A Novel Approach to Identify Polytraumatized Patients in Extremis

Abstract EN

Introduction.

Due to the fact that early objective identification of polytraumatized patients in extremis is crucial for carrying out immediate life-saving measures, our objectives were to provide and scrutinize a definition that results in a particularly high mortality rate and to identify predictors of mortality in this group.

Materials and Methods.

A polytraumatized patient (ISS ≥ 16) was classified “in extremis” if five out of seven parameters (arterial paCO2 > 50 mmHg, hemoglobin < 9.5 g/dl, pH value < 7.2, lactate level > 4 mmol/l, base excess < −6 mmol/l, shock index > 1, and Horowitz index < 300) were met.

By applying this definition, polytraumatized patients (age ≥ 18 years), admitted to our level I trauma center within a time period of three years, were retrospectively allocated to the “in extremis” group and to an age-, gender-, and ISS-matched “non-in extremis” group for comparison.

Results.

Out of 64 polytraumatized patients (mean ISS, 43.6), who formed the “in extremis” group, 36 patients (56.3%) died, thus revealing a threefold higher mortality rate than in the matched group (18.9%).

Within the “in extremis” group, age and ISS were identified as predictors of mortality.

Conclusion.

Our definition might serve as a valuable early warning score or at least an impetus for defining polytraumatized patients in extremis in clinical practice.