Orientador: Mateus José Rodrigues Paranhos da Costa / Banca: Fernando Sebastián Baldi Rey / Banca: Roberto de Oliveira Roça / Resumo: O transporte de animais para o abate é considerada a etapa mais crítica dentro do manejo de pré-abate. Vários são os motivos que influenciam nos efeitos do transporte rodoviário de bovinos de corte e no bem-estar animal e na qualidade de carcaça. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os efeitos do transporte rodoviário no bem-estar e na qualidade da carcaça de bovinos de corte destinados ao abate. Foram realizadas avaliações em duas plantas frigoríficas, com 1.038 desembarques, 185 motoristas avaliados e com um total de 19.635 carcaças. Analisando-se os principais efeitos relacionados à caracterização do transporte rodoviário de bovinos em alguns indicadores de bem-estar animal estão relacionados as características das viagens (condição de conservação do veículo, condições das estradas, distância, espaçamento), do condutor (curso na área de bem-estar animal, idade, tempo de experiência em condução de bovinos) e dos animais (raça e sexo). Considerou como variáveis dependentes as frequências de animais deitados, de quedas no desembarque e de hematomas nas carcaças. Os resultados indicaram que todas as variáveis dependentes apresentaram algum efeito sobre o número de hematomas nas carcaças, a porcentagem de animais deitados durante a viagem e a porcentagem de quedas sofridas no desembarque. Destaca-se os efeitos da distância percorrida pelo veículo de transporte, o espaço linear do compartimento de carga por animal e o tempo de experiência e capacitação dos condutores como importantes fontes de variação. Além dessas, o modelo do veículo utilizado para o transporte dos animais, também se mostrou uma forte variável, embora não tenha sido como variável independente nos modelos, devido ao fato da definição do modelo a ser usado no transporte não ser aleatória, dificultando comparações... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Animal transportation is considered the most critical step in preslaughter beef cattle management. The aim of this study was to characterize the road transport of beef cattle and to analyses its impact on cattle welfare and carcass quality. The study was carried out in two slaughterhouses, by assessing the circumstances of 1,038 unloading procedures, interviewing 185 truck drivers and analyzing 19,635 carcasses. The following independent variables were recorded: 1.) vehicle (type and load compartment conditions), 2) road (distance traveled and road conditions), 3.) driver (age, years of experience in cattle transport and attendance to training courses), 4.) animal (breed and gender) and 5.) space available per animal in the load compartment. The dependent variables analyzed were 1.) frequency of animals lying down in the load compartment, 2.) number of falls at unloading and 3.) number of bruises on the carcasses. The results indicated that all dependent variables had some effect on the number of bruises on carcasses and percentages of animals lying down during the trip and of falls at unloading. The distance traveled, the space per animal in the load compartment and the drivers' experience and attendance to capacitation courses were determined to be the most important sources of variation. In addition, the vehicle model, also showed a strong effect on the dependent variables, although the type of vehicle was not included as independent variable, due to the fact of the model definition used for cattle transport was not by random. We conclude that to assure good animal welfare standards during transport and to achieve better carcass quality it is necessary to improve the transport conditions and this can be achieved by using vehicles that offer less risk to the animals, training the truck drivers, and opting for short-distances / Mestre

La presente investigación fue de tipo cualitativa tuvo como objetivo: describir, analizar y comprender la seguridad del cuidado enfermero en pacientes postoperados por hematoma subdural. Esta investigación se fundamentó con la teoría de J. Watson “Teoría del Cuidado Humano”. Los sujetos de estudio fueron siete enfermeras y siete familiares de pacientes postoperados por hematoma subdural en el servicio de Cirugía Especialidades del HRL, ambas muestras fueron delimitadas por la técnica de saturación y redundancia de discursos. Se utilizó entrevistas semiestructuradas, previo consentimiento informado. En el análisis de contenido emergieron las siguientes categorías: Actividades de Enfermería que garantizan la seguridad en el cuidado integral del paciente, Condiciones que ponen en riesgo la seguridad del paciente, Trabajo en equipo para garantizar la seguridad en el cuidado de pacientes. Durante el proceso de investigación se respetaron los principios bioéticos de Sgreccia y los criterios de rigor científico. Finalmente se concluyó la seguridad en el cuidado del paciente es desarrollado con sustento científico brindando sus cuidados bajo estándares de calidad, que genere una cultura organizacional que permitan hacer uso de los indicadores de seguridad para identificar el resultado o daño, para así poder aumentar el nivel de seguridad en la atención del paciente.

