Military medicine
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Commercially available junctional tourniquets (JTQs) have several drawbacks. We developed a low-cost, compact, easy to apply JTQ. The aim of this study was to assess the tourniquets' safety and efficacy in a swine model of controlled hemorrhage. ⋯ The tourniquet achieved effective arterial occlusion with minimal tissue damage, similar to reports of other JTQs. Subjected to further human trials, the tourniquet might be a suitable candidate for widespread frontline deployment because of its versatility, compactness, and affordable design.
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The Defense Health Agency has shifted focus of military medicine to operational readiness. As such, neurosurgery remains a critical wartime specialty. We investigate the factors impacting recruitment and retention of military neurosurgeons. ⋯ Service in the US military is a positive experience with camaraderie, patriotism, and unique military experiences predictive of recruitment. Meanwhile, focus on pay discrepancy can result in lost retention. These factors should be explored regarding recruitment and retention of military neurosurgeons.
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Allograft tissue products have widespread applications across surgical specialties, but little data exist about surgeon attitudes toward the use of these products in the upper extremity. ⋯ In spite of variation with respect to their use, allograft tissue products are popular and interest in new products, especially to improve flexor tendon pulley reconstruction, is high.
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Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a well-recognized and common emergency. Undiagnosed ACS leads to muscle necrosis, limb contracture, intractable pain, and may even result in amputation. ⋯ The MY01 device was the most accurate device in tracking pressure changes in this rat model of abdominal compartment syndrome.
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Upon injury, skeletal muscle undergoes a multiphase process beginning with degeneration of the damaged tissue, which is accompanied by inflammation and finally regeneration. One consequence of an injured microenvironment is excessive production of reactive oxygen species, which results in attenuated regeneration and recovery of function ultimately leading to fibrosis and disability. The objective of this research was to test the potential of the antioxidant, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC), as a mediator of reactive oxygen species damage that results from traumatic muscle injury in order to support repair and regeneration of wounded muscle tissue and improve function recovery. ⋯ These results suggest that NAC treatment of skeletal muscle after injury may be a viable option for the prevention of long-term fibrosis and scar formation, facilitating recovery of muscle function.