Pattern and In-Hospital Mortality of Thoracoabdominal Injuries Associated with Motor Vehicle Accident-Related Head...

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine
• Neurotrauma

Background:

• Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are a leading cause of traumatic injuries.
• Head injuries (HI) often occur alongside other severe trauma, impacting patient outcomes.
• Thoracoabdominal injuries in conjunction with HI present unique management challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the pattern and in-hospital mortality of thoracoabdominal injuries in patients with head injuries from MVAs.
• To identify factors associated with mortality in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study was conducted at a Level 1 trauma center.
• Data collected included patient demographics, injury types, hospital stay duration, and discharge status.
• Descriptive and associative analyses were performed to evaluate outcomes.

Main Results:

• The study included a cohort with a mean age of 26.9 years, predominantly male (86.9%).
• Thoracoabdominal injuries were identified in 6.8% of MVA-related HI cases.
• In-hospital mortality was 14.3%, with most deaths occurring within 10 days; all deceased patients had posttraumatic brain lesions, and ICU admission was linked to poor prognosis.

Conclusions:

• Posttraumatic brain lesions and the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission are significant predictors of poor outcomes in MVA-related HI with thoracoabdominal trauma.
• Survival beyond the initial 10 days suggests a better prognosis.
• Further research and interventions are crucial to mitigate the impact of these severe injuries.