Journal of trauma management & outcomes
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J Trauma Manag Outcomes · Jan 2008
'Damage control orthopaedics' in patients with delayed referral to a tertiary care center: experience from a place where Composite Trauma Centers do not exist.
Management of orthopaedic injuries in polytrauma cases continues to challenge the orthopaedic traumatologist. Mass disasters compound this challenge further due to delayed referral. Recently there has been increasing evidence showing that damage control surgery has advantages that are absent in the early total care modality. We studied the damage control modality in the management of polytrauma cases with orthopaedic injuries who had been referred to our hospital after more than 24 hours of sustaining their injuries in an earthquake. This study was conducted on 51 cases after reviewing their records and complete management one year after the trauma. ⋯ In situations of delayed referral in areas where composite trauma centers do not exist the damage control modality provides an acceptable method of treatment in the management of polytrauma cases.
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J Trauma Manag Outcomes · Jan 2008
Evaluation of the safety of high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy in blunt thoracic trauma patients.
Airway clearance is frequently needed by patients suffering from blunt chest wall trauma. High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) has been shown to be effective in helping to clear secretions from the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, asthma, primary ciliary dyskinesia, emphysema, COPD, and many others. Chest wall trauma patients are at increased risk for development of pulmonary complications related to airway clearance. These patients frequently have chest tubes, drains, catheters, etc. which could become dislodged during HFCWO. This prospective observational study was conducted to determine if HFCWO treatment, as provided by The Vesttrade mark Airway Clearance System (Hill-Rom, Saint Paul, MN), was safe and well tolerated by these patients. ⋯ This study suggests that HFCWO treatment is safe for trauma patients with lung and chest wall injuries. These findings support further work to demonstrate the airway clearance benefits of HFCWO treatment.