Title: Post mortem Ct scan study identifies blunt traumatic arrest injuries<br/>Author: Robert Flint<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/2561/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p> In a study looking at 80 blunt trauma patients that died within 1 hour of arrival to a trauma center who underwent a noncontrast post mortem CT scan the following injuries were identified:</p> <p> -40% traumatic brain injury</p> <p> -25% long bone fracture</p> <p> -22.5% hemoperitoneum</p> <p> -25% cervical spine injury</p> <p> <strong>- 18.8% moderate/large pneumothorax</strong></p> <p> <strong> -5% esophageal intubation</strong></p> <p> </p> <p> Blunt trauma arrest patients deserve decompression of the chest (preferred method is open with finger sweep). Intubation should be verified with end tidal CO<sub>2</sub>. Verification on arrival at the trauma center is also prudent.</p> <fieldset><legend>References</legend>
<p> Levin, Jeremy H. MD; Pecoraro, Anthony MD, MBA; Ochs, Victoria; Meagher, Ashley MD; Steenburg, Scott D. MD; Hammer, Peter M. MD, FACS. Characterization of fatal blunt injuries using postmortem computed tomography. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 95(2):p 186-190, August 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004012</p> </fieldset>