Surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Laparoscopic and minilaparotomy cholecystectomy: a randomized trial comparing postoperative pain and pulmonary function.
Upper abdominal surgery is associated with severe postoperative pain and a concomitant reduction in pulmonary function and oxygen saturation. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is said to result in less postoperative pain compared with open cholecystectomy. ⋯ This study confirms that the postoperative pain and pulmonary changes associated with upper abdominal surgery are significantly reduced by the laparoscopic technique. These findings suggest that laparoscopic cholecystectomy may result in a reduced risk of postoperative pulmonary complications.
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Recurrence rates after surgical repair of groin hernia vary between 3% and 20%. One possible reason for recurrent hernias are ipsilateral multiple hernias, which might have been overlooked at the primary operation. ⋯ The frequency of ipsilateral multiple hernias is much higher than the frequency reported during herniorrhaphy. Such overlooked ipsilateral multiple groin hernias may account for some of the so-called recurrences after herniorrhaphy. Therefore a careful exploration of the groin is mandatory. Preoperative herniography may also prove to be useful in patients with recurrent groin symptoms after herniorrhaphy.
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Preferred coverings for excised burn wounds when sufficient autograft skin is not available are fresh or cryopreserved cadaveric skin. Problems with supply, preservation, immune rejection, and potential infection transmission accompanying the use of allograft skin underscore the need for effective alternative temporary skin replacements. ⋯ The Biobrane/HF living skin replacement provides long-term biologic coverage of full-thickness wound defects in mice with rapid incorporation of a living tissue matrix into the wound bed. Because HF have been found to be relatively nonantigenic when transferred to allogeneic hosts, Biobrane/HF grafts could replace the use of cadaveric allograft skin for achieving temporary wound closure after burn wound excision. Biobrane/HF grafts may persist on human wounds for weeks or months, with long-term persistence perhaps primarily dependent on durability of the silicone rubber layer.
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A case of traumatic transection of the thyroid gland with secondary substantial hematoma and respiratory distress is presented. Hemorrhage into the altered thyroid gland is well known. However, there are only a few reports of severe hemorrhage associated with trauma. A short review of the literature is given and the mechanism of trauma is discussed.
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Case Reports
Extracorporeal life support for the treatment of adult respiratory distress syndrome after burn injury.
The pediatric population comprises 38% of hospital admissions for burns in the United States. In the age group of 1- to 14-year-olds, a 62% total body surface area burn represents the median lethal dose and carries a lower mortality rate for burn size than in infants or adults. Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common accompaniment to severe burn injury. ⋯ ECMO was successfully terminated after 28 days. Open lung biopsy specimens obtained before instituting ECMO and on ECMO day 26 exhibited severe but histologically reversible lung disease and improved alveolar aeration as a result of treatment. This is the first reported survival of a pediatric patient with thermal injury and ARDS by using ECMO for the treatment of respiratory failure.