American journal of surgery
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We initiated a multidisciplinary clinical pathway targeting patients greater than 45 years of age with more than 4 rib fractures. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of this pathway on infectious morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Implementation of a rib fracture multidisciplinary clinical pathway decreased mechanical ventilator-dependent days, lengths of stay, infectious morbidity, and mortality.
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Little is known about the incidence of and associated management outcomes of occult hemothorax in blunt trauma patients. The increased use of computed thoracic tomography for the evaluation of the multiply injured blunt trauma patient has led to an increase in the identification of these hemothoraces and management dilemmas. ⋯ Occult pneumothoraces occur in a significant proportion of the multiply injured blunt trauma population. Small, isolated, occult hemothoraces can be managed safely in the stable patient.
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Management of patients with thoracic empyema ranges from tube thoracostomy drainage, with or without fibrinolytics, to operative intervention, with the optimal intervention remaining uncertain. Streptococcus milleri, typically a benign bacterium colonizing the oropharynx, has recently been reported as a potential pathogen in pneumonia and pleural space disease. Our initial experience indicated this infection, when in the pleural space, was particularly tenacious and often required major operative intervention to eradicate. Therefore, we hypothesized that patients with S milleri pleural space infections often require operative intervention as definitive treatment. ⋯ Despite attempts at nonoperative management, the majority of patients with a S milleri pleural space infection require operative intervention for definitive therapy. Patients diagnosed with S milleri empyema should be considered for early operative intervention due to the unrelenting nature of their infection. Operative treatment is associated with a shorter hospital length of stay, increased discharge to home, and decreased mortality.
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Retrieval of optional vena cava filters (VCF) has been demonstrated to be safe and feasible in injured patients in 4 recent studies. However, 2 pulmonary emboli PE were reported in these studies with mean implant durations less than 19 days. In light of these occurrences, we changed our practice for VCF retrieval when patients had recovered from their injuries and at least 30 days after their discharge, or had been stable on therapeutic anticoagulation for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or PE for at least 2 weeks. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety of this approach. ⋯ Extended intervals for retrieval of VCF are safe and may maximize protection against pulmonary embolism.
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The management of combined arterial and musculoskeletal injuries to the lower extremity remains controversial, particularly with regard to the initial order of intervention and the use of intravascular shunting. In this study, we review the contemporary management and outcome of patients treated for acute traumatic distal femoropopliteal arterial injuries. ⋯ Our study shows that arterial reconstruction for acute traumatic lower-limb injuries results in a good limb-salvage rate. We advocate prompt vascular repair before orthopedic intervention for combined vascular and skeletal injuries of the lower extremity, without using intravascular shunting.