Injury
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Routine pin tract care in external fixation is unnecessary: a randomised, prospective, blinded controlled study.
Pin site infections are seen in up to 40% of external fixators (ExFix) and are therefore the most common complication with this device. There is no consensus in the literature as to the appropriate regimen for pin tract care and infection prevention. This study is the first intra-subject, randomised, prospective controlled trial comparing daily pin tract care to no pin tract care at all. ⋯ This study shows that routine pin tract care is unnecessary in external fixation treatment of injuries.
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American patients are prescribed more opioid pain medication than Dutch patients after operative treatment of an ankle fracture, but it is possible that pain is undertreated in Dutch patients. This study tests if there is a difference in pain and satisfaction with pain relief between Dutch and American patients after operative treatment of ankle fractures. ⋯ Level I, Prognostic Study with more than 80% follow-up.
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Review Multicenter Study
Traumatic brain injury in older adults: characteristics, causes and consequences.
Traumatic brain injury is of particular concern in the older population. We aimed to examine the trends in hospitalisations, causes and consequences of TBI in older adults in New South Wales, Australia. ⋯ The rapid increase in hospitalised TBI is being predominantly driven by falls in the oldest old and the greatest increase predominantly in intracranial haemorrhages, highlighting the need for future research to quantify the risk versus benefit of anticoagulant therapies.
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Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) are highly resource-intensive facilities that are well established as part of trauma systems in many high-income countries. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a physician-staffed HEMS intervention in combination with treatment at a major trauma centre versus ground ambulance or indirect transport (via a referral hospital) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ⋯ Our investigation confirms a HEMS intervention is associated with improved mortality in trauma patients, especially in patients with serious injury and TBI. The improved benefit of HEMS in patients with serious injury and TBI leads to improved estimated cost-effectiveness.
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The use of an intramedullary fibular allograft together with a locking plate fixation has been recently described in biomechanical studies to provide additional medial support and prevent varus malalignment for displaced proximal humeral fractures with promising results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of a locking plate with fibular allograft augmentation in unstable humeral fractures. ⋯ Locking plate with fibular graft augmentation is a safe and promising technique to support the humeral head and maintain reduction in the proximal humeral fracture with medial comminution.