• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2005

Background: Blunt thoracic trauma in children has a high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we assessed the significance of the injury pattern, mechanism and initial status in emergency department on severity and prognosis in pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and chest X-ray and CT images of 111 pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients from October 2000 to June 2005. Data recorded age, gender, season, injury mechanism, injury pattern, associated injury, length of hospital stay and cause of death. Result: Of all 111 patients, 68 patients were injured by motor vehicle accidents, 30 were falls, 5 were motorcycle accidents, 3 were sports accidents and 5 were miscellaneous. In thoracic trauma, single injury of lung contusion were 35 patients and 32 patients had multiple thoracic injuries. Hospital stay in school age group were longer than preschool age group. The causes of death were brain injury in 9, respiratory distress in 4, and hypovolemic shock in 2 patients. Emergently transfused and mechanically ventilated patients had higher mortality rates than other patients. Patients required emergency operation and patients with multiple thoracic injuries had higher mortality rates. Conclusion: In this study, patients with combined injury, emergency transfusion, mechanical ventilation, emergency operation, multiple injuries in chest X-ray had higher mortality rates. Therefore in these pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients, accurate initial diagnosis and proper management is required.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.760-765
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• 1989

Cardiac injury remains one of the most spectacular injuries which the present day cardiac surgeon is called upon to treat. Eight consecutive patients with penetrating or blunt injury to the heart underwent operation at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Masan Koryo General Hospital from April 22 88 to April 6 89. l. Among the 8 cases of cardiac injured patients, 7 cases were penetrating injury [stab injury] and one case was blunt injury [traffic accident]. 2. The site of cardiac injury was LV mainly and the next RV, SVC-RA junction in order. 3. The all patients were admitted to our hospital via ER and most of cases, CVP was elevated above 15 cmH2O and 7 of 8 cases were shock state. 4. In 6 of 8 cases revealed cardiomegaly in simple chest X * ray. 5. 7 cases were operated through the median sternotomy, 1 case the right anterolateral thoracotomy. 6. Associated injuries in penetrating cardiac injury were hemothorax, pneumothorax, sternal fracture, lung laceration, LAD transaction in blunt injury, hemoperitoneum.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Purpose: Tracheobronchial injuries caused by trauma are rare, but can be life threatening. The objective of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcome for patients with tracheobronchial injuries and to determine the difference, if any, between the outcomes for patients with penetrating trauma and those for patients with blunt trauma. Methods: From January 2010 to June 2015, 40 patients underwent tracheobronchial repair surgery due to trauma. We excluded 14 patients with iatrogenic injuries, and divided the remaining 26 into two groups. Results: In the blunt trauma group, injury mechanisms were motor vehicle accident (9 cases), free falls (3 cases), flat falls (1 case) and mechanical injury (1 case). In the penetrating trauma group, injury mechanisms were stab wounds (10 cases), a gunshot wound (1 case) and a stab wound caused by metal pieces (1 case). The mean RTS (Revised Trauma Score) was $6.89{\pm}1.59$ (range: 2.40-7.84) and the mean ISS (Injury Severity Score) was $24.36{\pm}7.16$ (range: 11-34) in the blunt group; the mean RTS was $7.56{\pm}0.41$ (range: 7.11-7.84), and the mean ISS was $13{\pm}5.26$ (range: 9-25) in the penetrating trauma group. In the blunt trauma group, 9 primary repairs, 1 resection with end-end anastomosis, 2 lobectomies, 1 sleeve bronchial resection and 1 pneumonectomy were performed. In the penetrating trauma group, 10 primary repairs and 2 resections with end-end anastomosis were performed. Complications associated with surgery were found in one patient in the blunt trauma group, and one patient in the penetrating trauma group. No mortalities occurred in either groups. Conclusion: Surgical management of a traumatic tracheobronchial injury is a safe procedure for both patients with a penetrating trauma and those with a blunt trauma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2010

Purpose: The liver is the second most common organ injured by blunt abdominal trauma. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of liver transaminase in screening blunt abdominal trauma patients for traumatic liver injury. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 231 patients who sustained blunt trauma and were at risk for traumatic liver injury between June 2009 and August 2010. All of them underwent a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Based on the diagnosis of abdominal CT, patients were divided into two groups: group I with liver injury and group II without liver injury. We compared the two groups and calculated the sensitivity, the specificity and the predictive values of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by using multiple cutoff values. Results: Of 231 patients with no abdominal free fluid in the FAST, 33 had traumatic liver injury on abdominal CT. The mean AST and ALT levels in group I (311.6 IU/L and 228.1 IU/L, respectively) were significantly higher than the values in group II (48.4 IU/L and 35.6 IU/L, respectively). The cutoff to distinguish liver injury is 60 IU/L for AST and 58 IU/L for ALT, with 93.8% sensitivity and 79.8% specificity for AST, and 90.6% sensitivity and 87.4% specificity for ALT. Conclusion: We recommend that all patient with suspected blunt abdominal trauma be evaluated using serum liver transaminase as a screening test for liver injury even though no abdominal free fluid is shown on the FAST. If AST > 60 IU/L and/or ALT > 58 IU/L, abdominal CT was useful to confirm liver injury in this study.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.280-285
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• 2013

