• 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.25 no.3
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• pp.72-78
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• 2012

Purpose: Clinical observation and research findings show that acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) is a major factor that must be addressed in the early care of severe trauma patients. ATC is associated with increased transfusion requirements and poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to correlate the early predictable factors of ATC with the outcomes in severe trauma patients. Methods: Retrospective data from the trauma registry on severe trauma patients (Injury Severity Score (ISS) ${\geq}16$) were used to identify variables independently associated with coagulopathy. Univariate associations were calculated, and a multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine variables independently associated with ATC. Results: Patients were mostly male, aged $51.9{\pm}17.8$ years, with an injury severity score of $24.1{\pm}12.4$. ATC, as diagnosed in the emergency department (ED), occurred in 17% of the severe trauma patients. Using a multivariable logistic regression analysis, early predictable variables independently associated with ATC were base deficit (odds ratio (OR): 13.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.47-48.93), acute liver injury (OR: 4.24; 95% CI: 1.06-17.00), and transfer from another hospital (OR: 21.00; 95% CI: 3.23-136.60). Conclusion: ATC is associated with mortality in severe trauma patients, and some variables associated with trauma and shock are an independent predictors of ATC. These variables contribute to the early recognition and management of coagulopathy, which may improve the outcome from trauma resuscitation.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2021

Purpose: The present study aimed to analyze the effect of trauma-related shock on myocardial function in the early stages of trauma through transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) findings. Methods: We performed a retrospective review and analysis of the medical records of patients aged ≥18 years who were evaluated by TTE within 2 days of admission for trauma-related shock (n=72). Patients were selected from a group of 739 patients admitted with trauma-related shock between January 2014 and December 2016. Results: The incidence rate of myocardial dysfunction in the left ventricle (LV) was 6.8% (5/72), with rates of 7.7% (4/52) in the thoracic injury group and 5.0% (1/20) in the non-thoracic injury group. In the diastolic function of LV, relaxation abnormality was present in 55.8% (29/52) of patients in the thoracic injury group and 50% (10/20) of patients in the non-thoracic injury group. Conclusions: This study may suggest that traumatic shock without thoracic injury may influence myocardial function in the early stages after trauma. Therefore, evaluation of myocardial function may be needed for patients experiencing shock after trauma, regardless of the presence of thoracic injury.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.2-6
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• 2018

Objectives: Experiencing early childhood trauma is related to multiple psychiatric problems in adolescents and adulthood. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) among Korean adolescents. Methods: A total of 86 adolescents aged 12-17 years (mean age $14.50{\pm}1.35years$, range 12-17) were assessed using the ETISR-SF. Other instruments, including the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and the List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire (LTE-Q), were used to assess clinical symptoms. After 2 months, 51 of the 86 participants were evaluated using the ETISR-SF to assess test-retest reliability. Results: The Cronbach's coefficient alpha for the ETISR-SF was high (0.803). Adolescents with depressive disorder showed higher ETISR-SF scores compared to healthy controls. The ETISR-SF scores were correlated higher with the scores on the LTE-Q (r=0.485) than with the scores on the CDI or RCMAS (r=0.165 and 0.347, respectively). Conclusion: The ETISR-SF was temporally stable, showing acceptable reliability (r=0.776). These findings suggest that the Korean version of the ETISR-SF appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of reported childhood trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.2 s.259
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• pp.127-133
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• 2006

Background: In the studies of the distribution of time to death in trauma patients, the early deaths within several hours after injury were a large component of total trauma deaths. Due to the development of trauma system, overall mortality of trauma was decreased, but trauma is still the major cause of deaths. Material and Method: From January 1994 to December 2003, trauma patients who had been admitted and had expired at tertiary hospital were enrolled. There was a total of 400 cases, a retrospective study was done to determine the distribution of trauma mortality according to the part of the body that were severely injured part and compared the difference between early deaths within 6 hours and late deaths after 6 hours. We also analysed the risk factors of early deaths due to trauma. Result: In severe injury to the head and abdomen, the distribution of mortality was bimodal. But, in severe chest injuries, the distribution was log-shape and most early deaths were almost of trauma related. The average of GCS were 5.86$\pm$4.15 for the early deaths and 8.24$\pm$5.02 for the late deaths (p < 0.05). The AIS of thorax were 2.66$\pm$1.87 for the early deaths and 1.55$\pm$1.76 for late deaths. The risk factors for early mortality were non-EMS transportation (odds ratio 3.474), high AIS (odds ratio 1.491) and GCS (odds ratio 0.859). Conclusion: In trauma patients, the causes of early mortality were severe brain injury and massive hemorrhage. Also severe chest injuries were the major cause of the early deaths in truama. Early diagnosis of chest injury can frequently be missed in the acute trauma setting. Therefore, high index of suspicion, a careful examination, and aggressive surgical treatment are important in multiple trauma patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.158-164
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• 2014

