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Meal Prep: Eating with Intention < Back Kitchen Hacks #1 Meal Prep: Eating with Intention Want to stop eating cereal or takeout for dinner? Want healthy food options in the house? Whether you have a big family or you’re cooking for one, you CAN be more purposeful about your eating habits. Cooking healthy delicious meals while maintaining variety at meal time and keeping your kitchen stocked so that you’re able to cook without having to make multiple trips to the store doesn’t have to be an intimidating endeavor. Let’s walk through the key components of a successful cooking plan. * Create a collection of recipes . Some people might not routinely rely on recipes when cooking- if that’s you, feel free to skip over this. However, for the rest of us, recipes serve as the basis for meal prep. Your collection can be as simple or complex as you want. Recipe cards in a box or book, pages ripped out of magazines, cookbooks with bookmarks, links to recipes online, a basic phone app or even just a simple word document- whatever works best for you. After you decide on how to collect your recipes, the next step is making recipes easy to find. ** Organizing- Start with a few broad categories, such as breakfast, side dishes, sandwiches, main course and dessert. Once you are familiar with how you use your recipe collection, feel free to create more specific categories. For example, my categories include apps and side (sub-category: vegetables), bread (sub-category: breadmaker), breakfast, dessert (sub-categories: brownies and bars, cakes, candy, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream and pies), dinner (sub-categories: chicken, crockpot and fish), dips and sauces, new recipes, pasta, pizza, salad and finally, sandwiches and burgers. * Create a collection of meals. You probably have a few combinations that you routinely prepare and serve. For example, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Not every food needs a recipe, and you might even do some meals from memory. But creating a list of meals can help remind you of dishes you haven't had in a while and gives you more options to choose from when you’re in a rut. * Create a list of items in your pantry (and fridge/ freezer)- specifying quantity is important. You don’t have to include every item, but keeping track of commonly used items can help avoid situations such as three extra bags of white sugar or running out of key spices. * Create a meal schedule. Just like everything else, this can be as simple or detailed as you would like. Whether you do a weekly meal prep session or plan meals a day or two at a time, a schedule can help you remember to set aside or purchase the necessary ingredients ahead of time. A schedule can also help when projecting leftovers- like what meals are a good setup for packing a lunch the next day. * Create a grocery list. At a minimum, you should jot down what you need before leaving the house. But there are several ways to optimize your preparation for the grocery store. Making the list at home is key, because you can check what you have in your pantry/ fridge. ** Develop a list of commonly purchased items - this will make it easier to add things to your list before you head to the store. ** Keep a list near the refrigerator or pantry- this can be a simple notepad, a white board or whatever else suits you. When you are in the kitchen and notice that you are running low on something you normally have on hand, just jot it down on the list. Then on shopping day, it’s easy to keep track of staple items. ** Using your meal schedule/ recipes, you can gather the ingredients that aren’t in your collection of staple items. This is often fresh fruit/ produce or dairy/ meats. ** If you find yourself at the grocery store on the way home from work (or anytime you haven’t had a chance to make a list), you can pull together a meal by selecting from your recipes or meals and then sorting through your pantry list to determine what ingredients are missing. * I recommend downloading the Paprika application (iTunes application , $4.99). It is an all-purpose tool for collecting/ sorting recipes, creating menus, keeping track of ingredients in your pantry/ refrigerator/ freezer and making a grocery list. You can add recipes from almost any website and can also manually add personal recipes (and even add a picture of your own creations!). You can create a menu schedule and grocery list directly from recipes. Keeping everything in one place avoids the need to refer to different resources (recipe book, list on the refrigerator, electronic version of a pantry list). * Here are two of my favorite websites for recipes. ** Cooking Light Free access to countless delicious healthy recipes! ** How Sweet Eats Started following this years ago when I stumbled on some of the recipes on Pinterest. Love the name- we are both fans of James Taylor! Previous Next

