Combined brain and thoracic trauma surgery in a hybrid emergency room system: a case report

BACKGROUND: A novel trauma workflow system called the hybrid emergency room (Hybrid ER), which combines a sliding CT scanner system with interventional radiology features (IVR-CT), was initially instituted in our emergency department in 2011. Use of the Hybrid ER enables CT diagnosis and emergency therapeutic interventions without transferring the patient to another room. We describe an illustrative case of severe multiple blunt trauma that included injuries to the brain and torso to highlight the ability to perform multiple procedures in the Hybrid ER. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old man sustained multiple injuries after falling from height. An early CT scan performed in the Hybrid ER revealed grade IIIa thoracic aortic injury, left lung contusion, and right subdural haematoma and subarachnoid haemorrhage. Without relocating the patient, all definitive procedures, including trepanation, total pneumonectomy, and thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair were performed in the Hybrid ER. At 5.72 h after definitive surgery was begun, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. CONCLUSIONS: The Hybrid ER has the potential to facilitate the performance of multiple definitive procedures in combination to treat severe multiple blunt trauma including injuries to the brain and torso. Emergency departments with more than one resuscitation room would benefit from a Hybrid ER to treat complex emergency cases.