Articles: trauma.
-
Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2009
The Severity of Injury and the Extent of Hemorrhagic Shock Predict the Incidence of Infectious Complications in Trauma Patients.
Trauma patients are at high risk of developing systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the severity of injury and the extent of hemorrhagic shock at admission on the incidence of SIRS, infection and septic complications. ⋯ The severity of injury and the severity of hemorrhagic shock are risk factors for infectious and septic complications. Early diagnostic and adequate therapeutic work up with planned early "second look" interventions in such high-risk patients may help to reduce these common posttraumatic complications.
-
Higher levels of tourniquet pressure and higher pressure gradients beneath tourniquet cuffs are associated with a higher risk of nerve-related injury. Measurement of limb occlusion pressure can help to minimize tourniquet pressure levels and pressure gradients for individual patients and individual surgical procedures. Selective use of pneumatic, wider, and contoured tourniquet cuffs reduces tourniquet pressure levels and the applied pressure gradients.
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Dec 2009
ReviewDeadly partners: interdependence of alcohol and trauma in the clinical setting.
Trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 1 to 45. Over a third of all fatal motor vehicle collisions and nearly eighty percent of completed suicides involve alcohol. ⋯ Fortunately, brief interventions after alcohol-related traumatic events have been shown to decrease both trauma recidivism and long-term alcohol use. This review will address the epidemiology of alcohol-related trauma, the influence of alcohol on mortality and other outcomes, and the role of prevention in alcohol-related trauma, within the confines of the clinical setting.
-
Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2009
Posterior Fusion in Patients with Trauma, Instability, and Tumor of the Cervical Spine.
Trauma, instabilities and tumors of the cervical spine are treated with established methods of surgery. Therefore, anterior fusion is considered to be a standardized procedure for the lower cervical spine, while posterior and anterior instrumentation facilitates stabilization of the upper cervical spine. ⋯ Neurological deficit symptoms, bone quality and related diseases fundamentally lead to a decision of posterior access and fusion. Different pathologies and corresponding reasons for posterior surgical interventions on the cervical spine are described in this paper and discussed using the current literature.