10 Loonshots How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries - S type and P type loonshots. Innovators (creating loonshots) have to co-exist with the “businessmen”- you can’t just segregate different groups. The innovators need the company to make a profit so they can continue to take risks and make discoveries. And the business needs to nurture loonshots. - In case you were wondering how polarizing crystals were discovered. Or check out this article in Science magazine. - Bad decisions may occasionally result in good outcomes. But you need to analyze wins- you might not be so lucky next time. - Good decisions may result in bad outcomes. You made the best decision with the information at your disposal. In those same circumstances, you’d make that same decision. - How do crickets synchronize their chirps? - Percolation. A mathematical explanation for predicting events based on an inherent variable. - How do forest fires spread? Relevant variables- the distance between trees, humidity, wind. - How do pandemics start? How appropriate…depends on the proximity of individuals. - Phase transitions - Why do traffic jams occur? Just above a certain density of cars on the roads→ jam. - Emergence- innate characteristics of how a group functions based on the size (ie what patterns shift after the group reaches a size, although the precise size is variable for groups) While individuals remain puzzles, man in the aggregate becomes a mathematical certainty. Meaning- group dynamics are universal, regardless of the characteristics of the group members. Previous Next

[Editorial inspired by @kari_jerge] Why Don't They Believe Us? < Back [Editorial inspired by @kari_jerge] Seen on Twitter recently: Troll: I demand pictures of your full ICU to prove to me it’s full Female surgeon: None of us owes you a damn thing. Especially not pictures that will get us fired. But I’ll get right on that… What do you do if you accidentally injure yourself while working or making home improvements? Do you call 911 or have someone drive you to the ER? What do you do if you have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or depression? Do you go to a primary care doctor? What do you do if you have severe arthritic hip pain that doesn't resolve with conservative (non-operative) management? Do you consider talking to an orthopedic surgery about a hip replacement? I don't know what portion of the population inherently trust the medical community, but for the remainder of this editorial, I will presume that it's a majority. For those that don't, this doesn't apply. If you don't trust modern medicine, I won't convince you that you should trust our reports about this pandemic. Let's assume you accept modern medicine, including visiting the emergency department, having a primary care doctor, taking prescription medicine, and any of the other various diagnostic tests, consultations, and treatments. If this is the case, why would you think we would voluntarily try to deceive you about the capacity and occupancy of our ICU facilities? Why would so many medical community leaders actively speak out with a nearly singular voice to spread a lie? Ranging from the widely known Dr. Sanjay Gupta to a wide assortment of medical providers in many specialties. We have nothing to gain from building this whole façade. This isn't just a few people speaking up. This is a monumental effort to warn people. Social media has given a voice- and many have worked very hard to dispel the myths spread by many loud voices that continue to spread falsehoods. We have nothing to gain. You trust us to save your life when you have a heart attack, need emergency surgery, or care for you when you're severely ill from any matter of diseases. We haven't changed as a community to collectively spread these myths. It really is as bad as we say. We genuinely don't get paid more for patients who die from COVID. We don't have adequate PPE. We aren't lying. If you continue to deny reality, we will still care for you or your family and friends, in the unfortunate case you become ill, because that's what we do. We are just hoping that we will have the resources you need. And if we stretch our personnel any thinner, we will not have enough nurses and providers to care for you. We are the last hope. Don't make choices you'll regret. Previous Next

What is ACS? A day in the life of an Acute Care Surgeon. FAQs. ICU Rounds. Trauma Surgery. Acute Care Surgery What is Acute Care Surgery? Medicine, particularly surgery, has become increasingly specialized, with providers developing progressively narrower expertise. Previously, surgical critical care fellowship was the primary pathway for specialization in the management of critically ill and injured patients. Management of "sick" surgical patients, regardless of the underlying surgical etiology, requires flexibility in addition to width and breadth of knowledge to manage a wide spectrum of clinical challenges, including deranged physiology and complex surgical pathology. Balancing an acutely hemorrhaging patient, an elderly patient with severe poly-trauma, a ventilator-dependent patient with an acute abdomen...the list is endless. Acute Care Surgery (ACS) was brought about to ensure