Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · May 2002
A 5-year study of the outcome of surgically treated depressed skull fractures.
Many changes and improvement have taken place in the management of head injured patients in the last 20 years. There have been few recent studies analysing the overall outcomes including early complications of depressed skull fractures. The aim of our study was, therefore, to examine the factors influencing the surgical outcome of patients with depressed skull fractures. ⋯ Paediatric populations have better outcome; 7 out of 10 patients in this series progressed to full recovery. Use of prophylactic antibiotics did not reduce the infection rate. Presence of dural tear was not associated with an increase risk of post-traumatic epilepsy.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · May 2002
Peri-operative fluid and electrolyte management: a survey of consultant surgeons in the UK.
Current peri-operative fluid and electrolyte management in the UK may be suboptimal. We assessed the attitudes of consultant surgeons to fluid and electrolyte prescribing and gathered suggestions for improvement in education on the subject. ⋯ Consultant surgeons feel that present practice in peri-operative fluid management is unsatisfactory. Higher standards within clinical governance and risk management may be achieved by focused practical training combined with formal written guidelines.