Background: Subcapsular hematoma of the liver is a potentially life-threatening but extremely rare condition. It is often caused by a blunt trauma or other predisposing conditions such as a liver tumor, intra-tumor hemorrhage, surgery, preeclampsia, liver biopsy, and hemodialysis. Predisposing causes of liver hematoma include its large size and proximity to fixed structures. To date, there have been no reported cases of subcapsular liver hematoma caused by tight clothing such as corsets. Our case report is about an extremely rare case of subcapsular hematoma of the liver caused by wearing a tight faja corset in a young healthy female. Case presentation: A forty-five-year-old Spanish female without any underlying health problems presented with sudden onset epigastric and right upper quadrant abdominal pain after wearing a faja corset the night prior to the hospital presentation. CT abdomen was noted for subcapsular hematoma of the liver. Her symptoms persisted and repeat CT abdomen showing worsening of the liver hematoma. Patient had interventional radiology (IR) guided drainage and was subsequently discharged home. Conclusions: Subscapular liver hematomas need to be considered in patients presenting with acute onset abdominal pain after wearing certain tight clothing. The necessity of an early and accurate diagnosis is vital for management as hemodynamically stable patients can be managed conservatively. Our patient was managed with IR-guided aspiration drainage of the hematoma. Surgery can be considered a last resort in case of life-threatening hemodynamic instability, peritoneal signs, free abdominal fluid, and failure of arterial embolization. Our case highlights the importance of early recognition of traumatic subcapsular hematomas to prevent life-threatening complications.

No description available.

No description available.

Evidências favoráveis impulsionaram o uso da técnica transradial nos últimos anos. Estudos originais que apresentam o uso dessa prática apontam baixo risco de complicações locais, maior conforto para os pacientes, possibilidade de mobilização e deambulação precoce após procedimento, diminuição do período de internação hospitalar e redução de custos hospitalares. Entre as complicações possíveis, a mais temida é a oclusão da artéria radial (OAR). Embora seja preocupante essa complicação, ainda não há consenso quanto à avaliação rotineira da patência da artéria antes da alta hospitalar e sua relação com o dispositivo hemostático utilizado. Visando preencher essa lacuna do conhecimento, este estudo foi planejado para comparar o efeito de dois dispositivos de hemostasia após cateterismo cardíaco realizado por acesso transradial na ocorrência de OAR. Foi conduzido um ensaio clínico randomizado (ECR) de dois grupos, aberto, no Laboratório de Hemodinâmica (LH) de um hospital público e universitário da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. O período de coleta foi de novembro de 2015 a outubro de 2016. Foram incluídos pacientes adultos ambulatoriais e internados, submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco diagnóstico e/ou terapêutico por acesso transradial, em caráter eletivo e/ou de urgência. Os participantes foram randomizados em dois grupos: Grupo Intervenção (GI) – hemostasia com dispositivo TR Band; e Grupo Controle (GC) – hemostasia com dispositivo de gaze e bandagem elástica adesiva. O desfecho primário foi a OAR imediata ao procedimento e em 30 dias; os desfechos secundários foram a migração dos padrões das curvas após retirada imediata do dispositivo e em 30 dias, a necessidade de tempo a mais para alcance da hemostasia, as demais complicações vasculares relacionadas ao sítio de punção (sangramento e hematoma) e a presença e intensidade de dor. Foram incluídos 600 pacientes: GI (n=301) e GC (n=299), predominantemente do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 63 ± 10 anos; a OAR imediatamente após a remoção do dispositivo ocorreu em 24 (8%) e 19 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente; em 30 dias para um terço da amostra foi de 5 (5%) e 7 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente. Para estes dois períodos não foram demonstradas diferenças estatísticas; o tempo de hemostasia adicional, assim como o tempo necessário para outro tipo de compressão, foi significativamente maior no GI, p=0,006 e