Introduction: This is a structured scoping review to assess whether there is a relationship between stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH), cytokine interactions, and mortality in trauma patients in comparison to non-diabetic normoglycemia [NDN], diabetic normoglycemia [DN], and diabetic hyperglycemia [DH]. Methods: We conducted a literature search of MEDLINE (PubMed) databases from 2000 to 2022 using a search strategy to identify observational studies. Initially, 2879 articles were retrieved. Of these, 2869 were excluded due to insufficient variables, and non-trauma focuses. Results: Nine studies on the interaction between SIH and proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed. SIH was associated with the highest mortality rate (21.3%), followed by DH (5.4%), DN (2.8%), and NDN (2.3%) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, SIH patients exhibited an 11.28-fold higher likelihood of mortality compared to NDN patients (95% CI [9.13–13.93]; p < 0.001) and a 4.72-fold higher likelihood compared to DH patients (OR 4.72; 95% CI [3.55–6.27]; p < 0.001). Conclusions: SIH patients had elevated IL-6 concentrations relative to NDN, DN, and DH patients. SIH is linked to higher mortality in trauma, with greater odds than NDN. However, the robustness of this association is still being determined due to statistical and clinical variability. Uncertainties about injury severity and IL-6 level similarities between SIH and DH patients require further investigation.

Background. The platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reflect the patient inflammatory and immunity status. We investigated the role of on‐admission PLR and NLR in predicting massive transfusion protocol (MTP) activation and mortality following abdominal trauma. Methods. A 4‐year retrospective analysis of all adult abdominal trauma patients was conducted. Patients were classified into survivors and nonsurvivors and low vs. high PLR. The discriminatory power for PLR and NLR to predict MTP and mortality was determined. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for predictors of mortality. Results. A total of 1199 abdominal trauma patients were included (18.7% of all the trauma admissions). Low PLR was associated with more severe injuries and greater rates of hospital complications including mortality in comparison to high PLR. On‐admission PLR and NLR were higher in the survivors than in nonsurvivors (149.3 vs. 76.3 (p = 0.001) and 19.1 vs. 13.7 (p = 0.009), respectively). Only PLR significantly correlated with injury severity score, revised trauma score, TRISS, serum lactate, shock index, and FASILA score. Optimal cutoffs of PLR and NLR for predicting mortality were 98.5 and 18.5, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of PLR were 81.3% and 61.1%, respectively, and 61.3% and 51.3%, respectively, for NLR. The AUROC for predicting MTP was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.655–0.743) for PLR and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.510–0.598) for NLR. To predict hospital mortality, the area under the curve (AUROC) for PLR was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.712–0.825) and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.529–0.650) for the NLR. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the age, Glasgow Coma Scale, sepsis, injury severity score, and PLR were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion. On‐admission PLR but not NLR helps early risk stratification and timely management and predicts mortality in abdominal trauma patients. Further prospective studies are required.

Thyroid storm (TS) is a rare and fatal endocrine emergency that occurs due to undiagnosed and inadequately treated hyperthyroidism after stressful conditions in patients with thyroid disorders. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to better understand the pathophysiology of TS and its complications, in terms of myocardial affection, tachyarrhythmia, and cardiogenic shock. In addition, we explored the pharmacological, mechanical, and surgical treatments for TS. We also evaluated the outcomes of TS according to sex and cardiac involvement. Additionally, analytical analysis was performed on the selected data. A literature review of peer-reviewed journals was carried out thoroughly using medical terms, MeSH on PubMed, Google Scholar, and combinations such as thyrotoxicosis-induced cardiomyopathy, thyroid storm, cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, endocrine emergency, Burch–Wartofsky score, extracorporeal circulatory support, and thyroidectomy. A total of 231 papers were eligible (2 retrospective studies, 5 case series, and 224 case reports) with a total of 256 TS patients with cardiac involvement between April 2003 and August 2023. All age groups, sexes, patients with TS-induced cardiomyopathy, non-atherosclerotic myocardial infarction, tachyarrhythmia, heart failure, shock, and different forms of treatment were discussed. Non-English language articles, cases without cardiac involvement, and cases in which treatment modalities were not specified were excluded. Female sex was predominant, with 154 female and 102 male patients. Approximately 82% of patients received beta-blockers (BBs), 16.3% were placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, 16.3% received therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), and 13.8% underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVHD), or dialysis. Overall, 18 females and 16 males died. BB-induced circulatory collapse, acute renal failure, CRRT, and ventricular fibrillation were significantly associated with mortality. Awareness of TS and not only thyrotoxicosis is vital for timely and appropriate treatment. The early diagnosis and management of TS in cardiac settings, including pharmacological, mechanical, and surgical modalities, can save high-risk patients. Sex matters in the presentation, treatment, and mortality of this population. However, further large-scale, and well-designed studies are required.

