Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Oct 1984
Case Reports Comparative StudySplenic trauma: a trial at selective management.
The experience with splenic trauma at the Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital and at Vanderbilt University Hospital between 1972 and 1983 is the subject of this report. Of 154 emergency cases involving splenic injury, 134 were due to blunt trauma, with 20 cases resulting from penetrating injury. In 124 patients, exploratory laparotomy was done immediately after resuscitation and evaluation. ⋯ There were 19 deaths (12.3%), 11 of them from head injuries. Splenectomy should be done promptly in cases of concomitant splenic and cerebral injury and in patients with injury of multiple organ systems. Nonoperative management of suspected splenic injury should be reserved for patients in stable condition and with few if any associated injuries.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 1984
Case ReportsMyofascial trigger points in persistent posttraumatic shoulder pain.
Persistent pain and disability after injuries to the shoulder sometimes create a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problem. In many such cases, myofascial trigger points seem to cause symptoms. Three cases in which pain had persisted for eight to 33 months after injury illustrate the manifestations of posttraumatic myofascial trigger point disorders. ⋯ Failure to recognize the myofascial source of pain can lead to erroneous diagnoses of articular, neurologic, or emotional disorder. Current pathophysiologic theories about trigger points may explain the persistence and topographic spreading of pain after muscular injuries. Appropriate treatment of myofascial trigger points can relieve chronic pain and disability.