p<0,001, respectivamente; pacientes de ambos os grupos mantiveram um padrão e migração de curvas semelhantes na avaliação pré procedimento, imediatamente após a retirada dos dispositivos e em 30 dias; o sangramento menor foi significativamente maior no GI, quando comparado ao GC, 67 (22%) vs. 40 (13%), respectivamente, p = 0,006; o hematoma foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. O relato de dor foi similar entre os grupos, e a intensidade relatada foi moderada. Os resultados deste estudo permitem concluir que a incidência de OAR foi semelhante entre os grupos TR Band e bandagem elástica adesiva. Os padrões de curva do teste de Barbeau foram semelhantes em todas as avaliações. Pacientes que utilizaram TR Band precisaram de mais tempo adicional de hemostasia assim como mais tempo com outro tipo de compressão. O sangramento menor foi mais incidente no grupo TR Band, enquanto o hematoma foi semelhante entre os grupos. A ocorrência de dor moderada foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. / Favorable evidence increase the use of the transradial technique in recent years. Original studies that address this approach suggest low risk of local complications, greater comfort for patients, the possibility of early mobilization and ambulation after the procedure, a shorter hospital stay and reduced hospital costs. Among the possible complications, the most feared is radial artery occlusion (RAO). Although RAO is of concern, there is still no consensus regarding the routine assessment of radial artery patency before discharge and its relationship to the hemostatic device used. In order to fill this knowledge gap, this study was planned to compare the effect of two hemostasis devices after cardiac catheterization performed by transradial access on the appearance of RAO. A two-group Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) was conducted at the Hemodynamic Laboratory (HL) of the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre (HCPA), a public university hospital in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The collection period was from November 2015 to October 2016. Adult patients from the outpatient clinic and hospitalized patients undergoing cardiac diagnostic and / or therapeutic catheterization due to transradial access, in an elective and / or emergency manner, were included. Participants were randomized into two groups: intervention group (IG) - hemostasis with TR Band device; Control Group (CG) - hemostasis with gaze device and adhesive elastic bandage. The primary outcome was immediate RAO to the procedure and in 30 days; secondary outcomes were migration of the curvature patterns after immediate device removal and in 30 days, the need for extra time to reach hemostasis other vascular complications related to the puncture site (bleeding and hematoma), and the presence and intensity of pain. A total of 600 patients were included: IG (n=301) and CG (n=299), predominantly males with a mean age of 63 ± 10 years; RAO immediately following device removal occurred in 24 (8%) and 19 (6%), in the IG and CG groups, respectively; in 30 days for a third of the sample was 5 (5%) and 7 (6%) in IG and CG, respectively. For these two periods no statistical difference was demonstrated. The additional hemostasis time, as well as the time required for another type of compression, was significantly higher in IG, p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively; patients from both groups maintained a pattern of migration of similar curves in the pre-procedure assessment, immediately after the device withdrawal and in 30 days; The lowest bleeding was significantly higher in the IG, compared to the GC, 67 (22%) vs 40 (13%), respectively, p = 0.006; the hematoma was similar between the two groups. The reported pain was similar between the groups, and the reported intensity was moderate. The results of this study allow us to conclude that the incidence of RAO was similar between TR Band groups and adhesive elastic bandage. The standards of the Barbeau test curve were similar in all assessments. Patients who used TR Band required more extra hemostasis time as well as more time with another type of compression. Minor bleeding was more incident in the TR Band group, while the hematoma was similar between the groups. The occurrence of moderate pain was similar between the two groups.

