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Is Hyperoxemia in Trauma Bad?
Severe trauma is the leading cause of death worldwide for adults younger than 50 years of age. Acute traumatic life support (ATLS) guidelines endorse early and aggressive usage of supplemental oxygen in patients with severe trauma, at least until abnormalities of airway or breathing can be safely ruled out. However, unclear target concentration, duration or saturation goals often leads to hyperoxemia. Emerging studies in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting suggest that liberal supplemental oxygen therapy and hyperoxemia is associated with increased mortality. Limited evidence in the trauma population suggests similar outcomes.
Trio of Trauma - Journal Club Recap
The care of trauma patients is constantly evolving. From the time of injury to OR or ICU, there are dozens of management decisions that can improve the care and outcome for your patients. In our most recent journal club we took a look at 3 articles that looked at the management of trauma patients in the ED and ICU. Should we be adding vasopressin to our massive transfusion protocols? Is DL dead for trauma patients? Should we move to use IO’s early in traumatic arrests?
Is a Bag Enough?
Trauma scene flights are often the first thing people think of when they think of Helicopter EMS. Although we know that HEMS and Critical Care Transport involves much more than just scene flights, they are still a critical part of most HEMS programs’ mission and capabilities. In addition, many flights are “modified scenes” or “scene intercepts,” meaning the HEMS crew meets the EMS crew at an outlying hospital helipad, or arrives shortly after the patient’s arrival to an under-resourced ED. Many of these patients are critically ill, and a subset will require intubation and ventilation. Once intubated is bag valve ventilation enough? Or should all these patient’s be placed on a mechanical ventilator?