Trauma Flashcards
What is shock?
A state in which there is inadequate tissue perfusion and delivery for O2 needed for aerobic metabolism
What is hypotension in trauma due to?
Hemorrhagic shock until proven otherwise
What is mechanism of cardiogenic shock?
Failure of myocardial pump or decreased preload
What is mechanism of neurogenic shock?
Autonomic dysfunction (loss of SNS tone) with peripheral vasodilation
What is mechanism of hypovolemic shock?
Decreased blood and plasma volume
What are clinical manifestations of hypovolemic shock?
Tachycardia Hypotension Pale/cool extremities Weak pulses Prolonged capillary refill Low urine output AMS
What is the caution about young patients in hypovolemic shock?
They can maintain normal BP due to strong vascular tone until CV collapse is imminent
What is significance of blood at urethral meatus?
Urethral blunt trauma - DO NOT place foley. Do retrograde urethrogram to evaluate if urethra intact
What is significance of gross hematuria?
Injury to kidney or bladder
- R/o renal injury with CT abdomen pelvis w/ contrast
- R/o bladder injury with CT cystogram or retrograde cystogram
How much blood loss is necessary to cause hypotension in supine position?
30-40% of blood volume lost = 1.5-2L
Class III shock
5 main sources of major blood loss in trauma?
Chest Abdomen Pelvis/retroperitoneum Long bones External
Most likely cause of blood loss in chest?
hemothorax from lung or torn intercostal arteries
Most likely cause of blood loss in abdomen?
splenic rupture
Most likely cause of blood loss in retroperitoneum?
1 pelvic fractures - tear small arterial branches off of internal iliac artery
renal 2 trauma
Most likely cause of blood loss in long bones?
femur fracture - loss of 1-2 units of blood (500ml each)
Most likely cause of blood loss in skin?
scalp lacerations
What can rapid deceleration injuries cause?
descending aortic transection (distal to ligamentum arteriosum) - often fatal.
- If survived, injury usually contained in mediastinum (less likely to cause massive blood loss)
What cavity should NOT be considered source of hemorrhagic shock?
Closed head injury - cannot lose that much blood into cranium!
What is the cushing response and why are we concerned?
Hypertension and bradycardia
- Often in patients with increased ICP
- Often heralds brain herniation
What are ABCDE of trauma patient management?
Primary survey A: Airway w/ C spine precaution B: Breathing C: Circulation D: Disability: neuro eval with GCS score E: exposure: look for discrete injuries
What is in secondary survey?
AMPLE: Allergies Medications PMH Last Meal Events before trauma \+ PE
What is recommended technique of airway in trauma?
Orotracheal intubation
What are the two types of surgical airways? Which is appropriate in emergent trauma setting?
Cricothyrotomy - preferred: easier and faster w/ fewer complications
Tracheostomy - better for long term management
Why do we not use nasotracheal intubation in trauma?
Due to facial or basilar skull fractures - can lead to inadvertent intracranial passage of NT tube
How to confirm proper intubation?
1 End tidal CO2 determination: capnography
2 CXR to make sure tube is not past carina
What is important for C of primary survey?
Establishment of 2 large bore peripheral IVs (14 best)
- Then draw blood and do labs
What do you do if cannot obtain peripheral access in kids?
Place line in interosseous location (tibial)
Where to place peripheral IV lines?
1 each in antecubital fossa ideally, but be mindful of where trauma is
When is central line indicated?
if peripheral access is problematic or patient is hemodynamically unstable - place in femoral vein
When evaluating proper endotracheal tube placement - when can we not use end-tidal CO2 determination?
If patient in cardiac arrest
How much fluid to give in rapid resuscitation, of what?
1-2L of lactated ringers (130 meq/L Na, Cl, lactate, K, Ca).
Why donāt we give lots of K to trauma pt?
- Pt may be in shock w/ decreased renal perfusion, decreased GFR, decreased ability to excrete K.
- Risk of hyperK due to crush injuries
What if patient does not respond to 2L of fluid?
= Non or transient responder = patient still actively bleeding!