Background: Aortoenteric fistulas (AEFs) are uncommon emergency surgical conditions associated with high mortality. We explored the presentation and management of AEFs in a tertiary hospital in Qatar, a rapidly developing Middle Eastern country. By highlighting our institutional experience with ADFs and AOFs, we aim to contribute to the growing body of literature on this rare condition and to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis, appropriate surgical planning, and multidisciplinary care in optimizing patient outcomes. We also proposed a diagnostic classification of AEFs to better understand their location, relationship to the aorta, and pathology on both sides (the gastrointestinal tract and Aorta) for further studies. Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, retrospective, single-center case series that included 10 consecutive cases presenting with AEFs. We reviewed the clinical presentation, surgical management, and outcomes of AEF cases from 2008 to 2024. Data were extracted from electronic medical records and operative notes. Additionally, we reviewed the literature over the last two decades to summarize recently published English-language literature on aortoenteric fistulas (types, presentations, management and outcomes). Results: This observational case series included nine males and one female; four with aortoesophageal (AOF) and six with aortoduodenal (ADF) fistulas. The main presentations were hypotension and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Blood cultures were positive in four cases, including Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Klebsiella. Foreign bodies were the underlying cause in two cases, while an old aortic coarctation repair was found in one case. Surgical repair was not completed in two patients who deteriorated quickly and died with hypovolemic shock. Two patients had thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and others had open surgeries. The overall AEF-related mortality was 60% (n = 6; open surgery group). Conclusions: This case series could support the importance of prompt diagnosis and multidisciplinary management. It also underscores the importance of individualized treatment to optimize survival. The proposed diagnostic algorithm still requires further evaluation and validation within large samples before its implementation on a large scale.

Background and Objectives: Non-traumatic spontaneous adrenal mass rupture (SAMR) is a rare and life-threatening surgical emergency. It has around a 32% mortality rate based on the underlying pathology. We aimed to explore the presentations, management, and outcomes of SAMR with various pathologies. Materials andMethods: We reviewed electronic and operative records over the last eight years to identify SAMR at our institute. Patients’ demographics, comorbidities, presentations, pathology, interventions, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: There were 14 unilateral SAMR patients who arrived at the emergency department (ED)presenting with abdominal pain. The median age at presentation was 34 years (range 27–56). In total, 12 patients were male (83.3%), and 2 were female, including a 32-week-pregnant woman. Ten were South Asians and four were Arabs. All the patients with SAMR did not have a history of prior adrenal disorders. Nine patients had hypotension at presentation. After the initial clinical examination, the patients underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan in the ED, which revealed unilateral SAMR. There was no medical history of adrenal mass or trauma prior to index admission. The CT scan size of the masses ranged from 5.5 to 23.6 cm (eight were right-sided and six left-sided). Time to intervention ranged from 1 to 11 days. Histopathology showed four pheochromocytomas, four myelolipomas, three normal adrenal tissues with hemorrhagic cysts, one adrenal gland hemorrhage, one pseudocyst, and one angiosarcoma. Six adrenal masses were non-functioning. All patients were managed with open adrenalectomy (two had pre-operative interventional radiological embolization). Blood transfusion was required in most cases. Ten patients required post-operative surgical intensive care with an average stay of 2.42 days. There were no perioperative deaths during the hospital course. Conclusions: Ruptured adrenal masses most commonly present with acute abdominal pain requiring urgent surgical intervention, particularly in patients with hemodynamic instability, insufficient initial conservative management or malignancy. Despite the dramatic presentation, outcomes are favorable in experienced centers when early diagnosis and hemodynamic optimization precede interventions and are accompanied by multidisciplinary team involvement.

Background: Sepsis is a time-sensitive, serious condition; therefore, early recognition and prompt initiation of therapy are critical to improving outcomes in patients with infection. We sought to evaluate whether prehospital antibiotic administration (PHAA) is associated with improved outcomes in patients with suspected severe sepsis. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was developed a priori and registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus were searched from inception through January 2026. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating empirical PHAA compared with the standard of care were included. The risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed. Outcomes included short- and long-term mortality, hospital length of stay (HLOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Eleven studies recruiting 23,146 patients were included (three RCTs and eight observational studies). Restricting the short-term mortality analysis to RCTs alone showed no mortality benefit with PHAA (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.74–1.23), whereas the broader, observational-dominated pooled analysis suggested a possible reduction in short-term mortality (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.68–1.02, I² = 51.0%), reaching statistical significance when restricted to the adult sepsis/septic shock population (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69–0.99, I² = 18.5%). No significant difference in short-term mortality was observed in the exploratory subgroup analysis of two high-severity studies (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.67–1.18). There were no significant long-term mortality differences in the observational and RCT studies (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.71–1.04 and RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.76–1.54, respectively). Patients who received PHAA had no significantly different ICU admissions (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.95–1.33) or HLOS (MD −1.79 days, 95% CI −6.05 to 2.47). Even though individual studies showed no significant difference, pooled HLOS was significantly higher with PHAA for the RCT subgroup (MD 0.66, 95% CI 0.42–0.90, I² = 0.00%) after conversion of median to mean values (for better statistical compatibility). Conclusions: PHAA was not associated with a significant reduction in short-term mortality, though a significant reduction was observed when restricted to adult sepsis/septic shock population. No mortality benefit was found in pooled RCTs, mixed-age population studies, or long-term mortality. Observational studies suggest a possible mortality benefit, whereas randomized evidence does not confirm it. This discrepancy may reflect confounding by indication, patient selection, severity, and differences in EMS systems rather than a true treatment effect. The certainty of evidence remains very low, and data on prehospital antibiotic type, blood culture, and infection severity are lacking. Therefore, high-quality prospective RCTs are warranted.