Are Chest Radiographs or Ultrasound More Accurate in Predicting a Pneumothorax or Need for a Thoracostomy Tube in Trauma Patients?

Background: Historically, chest radiographs (CXR) have been used to quickly diagnose pneumothorax (PTX) and hemothorax in trauma patients. Over the last 2 decades, chest ultrasound (CUS) as part of Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (eFAST) has also become accepted as a modality for the early diagnosis of PTX in trauma patients.

Methods: We queried our institution's trauma databases for all trauma team activations from 2021 for patients with eFAST results.

Access to Immediately Available Balanced Blood Products in a Rural State's Trauma System.

Introduction: The Arkansas Trauma System was established by law more than a dozen years ago, and all participating trauma centers are required to maintain red blood cells. Since then, there has been a paradigm shift in resuscitating exsanguinating trauma patients. Damage Control Resuscitation with balanced blood products (or whole blood) and minimal crystalloid is now the standard of care.

Geospatial Analysis of Prehospital Triage and Early Potential Preventable Traumatic Deaths.

Severely injured patients often depend on prompt prehospital triage for survival. This study aimed to examine the under-triage of preventable or potentially preventable traumatic deaths. A retrospective review of Harris County, TX, revealed 1848 deaths within 24 hours of injury, with 186 being preventable or potentially preventable (P/PP).

The Mutagen-Sensitivity Gene Encodes .

The identification of mutants through forward genetic screens is the backbone of genetics research, yet many mutants identified through these screens have yet to be mapped to the genome. This is especially true of mutants that have been identified as mutagen-sensitive (), but have not yet been mapped to their associated molecular locus. Our study addressed the need for additional gene identification by determining the locus and exploring the function of the -linked mutagen-sensitive gene using three available mutant alleles: , , and .

Increases in Violence and Changes in Trauma Admissions During the COVID Quarantine.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt change to societal norms. We anecdotally noticed an increase in penetrating and violent trauma during the period of stay-at-home orders. Studying these changes will allow trauma centers to better prepare for future waves of COVID-19 or other global catastrophes.