Effective factors on cardiac affection and their relationship with trauma severity in multiple traumatized patient

Trauma cases are frequently cause admission to emergency departments. Sincemultiple trauma effects a number of systems, and also increase the mortality rates, theyshould be investigated and considered as important trauma types.In this study, it is aimed to find out and compare effects of injury on cardiacaffection via certain diagnostic procedures in multiple traumatized patients whose injuryrate accounted by various trauma severity scores. In this respect, the relationshipbetween trauma severity and cardiac affection were also evaluated.This prospective study has been approved by the medical faculty?s ethicalcommitee. The study was performed between June 01th,2005 and August 31th, 2006.One hundred patients (over 15 years of age), having multiple trauma were taken in thescope of the study. After identifing trauma severity by using trauma severity scores suchas ISS, GCS, RTS and C-RTS, cardiac affection was evaluated by biochemical andradiological diagnostic tests. SPSS 10 was used for statistical analysis.In examined time period, 78 (78%) male, 22 (22%) female, a total of 100 patientswith a mean age of 33.2±15.4 (15-70) were included in the study. Out of all multipletraumatized patients, 92 (92%) were blunt trauma originated, of these 77 (77%) weredue to traffic accidents. Thorax injuries were mostly accompanied by head-neck andextremity injuries. ECG was detected to be abnormal in 63 (63%) patients, 36 (36%) ofthese were sinus tachicardia. A total of 31 patients of which a great number (n=24)show ventricular function disorder, have abnormal ECHO signs. Nineteen cases whosetrauma severity score were high resulted in death, and 14 of all deaths were secondaryto traffic accidents. Out of all trauma scores, ISS was detected to be the best indicator ofcardiac affection.In conclussion; in multiple traumatized patients, directly or secondary to systemiceffects, cardiac affection occurs. Detected high cardiac markers, abnormal ECG andECHO signs may present high cardiac affection in multiple traumatized patients withhigh trauma severity. Multiple traumatized patients who have high trauma severityshould be considered to have cardiac affection, and should be monitorized in the meanof cardiac rytm and hemodynamic instability.Key Words: Multiple Trauma, Cardiac Affection, Trauma Severity