Biochemical characterization of individual injury pattern and injury severity

Estimation of trauma severity currently relies on clinical diagnoses and scoring systems. However, the early estimation of the severity of chest trauma and overall soft tissue trauma (STT) remains insufficient. Traditional trauma scoring systems fail to reflect the individual trauma pattern and severity, neglecting the different outcomes after injuries in different body regions. Therefore, the aim of this prospective study was to detect laboratory markers that may reflect the pattern and extent of individual trauma in the very early phase after injury.

In 107 non-selected trauma patients, blood samples were collected almost immediately and then at short intervals after the trauma. In addition to the biochemical analysis of 20 different mediators viewed as potential trauma markers, the following data were correlated with the laboratory results: injury severity score (ISS), polytrauma score (PTS), Ulmer score HTAPE (trauma pattern specific: head (H), thorax (T), abdomen (A), pelvis (P), extremities (E); 0-3 degrees each), multiple organ failure score (MOF), overall, primary and secondary lethality.

ISS and the severity of head injury were clearly higher in non-survivors (n=17) than in survivors (n=90) (median ISS: 35 versus 18; median severity of head injury (H): 3 versus 1). Whereas head injury was correlated with early death (3 days post-trauma) was influenced by thoracic trauma (r=0.15) as well as by soft tissue trauma (STT, r=0.12). Of all investigated mediators, interleukin-6 (IL-6) displayed the highest correlations (r=0.66, P<0.00001) with the extent of chest trauma, followed by correlations with PTS, STT, fracture trauma (FT) and ISS during the first hour after trauma. There was no correlation between IL-6 and head injury. The extent of STT was correlated best to IL-8 (r=0.75), IL-6 (r=0.54), and creatine kinase (CK, r=0.49) plasma concentrations.

In the very early stage after an accident the severity of chest trauma is strongly correlated with the plasma concentration of IL-6, and the extent of overall soft tissue trauma (STT) to plasma concentrations of IL-8, IL-6, and CK.