Injury
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Pelvic ring fractures often result in severely injured patients with multiple organ injuries. The most common associated injuries are intraabdominal or urogenital, and urogenital injuries are the most common associated injuries in those with severe pelvic fractures. Prompt and effective diagnosis and management of these injuries is essential to successful outcomes, but this is potentially complicated by poor communication and coordination among the many specialists involved. To address this, we present a multi-disciplinary review of pelvic fracture-associated bladder and urethral injuries that is specifically geared towards orthopaedic, urology, and trauma surgeons caring for these patients.
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Transient osteoporosis of pregnancy (TOP) is a rare yet perhaps under-reported condition that has affected otherwise healthy pregnancies throughout the world. The condition presents suddenly in the third trimester of a usually uneventful pregnancy and progressively immobilizes the mother. Radiographic studies detect drastic loss of bone mass, elevated rates of turnover in the bone, and oedema in the affected portion. ⋯ Aetiology is currently unknown, although neural, vascular, haematological, endocrine, nutrient-deficiency, and other etiologies have been proposed. Several treatments have also been explored, including simple bed rest, steroids, bisphosphonates, calcitonin, induced termination of pregnancy, and surgical intervention. The orthopedist plays an essential role in monitoring the condition (and potential complications) as well as ensuring satisfactory outcomes for both the mother and newborn.
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Small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR) injury may lead to severe local and remote tissue injury, especially acute lung injury (ALI). Mast cell activation plays an important role in IIR injury. It is unknown whether IIR mediates lung injury via mast cell activation. ⋯ Mast cells activation play a critical role in IIR mediated ALI.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in both children and the elderly. Mortality from TBI is said account for 1-2% of all deaths. One-third to one-half of all traumatic deaths is due to head injury. Of those who survive, the majority is left with significant disabilities, including 3% who remain in a vegetative state and only approximately 30% who make a good recovery. Microarray studies and other genomic techniques facilitate the discovery of new targets for the treatment of diseases, which aids in drug development, immunotherapeutics and gene therapy. Gene expression profiling or microarray analysis enables the measurement of thousands of genes in a single RNA sample. ⋯ In this study, we will review the current understanding of the genetic susceptibility of TBI with microarrays. Our results highlight the importance of genes that control the response of the brain to injury as well as the suitability of microarrays for identifying specific targets for further study.