J Trauma
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Biography Historical Article
Samuel D. Gross: pioneer academic trauma surgeon of 19th century America.
It is appropriate on the 50th anniversary of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma to recall the most influential trauma surgeon in 19th century America: Samuel D. Gross. Gross was an innovative surgeon whose 50-year career as a surgeon caring for injured patients encompassed orthopedics, thoracic surgery, abdominal surgery, and ophthalmology. ⋯ Gross was a teacher, occupying for 42 years Chairs of Surgery at three medical schools. Gross wore the mantle of political leadership, founding medical societies that continue today as forums for the presentation and review of new treatments for injured patients. Modern academic trauma surgeons could do no better than to emulate the career of Samuel David Gross, the Patriarch of American trauma surgeons.
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Of 29 blunt trauma victims with a diagnostic peritoneal lavage white blood cell count (DPL:WBC) greater than or equal to 500/mm3 as the sole positive lavage criterion, only four underwent laparotomy at admission, and only one of these had sustained intestinal perforation. Two of the remaining 25 succumbed to extra-abdominal injuries within 24 hours, leaving 23 patients, who were followed clinically for an average of 34.7 days. None was ever discovered to have sustained intestinal perforation. ⋯ The remaining 18 underwent DPL: 17 demonstrated gross blood, and only one patient was diagnosed solely by an elevated DPL:WBC. We conclude that DPL:WBC is a nonspecific indicator of intestinal perforation from blunt abdominal trauma, and prospective studies are needed to properly define its role. Sequential determinations of DPL:WBC may be useful in the diagnosis of intestinal perforation.
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Small-volume resuscitation (4 ml/kg) with hypertonic saline-dextran (HSD) has been shown effective in hemorrhagic shock. In the present study the effectiveness of an initial 4 ml/kg bolus infusion of HSD on cardiovascular function and fluid resuscitation requirements after a major burn injury was evaluated in anesthetized sheep following a 40% BSA scald burn. One hour after injury resuscitation was initiated by a rapid intravenous bolus infusion (4 ml/kg) of either hypertonic saline-dextran (7.5% NaCl in 6% dextran 70) (HSD) or the same volume of normal (isotonic) saline (NS). ⋯ The total requirements for fluid therapy during the first 6 hr postburn were not reduced by the initial HSD bolus (HSD 3,145 +/- 605 ml, NS 2,905 +/- 495 ml; n.s.), nor was skin edema formation reduced. We conclude that in anesthetized sheep HSD resuscitation was only transiently effective in treating burn shock. This may be attributed to the sustained increase in vascular permeability and continued plasma leak following thermal injury.