasal tumors, and hereditary telangiectasias. Hypertension does not cause, but may prolong, epistaxis.
Posterior epistaxis arises most commonly from the posterolateral branches of the sphenopalatine artery (branch of maxillary artery) but may also arise from the carotid artery.
Posterior nosebleeds can result in significant hemorrhage. The skilled clinician may temporize with nasal packing, but most patients require prompt referral to an emergency department, possible consultation with an otolaryngologist, and sometimes hospital admission.]

Pair the below lower extremity injuries with the commonly associated nerve or artery injury:
- Anterior hip dislocation:
- Posterior hip dislocation:
- Distal (supracondylar) femur fracture:
- Posterior knee dislocation:
- Fibula neck fracture:
- Anterior hip dislocation: Femoral artery
- Posterior hip dislocation: Sciatic nerve
- Distal (supracondylar) femur fracture: Popliteal artery
- Posterior knee dislocation: Popliteal artery
- Fibula neck fracture: Common peroneal nerve
Are pancreatic injuries more common in blunt or penetrating trauma?
Penetrating trauma accounts for 80% of pancreatic injuries
[Blunt injury can result in pancreatic duct fractures, usually perpendicular to the duct. Edema or necrosis of peripancreatic fat is usually indicative of injury.]
[UpToDate: Approximately 75% to 85% of blunt injuries to the duodenum and pancreas are caused by motor vehicle collisions. The mechanism is typically due to crushing of these fixed retroperitoneal organs between the vertebral column and steering wheel or seatbelt. The remainder of blunt duodenal and pancreatic injuries results from falls and assaults. Blunt duodenal and pancreatic injury can also be due to bicycle accidents in which the duodenum and pancreas are crushed between the spinal column and bicycle (or motorcycle) handlebar.
Any implement or missile that enters the abdomen can injure the pancreas or duodenum. Gunshot or shotgun wounds are more likely to result in injury compared with stab wounds because of their high energy. However, depending upon the girth of the victim and force applied, even a short implement that penetrates the upper abdomen can cause duodenal or pancreatic injury.]
What should be done for an unstable patient with a traumatic pelvic fracture who has a negative FAST, negative DPL, and negative CXR?
Stabilize pelvis and go to cath lab for angioembolization?
[Anterior pelvic fractures are more likely to have venous bleeding, whereas posterior pelvic fractures are more likely to have arterial bleeding.]

What are the boundaries of the 3 columns of the thoracolumbar spine?
- Anterior: Anterior longitudinal ligament and anterior half of the vertebral body
- Middle: Posterior half of the vertebral body and posterior longitudinal ligament
- Posterior: Facet joints, lamina, spinous processes, interspinous ligament
[The spine is considered unstable with disruption of more than 1 column. Compression (wedge) fractures usually involve the anterior column only and are considered stable. Burst fractures are considered unstable (>1 column) and require spinal fusion.]

What can be used to assess for urine leak at the end of a surgical exploration for renal injury in a trauma patient?
Methylene blue
[UpToDate: A dye is instilled into the bladder through the bladder catheter; options include 200 to 500 mL of either methylene blue (two to three drops in saline) or sterile infant formula (commonly available in obstetric operating rooms; no dilution required). Intravesical dye is primarily for suspected bladder injury; ureteral injuries distal from the bladder may not be revealed.]

