GIVE BLOOD with FFP!
After fluid resuscitation started, what next?
- Peritonitis: go to OR for exploratory laparotomy
2: If unresponsive/not peritonitis: do FAST scan and if positive: OR for exploratory laparotomy, plus due CXR for hemothorax
3 Pelvic sray to look for fracture
What is role of diagnostic peritoneal lavage?
FAST has replaced it - use only equivocal fast scan or fast is not available
How do we manage intra-abdominal bleeding due to splenic injury?
Hemodynamically stable: splenic embolization
Unstable: surgical exploration and splenectomy or repair
What is important to test for 2 weeks after splenectomy?
Encapsulated bacteria
What is Kehrās sign?
acute referred pain in L shoulder due to splenic injury
What is most commonly injured organ after blunt trauma?
Liver
What to do if liver is bleeding?
Stable: Embolization via IR
unstable: surgical exploration
How to temporarily control bleeding from hepatic artery or portal venous sources?
Pringle maneuver: clamp portal triad
What if pringle maneuver doesnāt work? Where is bleeding?
Bleeding is coming from hepatic veins
What are first steps of management of pelvic fracture?
Pelvic volume: reduced by wrapping pelvic binder or sheet around greater trochanters of femurs
What is significance of free fluid in abdomen after trauma?
- usually due to bleeding, usually an injury to spleen or liver.
- Without major organ injury - free fluid may be bleeding from occult source (mesenteric artery), enteric contents or urine from bladder rupture
What is threshold for hypotension in elderly patients?
SBP < 90-100 for people 20-49
SBP < 120 for people 50-69
SBP < 140 for patients 70+
DUE to hypertension at baseline for older people
How to manage pelvic fracture in hemodynamically unstable patient?
1 Angiographic embolization
BUT if pt in severe shock - may not be able to wait for IR. SO take pt to OR for preperitoneal packing ā> angiographic embolization
ANother option: ligate bilateral internal iliac arteries
What causes neurogenic shock?
High cervical spine injury - patient will have well perfused extremities
What is role of colloids in fluid resuscitation?
None
After primary survey, what do we do for unstable and stable patients?
Stable: CT scan
Unstable: FAST scan
How to manage pelvic fracture?
Pelvic angiography and embolization if ongoing bleeding
What is MIVT prehospital report?
Mechanism
Injuries
Vitals
Treatment
What are 2 most common types of penetrating trauma?
Stab wounds and gunshot wounds
What 3 findings independently mandate immediate operative intervention in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma?
1 Hypotension
2 Peritonitis
3 Evisceration (ejection of organs)
What is a tangential GSW and what workup does it warrant?
Injuries with identifiable entry and exit wounds, without clinical evidence of injury to deeper structures
Look for blast effect or fragmentation via X-rays or serial physical exam
What 3 structures comprise the internal abdomen?
peritoneal cavity, pelvis and retroperitoneum
Why is it hard to find injuries to retroperitoneal organs in trauma patients?
- Decreased symptoms/signs of peritonitis due to protected location
- FAST notorious for missing retroperitoneal bleeding
What is the zone classification for retroperitoneal hematoma?
Reminds surgeon of structures that might be injured
- Ultimately, decide to explore retroperitoneal hematoma based on:
1 Hemodynamic status
2 Mechanism of injury
3 Zone location
Most common organs injured following penetrating abdominal injury?
1 Small bowel
2 liver
Transpelvic GSW: what structures must be ruled as safe? How do we eval?
Ureters, bladder, iliac vessels, rectum, vagina
1 Proctoscopy for rectum
2 CT scan for abdomen and pelvis
3 females: vaginal exm
Without hypotension, peritonitis or evisceration, what do we do to evaluate penetrating abdominal trauma?
CT abdomen pelvis with IV contrast
Do CT chest too if concern for multi-cavitary torso trauma
Do we use FAST exam for penetrating trauma? If so, when?
More useful for blunt
Used in penetrating to rule out cardiac tamponade
Not very helpful to identify retroperitoneal structure injuries
When do we use local wound exploration?
