Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common complication of major trauma. Pharmacological VTE prophylactics are widely used, and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is recommended. Factor Xa inhibitors are increasingly being used for VTE prophylaxis in both medical and surgical patients. Evidence comparing LMWH and factor Xa inhibitors as VTE prophylactics for severe blunt trauma is lacking. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of factor Xa inhibitors and LMHW in VTE prophylaxis. Materials and methods: Patients with severe blunt trauma who received LMWH or a factor Xa inhibitor for VTE prophylaxis in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program between 2017 and 2019 were included. The comparison was performed after using propensity score matching. The outcomes included mortality and incidence of DVT, PE, post-prophylactics haemorrhage control procedures and length of stay. Results: After 2:1 propensity score matching, 1128 patients (n=752, LMHW group; n=376, factor Xa inhibitor group) were included in the analysis. Patients in the LMWH group had fewer VTE events than those in the factor Xa inhibitor group (DVT, 3.7% vs. 7.2%, P=0.013; PE, 0.4% vs. 3.2%, P <0.001). VTE risk was higher in the factor Xa group (DVT: odds ratio, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.12–3.44; P=0.018 and PE: odds ratio, 9.65; 95% CI, 2.91–44.12; P=0.001). The mortality rate was higher in the LMWH group; however, there was no significant difference (4.0% vs. 1.9%; P=0.075). The difference in the risk of undergoing haemorrhage control surgery after VTE prophylaxis between both groups was insignificant (0.3% vs. 0.0%; P=0.333). Conclusions: LMWH was associated with a lower risk of VTE than factor Xa inhibitors in patients with severe blunt trauma. The mortality rate was higher in the LMWH group; however, there was no statistically significant difference observed.

This study was designed to examine the most up-to-date evidence about how low plasma selenium (Se) concentration affects clinical outcomes, such as mortality, infectious complications, and length of ICU or hospital stay, in patients with major trauma. We searched three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science) with the following keywords: “injury”, “trauma”, “selenium”, and “trace element”. Only records written in English published between 1990 and 2021 were included for analysis. Four studies were eligible for meta-analyses. The results of the meta-analysis showed that a low serum selenium level did not exert a negative effect on the mortality rate (OR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.32, 3.61, p = 0.91, heterogeneity, I² = 44%). Regarding the incidence of infectious complications, there was no statistically significant deficit after analyses of the four studies (OR 1.61, 95% CI: 0.64, 4.07, p = 0.31, heterogeneity, I² = 70%). There were no differences in the days spent in the ICU (difference in means (MD) 1.53, 95% CI: −2.15, 5.22, p = 0.41, heterogeneity, I² = 67%) or the hospital length of stay (MD 6.49, 95% CI: −4.05, 17.02, p = 0.23, heterogeneity, I² = 58%) in patients with low serum Se concentration. A low serum selenium level after trauma is not uncommon. However, it does not negatively affect mortality and infection rate. It also does not increase the overall length of ICU and hospital stays.