Evidências favoráveis impulsionaram o uso da técnica transradial nos últimos anos. Estudos originais que apresentam o uso dessa prática apontam baixo risco de complicações locais, maior conforto para os pacientes, possibilidade de mobilização e deambulação precoce após procedimento, diminuição do período de internação hospitalar e redução de custos hospitalares. Entre as complicações possíveis, a mais temida é a oclusão da artéria radial (OAR). Embora seja preocupante essa complicação, ainda não há consenso quanto à avaliação rotineira da patência da artéria antes da alta hospitalar e sua relação com o dispositivo hemostático utilizado. Visando preencher essa lacuna do conhecimento, este estudo foi planejado para comparar o efeito de dois dispositivos de hemostasia após cateterismo cardíaco realizado por acesso transradial na ocorrência de OAR. Foi conduzido um ensaio clínico randomizado (ECR) de dois grupos, aberto, no Laboratório de Hemodinâmica (LH) de um hospital público e universitário da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. O período de coleta foi de novembro de 2015 a outubro de 2016. Foram incluídos pacientes adultos ambulatoriais e internados, submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco diagnóstico e/ou terapêutico por acesso transradial, em caráter eletivo e/ou de urgência. Os participantes foram randomizados em dois grupos: Grupo Intervenção (GI) – hemostasia com dispositivo TR Band; e Grupo Controle (GC) – hemostasia com dispositivo de gaze e bandagem elástica adesiva. O desfecho primário foi a OAR imediata ao procedimento e em 30 dias; os desfechos secundários foram a migração dos padrões das curvas após retirada imediata do dispositivo e em 30 dias, a necessidade de tempo a mais para alcance da hemostasia, as demais complicações vasculares relacionadas ao sítio de punção (sangramento e hematoma) e a presença e intensidade de dor. Foram incluídos 600 pacientes: GI (n=301) e GC (n=299), predominantemente do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 63 ± 10 anos; a OAR imediatamente após a remoção do dispositivo ocorreu em 24 (8%) e 19 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente; em 30 dias para um terço da amostra foi de 5 (5%) e 7 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente. Para estes dois períodos não foram demonstradas diferenças estatísticas; o tempo de hemostasia adicional, assim como o tempo necessário para outro tipo de compressão, foi significativamente maior no GI, p=0,006 e p<0,001, respectivamente; pacientes de ambos os grupos mantiveram um padrão e migração de curvas semelhantes na avaliação pré procedimento, imediatamente após a retirada dos dispositivos e em 30 dias; o sangramento menor foi significativamente maior no GI, quando comparado ao GC, 67 (22%) vs. 40 (13%), respectivamente, p = 0,006; o hematoma foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. O relato de dor foi similar entre os grupos, e a intensidade relatada foi moderada. Os resultados deste estudo permitem concluir que a incidência de OAR foi semelhante entre os grupos TR Band e bandagem elástica adesiva. Os padrões de curva do teste de Barbeau foram semelhantes em todas as avaliações. Pacientes que utilizaram TR Band precisaram de mais tempo adicional de hemostasia assim como mais tempo com outro tipo de compressão. O sangramento menor foi mais incidente no grupo TR Band, enquanto o hematoma foi semelhante entre os grupos. A ocorrência de dor moderada foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. / Favorable evidence increase the use of the transradial technique in recent years. Original studies that address this approach suggest low risk of local complications, greater comfort for patients, the possibility of early mobilization and ambulation after the procedure, a shorter hospital stay and reduced hospital costs. Among the possible complications, the most feared is radial artery occlusion (RAO). Although RAO is of concern, there is still no consensus regarding the routine assessment of radial artery patency before discharge and its relationship to the hemostatic device used. In order to fill this knowledge gap, this study was planned to compare the effect of two hemostasis devices after cardiac catheterization performed by transradial access on the appearance of RAO. A two-group Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) was conducted at the Hemodynamic Laboratory (HL) of the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre (HCPA), a public university hospital in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The collection period was from November 2015 to October 2016. Adult patients from the outpatient clinic and hospitalized patients undergoing cardiac diagnostic and / or therapeutic catheterization due to transradial access, in an elective and / or emergency manner, were included. Participants were randomized into two groups: intervention group (IG) - hemostasis with TR Band device; Control Group (CG) - hemostasis with gaze device and adhesive elastic bandage. The primary outcome was immediate RAO to the procedure and in 30 days; secondary outcomes were migration of the curvature patterns after immediate device removal and in 30 days, the need for extra time to reach hemostasis other vascular complications related to the puncture site (bleeding and hematoma), and the presence and intensity of pain. A total of 600 patients were included: IG (n=301) and CG (n=299), predominantly males with a mean age of 63 ± 10 years; RAO immediately following device removal occurred in 24 (8%) and 19 (6%), in the IG and CG groups, respectively; in 30 days for a third of the sample was 5 (5%) and 7 (6%) in IG and CG, respectively. For these two periods no statistical difference was demonstrated. The additional hemostasis time, as well as the time required for another type of compression, was significantly higher in IG, p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively; patients from both groups maintained a pattern of migration of similar curves in the pre-procedure assessment, immediately after the device withdrawal and in 30 days; The lowest bleeding was significantly higher in the IG, compared to the GC, 67 (22%) vs 40 (13%), respectively, p = 0.006; the hematoma was similar between the two groups. The reported pain was similar between the groups, and the reported intensity was moderate. The results of this study allow us to conclude that the incidence of RAO was similar between TR Band groups and adhesive elastic bandage. The standards of the Barbeau test curve were similar in all assessments. Patients who used TR Band required more extra hemostasis time as well as more time with another type of compression. Minor bleeding was more incident in the TR Band group, while the hematoma was similar between the groups. The occurrence of moderate pain was similar between the two groups.

