Articles: trauma.
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Whole blood transfusion is associated with benefits including improved survival, coagulopathy, and decreased transfusion requirements. The majority of whole blood transfusion is in the form of low-titer O-positive whole blood (LTOWB). Practice at many trauma centers withholds the use of LTOWB in women of childbearing potential due to concerns of alloimmunization. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence for LTOWB transfusion in female trauma patients and generate guidelines for its application. ⋯ The use of whole blood resuscitation in trauma is associated with benefits in the resuscitation of severely injured patients. The rate at which severely injured, Rh-negative patients develop anti-D antibodies is low. Treatments for alloimmunized pregnancies have advanced, with excellent results. Fears of alloimmunization in female patients are likely overstated and may not warrant the withholding of whole blood resuscitation. The benefits of whole blood resuscitation likely outweigh the risks of alloimmunization.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2024
ReviewA Perspective on Hormonal Contraception Usage in Central Nervous System Injury.
Naturally occurring life stages in women are associated with changes in the milieu of endogenous ovarian hormones. Women of childbearing age may be exposed to exogenous ovarian hormone(s) because of their use of varying combinations of estrogen and progesterone hormones-containing oral contraceptives (OC; also known as "the pill"). If women have central nervous system (CNS) injury such as spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) during their childbearing age, they are likely to retain their reproductive capabilities and may use OC. ⋯ Our understanding about how the combination of endogenous hormones and OC-conferred exogenous hormones affect outcomes after CNS injuries remains limited. Therefore, understanding the impact of OC use on CNS injury outcomes needs further investigation to reveal underlying mechanisms, promote reporting in clinical or epidemiological studies, and raise awareness of possible compounded consequences. The goal of the current review is to discuss the impacts of CNS injury on endogenous ovarian hormones and vice-versa, as well as the putative consequences of exogenous ovarian hormones (OC) on the CNS to identify potential gaps in our knowledge to consider for future laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical studies.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2024
Meta AnalysisMiddle meningeal artery embolization as standalone treatment versus combined with surgical evacuation for chronic subdural hematomas: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is a novel treatment for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs) with high variability of use across practitioners and institutions. This study sought to investigate whether standalone MMAE may be an effective alternative to combined MMAE and surgery for select patients with cSDH. ⋯ Standalone MMAE for cSDH may yield a low rate of surgical recurrence, which may be comparable to that of combined MMAE and surgery. However, studies in this systematic review and meta-analysis were primarily single-arm studies prone to treatment bias. Future studies are needed to further investigate whether standalone MMAE may be an effective alternative to combined MMAE and surgical treatment for cSDH in select patients.
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Multicenter Study
A national multicentre study of outcomes and patient satisfaction with the virtual fracture clinic and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic: The MAVCOV study.
Virtual fracture clinics (VFCs) are advocated by the British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma (BOAST). We aimed to assess the impact of the transition from face-to-face fracture clinic review and identify any change in clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. ⋯ Despite a significant rise in direct discharge from VFC, there was no significant change in unplanned attendances, complications, or patient satisfaction. However, there are factors associated with dissatisfaction and these should be considered in the evolution of VFC.