CRITICAL CARE CHALLENGES IN MANAGING POLYTRAUMA: INSIGHTS FROM INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ADMISSIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67214/01gs4z06Keywords:
management, multiple injured patients, polytraumaAbstract
Background: When a patient experiences more than two serious injuries that endanger their life or the function of essential organs, it is known as polytrauma. To lower the danger of death or long-term sequelae, this complicated medical issue necessitates immediate interdisciplinary treatment. Rapid evaluation of vital functions, patient’s stabilization, and provision of the required diagnostics for additional intervention, form the cornerstone of treatment.
Aim: The study aims to analyze the processes involved in caring for patients with polytrauma, from initial assessment and stabilization to secondary resuscitation, treatment and rehabilitation. It emphasizes the importance of an organized medical approach in reducing mortality, morbidity and disability among these patients.
Materials and methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of the total number of patients with polytrauma admitted and treated at University Clinic for Traumatology, Orthopedics, Anesthesia, Reanimation, Intensive Care and Emergency Center (UCTOARICEC), Clinical Center “Mother Theresa” at the Intensive Care Unit in Skopje. We included patients aged between 2 and 96 years, spanning a three-year period (2021–2023). We collected and processed data from patients’ admission records, age, gender, place of residence, diagnosis and outcomes, using documentation and statistics maintained at Clinic for Anesthesia, Reanimation, Intensive Care. We processed and analyzed the data using appropriate statistical methods, which included measures of central tendency, such as mean, median, and mode.
Results: According to the research conducted over the past three years, most of the polytraumatized patients were male, with the highest number of such patients admitted in 2021. We presented statistical analysis and data collection in tables and graphs, based on gender, place of residence, type and origin of injury and age.
Conclusion: Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of polytrauma cases and multiple injuries. Today, polytrauma ranks third after malignancies and heart diseases. Modern approaches to treating polytrauma greatly benefit from algorithms, which help achieve better outcomes by minimizing omissions and errors and elevating the quality of healthcare to the highest level.
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