Injury
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Operative stabilization of flail chest has been shown to have several benefits over nonoperative management. Often, flail chest injuries will involve the anterior ribs and their associated costal cartilage. In certain cases, operative fixation with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of anterior rib fractures involving the costal cartilage may be warranted. Currently, there is scant literature regarding the surgical approach and clinical outcomes of ORIF involving the costal cartilage. The purpose of this study is to describe the surgical approach and first reported clinical series for patients undergoing anterior rib ORIF involving the costal cartilage. ⋯ Open reduction and internal fixation of anterior rib fractures involving the costal cartilage is a safe procedure with low complication rates and favorable postoperative outcomes including hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, postoperative pneumonia, need for tracheostomy, and mechanical ventilation time.
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Typically, a healthcare intervention is evaluated by comparing data before and after its implementation using statistical tests. Comparing group means can miss underlying trends and lead to erroneous conclusions. Segmented linear regression can be used to reveal secular trends but is susceptible to outliers. We described a novel method using segmented robust regression techniques to evaluate the effect of introducing a dedicated hip fracture unit (HFU). ⋯ Robust regression is a useful adjunct to ordinary segmented linear regression techniques in modelling retrospective time-series and dealing with outliers. The changes observed in hip fracture patient outcomes over a 6-year period was likely multifactorial.
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To evaluate and compare the accuracy of axial versus coronal computerized tomography (CT) scan in detection of open globe injury. ⋯ Axial CT reading may be as adequate as a multiplanar reading in detection of open globe injury in emergency setting, where timely diagnosis matters. Without clinical and surgical findings, CT cannot provide adequate accuracy for detecting open globe injuries.
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The aim of this manuscript is to compare characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe. ⋯ There are major differences in case-mix between Australia, UK, and Europe; Australian patients are younger and have a higher rate of secondary brain insults. Despite some differences in management and discharge policies, mortality was less than expected overall, and did not differ between regions. Functional outcomes were similar between regions, but worse than expected, emphasizing the need to improve treatment for patients with severe TBI.
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Following proximal humeral plate osteosynthesis, mechanical complication rates ranging up to 40% have been reported. The study aims to determine the influence of surgeons' experience and the technique of drilling on the complication rate. ⋯ Although our results are satisfactory, they can be traced back to the relatively high interval between the respective chosen position of the drill bit and the humeral articular surface which may not guarantee screw stability during ORIF of all fracture patterns.