BACKGROUND: The Sewol ferry disaster caused national shock and grief in Korea. The present study examined the prevalence and associated factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among the surviving students 20 months after that disaster. METHODS: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design and a sample of 57 students (29 boys and 28 girls) who survived the Sewol ferry disaster. Data were collected using a questionnaire, including instruments that assessed psychological status. A generalized linear model using a log link and Poisson distribution was performed to identify factors associated with PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: The results showed that 26.3% of participants were classified in the clinical group by the Child Report of Post-traumatic Symptoms score. Based on a generalized linear model, Poisson distribution, and log link analyses, PTSD symptoms were positively correlated with the number of exposed traumatic events, peers and social support, peri-traumatic dissociation and post-traumatic negative beliefs, and emotional difficulties. On the other hand, PTSD symptoms were negatively correlated with psychological well-being, family cohesion, post-traumatic social support, receiving care at a psychiatry clinic, and female gender. CONCLUSION: This study uncovered risk and protective factors of PTSD in disaster-exposed adolescents. The implications of these findings are considered in relation to determining assessment and interventional strategies aimed at helping survivors following similar traumatic experiences.
Adolescent ; Child ; Disasters* ; Female ; Grief ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea* ; Linear Models ; Prevalence ; Protective Factors ; Shock ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors

A new blood bank system was established in our trauma bay, which allowed immediate utilization of uncross-matched type O packed red blood cells (UORBCs). We investigated the efficacy of UORBC compared to that of the ABO type-specific packed red blood cells (ABO RBCs) from before the bank was installed. From March 2016 to February 2017, data from trauma patients who received UORBCs in the trauma bay were compared with those of trauma patients who received ABO RBCs from January 2013 to December 2015. Propensity matching was used to overcome retrospective bias. The primary outcome was 24-hour mortality, while the secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). Data from 252 patients were reviewed and UORBCs were administered to 64 patients. The time to transfusion from emergency room admission was shorter in the UORBC group (11 [7–16] minutes vs. 44 [29–72] minutes, P < 0.001). After propensity matching, 47 patients were included in each group. The 24-hour mortality (4 [8.5%] vs. 9 [13.8%], P = 0.135), in-hospital mortality (14 [29.8%] vs. 18 [38.3%], P = 0.384), and ICU LOS (9 [4–19] days vs. 5 [0–19] days, P = 0.155) did not differ significantly between groups. The utilization of UORBCs resulted in a faster transfusion but did not significantly improve the clinical outcomes in traumatic shock patients in this study. However, the tendency for lower mortality in the UORBC group suggested the need for a large study.
Bays ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Blood Banks ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Propensity Score* ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock* ; Shock, Traumatic ; Trauma Centers ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: A new unmatched type-O packed red blood cell (UORBC) storage system was established in Ajou University Hospital Trauma Center. This system was expected to deliver faster and more efficient transfusion. METHODS: On March 2016, a new blood storage bank was installed in the trauma bay. Sixty patients who received UORBC from March 2016 to August 2016 were compared with 50 traumatic shock patients who received transfusions at the trauma bay in 2015. Time of transfusion, mortality, adverse transfusion reaction and change of systolic blood pressure were reviewed. RESULTS: Transfusion time from arrival at the hospital was significantly shorter in 2016 (14.07±11.14 min vs. 34.72±15.17 min, p < 0.001), but 24-hour mortality was not significantly different (13.3% vs. 20.8%, p=0.292). Systolic blood pressure significantly increased after UORBC transfusion (92.49 mmHg to 107.15 mmHg, p=0.002). Of the 60 patients who received UORBC in trauma bay, 47 (78.3%) patients had an incompatible ABO type, but no adverse transfusion reaction was notated. CONCLUSION: UORBC allows early blood transfusion and improved systolic blood pressure without significant adverse reactions.
ABO Blood-Group System ; Bays ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Shock* ; Shock, Traumatic ; Transfusion Reaction ; Trauma Centers

INTRODUCTIONArterial base excess is an established marker of shock and predictor of survival in trauma patients. However, venous blood is more quickly and easily obtained. This study aimed to determine if venous base excess could replace arterial base excess as a marker in trauma patients at presentation and if venous base excess is predictive of survival at 24 hours and one week.

METHODSThis was a prospective study of 394 trauma patients presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital over a 17-month period. Data on base excess at presentation, vital signs, shock index (SI), injury severity score (ISS), and mortality at 24 hours and one week was collected and analysed.

RESULTSArterial and venous blood gas tests were performed on 260 and 134 patients, respectively. Patients were stratified into groups based on their SI and ISS for analysis. There was no statistical difference between mean venous blood gas and arterial blood gas levels at presentation when SI > 0.7, regardless of ISS (p > 0.05). The mortality rate was 4.57%. Both venous and arterial base excess was lower in nonsurvivors compared to survivors (p < 0.05). However, at 24 hours and one week, the difference in base excess values at presentation between survivors and nonsurvivors was greater when using venous base excess compared to arterial base excess (11.53 vs. 4.28 and 11.41 vs. 2.66, respectively).

CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, venous base excess can replace arterial base excess in trauma patients as a means of identifying and prognosticating early shock.

