Narcotic Consumption Analysis among Severely Injured and Advanced Aged Trauma Patients.

Background: Multimodal pain management has been shown to be effective in treating pain in acutely injured trauma patients. Our community-based, level 1 trauma center previously published in 2022 the efficacy of implementing multimodal pain control (MMPC) protocol in our inpatient trauma population which decreased the use of opioids while maintaining similar pain control. The MMPC group had a trend toward higher age and was significantly less injured.

Multi-modal Pain Control Protocol Decreases Narcotic Consumption in an Inpatient Trauma Population.

Introduction: Opioid use after surgery or trauma has been implicated as a contributing factor to opioid dependence. The Acute Care Surgery (ACS) service at our community-based trauma center instituted an opioid-minimizing, multi-modal pain control (MMPC) protocol. The classes of pain medication included a non-opioid analgesic, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a gabapentinoid, a skeletal muscle relaxant, and a topical anesthetic.

Safety and Outcome of Intracranial Pressure Monitor Placement Performed by Trauma Critical Care Surgeons.

Introduction: The Brain Trauma Foundation advises intracranial pressure monitor placement (ICPM) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤8 and an abnormal head computed tomographic scan (CT) finding. Prior studies demonstrated that ICPMs could be placed by non-neurosurgeons. We hypothesized that ICPM placement by trauma critical care surgeons (TCCS) would increase appropriate utilization (AU), decrease time to placement (TTP), and have equivalent complications to those placed by neurosurgeons.

Seatbelt injury causing perforation of the cervical esophagus: a case report and review of the literature.

Blunt trauma to the head and neck is a rare cause of cervical esophageal perforation. We report a cervical esophageal perforation caused by compression by a shoulder-harness seatbelt during a high-speed motor vehicle crash. We are not aware of a similar case in the trauma literature.

Long-term physical, mental, and functional consequences of abdominal decompression.

Background: The long-term physical, mental, and functional consequences of abdominal decompression for intra-abdominal hypertension are unknown.

Methods: Thirty patients in various stages of abdominal decompression and delayed fascial closure for massive incisional hernia completed the SF-36 Health Survey and answered questions regarding their employment and pregnancy status.

Results: Patients awaiting abdominal wall reconstruction demonstrated significantly decreased perceptions of physical, social, and emotional health (p < 0.