Purpose: Numerous studies have investigated the pattern of traumatic death with a focus on the injury mechanism, the severity of the injury and the presence of hemorrhage. Acute coagulopathy has been treated as only one of many complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of acute coagulopathy on acute and early death due to trauma. Methods: A retrospective analysis of trauma patients with injury severity score (ISS)${\geq}25$ who had been treated between January 2011 and December 2012 was conducted. Based on the time of injury, traumatic death was categorized into acute (within 48 hours) and early (from 3 to 7 days). The correlations between various parameters within 24 hours after injury and time of death were analyzed. Results: A total of 124 patients were enrolled. Of them, 8.1% (n=10) of the patients experienced acute mortality. For those patients, significant differences in initial systolic blood pressure, coagulopathy score, amount of transfusion, abbreviated injury scale of the head and neck, the abdomen and the extremities were noted. Early mortality was experienced by 7.0% (n=8) of the patients, only coagulopathy score was found to be a significant independent risk factor for acute (odds ratio: 3.127; 95% confidence interval: 1.185-8.252; p=0.021) and early mortality (odds ratio: 2.470; 95% confidence interval: 1.029-5.929; p=0.043). Conclusion: Acute traumatic coagulopathy has an important role in the mortality, even after the acute phase. Early management and prevention of acute coagulopathy may improve survival of trauma patients.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2024

Purpose: Ankle fracture fixation is the gold standard of treatment but it does have its own complications. There is inadequate data regarding the comparative effectiveness of early vs. delayed fixation for open ankle fracture outcomes. This study compares the clinical and functional outcomes of open ankle fractures treated by early or delayed definitive fixation and identifies the limitations of both methods. Materials and Methods: All 73 patients enrolled in the study underwent surgical intervention within 24 hours of injury. The early fixation group (group A) consisting of 39 patients underwent definitive fixation as an index procedure, while the delayed fixation group (group B) consisted of 34 patients who underwent debridement and external fixator application as an index procedure and definitive fixation when soft tissue condition was conducive. All patients were evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively and then three monthly for a year. Results: Enneking and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores were markedly higher in the early fixation group at 6 months postoperatively (p-values <0.001 and 0.011, respectively). However, no discernible intergroup difference was evident at 12 months postoperatively. Between 6 and 12 months, group functional outcome scores were significantly different. At 6 months, there was a substantial difference in dorsiflexion between the two groups (p-values 0.001 and <0.001, respectively), but no difference was observed at 12 months postoperatively. At 6 and 12 months, group average plantar flexions were non-significantly different. Conclusion: Early definitive fixation of complex ankle fractures using a targeted approach produced promising results for lower grade open fractures (grades 1 and 2), and delayed definitive fixation, after initial external fixation to allow for soft tissue stabilization, produced promising results for higher grade open fractures (grades 3A and 3B). At 12-month follow-ups, clinical and functional outcomes achieved using these strategies were equivalent.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.254-259
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• 2009

Purpose: Pelvic trauma is a serious skeletal injury with high mortality. Especially in cases of severe injury trauma, treatment outcomes depend on early diagnosis and intervention. We expect trauma surgeon to play an important role in the management of severe multiple trauma patients. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on pelvic trauma patients with hemodynamic instability between March 2005 and September 2009. We divided the time period into period I (March 2005~Feburary 2009) and period II (March 2009~September 2009). The trauma surgeon and team started to work from period II. Data were collected regarding demographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, type of pelvic fracture, ISS(injury severity score), treatment modality, transfusion requirement, time to definitive treatment, and mortality. Results: During period I, among 7 hemodynamically unstable patients, 4(57.1%) patients died. However during Period II, only one of 6(16.6%) patients died. The demographic data and injury scores showed no differences between the two time periods, but the time to definitive treatment was very short with trauma team intervention(14.4 hrs vs. 3.9 hrs). Also, the amount of transfusion was less(41.1 U vs. 13.9 U). With arterial embolization, early pelvic external fixation led to less transfusion and made patients more stable. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the importance of the trauma surgeon and the trauma team in cases of hemodynamically unstable pelvic trauma. Even with the same facility and resources, an active trauma team approach can increase the survival of severely injured multiple trauma patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.271-274
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• 2012

Duodenal perforation has a high incidence of complications and mortality if not detected and treated early. Delayed diagnosis of duodenal perforation is frequent because patients rarely complain of any symptoms. We report a case of duodenal perforation that appeared after trauma and was cured by using conservative treatment.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.22-25
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• 2013

Severe blunt abdominal trauma frequently involves the liver. The development of nonsurgical treatment of liver trauma has led to more frequent appearance of unusual complications. A hepatic arterioportal fistula (APF) is a rare complication of liver trauma. We present a case of traumatic APF in a patient with liver trauma. A 31-year-old male visited our emergency department with pain in the right upper abdomen following a traffic accident. Initial physical exam and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed liver laceration with hemoperitoneum. An abdominal CT obtained on day 11 revealed early opacification of the right portal vein on the arterial phase. After we had come to suspect an APF of the liver, its presence was confirmed on angiography. It was subsequently managed by using transcatheter coil embolization. In patients with portal hypertension and no evidence or history of cirrhosis, one should consider an APF as a potential etiology if history of liver biopsy or penetrating trauma exists. In a patient with liver trauma, serial abdominal CT is important for early detection and treatment of an APF.