Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2005
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialThe use of tranexamic acid to reduce blood loss during total hip arthroplasty: an observational study.
To test the hypothesis that the fall in haemoglobin following total hip arthroplasty is reduced by tranexamic acid administration. ⋯ The administration of 20 mg/kg of tranexamic acid on induction of surgery is an effective method of reducing the haemoglobin fall following hip arthroplasty.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2005
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialAn economic justification for autologous blood re-infusion in primary total knee replacement surgery.
To justify economically the use of autologous blood re-infusion after total knee replacement surgery compared with vacuum drains. To determine if the patients using autologous re-infusion units have a reduced allogenic blood transfusion requirement and hospital stay. ⋯ Re-infusion units are no more expensive than vacuum drains. In addition, autologous blood has many clinical benefits compared to allogenic blood. Re-infusion may shorten the hospital stay for patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2005
A method for determining the rate of major limb amputations in battle casualties: experiences of a British Field Hospital in Iraq, 2003.
The majority of battle casualties undergoing surgery at 34 Field Hospital, the sole Coalition field hospital in Iraq during the conflict, sustained injuries to the extremities. To compare our experiences with those from previous conflicts, we report data on major limb amputations and propose a method for determining the rate of major limb amputation in a conflict setting. ⋯ In presenting our amputation rate of 16%, we highlight the lack of uniformity in describing 'amputation rates' between conflicts. A consistent method for quantifying amputations performed in a conflict setting could prove to be a useful tool.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2005
Shortcomings of the National Joint Registry: a survey of consultants' views.
The National Joint Registry (NJR) for England and Wales was launched in April 2003. The UK Department of Health (DoH) awarded the contract to run the NJR to Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Technology in September 2002. The aim was to etablish the views of a large group of orthopaedic consultants on the new NJR. ⋯ Overwhelming support was found for the idea of a national joint replacement register that is used for peer-run audit. However, there was wide-spread concern about the lack of orthopaedic representation on the steering committee. The majority of surgeons have concerns about the possible use of NJR data for the production of league tables.