Journal of Surgery and Anesthesia

Abstract

Pathophysiology of Concurrent Trauma and Exsanguinationv

El Rasheid Zakaria and Bellal Joseph

Trauma continues to remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed countries [1]. Hemorrhage is the second most common cause of death after trauma, only outnumbered by traumatic brain injury [2]. Exsanguinating hemorrhage is the most common cause of mortality in the first hour of arrival to a trauma center and accounts for almost half of deaths in the first 24 h [3,4]. In addition, about 20-40% of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission usually involve massive hemorrhage, in which death is potentially preventable [5]. Although the resuscitation protocols and management strategies for resuscitation of patients with exsanguinating hemorrhage have evolved in the past two decades, mortality among these patients remains high.