Evidências favoráveis impulsionaram o uso da técnica transradial nos últimos anos. Estudos originais que apresentam o uso dessa prática apontam baixo risco de complicações locais, maior conforto para os pacientes, possibilidade de mobilização e deambulação precoce após procedimento, diminuição do período de internação hospitalar e redução de custos hospitalares. Entre as complicações possíveis, a mais temida é a oclusão da artéria radial (OAR). Embora seja preocupante essa complicação, ainda não há consenso quanto à avaliação rotineira da patência da artéria antes da alta hospitalar e sua relação com o dispositivo hemostático utilizado. Visando preencher essa lacuna do conhecimento, este estudo foi planejado para comparar o efeito de dois dispositivos de hemostasia após cateterismo cardíaco realizado por acesso transradial na ocorrência de OAR. Foi conduzido um ensaio clínico randomizado (ECR) de dois grupos, aberto, no Laboratório de Hemodinâmica (LH) de um hospital público e universitário da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. O período de coleta foi de novembro de 2015 a outubro de 2016. Foram incluídos pacientes adultos ambulatoriais e internados, submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco diagnóstico e/ou terapêutico por acesso transradial, em caráter eletivo e/ou de urgência. Os participantes foram randomizados em dois grupos: Grupo Intervenção (GI) – hemostasia com dispositivo TR Band; e Grupo Controle (GC) – hemostasia com dispositivo de gaze e bandagem elástica adesiva. O desfecho primário foi a OAR imediata ao procedimento e em 30 dias; os desfechos secundários foram a migração dos padrões das curvas após retirada imediata do dispositivo e em 30 dias, a necessidade de tempo a mais para alcance da hemostasia, as demais complicações vasculares relacionadas ao sítio de punção (sangramento e hematoma) e a presença e intensidade de dor. Foram incluídos 600 pacientes: GI (n=301) e GC (n=299), predominantemente do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 63 ± 10 anos; a OAR imediatamente após a remoção do dispositivo ocorreu em 24 (8%) e 19 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente; em 30 dias para um terço da amostra foi de 5 (5%) e 7 (6%), no GI e GC, respectivamente. Para estes dois períodos não foram demonstradas diferenças estatísticas; o tempo de hemostasia adicional, assim como o tempo necessário para outro tipo de compressão, foi significativamente maior no GI, p=0,006 e p<0,001, respectivamente; pacientes de ambos os grupos mantiveram um padrão e migração de curvas semelhantes na avaliação pré procedimento, imediatamente após a retirada dos dispositivos e em 30 dias; o sangramento menor foi significativamente maior no GI, quando comparado ao GC, 67 (22%) vs. 40 (13%), respectivamente, p = 0,006; o hematoma foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. O relato de dor foi similar entre os grupos, e a intensidade relatada foi moderada. Os resultados deste estudo permitem concluir que a incidência de OAR foi semelhante entre os grupos TR Band e bandagem elástica adesiva. Os padrões de curva do teste de Barbeau foram semelhantes em todas as avaliações. Pacientes que utilizaram TR Band precisaram de mais tempo adicional de hemostasia assim como mais tempo com outro tipo de compressão. O sangramento menor foi mais incidente no grupo TR Band, enquanto o hematoma foi semelhante entre os grupos. A ocorrência de dor moderada foi semelhante entre os dois grupos. / Favorable evidence increase the use of the transradial technique in recent years. Original studies that address this approach suggest low risk of local complications, greater comfort for patients, the possibility of early mobilization and ambulation after the procedure, a shorter hospital stay and reduced hospital costs. Among the possible complications, the most feared is radial artery occlusion (RAO). Although RAO is of concern, there is still no consensus regarding the routine assessment of radial artery patency before discharge and its relationship to the hemostatic device used. In order to fill this knowledge gap, this study was planned to compare the effect of two hemostasis devices after cardiac catheterization performed by transradial access on the appearance of RAO. A two-group Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) was conducted at the Hemodynamic Laboratory (HL) of the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre (HCPA), a public university hospital in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The collection period was from November 2015 to October 2016. Adult patients from the outpatient clinic and hospitalized patients undergoing cardiac diagnostic and / or therapeutic catheterization due to transradial access, in an elective and / or emergency manner, were included. Participants were randomized into two groups: intervention group (IG) - hemostasis with TR Band device; Control Group (CG) - hemostasis with gaze device and adhesive elastic bandage. The primary outcome was immediate RAO to the procedure and in 30 days; secondary outcomes were migration of the curvature patterns after immediate device removal and in 30 days, the need for extra time to reach hemostasis other vascular complications related to the puncture site (bleeding and hematoma), and the presence and intensity of pain. A total of 600 