Arch Surg Chicago
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To reassess the use of emergency thoracotomy in resuscitating victims of abdominal or thoracic trauma. ⋯ Emergency thoracotomy is a useful therapeutic modality for victims of penetrating trauma who have vital signs on admission to the hospital, and it should be considered in blunt trauma patients who present with any evidence of life. This modality is largely ineffective, however, in resuscitating victims of penetrating and blunt trauma who present to the hospital without vital signs.
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More than 160,000 women will develop breast cancer in the United States during the next year. Traditionally, their definitive surgery has been performed on an inpatient basis, with postoperative hospital stays ranging from 1 to 7 days. ⋯ Most operations for carcinoma of the breast can be performed on an outpatient basis, without increasing the risk of complications.