Active clinical trials for "Multiple Trauma"

The goal of this study was to train OIF/OIF Veterans with multiple injuries to be Peer Visitors, i.e., Volunteers who visit more recently OIF/OEF Veterans and provide support. We evaluated the effectiveness of the training, and any benefits that Volunteer Peer Visitors and the Recipients of Peer Visitors experienced as a result of participating in Peer Visitation.

Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after severe injury are prone to suffer from infectious complications and even sepsis. Despite tremendous efforts the etiology of this increased susceptibility to infectious pathogens is incompletely understood. Clinical signs and symptoms as well as current diagnostic clinical tests (WBC, CRP, cytokines, interleukines) lack sensitivity or specificity for adequate prediction of the development of infectious complications or sepsis. Neutrophil granulocytes, cells of the innate immune system, play an important role in the defence against invading bacterial pathogens and are crucial in preventing fulminant infections. For successful eradication of a bacterium neutrophils need to exert specific functions: chemotaxis, migration, phagocytosis, degranulation and production of radical oxygen species. Much research has focused on the effect of trauma on neutrophil's individual capacities to kill bacteria with conflicting interpretations as a result. For adequate determination of the neutrophil's capacity to eradicate bacteria from tissue of trauma patients we developed novel in-vitro assays in which neutrophils are tested for all of these functions combined. This assay allows us to identify dysfunctional neutrophils adequately. The main focus of this study is the determination of the functionality of aberrant neutrophils circulating in the peripheral blood of severly injured following trauma.

The purpose of this trial is to investigate if pharmacologically safe dose intravenous glutamine dipeptide supplementation to multiple trauma patients receiving enteral nutrition is associated with improved clinical outcomes in terms of decreased organ dysfunction, infectious complications, and other secondary outcomes

To evaluate the effects of trauma treatment team establishment on the treatment of patients with severe trauma.

This is a single-center, prospective, randomized, comparative, double-blind controlled clinical study mend to assess the effect of enteral feeding with Oxepa (a fish oil-based nutrition), compared to an isocaloric control, on oxygenation and clinical outcomes in mechanically ventilated trauma patients. The study population will be adults admitted to the ICU due to multiple-trauma or head trauma as a result of a gun shut, motor vehicle accidents, fall, workplace accident etc.

The goal of this study will be to determine if a lower than normal blood pressure during surgery for bleeding in the abdomen or chest will result in decreased bleeding and decreased chance of death.

Advances in medical care have increased the proportion of elderly Americans and enabled them to remain more physically active. This has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the number of geriatric patients admitted to trauma centers. The elderly constitute 23% of trauma center admissions, but 36% of all trauma deaths. This disproportionately high mortality is attributable to a higher prevalence of pre-existing conditions, particularly, cardiac disease. Multi-system injuries result in critical cardiac stress. Although beta-blockade has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients at risk for myocardial infarction after elective surgery, their use in trauma patients with potential underlying cardiac disease has not been previously studied. We hypothesize that routine administration of beta-blockers after resuscitation will reduce morbidity and mortality in elderly trauma patients with, or at risk for, underlying cardiac disease. This study is a randomized, prospective clinical trial. One cohort will receive routine trauma intensive care, and the other, the same care plus beta-blockade after completion of resuscitation. The primary outcome will be mortality. Secondary outcomes include MI, length of stay, organ dysfunction, cardiac, and other complications. Changes in outcome may not be due to reduction in myocardial oxygen demand and heart rate. Laboratory studies demonstrate that circulating inflammatory cytokines contribute to cardiac risk in trauma patients, and their production is influenced by adrenergic stimulation. We will measure circulating IL-6, TNF alpha, IL-1beta, and measure NF-kB and p38 MAP kinase activation in peripheral blood leukocytes, and determine the effect of beta-blockade on the production of these inflammatory markers. Finally, the wide variation in patient response to beta-blockers is attributed to genetic variability in the adrenergic receptor. Therefore, we will identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) within the beta-adrenergic receptor, and determine their effects on mortality and response to beta-blockade. This study will provide the first randomized, prospective trial designed to reduce morbidity and mortality in elderly trauma patients at risk for cardiac disease. The laboratory and genetic component will provide additional insights that may explain treatment effects, lead to new therapeutic strategies, and have the potential to lead to additional areas of investigation.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Erythropoietin decrease stress responses and inflammation in trauma patient.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Biomarkers (pro adrenomedullin (MR proADM), pro arginin vasopressin (CT proAVP), pro atrial natriuretic peptid (MR proANP), Pro Endothelin) changes at Day 2, Day 5 and Day 7 of ICU admission are correlated with Intravascular volume assessed by Cr 51 on red blood cells (Day 2 and Day 7) and by I 125 on albumine Day 7. The correlation of these Biomarkers are also evaluted with other markers such as erythropoietin and catecholamines. 80 ICU patients are included.

Compartment syndrome (CS) is a serious complication of soft-tissue injuries in patients with fractures of the musculoskeletal apparatus. CS is defined as a condition, during which an increased tissue pressure inside an enclosed compartment damages the microcirculation and neuromuscular function of the tissue, and results in ischemization, with a damage of nerve-muscle structures, which lead either to extensive flexion contractures, or myonecroses, with the need to perform an early amputation of the affected limb. In traumatology, compartment syndrome is most frequently observed in a patient with crural fractures, closed as well as open fractures, or in cases of crus laceration.