World journal of surgery
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World journal of surgery · Jan 1997
Evaluation of penetrating injuries of the neck: prospective study of 223 patients.
The objective of this study was to assess the role of clinical examination, angiography, color flow Doppler imaging, and other diagnostic tests in identifying injuries to the vascular or aerodigestive structures in patients with penetrating injuries to the neck. A prospective study was made of patients with penetrating neck injuries. All patients had a careful physical examination according to a written protocol. ⋯ It was concluded that physical examination is reliable for identifying those patients with penetrating injuries of the neck who require vascular or esophageal diagnostic studies. Color flow Doppler imaging is a dependable alternative to angiography. An algorithm for the initial assessment of neck injuries is suggested.
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World journal of surgery · Jan 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialEfficacy and safety of a low-molecular-weight heparin and standard unfractionated heparin for prophylaxis of postoperative venous thromboembolism: European multicenter trial.
A randomized, double-blind multicenter trial was performed to compare the safety and efficacy of a new low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (LU 47311, Clivarine) and standard unfractionated heparin for the prophylaxis of postoperative venous thromboembolism. Altogether 1351 patients scheduled to undergo abdominal surgery were included. Main outcome measures included the incidence of thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or both) and bleeding complications, including wound hematoma. ⋯ However, the incidence of bleeding complications was significantly reduced in the LMWH group: 55 (8.3%) patients in the LMWH group and 80 (11.8%) in the UFH group developed bleeding complications, a relative risk (RR) of 0.70 (95% CI 0.51-0.97;p = 0.03); wound hematoma occurred in 29 (4.4%) of the LMWH group compared with 55 (7.7%) in those in the UFH group for an RR of 0.57 (95% CI 0.37-0.88;p = 0.01). This study confirmed that a very low dose of 1750 anti-Xa IU daily of this new LMWH is as effective as 10,000 IU of UFH for preventing postoperative deep vein thrombosis. At this dose its administration is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of bleeding including wound hematoma.
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Acute normovolemic hemodilution entails removal of blood from a patient either immediately before or shortly after induction of anesthesia and simultaneous replacement with cell-free fluid. Nowadays, because of their predictable volume effects, the synthetic colloids (6% dextran 60/70, 6% hydroxyethyl starch 200,000) are preferred as volume substitutes; albumin should be avoided because of its high cost. Hemodilution has experienced a renaissance in recent years, mainly due to the evolving discussion of legal aspects, immunologic changes, viral infections, and a potentially higher cancer recurrence rate associated with the transfusion of homologous blood. ⋯ The safety and efficacy of acute normovolemic hemodilution in terms of reducing homologous blood transfusion requirements has been demonstrated in various clinical studies. Hemodilution therefore is regarded an integral part of programs aimed at reducing the need for homologous blood and can thus be successfully combined with preoperative autologous blood deposition, intraoperative blood salvage, and carefully adjusted surgical techniques. Hemodilution is feasible and relatively cost-effective, and it minimizes adverse effects associated with transfusion of homologous blood, particularly transmission of viral diseases, immunosuppression, and infectious complications.
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World journal of surgery · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialTeaching effectiveness of the advanced trauma life support program as demonstrated by an objective structured clinical examination for practicing physicians.
Although the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course is now taught internationally, its teaching effectiveness still requires confirmation. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) reliably assesses clinical performance by utilizing standardized patients. An OSCE of eight 15 minute trauma patient stations and two 40 item MCQ tests were used to test the teaching effectiveness of the ATLS program in 32 practicing physicians who applied for an ATLS program in Trinidad and Tobago. ⋯ Organized approach to trauma was graded 1 to 5 with pre-ATLS grades of 1.6 +/- 0.5 (ATLS) and 1.7 +/- 0.6 (non-ATLS) and post-ATLS grades of 4.5 +/- 0.6 (ATLS) and 1.9 +/- 0.6 (non-ATLS). Pre-ATLS MCQ scores (%) were similar: 53.1 +/- 8.4 (ATLS) and 57.3 +/- 5.4 (non-ATLS), but post-ATLS scores were greater in the ATLS group: 85.8 +/- 7.1 (ATLS) and 64.2 +/- 3.6 (non-ATLS). Our data support the teaching effectiveness of the ATLS program among practicing physicians as measured by improvement in OSCE scores, adherence to trauma priorities, maintenance of an organized approach to trauma care, and cognitive performance in MCQ examinations.
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World journal of surgery · Sep 1996
Comparative StudyPrediction of bone mass in renal hyperparathyroidism by newly developed bone metabolic markers: evaluation of serum levels of carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen.
Serum levels of the carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) were measured in 95 patients with renal hyperparathyroidism who had undergone a total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation of a small portion of the resected gland. The results were compared with the serum levels of other bone metabolic markers and bone mineral densities in the distal radius (R-BMD) and lumbar vertebrae (L-BMD), which were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and converted to the percentage of the mean value of sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The preoperative mean values of ICTP and PICP were 142.4 ng/ml and 187.8 ng/ml, respectively. ⋯ After surgery, the serum levels of ICTP decreased gradually, but those of PICP increased immediately up to peak values at 7 days and then decreased gradually after 14 days, reaching the normal range at 3 months. These changes in the bone metabolic markers seemed to reflect the change in bone metabolism that was converting from bone resorption to bone formation. The percent change in the PICP/ICTP ratio at 7 days correlated significantly with the percent change in R-BMD at 12 months, and it was suggested that postoperative bone gain might be predicted using a combination of postoperative changes in PICP and ICTP.