• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.227-230
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• 2017

Rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) is an uncommon but well-documented clinical condition. It is usually caused by direct trauma or anticoagulation, although there are many other causes. However, RSH after noncontact strenuous exercise is very rare. We present a rare case of RSH after playing volleyball without direct trauma that was successfully treated by angiographic embolization.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.304-306
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• 2021

Objectives: We report on a patient who showed mild bradykinesia due to injury of the corticofugal tract (CFT) from the secondary motor area following direct head trauma, which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Case summary: A 58-year-old male patient underwent conservative management for subarachnoid hemorrhages caused by direct head trauma resulting from a fall from six-meter height at the department of neurosurgery of a local hospital. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3. He developed mildly slow movements following the head trauma and visited the rehabilitation department of a university hospital at ten weeks after the fall. The patient exhibited mild bradykinesia during walking and arm movements with mild weakness in all four extremities (G/G^-). Results: On ten-week DTT, narrowing of the right CFT from the supplementary motor area (SMA-CFT), and partial tearing of the left SMA-CFT, left CFTs from the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC-CFT) and both corticospinal tracts (CSTs) at the subcortical white matter were observed. Conclusion: This case demonstrated abnormalities in both CSTs (partial tearing at the subcortical white matter and narrowing), both SMA-CFTs (narrowing and partial tearing) and left dPMC-CFT. We believe our findings suggest the necessity of assessment of the CFTs from the secondary motor area for patients with unexplained bradykinesia following direct head trauma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.248-251
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• 2019

Traumatic intrapulmonary glass foreign bodies that are missed on an initial examination can migrate and lead to severe complications. Here, we present a rare case of a traumatic intrapulmonary glass foreign body surgically removed by a direct pulmonary incision, which preserved the pulmonary parenchyma and avoided severe complications caused by migration.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.162-169
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• 2021

Purpose: For severe lung injuries or acute respiratory distress syndrome that occurs during critical care due to trauma, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be used as a salvage treatment. This study aimed to describe the experiences at a single center with the use of ECMO in trauma patients. Methods: We enrolled a total of 25 trauma patients who were treated with ECMO between January 2015 and December 2019 at a regional trauma center. We analyzed and compared patients' characteristics between survivors and non-survivors through a medical chart review. We also compared the characteristics of patients between direct and indirect lung injury groups. Results: The mean age of the 25 patients was 45.9±19.5 years, and 19 patients (76.0%) were male. The mean Injury Severity Score was 26.1±10.1. Ten patients (40.0%) had an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3 score of 4, and six patients (24.0%) had an AIS 3 score of 5. There were 19 cases (76.6%) of direct lung injury. The mortality rate was 60.0% (n=15). Sixteen patients (64.0%) received a loading dose of heparin for the initiation of ECMO. There was no significant difference in heparin use between the survivors and non-survivors (70% in survivors vs. 60% in non-survivors, p=0.691). When comparing the direct and indirect lung injury groups, there were no significant differences in variables other than age and ECMO onset time. Conclusions: If more evidence is gathered, risk factors and indications will be identified and we expect that more trauma patients will receive appropriate treatment with ECMO.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.187-190
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• 2021

A 91-year-old female presented to Chonnam National University Hospital Regional Trauma Center with a lateral compression type III fracture of the pelvis. She was managed non-operatively for a week in the intensive care unit under close observation and had an emergency operation due to delayed onset of an acute obstructed direct inguinal hernia. Traumatic abdominal wall hernias are rare. However, trauma surgeons should always be aware of the possibility of such injuries because of their critical consequences.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.415-422
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• 2018