Acid-Base Imbalance ; blood ; etiology ; mortality ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arteries ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prospective Studies ; Shock, Traumatic ; blood ; complications ; epidemiology ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Survival Rate ; trends ; Time Factors ; Trauma Centers ; Veins ; Wounds and Injuries ; blood ; complications ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

Double compression of the ulnar nerve, including Guyon's canal syndrome associated with cubital tunnel syndrome caused by the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle, is a very rare condition. We present a case of double crush syndrome of the ulnar nerve at the wrist and elbow in a 55-year-old man, as well as a brief review of the literature. Although electrodiagnostic findings were consistent with an ulnar nerve lesion only at the elbow, ultrasonography revealed a ganglion compressing the ulnar nerve at the hypothenar area and the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle lying in the cubital tunnel. Careful physical examination and ultrasound assessment of the elbow and wrist confirmed the clinical diagnosis prior to surgery.
Crush Syndrome* ; Cubital Tunnel Syndrome ; Deception ; Diagnosis* ; Elbow ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Ulnar Nerve* ; Ultrasonography* ; Wrist

With the increasing incidence of blast injury, the research on its mechanisms and protective measures draws more and more attention. Blast injury has many characteristics different from general war injuries or trauma. For example, soldiers often have various degrees of visceral injury without significant surface damage, combined injuries and arterial air embolism. Researchers in China began to investigate blast injury later than the United States and Sweden, but the development is so fast that lots of achievements have been gained, including the development of biological shock tube, the mechanisms and characteristics of blast injury in various organs, as well as protective measures under special environments. This article reviews the past and current situation of blast injury research in China.
Animals ; Blast Injuries ; diagnosis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic ; etiology ; China ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ear ; injuries ; Eye Injuries ; etiology ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; etiology ; Research

Acute coagulopathy of trauma-shock (ACoTS) occurs in 25% of patients with severe trauma in the early phase, and the mortality of those patients is four-fold higher than patients without coagulopathy. The pathophysiology of this complicated phenomenon has been focused on in recent years. Tissue injury and hypoperfusion, activated protein C and Complements play important roles in the early phase after trauma. While the use of blood products, hypothermia, acidosis and inflammation are the main mechanism in late phase. Supplementing coagulation factors and platelets to improve ACoTS are inefficient. Only positive resuscitation from shock and improving tissue hypoperfusion have expected benefits.
Blood Coagulation Disorders ; etiology ; Complement System Proteins ; physiology ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; etiology ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; complications ; Inflammation ; complications ; Protein C ; physiology ; Shock, Traumatic ; complications

The precise mechanism involved in DIC and delayed traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (DT-SAH) remains unclear in multiple-trauma patients. Hereby, we describe a polytraumatized patient with DIC who died due to DT-SAH. A 75-year-old female patient was admitted to our Emergency Department complaining of abdominal pain and drowsiness after a pedestrian accident. Her initial brain computerized tomography (CT) finding was negative for intracranial injury. However, her abdominal CT scan revealed a collection of retroperitoneal hematomas from internal iliac artery bleeding after a compressive pelvic fracture. This event eventually resulted in shock and DIC. An immediate angiographic embolization of the bleeding artery was performed along with transfusion and anti-thrombin III. Her vital signs were stabilized without neurological change. Fourteen hours after admission, she suddenly became comatose, and her follow-up brain CT scan revealed a dense DT-SAH along the basal cisterns with acute hydrocephalus. This event rapidly prompted brain CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography, which both confirmed the absence of any cerebrovascular abnormality. Despite emergency extraventricular drainage to reverse the hydrocephalus, the patient died three days after the trauma. This paper presents an unusual case of DT-SAH in a polytraumatized patient with DIC.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries ; Brain ; Coma ; Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* ; Drainage ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Iliac Artery ; Multiple Trauma ; Shock ; Sleep Stages ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vital Signs

The precise mechanism involved in DIC and delayed traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (DT-SAH) remains unclear in multiple-trauma patients. Hereby, we describe a polytraumatized patient with DIC who died due to DT-SAH. A 75-year-old female patient was admitted to our Emergency Department complaining of abdominal pain and drowsiness after a pedestrian accident. Her initial brain computerized tomography (CT) finding was negative for intracranial injury. However, her abdominal CT scan revealed a collection of retroperitoneal hematomas from internal iliac artery bleeding after a compressive pelvic fracture. This event eventually resulted in shock and DIC. An immediate angiographic embolization of the bleeding artery was performed along with transfusion and anti-thrombin III. Her vital signs were stabilized without neurological change. Fourteen hours after admission, she suddenly became comatose, and her follow-up brain CT scan revealed a dense DT-SAH along the basal cisterns with acute hydrocephalus. This event rapidly prompted brain CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography, which both confirmed the absence of any cerebrovascular abnormality. Despite emergency extraventricular drainage to reverse the hydrocephalus, the patient died three days after the trauma. This paper presents an unusual case of DT-SAH in a polytraumatized patient with DIC.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries ; Brain ; Coma ; Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Drainage ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Iliac Artery ; Multiple Trauma ; Shock ; Sleep Stages ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vital Signs

Compartment Syndromes ; etiology ; Crush Syndrome ; complications ; Fascia ; Hand Injuries ; complications ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn