Journal Club - Tranexamic Acid in Trauma

Journal Club - Tranexamic Acid in Trauma

The use of TXA in the care of the trauma patient has become prevalent since the publication of the MATTERs and CRASH-2 studies which demonstrated significant mortality benefits in trauma patients who received early TXA after admission. Since these publications, there continues to be several additional questions regarding its TXA: 1) If earlier treatment with TXA for the trauma patient is better, would there be benefit in its administration in the prehospital setting? 2) Is there benefit to the use of TXA in patients with TBI to prevent the progression and subsequent morbidity and mortality? 3) Lastly, does TXA carry a significant risk for side effects, including venous thromboembolic events? This journal club reviewed four articles that aim to answer these questions.

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Journal Club January 2018 - Cervical Spine Fractures in the Elderly

 Journal Club January 2018 - Cervical Spine Fractures in the Elderly

Geriatric patients (> age 65) account for almost 1 in 5 of all cervical spine fractures, with 50% of cervical spine fractures occurring at the C1/C2 level.  Recent literature has questioned whether these clinical decision rules may be applied in the geriatric population, where over half of identified cervical spine fractures result from ground level falls.  Furthermore the reliability of physical exam, specifically midline tenderness, has been questioned in elderly patients.  January's journal club examined three articles that addressed this specific population of blunt trauma patients at risk for cervical spine injury. 

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