J Trauma
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Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart and pericardium, rarely diagnosed preoperatively, carries a high mortality rate. From 1979 to 1989, more than 20,000 patients were admitted to a Level I trauma center. A retrospective review identified 59 patients requiring emergency surgery for this condition. ⋯ In the remaining 29 patients, diagnosis was made by urgent thoracotomy (41%), by subxiphoid pericardial window (34%), during laparotomy (21%), or by chest radiography (3%). The overall mortality rate was 76% (45 patients), but only 52% for those with vital signs on admission. Rapid transportation and expeditious surgical treatment can save many patients with these injuries.
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The effects of intravenous ibuprofen on measurements of pulmonary function and alveolar capillary membrane permeability to protein in sepsis-induced porcine acute lung injury (ALI) were studied. Young swine (15-25 kg) were anesthetized, cannulated, and ventilated (5 cm H2O PEEP, 0.5 FIO2, and 15 cc/kg tidal volume). Three groups were studied: septic animals (Ps, n = 10) received Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 1 hr IV, controls (C, n = 9) received 0.9% NaCl, and ibuprofen-treated septic animals (Ps + Ibu, n = 7) received ibuprofen 12.5 mg/kg at 0 and 120 min post Ps. Systemic (SAP) and pulmonary (PAP) arterial pressures, PaO2, cardiac index (CI), static lung compliance (CL), EVLW (thermal cardiogreen), and peripheral white blood cell counts (WBC) were measured. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for protein and % neutrophil (%PMN) content. ⋯ Ps produced significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in CL, PaO2, SAP, CI, and peripheral WBC and increases in PAP, EVLW, BAL protein, and %PMN's vs. controls. Ibu prevented the early increase in PAP and attenuated the late increase in PAP and EVLW. Ibu also maintained PaO2, CL, BAL protein, and %PMN's in BAL at control levels, but exhibited no significant effect on peripheral leukopenia. These data strongly suggest that ibuprofen administered before and at 120 min after onset of Pseudomonas infusion improves lung compliance and affects neutrophil function sufficiently to significantly ameliorate many of the physiologic derangements in acute sepsis.
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Review Case Reports
Isolated hyoid bone fracture: a case report and review of the literature.
Isolated hyoid bone fractures secondary to trauma other than strangulation are rare and have few, if any, complications. We report a case of an isolated hyoid bone fracture that resulted in sudden and severe upper airway compromise. Diagnosis of these fractures is difficult and usually can be made only with a strong degree of suspicion. Patients who suffer neck injuries in whom a hyoid fracture is diagnosed or strongly suspected should be observed for 48 to 72 hours, considered for endoscopy, and treated as warranted.
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Based on the 242 consecutive surviving head injury cases and 132 general trauma cases, this study examined the contribution of brain and non-brain injuries to cognitive and psychosocial outcome 1 month postinjury. The study also examined the relationships among various head injury severity indices. ⋯ Psychosocial outcome related to both brain and non-brain injuries independently. When evaluating trauma outcome, it is important to consider the contributions of both brain and other system injuries.
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An unusual case of migration of an intracranial bullet fragment within a brain abscess is reported. Movement of the bullet was first detected on skull films, and the significance of this finding on plain radiographs is emphasized.