vitamin-k-semiquinone-radical and Brain-Injuries

Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) occurs early after severe injury. TIC is associated with a substantial increase in bleeding rate, transfusion requirements, and a 4-fold higher mortality. Rapid surgical control of blood loss and early aggressive hemostatic therapy are essential steps in improving survival. Since the publication of the CRASH-2 study, early administration of tranexamic acid is considered as an integral step in trauma resuscitation protocols of severely injured patients in many trauma centers. However, the advantage of en route administration of tranexamic acid is not proven in prospective studies. Fibrinogen depletes early after severe trauma; therefore, it seems to be reasonable to maintain plasma fibrinogen as early as possible. The effect of prehospital fibrinogen concentrate administration on outcome in major trauma patients is the subject of an ongoing prospective investigation. The use of prothrombin complex concentrate is potentially helpful in patients anticoagulated with vitamin K antagonists who experience substantial trauma or traumatic brain injury. Beyond emergency reversal of vitamin K antagonists, safety data on prothrombin complex concentrate use in trauma are lacking.

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Blood Coagulation; Blood Coagulation Factors; Blood Transfusion; Brain Injuries; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Medicine; Fibrinogen; Hemorrhage; Hemostasis; Humans; Platelet Count; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Tranexamic Acid; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin K; Wounds and Injuries

This study was performed to determine whether moderate hypothermia (31 degrees C) improves clinical outcome in severely head injured patients whose intracranial hypertension cannot be controlled using mild hypothermia (34 degrees C).. Twenty-two consecutive severely head injured patients who fulfilled the following criteria were included in this study: an intracranial pressure (ICP) that remained higher than 40 mm Hg despite the use of mild hypothermia combined with conventional therapies; and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less on admission. After the failure of mild hypothermia in combination with conventional therapies; patients were exposed to moderate hypothermia as quickly as possible. As brain temperature was reduced from 34 to 31 degrees C, the volume of intravenous fluid infusion was increased significantly from 1.9 +/- 0.9 to 2.6 +/- 1.2 mg/kg/hr (p < 0.01), and the dose of dopamine infusion increased significantly from 4.3 +/- 3.1 to 8.2 +/- 4.4 microg/kg/min (p < 0.01). Nevertheless, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate decreased significantly from 97.1 +/- 13.1 to 85.1 +/- 10.5 mm Hg (p < 0.01) and from 92.2 +/- 13.8 to 72.2 +/- 14.3 beats/minute at (p < 0.01) at 34 and 31 degrees C, respectively. Arterial base excess was significantly aggravated from -3.3 +/- 4 at 34 degrees C to -5.6 +/- 5.4 mEq/L (at 31 degrees C; p < 0.05). Likewise, serum potassium concentration, white blood cell counts, and platelet counts at 31 degrees C decreased significantly compared with those at 34 degrees C (p < 0.01). In 19 (86%) of 22 patients, elevation of ICP could not be prevented using moderate hypothermia. In the remaining three patients. ICP was maintained below 40 mm Hg by inducing moderate hypothermia; however, these three patients died of multiple organ failure. These results clearly indicate that moderate hypothermia induces complications more severe than those induced by mild hypothermia without improving outcomes.. The authors concluded that moderate hypothermia is not effective in improving clinical outcomes in severely head injured patients whose ICP remains higher than 40 mm Hg after treatment with mild hypothermia combined with conventional therapies.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Body Temperature; Brain Injuries; Female; Glasgow Coma Scale; Humans; Hypertension; Hypothermia, Induced; Intracranial Pressure; Leukocyte Count; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Vitamin K

Topics: Anticoagulants; Brain Injuries; Humans; Vitamin K

Outpatient anticoagulation in the geriatric trauma patient is a challenging clinical problem. The aim of this study is to determine clinical outcomes associated with class of preinjury anticoagulants (PA) used by this population. This is a multicenter retrospective cohort study among four Level II trauma centers. A total of 1642 patients were evaluated; 684 patients were on anticoagulation and 958 patients were not. Patients on PA were compared with those who were not. Drug classes were divided into thromboxane A2 inhibitors, vitamin K factor-dependent inhibitors, antithrombin III activation, platelet P2Y12 inhibitors, and thrombin inhibitors. Multivariate regression was used to adjust for age, gender, race, mechanism of injury, and Injury Severity Score. No single or combination of anticoagulation agents had a significant association with mortality; however, there were positive trends toward increased mortality were noted for all antiplatelet groups involving thromboxane A2 inhibitors and platelet P2Y12 inhibitors classes. The likelihood of complications was significantly higher with platelet P2Y12 inhibitors adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.39 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32, 4.3]. The likelihood of blood transfusion was increased with vitamin K inhibitors aOR 2.89 (95% CI 1.3, 6.5), P2Y12 inhibitors aOR 2.76 (95% CI 1.12, 6.76), and combined thromboxane A2 and P2Y12 inhibitors aOR 2.89 (95% CI 1.13, 7.46). P2Y12 inhibitors were also more likely associated with traumatic brain injury aOR 2.16 (95% CI 1.01, 4.6). All classes of PA were associated with solid organ injury. There were no significant differences in the use of antiplatelet agents between patients with major indications for PA and those without major indications. Geriatric trauma patients on outpatient anticoagulants have a higher likelihood of developing complications, packed red blood cell transfusions, traumatic brain injury, and solid organ injury. Attention should be paid to patients on platelet P2Y12 inhibitors, vitamin K inhibitors, and thromboxane A2 inhibitor agents combined with platelet P2Y12 inhibitors. Opportunities exist to address the use of antiplatelet agents among patients without major indications to improve patient outcomes.

Topics: Aged; Aging; Anticoagulants; Antithrombin III; Brain Injuries; Female; Florida; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics; Hemostatics; Humans; Inpatients; Male; Outpatients; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Thrombin; Thromboxane-A Synthase; Trauma Centers; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin K; Vitamins; Wounds and Injuries