Trauma Anesthesia Flashcards
Statistics of trauma patients
- Trauma is the 3rd common cause of mortality
- 1/3 die within first 4 hours representing a majority of OR deaths
- Total annual cost of trauma is 1.8 billion per year
- Trauma represents 50% of all deaths in age groups 5-34 years old
What are the three sequential components of a trauma evaluation?
1) Rapid overview
2) Primary survey
3) Secondary survey
What is the rapid overview?
Very quick exam. Looking at the patient, do they look stable or unstable? Should only take a few seconds.
What is the primary survey?
A rapid evaluation of functions that are critical to survival.
Looks at ABCDE: Airway patency Breathing Circulation Disability Exposure
Details of ABCDE of the primary survey
1) Airway patency
2) Breathing
- Give high flow O2
- Keep trachea midline
- Is flail chest present? (if present, it means that 3 or more ribs have been fractured)
- Is massive hemothorax present? (>1500cc blood)
3) Circulation
- Skin temp and color
- 2 LARGE BORE IVs
4) Disability
- Neuro exam (GCS)
5) Exposure
- Final step of primary survey and includes complete exposure of the patient.
- Removal of clothing and turning to examine.
- Includes a brief head-to-toe search for all visible injuries or deformities
What is the secondary survey of the trauma evaluation?
A detailed and systemic evaluation of each anatomic region and continued resuscitation if needed. Begins after critical life saving actions have begun:
- Intubation, Chest tube placement, Fluid resuscitation
- The primary focus is: History of injury & Medical/Surgical History
Trauma airway evaluation
•Involves the diagnosis of trauma to the airway and surrounding tissue
•Anticipates the respiratory consequences
•Contemplate airway management maneuvers
•Most trauma patients require:
Assisted or controlled ventilation
oSelf-inflating bag with a non-rebreathing valve is sufficient after intubation and for transport.
o100%oxygen is necessary until ABG is complete
Airway obstruction considerations in the trauma patient
Cervical deformity Airway edema Dyspnea, hoarseness, stridor, dysphonia Subcutaneous emphysema & crepitation Hemoptysis Tracheal deviation Jugular vein distention Hemodynamic condition
Indications for intubation
Cardiac or respiratory arrest
Respiratory Insufficiency*
Airway protection
Need for deep sedation or analgesia
Transient hyperventilation
Delivery of 100% Fi02 in presence of carbon monoxide poisoning
Facilitate work-up in an un-cooperataive or intoxicated patient
Tracheostomy vs. cricothyroidotomy
Tracheotomy → takes longer to perform, requires neck extension which may cause extended neck trauma if cervical injury is present
Cricothyroidotomy → is contraindicated in those younger than 12 years old. Laryngeal damage precludes the ability to perform a cricothyroidotomy
- Massive facial trauma/ hemorrhage
- Supraglottic foreign body obstruction
- Angioneurotic edema
- Inhalational thermal injury
- Epiglottitis/ croup
Intubation considerations for trauma patients
- Full stomach is a consideration for ALL trauma patients and impacts AW intervention
- Time not available to allow pharmacologic intervention to decrease gastric contents and acidity
- Emphasis is placed on safe technique for securing the AW
- -> RSI with Cricoid pressure
- ->Manual inline stabilization
- -> Awake intubation with topical anesthesia (consider loss or protective reflexes) and sedation
- -> LMA use is CI as a definitive airway. Should only really be used as part of the difficult airway algorithm.
