Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The "Death Diamond": Death Beyond Trauma.

Michael Farrell, Thomas Marconi, John Getchell

    The American Surgeon
    |August 14, 2019
    PubMed
    Summary

    The "Death Diamond" (DD) on thromboelastography (TEG) accurately predicts mortality in trauma and non-trauma patients. This finding suggests DD may indicate futile care, regardless of interventions.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Surgical Fixation Enhances Discharge Independence in Elderly Patients With Fragility Fractures of the Pelvis.

    Journal of orthopaedic trauma·2026
    Same author

    Safe local management of mild traumatic brain injury: Reducing unnecessary transfers to higher-level trauma centers.

    Surgery·2026
    Same author

    Trans-symphyseal fixation for complex anterior pelvic fractures: a novel technique guide and case series.

    OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma·2026
    Same author

    Crossing the symphysis: a novel percutaneous technique for fixation of the anterior pelvic ring.

    OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma·2025
    Same author

    Battling the Conundrum of Bleeding and Clotting: Initiation of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Traumatic Brain Injury after Neurosurgical Intervention.

    Journal of the American College of Surgeons·2025
    Same author

    Identifying drivers of disparities in post-surgical healthcare resource utilization for bariatric surgery.

    Surgical endoscopy·2025

    Area of Science:

    • Medical diagnostics
    • Hematology
    • Trauma care

    Background:

    • Thromboelastography (TEG) is crucial for managing coagulopathy in trauma.
    • The "Death Diamond" (DD) is a specific TEG pattern linked to high mortality in trauma patients.
    • The prognostic value of the DD warrants further investigation for potential use in identifying futile care.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the outcomes of patients with a "Death Diamond" (DD) TEG tracing.
    • To assess the predictive value of the DD in both trauma and non-trauma populations.
    • To determine if the DD can serve as an indicator of futile care.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective review of 6850 TEG tracings.
    • Identified 34 patients (24 trauma, 10 non-trauma) exhibiting the DD pattern.
    • Analyzed patient outcomes and survival times in relation to the DD tracing.

    Main Results:

    • The DD tracing demonstrated a 100% positive predictive value for mortality in both trauma and non-trauma groups.
    • Interventions like transfusions did not alter the mortality outcome for patients with a DD.
    • Median survival was 2 hours for trauma patients and 7 hours for non-trauma patients with a DD.

    Conclusions:

    • The study validates the high predictive value of the DD for mortality in trauma patients.
    • The DD also shows significant mortality prediction in a non-trauma population.
    • The DD may serve as a valuable indicator of futile care, prompting further multicenter validation.

    Related Experiment Videos