Category Archives: Trauma

PUBLISHED: Exploratory Laparotomy for Bowel Obstruction with Primary Repair of Two Diaphragmatic Hernias

Exploratory Laparotomy for Bowel Obstruction with Primary Repair of Two Diaphragmatic Hernias
Katherine H. Albutt, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

A diaphragmatic hernia (DH) is characterized by protrusion of abdominal organs into the chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm. A sliding or paraesophageal hernia is the most prevalent type, characterized by its occurrence near the esophageal hiatus. Typically present since birth, it can also develop later in life, occasionally arising as a result of severe trauma or iatrogenic injury. Less often, congenital DHs protrude through posterolateral or substernal diaphragmatic defects, referred to as Bochdalek and Morgagni hernias, respectively.

DH can remain asymptomatic and is commonly detected as an incidental finding during evaluation for other medical issues. Hiatal hernias differ from abdominal wall hernias in that they are influenced by the constant motion of the diaphragm, which exerts continuous friction and pressure changes on the esophagus and the stomach. As a result, hiatal hernias have a higher likelihood of recurrence following surgical correction in comparison to abdominal hernias.

This is the case of an exploratory laparotomy for bowel obstruction and primary pledgeted repair of two diaphragmatic hernias.

PUBLISHED: Laparoscopic-Assisted Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tube Placement

Laparoscopic-Assisted Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tube Placement
Katherine H. Albutt, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

For long-term enteral nutrition, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is considered the standard of care; however, it often leads to a number of complications: tube migration, blockage, inadvertent tube slipping and removal, and less often, perforation. PEG involves insertion of a feeding tube through the skin and into the stomach, with the assistance of endoscopic intraluminal visualization of the stomach. PEG is a blind procedure, making it difficult to detect organs interposed between the stomach and the abdominal wall (e.g., colon, small intestine, greater omentum). To avoid these complications, laparoscopic-assisted PEG (LAPEG) was introduced.

LAPEG tube placement stands out as a minimally invasive surgical intervention that combines the techniques of laparoscopy and endoscopy to establish enteral access for nutritional support. The laparoscopic approach provides visualization for the feeding tube insertion and for approximation of the gastric and abdominal walls. This method proves particularly beneficial for individuals who require long-term enteral feeding while having obstacles with conventional approaches to stomach access due to diverse medical conditions.

PUBLISHED: Emergent Right Frontal Camino Bolt Placement for Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for a GCS Under 8

Emergent Right Frontal Camino Bolt Placement for Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for a GCS Under 8
Nathaniel D. Sisterson, MD, MScBrian Hsueh, MD, PhD; Katherine H. Albutt, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Intracranial hypertension is a critical concern in traumatic brain injury (TBI), with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) significantly impacting patient outcomes. ICP monitoring is an essential component in managing patients with various brain pathologies that can lead to dangerously elevated intracranial pressure. In neurosurgical practice, accurate monitoring and timely intervention are critical when dealing with the challenges of intracranial hypertension, and its timely resolution is crucial for preventing severe neurological sequelae and fatal outcomes.

The risk of Infections or hemorrhage of significance associated with ICP devices, which can lead to patient morbidity, usually do not outweigh the benefit of continuous ICP monitoring in TBI. Therefore, these should not deter the decision to monitor ICP.

This video provides step-by-step visual guidance for placing a right frontal Camino bolt to guide optimal patient care. In this clinical case a patient presents without prior opportunity for clinical exam and with reported signs of a cranial hemorrhage, coupled with a right occipital fracture, thereby requiring ICP monitoring to proceed with further neurosurgical care.

PUBLISHED: Airway Assessment for Trauma Patients

Airway Assessment for Trauma Patients
Stephen Estime, MDAbdullah Hasan Pratt, MDNicholas G. Ludmer, MD
UChicago Medicine

Airway injury remains a leading cause of early mortality in patients with trauma. Despite its rarity, direct traumatic airway injury and tracheobronchial injury (TBI) pose significant challenges for emergency clinicians, with an estimated incidence of 0.5–2% among trauma patients. Blunt or penetrating injuries to the head, oropharynx, neck, or upper chest can result in immediate or delayed airway blockage. Trauma can cause airway obstruction by itself or by blood clots, tissue edema, or gastric contents clogging the airway lumen. The added complexity of associated spinal injuries further underscores the need for precise and timely airway assessment.