For hemodynamically stable patient with anterior abdominal stab wound
What are first steps in management of penetrating trauma patient?
Primary survey of ABCDEs, especially identifying presence and location of all entry and exit wounds
What is massive transfusion protocol and when do we use it?
Provide blood component therapy (packed RBCs, plasma, platelets)
Use in all hemodynamically unstable patients with major suspected food loss
What is permissive hypotension? When is it used?
For penetrating torso trauma - keep the blood pressure intentionally low to avoid āpopping the clotā.
do NOT use in blunt trauma, especially in head injury
Do we use prophylactic antibiotics/analgesics in all penetrating trauma patients?
No: can mask signs and symptoms
If patient has clear signs/symptoms for surgical intervention: yes: get preoperative AB for bowel flora
When do we administer tetanus prophylaxis?
1 Pts with < 3 doses tetanus toxoid
2 Pts with unknown immunization status
+ tetanus prone wound (obvious soil contamination, > 6 hours old)
How to manage patients presenting with impalement?
Assessed as other penetrating trauma patients
Do not remove until in OR or after imaging studies have been done
Where are trauma patients prepped in the OR?
Chin to knees - make sure access to chest (thoracotomy?), groins (for saphenous graft)
What is surgical management for patients presenting with penetrating abdominal trauma?
exploratory laparotomy
When do we use laparoscopy in penetrating abdominal trauma?
- Pt with no hypotension, peritonitis, evisceration, use laparoscopy to determine if penetrating injury has penetrated the peritoneum
- If needed, then do laparotomy: avoids negative/nontherapeutic laparotomy: associated with 5% mortality and 20% morbidity
What is the lethal triad of death in a trauma patient?
Acidosis, Hypothermia and coagulopathy
What is damage control surgery?
Patient with hemorrhage, multiple injuries shows hypothermia, coagulopathy and acidosis intraoperatively: surgeon stops surgery (even if all injuries arenāt fixed), transport patient to ICU and correct lethal triad
Plan to re-explore patient after correction
What criteria must be met for nonoperative management in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma?
Hemodynamically stable
No peritonitis
Evaluable (normal AMS)
CT scan showing no intraabdominal injury
How long to continue prophylactic antibiotics after trauma laparotomy?
24 hours
What is a stoma, and is it needed for small bowel or colon injuries?
Pouch
RARELY needed for small bowel/colon injuries: can be repaired primarily
Patients with injury to colon and/or common iliac artery are at increased risk for damage to what structure?
ureter
What signs make you suspect abdominal compartment syndrome?
- Decreased urine output
- Increasing peak pressures on ventilator
- increasing vasopressor support
in absence of another identifiable cause in a patient with multiple traumatic injuries
What is treatment for abdominal compartment syndrome?
take patient to OR: decompressive laparotomy: open abdominal fascia and leave wound open
What are hard and soft signs of vascular injury?
Hard: specific, overt PE exam findings - require immediate operative intervention
Soft: increase index of suspicion for vascular injury
What are 6 Pās of limb ischemia, and what do they apply to?
pain, pallor, paresthesias, paralysis, pulselessness, poikilothermic
Acute and chronic limb ischemia!
What does an audible bruit or palpable thrill near an artery suggest in trauma?
traumatic AV fistula
What are the hard signs of vascular injury?
Arterial/pulsatile bleeding Persistent hemorrhage with shock Expanding or pulsatile hematoma palpable thrill audible bruit absent pulse
What are the components of physical exam of injured extremity?
Vascular
Neuro
MSK
Soft tissue
What is the mechanism of popliteal artery injury?
Traction and transection injuries due to fixed course across knee joint
What is most common presentation of popliteal artery injury?
thrombosis with acute distal limb ischemia
Why do we promptly reduce a dislocation?
- Otherwise, associated with poorer long term outcomes
- Short term: assoc with significant pain/discomfort: improved with reduction
- Will allow for normal range of motion/use
- Dislocations assoc with arterial injuries increase risk of osteonecrosis of bone
What do we do AFTER reduction of dislocation?
Re-examine vascular and neuro status