J Trauma
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Severe isolated upper extremity injuries are rarely lethal; however, they invariably are resource intensive, create significant disability, and promote resistance to a return to gainful employment. Appropriate soft tissue restoration is an essential component of any treatment protocol, and often requires a vascularized flap to protect the superficial neurovascular and musculotendinous structures. A basic schema to facilitate flap selection in the upper extremity is introduced. ⋯ A schema to guide flap selection for upper extremity coverage is introduced that is predicated on using the best available option. The shoulder girdle and axilla are reached by many local trunk muscle or fascia flaps. The central upper limb about the elbow often is conducive to coverage with specific local fascia flaps. The distal upper extremity may be best served by a free flap, as would any large wound in all upper limb regions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Turning point: rethinking violence--evaluation of program efficacy in reducing adolescent violent crime recidivism.
The link between medicine and violence prevention is self-evident, yet the literature reveals few studies that scientifically document effective interventions. The Turning Point: Rethinking Violence (TPRV) program is a unique multiagency program developed to expose, educate, and remediate first-time violent offenders and their parents regarding the real-world consequences of violence. Four key components are integrated into a 6-week, court-ordered program (14 total contact hours): the Trauma Experience (tour, video, discussions), the Victim Impact Panel (presented by parent survivors), Group Process, and Community Networking (individualized mental health referral). We hypothesize that TPRV delivers lower outcomes regarding violence recidivism (VR) when compared with standard court sentencing options (100 hours of community service) for first-time violent offenders. ⋯ The TPRV program decreases VR when compared with standard sentencing options. The broad-spectrum approach (real-world exposure, parental involvement, peer support, follow-up) appears successful in addressing recidivism, and could potentially reduce the epidemic in adolescent violence and the subsequent impact on trauma care.
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Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in head injured patients has avoided heparin products because of concern for exacerbating intracranial bleeding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of unfractionated heparin (UFH) for VTE prophylaxis after traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Early use of UFH in the severe head injured patient does not increase bleeding complications.
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The purpose of this study was to describe differences in demographics, injury pattern, transfusion needs, and outcome of pelvic fractures in older versus younger patients. ⋯ In older patients, pelvic fractures are more likely to produce hemorrhage and require angiography. Fracture patterns differ in older patients, with LC fractures occurring more frequently, and commonly causing significant blood loss. The outcome of older patients with pelvic fractures is significantly worse than younger patients, particularly with higher injury severity. Recognition of these differences should help clinicians to identify patients at high risk for bleeding and death early, and to refine diagnostic and resuscitation strategies.