In the context of trauma patients, a fundamental aspect of care involves prompt airway assessment. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) algorithm, a cornerstone in trauma care, outlines a systematic approach focusing on a sequential assessment and management of Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure (ABCDE), as part of the initial evaluation of the injured individual. While adapted for battle and disaster environments, the ATLS algorithm consistently emphasizes the timely assessment and treatment of life-threatening airway and breathing issues before shifting focus to circulation problems. The CAB sequence has become more widely embraced in the last ten years, surpassing the airway-breathing-circulation (ABC) model for individuals with serious bleeding injuries. When bleeding is severe or life-threatening, prioritizing control of the bleeding takes precedence over interventions related to airway and breathing․

PUBLISHED: Exploratory Laparotomy and Splenectomy for Ruptured Spleen Following Blunt Force Trauma

Exploratory Laparotomy and Splenectomy for Ruptured Spleen Following Blunt Force Trauma
Sebastian K. Chung, MD1Ashley Suah, MD2Daven Patel, MD, MPH2Nadim Michael Hafez, MD2Brian Williams, MD2
1University of Massachusetts Medical School
2UChicago Medicine

The spleen is highly vascular, is the largest secondary lymphoid organ, and is the most commonly injured organ in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma. Patients may present asymptomatically or with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, or signs of hemodynamic instability. Although many splenic injuries caused by blunt abdominal trauma may be managed conservatively, free intra-abdominal fluid with hemodynamic instability warrant surgical management in the form of exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy.

This video report demonstrates the management of a patient who was assaulted, sustaining blunt abdominal trauma and a hemodynamically significant grade IV splenic laceration. An exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy were performed.

PUBLISHED: Exploratory Laparotomy in a Hemodynamically Stable Patient for an Abdominal Gunshot Wound

Exploratory Laparotomy in a Hemodynamically Stable Patient for an Abdominal Gunshot Wound
Matthew Daniel1Ashley Suah, MD2Brian Williams, MD2
1Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn
2UChicago Medicine

Gunshot wounds to the abdomen are one of the most classic trauma cases a surgeon will come across in their career. The high velocity of a bullet can cause massive internal and external trauma to the abdomen. Exploration of the small bowel using laparotomy is often indicated after a penetrating traumatic injury or when peritoneal signs are present.

This video article shows the most common techniques for performing an exploratory laparotomy. In this case, the abdomen was explored and was revealed to show a through-and-through gunshot wound to the jejunum, as well as a partial-thickness tear of the proximal cecum; the abdomen was explored for any smaller bleeds or leaks, and the abdomen was closed.

PUBLISHED: Ankle-Brachial Index, CT Angiography, and Proximal Tibial Traction for Gunshot Femoral Fracture

Ankle-Brachial Index, CT Angiography, and Proximal Tibial Traction for Gunshot Femoral Fracture
Johnathan R. Kent, MD; James Jeffries, MD; Andrew Straszewski, MD; Kenneth L. Wilson, MD
University of Chicago Medicine

This video demonstrates an algorithm for evaluating suspected vascular injury secondary to penetrating extremity trauma on a 42-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound to his left lower extremity. Descriptions of how to perform an arterial-brachial index (ABI) and arterial-pulse index (API) are reviewed, along with criteria to determine if a CT angiography is indicated. Relevant imaging is reviewed with a radiology resident with descriptions of how to systematically assess the scans for injury. Lastly, a tibial traction pin is placed as a temporizing measure for long bone fractures to prevent shortening and to help with pain management.

PUBLISHED: Introduction to Bedside Cardiac Ultrasound

Introduction to Bedside Cardiac Ultrasound

Allyson Peterson, MD
UChicago Medicine

Nadim Michael Hafez, MD
UChicago Medicine

Point of care cardiac ultrasound is a key diagnostic tool in evaluating any patient who is in extremis. Indications for a bedside cardiac ultrasound include cardiac arrest, unexplained hypotension, syncope, shortness of breath, chest pain, and altered mental status. There are no absolute contraindications for a limited bedside cardiac ultrasound. Point of care cardiac ultrasound mainly consists of four views: the parasternal long, parasternal short, apical four chamber, and subxiphoid views. Here, Dr. Peterson and Dr. Hafez at UChicago Medicine discuss image acquisition, pearls and pitfalls, and pathology for each of these views as an introduction to the bedside cardiac ultrasound.

PREPRINT RELEASE: AIRWAY TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

Airway Techniques and Equipment
UChicago Medicine

Dany Accilien, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Dexter C. Graves, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Nicholas Ludmer, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Stephen Estime, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Abdullah Hasan Pratt, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

In this video, Dr. Pratt goes over airway management techniques in trauma resuscitation. It outlines the preparation and equipment used in patients with impending airway failure that require manual or mechanical ventilation. Also discussed are the innovative airway towers used in the University of Chicago emergency room as well as the general approach to airway management. The different types of laryngoscopy, assist devices, and cricothyroidotomy surgical airway procedures are also presented.

PUBLISHED: Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (EFAST) Exam

Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (EFAST) Exam
UChicago Medicine

Daven Patel, MD, MPH
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Kristin Lewis, MD, MA
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Allyson Peterson, MD
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Nadim Michael Hafez, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Emergency Medicine

This video covers information related to the FAST exam, which evaluates the pericardial, hepatorenal, splenorenal, and suprapubic regions for free fluid in a trauma patient as well as the extended version, which includes an additional evaluation of the pleural spaces for a pneumothorax. It goes through probe selection, probe placement and image acquisition, image optimization, and pitfalls and pearls for the subxiphoid/subcostal, right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, suprapubic, and pleural views.