Scand J Surg
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Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a common cause for hospital admission that results in significant morbidity and mortality. After initial resuscitation of the patient, the diagnosis and treatment of lower gastrointestinal bleeding remains a challenge for acute care surgeons. ⋯ It is therefore important for the acute care surgeon to be familiar with the different diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and their advantages and disadvantages in order to guide the management of the acutely bleeding patient. This review summarizes the current methods available for the diagnosis and treatment of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding and proposes an algorithm for the management of these patients.
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Mopeds and scooters have become increasingly popular among Finnish teenagers. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess incidence of and injury patterns associated with moped and scooter accidents in adolescents. ⋯ Over a time span of six years, moped accidents among adolescents have become very common. Our results suggest that measures should be taken to diminish the number of moped and scooter accidents and to improve driver safety.
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Investigating the impact of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) on clinical status and health related quality of life in patients with claudication and critical limb ischaemia (CLI). ⋯ Technical success and one-year results in claudication are good, and the rate of complications is low. However, although PTA resulted in an immediate improvement in the quality of life, this effect was not seen in the long term. In critical limb ischemia there was a group of patients in whom PTA led to a significant benefit in terms of limb salvage and quality of life.
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The aim of this paper was to review the literature on the clinical importance of monitoring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) repair. ⋯ IAH/ACS is an important complication after operation on patients with rAAA. Monitoring IAP may be associated with improved outcomes.
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Fluid resuscitation of trauma victims currently differs, depending on whether the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) or Battlefield Advanced Trauma Life Support (BATLS) algorithm is utilised. Resuscitation protocol depends on the situation of the patient before definitive surgical control of the haemorrhage can be achieved, that is, in the prehospital phase (the urban, rural or battlefield setting) or in the emergency room. The principle difference is between hypotensive (PHTLS and BATLS, in the prehospital phase) and normotensive (ATLS, in the emergency room) resuscitation. The aim of this review was to determine if there is sufficient evidence to consider altering the ATLS resuscitation algorithm to a hypotensive model prior to definitive surgical control of haemorrhage. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to alter the current ATLS algorithm in the emergency room in favour of hypotensive resuscitation. The future of resuscitation is considered.