Bleeding Flashcards
Why would someone with their bowel hanging out have a low BP?
vagal stimulation (or they could well be bleeding as well)
Why would a head injured patients have a low BP?
catecholaminergic surge leads to vasoconstriction. Eventually you get pump failure because of this increased afterload combined with lack of oxygen when oxygen demand is higher
+/- bleeding
+/- spinal cord injury causing neurogenic shock
Why do you get ST changes in SAH?
catecholaminergic surge leads to coronary vasospasm
In what situations would a patient become ‘vasoplegic’
Bleeding for a long time or bleeding lots of volume
What are some theories as to why patients become vasoplegic?
NA and adrenaline receptors are saturated
acidotic environment means receptors don’t work
Can no longer respond to the catecholamines so vessels go floppy
Theoretically why does vasopressin work better than adrenaline in bleeding?
Because it works in an acidotic environment
In haemorrhagic shock, what happens at a cellular level?
anaerobic metabolism leading to accumulation of various substances, a systemic inflammatory response (release of DAMPs) and cell death
Anaerobic metabolism occurring in haemorrhagic shock leads to what?
accumulation of lactic acid, inorganic phosphates and oxygen radicals
release of DAMPs leading to systemic inflammatory response
reduced ATP leading to necrosis, necroptosis and apoptosis
What happens at a tissue level in haemorrhagic shock?
hypovolaemia + vasoconstriction leads to hypoperfusion and end organ damage
What causes the shedding of the glycocalyx barrier?
oxygen debt and catecholamine surge
Shedding of the glycoclayx barrier leads to what?
vascular permeability and autoheparinization
What is the local haemostatic response to bleeding?
activation of platelets
activation of clotting cascade leading to fibrinogen conversion to fibrin
activation of endothelium
What is the sympathoadrenal response to bleeding?
vasoconstriction
glycocalyx barrier sheds = permeability
neutrophil activation
What is the purpose of fibrinolysis occuring at remote sites to bleeding?
stop microvascular thrombosis
What is the genetic response to bleeding?
up-regulated innate immunity
down-regulated adapative immunity
In bleeding, anaemia leads to what?
reduced platelet margination
Why is there reduced clotting factor activity in bleeding?
heat loss and acidosis
Activated protein C does what?
increased fibrinolysis (inhibits the inhibiting of plasminogen to plasmin and activates tPa further increasing conversion) inactivates factor V and VIII
What do cold crystalloid fluids do to your trauma patient?
What else can make iatrogenic coagulopathy worse?
cold crystalloid fluids = haemodilution, hypothermia and non-anion gap acidosis
+ environmental exposure
Why is there decreased platelet margination in bleeding?
anaemia
In bleeding, what happens to fibrinolysis and why?
Can go either way depending on the patient:
often become hyperfibrinolytic (excess plasmin activity + autoheparinization)
However some patients have fibrinolysis shutdown
What is autoheparinization and why does it happen?
happens following shedding of the glycocalyx barrier
Give examples of DAMPs
mitochondrial DNA
formyl peptides
What is the result of iatrogenic haemodilution, hypothermia and acidosis?
haemodilution - reduced oxygen carrying capacity and clotting factor concentration
hypothermia - reduced function of clotting cascade enzymes
non-anion gap acidosis - impaired clotting factor function and increased breakdown
How would you manage haemorrhage at compressible, junctional and non-compressible sites?
compressible - tornique or direct pressure
junctional - pack with haemostatic dressing
non-compressible - pelvic binder for example
Other than haemorrhage control, what other prehospital interventions are needed in a bleeding patient?
prevent hypothermia
limited resuscitation
rapid transport
state some examples of definitive haemeostasis
angiography with embolization
surgical exploration
endoscopic interventions
What are some principles of damage control resuscitation
control bleeding (direct pressure/haemostatic dressings)
prevent hypothermia
withold fluids until definitive haemostasis
max 3L in first 6 hours of isotonic crystalloids
massive transfusion protocol
platelets:packed red cells:FFP 1:1:1
pharmacological adjuncts to address coagulopathy
In which bleeding patients should fluid administration be delayed?
penetrating torso injury in close proximity to a hospital