patients were included: IG (n=301) and CG (n=299), predominantly males with a mean age of 63 ± 10 years; RAO immediately following device removal occurred in 24 (8%) and 19 (6%), in the IG and CG groups, respectively; in 30 days for a third of the sample was 5 (5%) and 7 (6%) in IG and CG, respectively. For these two periods no statistical difference was demonstrated. The additional hemostasis time, as well as the time required for another type of compression, was significantly higher in IG, p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively; patients from both groups maintained a pattern of migration of similar curves in the pre-procedure assessment, immediately after the device withdrawal and in 30 days; The lowest bleeding was significantly higher in the IG, compared to the GC, 67 (22%) vs 40 (13%), respectively, p = 0.006; the hematoma was similar between the two groups. The reported pain was similar between the groups, and the reported intensity was moderate. The results of this study allow us to conclude that the incidence of RAO was similar between TR Band groups and adhesive elastic bandage. The standards of the Barbeau test curve were similar in all assessments. Patients who used TR Band required more extra hemostasis time as well as more time with another type of compression. Minor bleeding was more incident in the TR Band group, while the hematoma was similar between the groups. The occurrence of moderate pain was similar between the two groups.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major problem with an estimated cost of $76 billion per year in the US alone. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented 2.53 million TBI-related emergency department visits, with approximately 288,000 TBI-related hospitalizations and 56,800 TBI-related deaths in 2014 in the US. The lack of FDA-approved treatment strategies for TBI drives the need for novel therapeutic and preventative measures. In a quest to reduce TBI-related injuries and deaths, automotive companies have focused their efforts to make safer cars for both occupants and pedestrians. Computational finite element (FE) models have been used to advance research efforts in automotive safety systems engineering in hopes of ameliorating the burden caused by TBI. The current use of FE models in the automotive industry focuses on predicting stresses and strains that occur during the accident itself to predict primary injury. However, contemporary models lack the appropriate mechanical properties required to make accurate predictions of brain tissue deformation after injury and lack the ability to model secondary injuries such as cerebral edema (brain swelling). With cerebral edema being a major cause of death and disability after TBI, and with the pattern and magnitude of cerebral edema being dependent on the initiating strain field in brain tissue during TBI, automotive safety systems could be further improved if 1) FE head models contained more accurate mechanical properties and 2) if FE models could simulate secondary injuries such as cerebral edema. Therefore, the driving purpose of this thesis is two-fold: 1) to determine the mechanical properties of different regions of the brain and 2) to present a new computational methodology that allows for modeling of cerebral edema to better predict patient outcome following TBI. The use of FE models requires appropriate constitutive formulations and associated parameters to accurately model and predict the initial mechanical response of the brain to injury loading conditions. Since patient outcome is dependent on the resulting strain field within brain tissue post-injury, accurate modeling of brain tissue deformation is important for testing the efficacy of engineered automotive safety systems using FE simulations. To address this need, the first aim of this thesis employed an inverse FE approach to characterize mechanical properties of the human hippocampus (CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus), cortex white matter, and cortex gray matter. Anatomical regions were significantly different in their mechanical properties. Although no sex dependency was observed, there were trends indicating that some male brain regions were generally stiffer than corresponding female regions. In addition, mechanical properties were not dependent on age within the examined age range (4-58 years old). Ultimately, this study provides a structure-specific description of fresh human brain tissue mechanical properties, which will be an important step toward explicitly modeling the heterogeneity of brain tissue deformation during TBI using FE modeling. Fatal brain injuries may also result from physiological changes in the brain that occur after the primary injury that immediately occurs during head injury. Secondary injuries such as cerebral edema are associated with poor outcome. Despite the severe consequences of cerebral edema, its mechanism is not fully understood. The second aim of this thesis, therefore, was to elucidate the driving mechanism of cerebral edema by demonstrating that cleavage of intracellular fixed-charge density (FCD) reduces brain swelling pressure and to measure the FCD content of rat and pig brain tissue. Thin brain samples were placed into a confined pressure chamber, and FCD content was calculated from measured swelling pressure and the