Surgery
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The effect of fluid resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock on cerebral edema, intracranial pressure (ICP), and blood brain barrier function was investigated in the presence of a simulated head injury. Beagle dogs were anesthetized and ICP was measured via a right subarachnoid bolt while a contralateral epidural balloon was inflated in the left hemicranium to mimic a closed head injury. Forty percent of the dogs' blood was shed and the shock state was maintained for 1 hour. ⋯ Coronal sections of fixed HS brains showed deep cortical Evans blue staining on the side of balloon injury. Therefore, in the presence of an intracranial mass lesion, resuscitation with hypertonic (3%) saline solution is accompanied by lower ICP values and less cerebral edema than is isotonic saline or colloid resuscitation. Blood brain barrier function is not restored by hypertonic saline solution resuscitation.
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Goiter with major respiratory compromise is uncommon but troublesome. Evaluation and treatment of this condition are controversial. Of a total of 2,908 goiters operated on over a 17-year period, 58 cases with this particular complication were studied retrospectively to define optimal management. ⋯ Technical artifices facilitated the extraction of the goiter via cervicotomy without sternotomy in 92% of patients with minimal morbidity. Whenever necessary, endotracheal intubation obviated the need for tracheostomy. These data suggest preventive removal of all large or substernal goiters.
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Many changes are under way in the payment for physician and hospital care of the surgical patient. Relatively little data have been analyzed on resource consumption for hospitalized surgical patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize hospital resource consumption and outcome by age for surgical patients. ⋯ This study demonstrated a number of trends in surgical patient age and use of resources. Under prospective payment systems (i.e., DRG reimbursement) financial risk increased with the age of the patient. Length of hospital stay and mortality increased with age; however, DRG case-mix index and the number of procedures per patient peaked at age 69, which suggests that elderly surgical patients (i.e., those above 70 years of age) may be more severely ill on average than younger patients.
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With use of a quantitative limulus assay, the levels of circulating endotoxins were examined in a population of burn patients with injuries covering 1% to 88% of the total body surface area (TBSA). In cases in which the injury was less than 20% TBSA, the increases in endotoxins were only 35% as compared with those of normal controls. ⋯ Time-course studies indicated that in most cases, peak endotoxin levels occurred 3 to 4 days after injury. The data also showed that there was no relationship between the age of the patient and the extent of the endotoxin increase.
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Comparative Study
Injuries to the abdominal vascular system: how much does aggressive resuscitation and prelaparotomy thoracotomy really help?
The records of 154 patients with 254 abdominal vascular injuries seen over 5 years (1980 to 1985) were reviewed. The overall mortality rate (MR) was 46%. This included 100% (5/5) for blunt injuries, 49% (59/119) for gunshot wounds, and 23% (7/30) for stab wounds. ⋯ In the high-risk group (admission systolic BP less than 70 mm Hg and four or more associated injuries), if shock was kept to less than 30 minutes and bleeding to 10 U of blood or less, the MR was reduced from 92% (24/26) to 0% (0/12). In patients presenting to the OR with a BP less than 70, a prelaparotomy cross-clamping of the aorta should be considered. In those patients not responding, prolonged surgical efforts are futile.