Airway considerations for head, open eye, and major vessel injuries
- Ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation
- Deep anesthesia and profound relaxation prior to airway manipulation and intubation
- Without sufficient depth of anesthesia these patients may present with:
- -> Hypertension
- -> Coughing /bucking
- -> Increased ICP, IOP, and intravascular pressure
- Must consider the initial assessment of airway → if difficult you cannot use muscle relaxants or IV induction agents
Airway considerations for cervical spine injuries
- High suspicion for cervical injury if victim has experienced a fall, MVA & diving accident
- Semi-rigid collar, sandbags, and backboard provide best stabilization
- Manual inline stabilization (MIS) best for AW management
- Stabilization is maintained until cervical injury is ruled out
- Orotraheal intubation is most desirable
Airway considerations for maxillofacial injuries
- Blood and debris in the oropharyngeal cavity may predispose the patient to complete or partial AW obstruction
- Aspiration of teeth or foreign bodies
- Serious AW compromise may present within a few hours of penetrating facial trauma
- Consider limitation of mandibular movement and trismus
- AW management technique is based on the presenting condition
Airway considerations for cervical AIRWAY injuries
Results from either blunt or penetrating injury
Penetrating injury (depends on 3 interactive factors:
1) What instrument caused the wound
2) The velocity of the impact
3) Type of tissue it passed through.
- Clinically with penetrating injury, we’ll see escape of air, hemoptysis and coughing
Blunt Injury
- May be from direct impact, decelerating injury, shearing or rotary forces that cause laryngotracheal damage
- Clinically, will see hoarseness, muffled voice, dyspnea, stridor, dysphagia, cervical pain and tenderness, and flattening of the thyroid cartilage
Intubation in the case of cervical a/w injury should be done fiber optically
How does a tension pneumothorax usually develop and present?
Occurs from rib fractures and barotrauma from mechanical ventilation or d/t perforation during bronchoscopy
S/S include hypoTN, hypoxemia, tachycardia, increased CVP, and diminished breath sounds on the affected side
How does flail chest occur?
Fracture of 3 or more ribs, associated with costochondral separation and sternal fracture
Will see respiratory insufficiency and hypoxemia over several hours with deterioration of CXR and ABG
Consider pain management over mechanical ventilation in these patients
These are the hallmark symptoms of hemothorax
Hypotension, hypoxemia, tachycardia, and increased CVP. Basically the same shit as a tension pneuma, except the decreased breath sounds.
This is the most common cause of hypotension in trauma patients
Hemorrhage
What does the term “resuscitation” refer to?
The restoration of normal circulating blood volume, normal vascular tone, and normal tissue perfusion
What is the initial response to shock?
Comes from the neuroendocrine system
- Hypotension leads to vasoconstriction and catecholamine release
- Blood flow to heart, kidneys, and brain is preserved while other regional beds are constricted
What is the body’s physiologic response to chock?
- Initial neuroendocrine response
- Traumatic injuries lead to hormone release that set the stage for the microcirculatory response
- Ischemic cells respond by taking up interstitial fluid, thus depleting intravascular volume, and producing lactate and free radicals. Cellular swelling may also obstruct capillaries.
- Organ ischemia leads to anaerobic metabolism, producing lactic acid and acidosis
- Lactate and free radicals accumulate, causing direct damage to cells. Also, once circulation is re-established, there will be a mass release of these toxic substances from the tissues that were ischemic.
Specific organ responses to shock
Lungs- Inflammatory byproducts are in the bloodstream, and since the lungs receive 100% of the CO, they all pass through here, resulting in ARDS
GI System- One of the earliest organs affected by hypo-perfusion (d/t constriction of less important areas) and may be a trigger for the development of MOSF
CNS- Responsible for maintaining blood flow to brain, heart, and kidneys while shutting down flow to less important areas
Kidney/Adrenals- Maintains GFR during hypotension via vasoconstriction and concentrating blood flow in the medulla and deep cortical areas
Heart- Will receive an initial increase in nutrient blood flow and increase in function until later stages, where coronary perfusion can no longer be kept up
What does base deficit reflect?
- Severity of the shock
- O2 debt
- Changes in O2 delivery
- Adequacy of fluid resuscitation
- The likelihood of the development of multi-organ failure
Degrees of shock based on base deficit
Mild shock = 2-5mmol/L
Moderate shock = 6-14
Severe shock = >14
Patients who present with an admission base deficit of __-__mmol/L have increased mortality risk
5-8 (this falls into the moderate shock category of 6-14)
Which is a more specific indicator of shock: lactate or base deficit?
Base deficit
Normal blood lactate level is __-__mmol/L and the 1/2 life is ___
Normal is 0.5-1.5mmol/L
1/2 life is 3 hours