Gibbs-Donnan equation. We observed that cleavage of FCD using enzymes reduced swelling pressure in rat brain tissue samples and determined that pig cortex gray matter contains more FCD than pig cortex white matter. These results demonstrate that cerebral edema may occur in accordance with principles of triphasic swelling biomechanics and demonstrates the plausibility of computationally modeling cerebral edema with triphasic material formulations. Cerebral edema leads to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) as the brain swells within the fixed volume of the skull, and there is overwhelming evidence of ICP as a powerful predictor of patient outcome following TBI. Current industry standards of patient outcome evaluation use tissue-level metrics solely from primary injury such as maximum principal strain (MPS) or cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM), but these methods can be improved especially in regards to predicting mortality. Therefore, the third aim of this thesis was to develop a new FE head model and computational methodology incorporating triphasic swelling biomechanics to simulate brain swelling following impact to improve patient outcome predictions. Patient outcome was predicted by simulating swelling and calculating the resulting ICP, which is a strong indicator of patient mortality. Calculating ICP in addition to predicting primary injury metrics such as MPS and CSDM may allow automotive safety engineers to make better predictions of patient outcome following TBI so they can develop better safety systems. Another common indicator of poor outcome following TBI is acute subdural hematoma (ASDH). ASDH is an intracranial bleed that often results from TBI because of stretching and tearing of the bridging veins which causes blood to collect in the innermost layer of the dura. Despite the poor prognosis associated with the presence of ASDH following TBI, the mechanism as to why its presence is associated with a higher likelihood of death remains uncertain. Current state of the art FE head models used in automotive safety engineering efforts do not consider ASDH, which may drastically reduce their effectiveness in predicting patient outcome following TBI. Therefore, the fourth and final aim of this thesis was to incorporate ASDH into our FE head model of swelling and elucidate the underlying secondary brain injury mechanism of ASDH that contributes to increased mortality in hopes of increasing the efficacy of current FE models to predict patient outcome and ultimately design better safety systems. Using our novel FE head model and methodology from aim 3, we showed that the higher likelihood of death associated with the presence of ASDH may be caused by exacerbated ischemic injury which increases ICP, demonstrating that modeling of ASDH is necessary for accurately modeling patient outcome following TBI. Despite decades of TBI research and FE head model improvements, more work is required to enhance the biofidelity of these models to better predict patient outcome. The work in this thesis is important, as it introduces a new tool that will allow automotive safety engineers to incorporate cerebral edema and ASDH, both of which may drastically influence patient outcome following TBI, into models of head injury to allow for better predictions of patient outcome. It is hoped that the work in this thesis lays the foundation for future work that aids in the design of improved automotive safety systems that will save countless human lives.

Subcutaneous anticoagulant medications like Heparin and Low-Molecular Weight Heparin are injections that readily cause bruising, pain, induration, and hematoma formation at the injection site. It is known that these adverse reactions can be correlated to the technique used to administer these medications; however, there is no established technique that reduces bruising, pain, induration, and hematoma formation at the site. Currently, the only protocol for subcutaneous Heparin and Low-Molecular Weight Heparin is that it is to be administered subcutaneously in the abdomen and when using a prefilled syringe, the air bubble should not be removed. The purpose of this study was to identify current nursing practice for the administration of these medications and to compare the results to researched techniques that resulted in less adverse site reactions. A total of 33 participants were recruited. The survey targeted six researched techniques found, after a comprehensive literature review, to have reduced site adverse effects associated with subcutaneous Heparin and Low-Molecular Weight Heparin. After completing the survey, it was found that current practice does not reflect techniques researched to reduce bruising, pain, induration, and hematoma formation at the site. In fact, very few completed one of the six research techniques that were questioned, which included: a two minute application of a cold compress/pack before and/or after the injection, an injection duration lasting 30 seconds, slow removal of the needle over five seconds, application of pressure after the injection for a minimum of 30 seconds, use of a hot pack/compress after the injection, and the use of a3 mL syringe. It was also found that there were inconsistencies in techniques that have been previously established as current protocol for these medications.