Injury
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A series of 148 cases of chest injuries is presented and their treatment and results are described. The study covered a period of 5 1/2 years and the significance of associated injuries is stressed.
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The diagnoses which were missed at patients' first attendance at an A & E Department over a 6-month period were noted and investigated. The most common cause of missed diagnosis was failure to interpret X-ray findings correctly; this and other causes are discussed. Recommendations as to how this can be improved are made.
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Displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children treated by overhead olecranon traction.
A simple method is described of treating severely displaced, supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children, and the results are reviewed. Treatment involves the use of overhead traction via an olecranon screw and a traction clip. Of 12 children treated in this way, 11 had excellent results with preservation of the normal carrying angle, and no significant loss of movement in any plane. There were no complications of the treatment and no cases of cubitus varus.
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A retrospective review was carried out of 100 consecutive patients with penetrating stab injuries of the chest and/or abdomen, requiring admission to hospital. Laparotomies were performed in 44 patients, while a further 7 were subjected to thoracotomy. Only 1 patient died, and this was a case of combined thoraco-abdominal injury. There was an annual increase in the numbers of such injuries, which were particularly prevalent in young, unemployed persons, often under the influence of alcohol.