that there is access to a specialized physician that can manage a spectrum of critically ill patients, including trauma, emergency general surgery (EGS), and surgical rescue . Surgical rescue involves the management of procedural complications or clinical situations that require emergent surgical intervention: "airway emergency, hemorrhage, intestinal obstruction, perforated viscus, tube/line/device dysfunction, uncontrolled sepsis with a surgical etiology, visceral ischemia, and wound complication." Management can include the following interventions: "airway intervention, biliary repair/ reconstruction, bowel resection, hernia repair, hemorrhage control, source control of infection, surgeon-guided resuscitation, tube/line/device repair, and wound debridement."(1) Pillars of Acute Care Surgery 1. Kutcher ME et al. Surgical rescue: The next pillar of acute care surgery. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2017;82(2):280-286. 2. Kutcher M.E., Peitzman A.B. (2017) A History of Acute Care Surgery (Emergency Surgery). In: Di Saverio S., Catena F., Ansaloni L., Coccolini F., Velmahos G. (eds) Acute Care Surgery Handbook. Springer, Cham. Who Is Our Patient Population? Read More A Day in the Life of an Acute Care Surgeon Read More What happens during Surgical ICU (SICU) Rounds? Read More Who is on the Trauma Team? Read More What happens in the trauma bay? Read More The Trauma Bag Read More Frequently Asked Questions Read More Definitions Read More More Information on Acute Care Surgery Read More

Brain Death and Organ Donation End of Life Issues < Back Brain Death and Organ Donation Death can be uncomfortable and challenging to face/ navigate. Here are some of the situations that can arise surrounding the issue of death and organ donation. - Is resuscitating a patient with a devastating TBI for organ donation preservation justified? It may seem opportunistic and NOT focused on the dignified care of the patient- but it the patient’s desire would be to donate, preserving that option DOES honor their wishes. - If a patient is declared dead, specifically brain dead or death by neurologic criteria, and they previously expressed desire to be an organ donor (such as registration with an OPO or indicating their desires on their drivers license), legally the family can’t prevent the patient from donating. Even if the family opposes it, legally the patient should proceed to donation. But what about the risk of “bad press”? You’re honoring the patients wishes although that fact may be less apparent to the public compared to the anger expressed by the family members that the hospital “stole their loved one’s organs against their wish” or even worse, implying that the hospital “allowed” the patient to die so they could use their organs. - You don't need consent to perform a brain death test. Previous Next

6 Start with Why How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - Explains the importance of developing a shared philosophy for business, teams, and frankly, any mission. It relays a vital concept, but the text is unnecessarily repetitive- it could be significantly shorter while maintaining the message. - Regarding a business model- your "why" is your basic underlying philosophy, motivation, and guiding principle, your "how" is your process, and your "what" is your product. - You can convince customers to buy your newest product, but you have to re-create your marketing with each novel concept. Loyal customers buy your product because they believe in your philosophy. Think about Apple. They don't sell a product. Apple customers will purchase the next Apple product, not because of the particular design or nuanced update, but because they believe Apple's "why." - Ask an employee or a teammate- what do you do? Is their answer a description of their daily tasks? Or is it a message, a principle that guides their action? - If your company's "what" becomes obsolete, your company becomes outdated. If your company was created to copy written text manually, you would be unlikely to adapt to the new technology that successfully automates the process. If your company's "why" was focused on the value of literature and facilitating easy access to books for everyone, this will allow you to remain relevant regardless of how the world changes. Previous Next

< Back Vent Mgmt #1: Basics The goal of ventilatory support is to maintain appropriate O2 and CO2 in the blood while offloading the work of the respiratory muscles and minimizing iatrogenic lung damage. Understanding this principle will help guide your ventilator management. Many variables can be manipulated on the ventilator, but there are a few key variables that truly control oxygenation and ventilation. While there is not one ideal setting for every scenario, there are a few basic principles that cover the majority of ventilator management. Basic Ventilator Settings First, it is important to understand what the ventilator does. The ventilator can push air into patients. You can control how much air is pushed in (tidal volume), the number of breaths per minute (respiratory rate, RR), and the concentration of oxygen molecules in the air itself (fraction of inspired oxygen, FiO2). It's also possible to control how quickly air is pushed in (flow)- but we will get to that later. It is important to note: the ventilator does NOT generate pressure- it only monitors pressure to prevent damage from elevated pressures (barotrauma). Breathing is controlled by three variables. Trigger- this determines when a breath starts. Either time, flow, or pressure. Time trigger is utilized when the patient is not generating any spontaneous breathing (ie mandatory breaths). Flow and pressure triggers are utilized if the patient has spontaneous respiratory activity. When the patient attempts to inhale, there is a change in flow and/ or pressure. This is sensed by the ventilator, and a breath is delivered. Limit- this sets the maximum value a parameter can reach during a breath. For example, volume-limited indicates that a breath can't exceed a certain max mL and pressure-limited indicates that the pressure monitored by the machine can't exceed a certain max cm H2O. For a graphic representation, please refer to the image in the section on Limit Variables in Deranged Physiology. Limits impact the shape of the waveform. Volume limited- flow ceases when the set/ target volume is delivered. Pressure limited- a large portion of the TV delivered at the beginning of the breath until the set/ target pressure is reached and then the flow tapers, slowly delivering the remainder of the volume until the breath is time or flow cycled (see next) Cycle- this determines the end of a breath. Time cycled- inspiration ceases at the end of a set time duration. Used in mandatory breaths. Flow cycled- inspiration ceases when flow drops below a certain level. Used in spontaneous breaths. Volume and pressure are not currently used to cycle breaths. The goals of mechanical ventilatory support are O2 delivery (oxygenation) and CO2 removal (ventilation). Effective oxygenation and ventilation are measured by an arterial blood gas- PaO2 indicates the partial pressure of O2 and PaCO2 indicates the partial pressure of CO2. Oxygenation is a function of the concentration of O2 delivered to the patient (fraction of inspired O2, FiO2) and the surface available for O2 exchange. Positive pressure maintains open airways, which maintains the surface available for O2 exchange. Mean airway pressure (MAP) is the parameter that indicates the average pressure measured in the lungs throughout inspiration (inspiratory pressure) and expiration (positive end expiratory pressure, PEEP). Expiration is usually 2-3 times longer than inspiration, so MAP is often simplified to PEEP when trying to optimize oxygenation. However, increasing inspiratory time can improve MAP without adjusting PEEP. Ventilation is controlled by minute ventilation (total volume of air exchanged every minute). Minute ventilation is respiratory rate multiplied by tidal volume. Therefore, respiratory rate (RR) and tidal volume (TV) are the two parameters that can optimize ventilation. Lung-Protective Ventilation Minimizing iatrogenic lung injury is also important when caring for patients receiving ventilatory support. Different types of trauma, including barotrauma (excess pressure), volutrauma (excess volume), and atelectrauma (repetitive opening and closing of alveoli), can damage lungs that are already diseased. The risk of barotrauma can be minimized by monitoring airway pressures (peak and plateau pressures). Volutrauma can be minimized by low tidal volume. Historically, larger tidal volumes were standard (10-12 mL/kg). Currently, the most commonly recommended volume is 6-8 mL/kg (there are some exceptions). Decreased TV leads to ↓minute ventilation and ↓CO2 clearance (↑PaCO2). This is the basic physiologic principle behind "permissive hypercapnia" during mechanical ventilation for ARDS. Atelectrauma can be minimized by maintaining PEEP, which keeps alveoli open. Additional References 1. Respiratory Therapy Pocket Reference Card Previous Next

5 Critical Care References ICU Rounds A-F Bundle .pdf Download PDF • 33KB Pharmacology Med Doses .pdf Download PDF • 56KB Neurologic RASS .pdf Download PDF • 281KB CAM-ICU .pdf Download PDF • 127KB CPOT .pdf Download PDF • 76KB EtOH Withdrawal .pdf Download PDF • 1.02MB Cardiac Arrhythmias .pdf Download PDF • 1.55MB Pulmonary Cuff Leak .pdf Download PDF • 15KB Fluids, Electrolytes and Nutrition Fluids .pdf Download PDF • 29KB Na and pH .pdf Download PDF • 53KB Endocrine and Nutrition Types of Insulin .pdf Download PDF • 85KB TPN .pdf Download PDF • 221KB Steroids .pdf Download PDF • 36KB Hematology Anticoag .pdf Download PDF • 44KB Anticoag Reversal .pdf Download PDF • 334KB Organ Donation Hormone Therapy .pdf Download PDF • 13KB