Purpose: Nowadays, non-operative management increases in patients with blunt splenic injury due to development of diagnostic and interventional technique. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the management in patients with blunt splenic injury and effect of clinical state such as shock on the choice of management. Methods: From April 2007 to July 2013, we retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of fifty patients who had splenic injury after blunt trauma. The demographic characteristics, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade of splenic injury, management method (emergency operation, angiographic embolization or observation) and clinical outcome were analyzed. Results: The mean age was $41.5{\pm}21.4$ years and male was 44(88%). Twenty patients(40%) were in shock condition initially and five patients(10%) underwent emergency operation due to hemodynamic instability. Emergency angiographic embolization was performed in 20 patients(40%) and 25 patients were managed conservatively. When patients were divided into shock group (SG) and non-shock group (NSG), Patients in SG had significantly higher serum lactate level and base deficit than NSG (lactate; $4.5{\pm}3.4$ mmol/L, base deficit; $5.8{\pm}4.4$ mmol/L vs $1.9{\pm}1.4$ mmol/L, $2.8{\pm}2.5$ mmol/L, p=0.007, p=0.013). There was no significant difference of AAST grade and contrast blush rate in abdomen CT between two groups. Among 45 patients with non-operative management, four patients(8.9%) got delayed angiographic embolization and 3 patient died from companied organ injury. Conclusion: Non-operative management can be acceptable management option in patients with splenic blunt trauma under intensive hemodynamic monitoring.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2020

Duodenal injury following blunt abdominal trauma is a relatively unusual complication, and it may sometimes be difficult to distinguish a duodenal hematoma from duodenal perforation. According to recent reports, intramural hematomas typically resolve spontaneously with conservative treatment. Surgery, however, is occasionally necessary in some cases if the diagnosis is delayed, conservative therapy fails, or a high degree of suspicion of duodenal injury persists. We experienced a case of delayed manifestation of a duodenal intramural hematoma that was surgically treated.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.416-420
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• 2023

Blunt intrathoracic tracheal injuries are rare, even among blunt chest trauma patients. An early diagnosis based on a high index of suspicion allows for timely surgical management of potentially fatal airway trauma, thereby improving overall outcomes. Diagnosing these injuries can be difficult due to their nonspecific clinical features and the occasional difficulty in radiologic diagnosis. If a patient exhibits respiratory compromise with difficult ventilation and poor lung expansion, despite the insertion and management of an intercostal drain following high-energy blunt trauma, there should be a heightened suspicion of potential airway trauma. The aim of primary repair is to restore airway integrity and to minimize the loss of pulmonary parenchyma function. This case report discusses the rare clinical presentation of a patient with blunt trauma to the intrathoracic airway, the surgical management thereof, and his overall outcome. Although blunt traumatic injuries of the trachea are extremely rare and often fatal, early surgical intervention can potentially reduce the risk of mortality.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2022

The spleen is the most commonly injured organ after blunt abdominal trauma. Nonoperative management (NOM) is the standard treatment for blunt splenic injuries in haemodynamically stable patients without peritonitis. Complications of NOM include rebleeding, new pseudoaneurysm formation, splenic abscess, and symptomatic splenic infarction. These complications hinder the NOM of patients with blunt splenic injuries. We report a case in which a large haemorrhagic fluid collection that occurred after angio-embolisation was resolved by percutaneous drainage in a patient with liver cirrhosis who experienced a blunt spleen injury.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.449-452
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• 2005

Blunt carotid artery injury is uncommon, yet not rare. However, it is often underdiagnosed because of inconsistent early symptoms or masking by the presence of coexisting brain and spinal injuries. The delay between the accident and the onset of cerebral ischemic symptoms is variable and has been reported to range from minutes to ten years. However, to our knowledge, there has been no report on a case presented with delayed intracerebral hemorrhage 25months after blunt carotid artery injury. We report on a case with discussion of supporting evidence and possible mechanisms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.291-296
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• 2020

Background: We report our 10-year experience with traumatic peripheral arterial injury repair at an urban level I trauma center. Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2016, 28 adult trauma patients presented with traumatic peripheral arterial injuries. Data were retrospectively collected on demographic characteristics, the mechanism of injury, the type of vascular injury, and physiological status on initial assessment. The analysis also included the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS), Injury Severity Score, surgical procedures, and outcome variables including limb salvage, hospital stay, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative vascular complications. Results: Four (14.3%) patients required amputation due to failed revascularization. MESS significantly differed between patients with blunt and penetrating trauma (8.2±2.2 vs. 5.8±1.3, respectively; p=0.005). The amputation rate was not significantly different between patients with blunt and penetrating trauma (20% vs. 0%, respectively; p=0.295). The overall mortality rate was 3.6% (1 patient). Conclusion: Blunt trauma was associated with higher MESS than penetrating trauma, and amputation was more frequent. In particular, patients with blunt trauma had significantly higher MESS than patients with penetrating trauma (8.2±2.2 vs. 5.8±1.3, respectively; p=0.005), and amputation was performed when revascularization failed in cases of blunt trauma of the lower extremity. Therefore, particular care is needed in making treatment decisions for patients with peripheral arterial injuries caused by blunt trauma.