Objective: This study compared the prognosis of patients who visited the trauma center directly (direct visit group) with those transferred from the non-trauma center (transferred group). Methods: The patients, who were 18 or older with Injury Severity Score of 15 or more in the trauma center at Busan, were studied from October 2015 to October 2016. To compare the treatment time between the direct visit and transferred group, first treatment time, final treatment time, and time to visit the trauma center were examined. To compare the prognosis, this study compared the 48-hour, 7-day, and in-hospital mortality rate as well as the duration of intensive care unit (ICU) and total hospital stay. To analyze the factors affecting the outcome of transferred group, the physician's level and procedures that had been performed at the non-trauma center were examined. Results: The mortality was similar in the direct visit and transferred group (48-hour 7.6% vs. 4.6%, P=0.111; 7-day 11.1% vs. 7.2%, P=0.89; and in-hospital 14.6% vs. 11.3%, P=0.214). The length of ICU and total hospital stay were similar in the two groups. The mortality was higher in the patients in the transferred group when using intubation, transfusion, and pressure intensifier. The intubated patients showed higher mortality according to logistic regression. Conclusion: The mortality, length of ICU, and hospital stay were similar but the time to visit the trauma center and the final treatment time were longer in transferred group. Stabilizing the patient at the near non-trauma center may be more helpful for some patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.74-78
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• 2024

Inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries can have fatal outcomes and are associated with high mortality rates. Patients with IVC injuries require multiple procedures, including prehospital care, surgical techniques, and postoperative care. We present the case of a 67-year-old woman who stabbed herself in the abdomen with a knife, resulting in an infrarenal IVC injury. We shortened the transfer time by transporting the patient using a helicopter and decided to perform direct-to-operating room resuscitation by a trauma physician in the helicopter. The patient underwent laparotomy with IVC ligation for damage control during the first operation. The second- and third-look operations, including previous suture removal, IVC reconstruction, and IVC thrombectomy, were performed by a trauma surgeon specializing in cardiovascular diseases. The patient was discharged without major complications on the 19th postoperative day with rivaroxaban as an anticoagulant medication. Computed tomography angiography at the outpatient clinic showed that thrombi in the IVC and both iliac veins had been completely removed. Patients with IVC injuries can be effectively treated using a trauma system that includes fast transportation by helicopter, damage control for rapid hemostasis, and expert treatment of IVC injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.68-71
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• 1994

A tracheo-esophageal fistula following from blunt chest trauma is one of less common lesion and few guidelines are available to direct its optimal management. Herein, we report a 24-year-old man injured in a motor vehicular accident sustained a nonpenetrating double blowout injury of the thorax and large tracheoesophageal fistula occurred. Tracheal defect required resection and reconstruction, of which the membranous portion underwent closure with borrowed adjacent esophageal wall primarily and substernal left colon interposition was performed 4 weeks later.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2010

Objectives : Indirect contact with trauma may occur when a person empathically listens to detailed descriptions, exposing the person to intense emotional pain from trauma victims. Although less severe than direct trauma, indirectly traumatized persons may experience the same fear, rage, and despair as direct trauma victims. This phenomenon has been variously termed vicarious trauma, traumatic countertransference, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress. Using a psychiatric symptoms questionnaires, this study investigated the effects of indirect exposure to co-worker's trauma on the mental health of firefighters who had not directly experienced traumatic events in the previous year. Methods : We administered self-report questionnaires, such as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IESR) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), to firefighters working at two fire stations in a metropolitan city. We analyzed 188 of 232 collected surveys, after excluding falsely entered data (28 cases) and questionnaires by directly-traumatized victims (16 cases). Results : Alcohol consumption and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as determined by the AUDIT and IES-R, were significantly higher in the indirectly-traumatized group. The ratio of high-risk members scoring higher than 23 in IES-R was larger in the indirectly traumatized group, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion : Alcohol consumption was significantly higher in the indirectly traumatized group. This group also included more members at high risk for PTSD. Further research, with a larger group of indirectly traumatized firefighters and ongoing investigation of PTSD development and other psychiatric symptoms, is needed.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-33
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• 2015

Traumatic aortic injury is well recognized as a primary cause of instantaneous death in victims of thoracic blunt trauma presenting with an aortic rupture or dissection, particularly after a deceleration injury. However, a direct aortic injury caused by a fractured rib segment after blunt thoracic trauma is extremely rare. We report the case of a 43-year-old male patient who experienced an aortic injury caused by the sharp edge of a fractured rib after multiple rib fractures due to blunt thoracic trauma.