How to play nice in the sand box...and why it matters Consults < Back How to play nice in the sand box...and why it matters The department of Acute Care Surgery and Emergency Medicine frequently interact to discuss consults. Unfortunately, several factors predispose to an adversarial relationship between the ER provider and the consultant.(1) I won't pretend that I didn't contribute to some of the negative interactions I've had while responding to consults. However, I'm grateful that my years of experience have provided me with insight and perspective that reframed my thoughts about the consultation process. What are the different types of consults? #1 The patient requires something that is beyond the scope of practice of the emergency provider. This includes everything from hospital admission, surgical or procedural intervention (appendectomy, stop the bleeding from a penetrating neck wound, cardiac catheterization), or a plan for close follow-up. How to Respond? This is why we chose our specialty, and our business is patient care. If a consultant is not responsive, it might be because they are caring for more urgent clinical issues. It's also possible that they are a generally unpleasant person, and it has no relation to the nature of the consult..some people can be difficult regardless of the scenario. Admittedly, it might also be 2 am, and they just fell back asleep after their last page. As much as I hate to admit, it's harder to be pleasant on the phone when you're absolutely exhausted. #2 The unclear diagnosis. The patient is presenting with a complex issue, or the diagnosis may be outside the provider's experience. This could be the first time they encounter a particular clinical scenario or an unusual presentation of a common diagnosis. How to Respond? Depends on the scenario. If that patient requires emergent assistance, prioritize their needs. If no emergent need, but further workup is needed, provide whatever recommendations you can regarding the next steps of the diagnostic workup. If the patient's case falls under your specialty, refer back to #1. #3 The emergency room provider doesn't know who the appropriate consultant is, or they have had no luck reaching them. How to Respond? It's easy to brush off a call when the primary provider called the wrong service. This might occur if the provider cannot reach a particular specialist, and you are the next best option (example- plastic surgeon doesn't respond for a consult on a patient with a wound complication). Please, if you know how to reach that provider, lend a hand. Or, if they call the wrong service, take the time to give a little guidance about whom they should have called. They aren't trying to waste your time- they are likely also busy, and calling multiple consultants is not the best way to spend their time either. Whatever assistance you can provide is best for the patient. #4 The controversial consult. In my experience, during years of working with surgeons and emergency physicians, probably one of the most contentious consultations is the consultation for something that the consultant considers inappropriately simple or unnecessary. The surgeon may think that the issue is trivial or the need is non-existent and feel that the provider should be capable of resolving the issue without calling a surgeon. This disconnect might be the key patient interaction that can set the tone for the relationship between departments. How to Respond? First, and most importantly, please don't be dismissive when someone calls you for a consult. If you are receiving a call, it's because the person on the other end of the phone (and therefore the patient they are caring for) needs your help. Surgeons, along with other specialists, have extensive specific expertise, so it's easy to lose perspective and presume that the knowledge in our head is universal. It's become almost intuitive in our minds, so we might forget that the primary provider does NOT have the same specialization. We each chose our respective specialties, and our training and biases are quite divergent. It is unreasonable to expect ER physicians to share the same depth of knowledge in each of the many specialties, just as each of the specialists would not have the same ability to deftly juggle the wide array of clinical scenarios managed in the ER. I remember the plastic surgeon who showed me how to do a scar revision on a young woman's face. He spent his career training and practicing to perform plastic surgery. It was simple in his hands, but that doesn't mean the woman would have a similar outcome if the needle driver was in my hand. Please, think of the patient's best interest. Yes, the primary provider may be "an idiot" or "lazy" or whatever. But consider the other possibilities. I prefer to give my colleagues the benefit of the doubt and avoid automatically assuming incompetence. Regardless of the underlying issue, whether it's a flaw of the provider or its truly beyond their capability, the patient needs someone to take care of them. Do the right thing for the patient- in the end, that's what matters. 1. Koo A, Bothwell J. Tips for Working with Consultants. ACEP Now. Nov 2017. Previous Next

Favorite Websites and Apps < Back Kitchen Hacks #4 Favorite Websites and Apps How Sweet Eats Eating Well (previously Cooking Light) Cooking Substitutions Previous Next

