European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Oct 2019
The alcohol-intoxicated trauma patient: impact on imaging and radiation exposure.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol intoxication in trauma patients in regard to its impact on application of computed tomography (CT) and associated radiation exposure. ⋯ Alcohol intoxication is a common finding in trauma patients, and the rate of moderate and serious head injuries seems to be comparable to a more severely injured control group. Furthermore, head CT utilization in intoxicated patients is associated with significant radiation exposure, despite poor image quality, due to motion artifacts (27%). Future strategies are required to exclude head injuries safely, while reducing the rate of head CT and associated radiation exposure in intoxicated patients.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Oct 2019
Pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium following blunt thoracic trauma: much ado about nothing?
Pneumomediastinum is the hallmark of intrathoracic aerodigestive trauma, but rare following blunt injury. ⋯ The presence of PM/PC following BTC is incidental and benign. Increased injury severity with a flail chest is associated with a significant increase in the presence of free gas within the mediastinum. In the absence of complications, no obvious injury to the intrathoracic aero-digestive tract on CT scanning, and no difference in mortality, a conservative management policy is warranted.
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This study examined a single center's experience with regards to etiology and distribution of fractures treated from July 2015 to August 2016 in Shanghai, China. ⋯ Craniomaxillofacial fractures predominantly occur in young men, due to traffic accidents. Orbit was involved in most cases. Falling from height and traffic accidents is more likely to cause multiple fractures.