Eur J Trauma Emerg S
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Apr 2010
Epidemiology of Fatal Trauma in Italy in 2002 Using Population-Based Registries.
Population-based registries have been proposed for epidemiologic studies and quality assessment in trauma care because they consider the entire population of a given geographic area. ⋯ The use of population-based registries proved to be effective in our study because it allowed us to use currently available data to obtain information useful for trauma system planning and design.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Apr 2010
Spinal Fusion of an Unstable Atlantoaxial Fracture in a Completely Tetraplegic Patient Using Silicate-Substituted Calcium Phosphate.
Bone graft harvesting from the iliac crest constitutes the gold standard in spinal surgery due to its osteogenic, osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Large amounts of autograft can provoke complications like donor site morbidity, pain and the need for a second operation. Therefore, research into bone graft substitutes is of great interest. ⋯ Computed tomography showed bone bridging between the segment C1/C2, the surface of the implant and the remodeled bone at follow-up at 8 months. The use of silicate-substituted calcium phosphate as a bone graft extender in spinal surgery could be an alternative to autografting from the iliac crest. Vegetative symptoms are often underestimated but can be triggered by donor site morbidity or pain in patients after spinal cord injury.
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A young female victim of multiple trauma had a Recovery inferior vena cava filter placed for pulmonary embolism prophylaxis. She was lost to follow-up for planned retrieval of the filter. After a period of more than four years she re-presented and had successful and uneventful retrieval of the filter. Certain inferior vena cava filters may potentially be retrieved even after very long implantation periods.
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A dramatic reduction of penetrating trauma is not to be expected in the near future, especially in some regions of the world. In order to identify the body structures damaged after stab or firearm wounds, complementary diagnostic studies play an essential role in assessing the severity of the case. The inclusion of ultrasound among the diagnostic tests for assessing abdominal injuries after blunt trauma because of its confident, repetitive, non-invasive, communicable, and low-cost means to obtain the relevant information is derived from rapidly widespread use of the method for other injury mechanisms, such as penetrating trauma. ⋯ Regarding free fluid, it is possible to determine its presence and composition through the peritoneal aspiration after a sonoguided puncture. On the other hand, ultrasound is able to detect morphologic changes in solid organs after penetrating trauma. In order to reach these possibilities which are offered by the ultrasound technology, a planifying training and education program must be developed.
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Pelvic ring injuries form part of the spectrum of polytraumaandmust be considered a potentially lethal injury with mortality rates of 10-20%. The stabilization of the unstable pelvic ring in acute resuscitation of multiply injured patients is now conventional wisdom. We aimed: (1) to design a new iliosacral (IS) screw, (2) to prove the clinical advantages of this new implant, and (3) to work out the optimal surgical strategy using this implant. ⋯ During thelast eleven years, 244 patientswith Tile B3 and Cpelvic injuries have been stabilized with 10-mm diameter cannulated IS screws percutaneously posteriorly. Fortyeight hemodynamically unstable patientswere stabilized in the first 2 h with iliosacral screw fixation. The percutaneous pelvic ring stabilization with 10-mm cannulated screws provedstrongenoughin bothersome casesaswell.