< Back GERD What is GERD? Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), more commonly known as heartburn, is caused by acid from the stomach moving into the esophagus, which causes a burning pain in the middle of the chest. Anatomy After swallowing, food moves down the esophagus and into the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is at the connection between the esophagus and stomach, prevents stomach contents from moving back into the esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter is located below the diaphragm, where pressure from the abdominal organs helps keep the sphincter closed. There are different causes of GERD, but the lower esophageal sphincter is key to preventing reflux. See below for more details about why GERD occurs. Source: UpToDate Images: Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) Causes of GERD Decreased pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter- if the lower esophageal sphincter is too loose/ relaxed, stomach contents move more easily into the esophagus. This can be a pre-existing condition but it can also be caused or worsened by lifestyle habits. For example, tobacco and certain foods such as alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, carbonation, mint, citrus/ tomato-based foods, spicy/ fried/ fatty foods, can also decrease the pressure of the sphincter. Eating too much/ too fast→ overfilling the stomach leads to increased pressure, causing stomach contents to be pushed into the esophagus Laying flat- when you are standing or sitting upright gravity helps avoid reflux by keeping food in the stomach, but when laying flat, stomach contents can move into the esophagus more easily. This is why symptoms are often more severe at night or first thing in the morning. Hiatal hernia - when the lower esophageal sphincter is able to move into the chest, it no longer has the external pressure normally present when it’s in it’s correct position, and it more easily allows stomach contents to move into the esophagus. See link for image. Obesity or pregnancy- increased pressure on the abdomen from excess weight can put pressure on the stomach and allows stomach contents to move into the esophagus for easily. GERD: Symptoms and Causes [Mayo Clinic: Patient Care & Health Information] Diagnosis Symptoms are often adequate to diagnosis GERD. A swallow study can provide further information. This study is performed in radiology, and involves drinking contrast material and having x-ray images taken to evaluate the esophagus and stomach while you swallow. This study can diagnose esophageal problems, such as poor muscle function leading to swallowing difficulty. In addition, a hiatal hernia can be identified. John Hopkins Medicine: Barium Swallow An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), also known as an upper endoscopy (see link) can be used to assess the inner lining of the esophagus, stomach and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). There are many things that can be identified on an EGD, but specifically related to GERD, damage to the lining of the esophagus and the presence of a hiatal hernia can be identified with an EGD. Patient education: Upper endoscopy (Beyond the Basics) [UpToDate] Upper Endoscopy [Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)] Additional testing can be performed based on symptoms, results of initial testing and response to treatment. Esophageal manometry- a study to evaluate the muscle function of the esophagus ( pH test- a study to evaluate how much acid the esophagus is exposed to, which is one measure of the severity of GERD. GERD: Diagnosis and Treatment [Mayo Clinic: Patient Care & Health Information] Treatment Lifestyle Modifications [ Patient Handout: Anti-Reflux Diet and Lifestyle Modifications ] Eat slowly, avoid eating large meals and stop eating before you feel full. Avoiding alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, carbonation, mint, citrus/ tomato-based foods, spicy/ fried/ fatty foods. Avoid lying down for at least 2-3 hours after meals. Don't snack after dinner/ before bed. Elevating the head of the bed by 6-8 inches. This is NOT done by placing multiple pillows under your head- multiple pillows would actually increase pressure in the abdomen (like doing a sit-up or crunch). For more information, see this guide from the Kingsley clinic. Lose weight. Stop smoking. Avoid tight-fitting clothing. Medication Over the counter antacids Prescription medication Surgery Depending on how well medication and lifestyle modifications improve your GERD symptoms, and depending on the results of your other studies, such as your swallow study, esophageal manometry and pH testing, surgery may be an option for GERD. UpToDate Patient Education Patient Education: Gastroesophageal reflux disease in adults (Beyond the Basics) Previous Next

