Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Sep 1992
The Royal London Hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: first phase 1990.
A Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) has been introduced to improve trauma care in the Southeast of England. The majority of the workload comes from the area bounded by the M25 ring road. ⋯ In September 1990 this service was further improved by the opening of a helipad at the Royal London Hospital and a designated HEMS desk at London Ambulance Service central control. Eighty-four patients were transported in primary rescue missions and 107 as emergency transfers in 1990.
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Modern orthopaedic trauma practice involves increased exposure of the surgeon to ionising radiation. However, there have been no studies to investigate whether the doses received are within limits for non-classified workers. In this study, whole body, eye and extremity, namely hand, doses were measured in six orthopaedic surgeons during trauma cases requiring the use of X-rays in theatre. ⋯ In orthopaedics, the limiting dose is that to the hands. This differs from previously studied groups, such as radiologists and cardiologists, in whom the limiting factor is the dose to the lens of the eye. Although current precautions appear to be adequate, safe practice in the future will depend on continuing vigilance and repetition of studies similar to this one as techniques and workloads change.
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Phytobezoars are an unusual cause of small bowel obstruction. We report 13 patients presenting with 16 episodes of small bowel obstruction from phytobezoars. Eleven patients had previously undergone surgery for peptic ulceration (eight truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty). ⋯ Wherever possible milking of a phytobezoar to the caecum should be performed. Careful assessment for other phytobezoars should be made. Prevention of phytobezoars is dependent upon dietary counselling of patients by surgeons after gastric resection or vagotomy and drainage for peptic ulcer.