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Influence of antibiotic management on microbial selection and infectious complications after trauma
(2021)
Background: The inflammatory response and post-traumatic complications like infections play an important role in the pathophysiology of severe injuries. This study examines the microbiological aspects in anti-infective treatment of trauma patients and their inflammatory response in post-traumatic infections complications. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in trauma patients (ISS ≥ 16) over a 1-year period (01/2018 to 12/2018) is provided. Patient population was stratified into severely injured patients without post-traumatic infection (inf-PT), and severely injured patients who developed an infection (inf+PT).Results: Of 114 trauma patients, 45 suffered from post-traumatic infection during the first 10 days of hospitalization. Severely injured patients with concomitant traumatic brain injury (PT+TBI) showed the highest rate of post-traumatic infection. Pro-inflammatory reaction was tracked by levels of Interleukin (IL-)6 (day 3: inf+T 190.8 ± 359.4 pg/dL > inf-PT 56.2 ± 57.7 pg/mL (mean ± SD); p = 0.008) and C-Reactive-Protein (CRP, day 3: inf+PT 15.3 mg/dL > inf-PT 6.7 mg/dL, p = 0.001) which were significantly higher in trauma patients who develop an infectious complication and showed a significant positive correlation with the occurrence of infection. The leading entity of infection was pneumonia followed by infections of the urinary tract mainly caused by gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. 67.5% of all trauma patients received single-shot antibiosis during initial care in trauma bay. The development of secondary colonization was not relevant positively correlated with single-shot antibiosis (r = 0.013, p = 0.895) and prophylactically calculated antibiotic administration (r = 0.066, p = 0.500).Conclusion: Severely injured trauma patients have an increased risk for development of infectious complications, which mainly is pneumonia followed by infection of the urinary tract mainly caused by gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. Based on the data in this study, the one-time antibiotic and prophylactic calculated use of antibiotics, like Cephalosporins must be critically discussed in terms of their role in the development of post-traumatic infections and microbial selection.
Since the introduction of rental E-scooters in Germany in mid-June 2019, the safety of this new means of transport has been the subject of extensive public debate. However, valid data on injuries and usage habits are not yet available. This retrospective two-center study included a total of 76 patients who presented to the emergency department following E-scooter-related accidents. The mean age was 34.3 ± 12.4 years and 69.7% of the patients were male. About half of the patients were admitted by ambulance (42.1%). Fractures were found in 48.6% of patients, and 27.6% required surgical treatment due to a fracture. The upper extremities were the most commonly affected body region, followed by injuries to the lower extremity and to the head and face. Only one patient had worn a helmet. In-hospital treatment was necessary for 26.3% of the cases. Patients presented to the emergency department mainly during the weekend and on-call times. This is the first report on E-scooter-related injuries in Germany. Accidents with E-scooters can cause serious injuries and, therefore, represent a further burden to emergency departments. The use of E-scooters appears to be mostly recreational, and the rate of use of protective gear is low.
Falling down a staircase is a common mechanism of injury in patients with severe trauma, but the effect of varying fall height according to the number of steps on injury patterns in these patients has been little studied. In this retrospective study, prospectively collected data from a Level 1 Trauma Center in Germany were analyzed regarding the injury patterns of patients admitted through the trauma room with suspicion of multiple injuries following a fall down a flight of stairs between January 2016 and December 2019. In total 118 patients were examined which where consecutively included in this study. More than 80% of patients suffered a traumatic brain injury, which increased as a function of the number of stairs fallen. Therefore, the likelihood of intracranial hemorrhage increased with higher numbers of fallen stairs. Fall-associated bony injuries were predominantly to the face, skull and the spine. In addition, there was a high coincidence of staircase falls and alcohol intake. Due to a frequent coincidence of staircase falls and alcohol, the (pre-)clinical neurological assessment is complicated. As the height of the fall increases, severe traumatic brain injury should be anticipated and diagnostics to exclude intracranial hemorrhage and spinal injuries should be performed promptly to ensure the best possible patient outcome.