< Back Mangled Extremity- Keep or Cut? A 42-year-old male was struck by a vehicle as he was crossing the street. He was brought in by EMS. He had a depressed GCS and unequal pupils, and he was intubated for concern for airway compromise. He had a significant injury to the right lower extremity with diffuse bleeding, but no active arterial bleeding. Compressive dressings were applied. He had fluid in the LUQ window of his FAST. He was hemodynamically unstable. Initial evaluation and management? Imaging? Poly-trauma patients demand prioritization and quick decision making, and the simple step-wise algorithms designed for each injury in isolation are less helpful. Patients with blunt abdominal trauma and hemodynamic instability require emergent operative intervention. Patients with a depressed GCS and an abnormal pupil exam require emergent CT imaging to define the severity of their head injury and consultation with neurosurgery. Patients with a mangled extremity require a CT scan to define the vascular injury. In the setting of blunt abdominal trauma, a positive FAST and hemodynamic instability, he was transported to the OR emergently. If there was an option for a rapid CT en route to define his TBI, that would have been ideal. But hypotension is associated with worse outcomes for TBI patients, so the priority is stopping the bleeding. We performed a midline laparotomy, splenectomy, and repaired a diaphragm injury. We placed a temporary abdominal closure. Intraoperative Image What do we do about his mangled lower extremity? Consult vascular or ortho? Ex-fix? Amputate? There are several important tasks. Assessment of injury to neuromuscular structures is vital. If possible, rapid restoration of arterial blood flow is beneficial. However, it is vital to evaluate the need for amputation. This decision requires consideration of current physiologic status, co-morbidities, and baseline functional status. It's sometimes a question of life versus limb. Orthopedic and vascular specialists can be consulted, but it is important not to lose sight of the patient's overall clinical status. A brief temporizing procedure to restore blood flow with a shunt, stabilize bony structures, and preserve any remaining soft tissue may be appropriate, but a lengthy vascular repair and bony fixation are likely not ideal. The patient's baseline functional status, social support, and co-morbidities were unknown. Based on the severity of his extremity injury, high injury burden, and need for urgent head CT, my recommendation was for immediate amputation. This decision requires weighing the risks/ benefits of limb salvage (prolonged time in the operating room for stabilization, risk of ongoing tissue ischemia leading to systemic complications) vs amputation (limb loss). Our orthopedic specialists felt they could salvage his limb, and give him a chance to be an active participant in the decision-making. We agreed to a time limit to minimize operative time, so the limb was stabilized temporarily with a plan for ongoing evaluation of the limb viability. Managment of the Mangled Extremity WTA Algorithm Management of patients with mangled extremities remains controversial. Severe scoring systems have been created, with variable success in predicting who requires amputation. In the acute setting, the trauma surgeon must weigh the risks and benefits of limb salvage versus immediate amputation. If the limb injury is devastating (perhaps only hanging on by a small skin bridge), and the patient has other injuries that require immediate intervention, rapid amputation can be life-saving. If the decision to amputate is less clear, a second opinion from a colleague and orthopedics should be elicited. There have been remarkable advances in the ability to restore function to mangled extremities, and discussion with specialties can be very helpful. "Therapeutic advances in the treatment of vascular, orthopedic, neurologic, and soft tissue injuries have reduced the diagnostic accuracy of the MESS in predicting the need for amputation. There remains a significant need to examine additional predictors of amputation following severe extremity injury." Loja, Melissa N et al. “The mangled extremity score and amputation: Time for a revision.” J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2017;82(3):518-523 The trauma surgeon must maintain perspective on the whole patient- spending hours doing meticulous vascular or nerve dissection/ repair or extensive orthopedic manipulation can be an intolerable burden on a patient with multiple other injuries. 1. Control active hemorrhage. 2. Restore anatomic limb alignment. 3. Assess distal arterial flow→ evidence of vascular injury→ CTA to characterize injury. 4. Assess neurologic function. Unable to control active hemorrhage or there is hemodynamic instability→ proceed to OR. Assess for the need for immediate amputation. Factors to consider: Complex, segmental, severely comminuted fracture. Large circumferential soft tissue loss or massive soft tissue necrosis. Compartment syndrome with myonecrosis. Nerve disruption. Massive contamination. Prolonged warm ischemia >6 hours. Poor distal anastomosis options. No immediate amputation→ intraluminal shunt to re-establish perfusion. Then assess bony and nerve injury. Evaluate risks/ benefits of limb-preservation. Previous Next