Injury
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Necrotising fasciitis (NF) is potentially life-threatening soft-tissue infection. Early diagnosis and aggressive surgical debridement are critical to decrease mortality and morbidity. The impacts of new management technologies such as hydro-bisturi-assisted debridement (HAD) and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) are not yet clear with respect to treatment of NF. The objective of this study was to describe laboratory (including LRINEC score), clinical and microbiological factors, treatment methods and outcomes related to managing necrotising fasciitis, focusing on the implementation of new treatment methods in our centre. ⋯ We confirm that necrotising fasciitis (NF) of the extremities, despite new advancements in treatment and critical care management, is still a potentially life-threatening soft-tissue infection (30% mortality). New, advanced wound management modalities have been heavily used in management of necrotising fasciitis, but these have not had significant impacts on morbidity and mortality rates.
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Comparative Study
Comminuted fractures of the radial head: resection or prosthesis?
At present, surgical treatment of comminuted radial head fractures without associated instability continues to be controversial. When anatomical reconstruction is not possible, radial head excision is performed. However, the appearance of long-term complications with this technique, along with the development of new radial head implants situates arthroplasty as a promising surgical alternative. The purpose of the present study was to compare the mid-term functional outcomes of both techniques. ⋯ Although this is a retrospective study, the high complication rate occurring after radial head replacement in comparison with radial head resection, as well as good functional results obtained with this last technique, leads us to recommend it for comminuted radial head fractures without associated instability.
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Observational Study
Surgical delay as a risk factor for wound infection after a hip fracture.
Analysis of significant risk factors for mortality and for medical and orthopaedic complications. ⋯ Surgical delay longer than 24hours has been an important risk factor for wound infection, a finding not previously described in literature. Older age is a significant risk factor for mortality and pneumonia, and previous comorbidity for cardiac failure and pneumonia.
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The precise role of thoracic CT in penetrating chest trauma remains to be defined. We hypothesized that thoracic CT effectively screens hemodynamically normal patients with penetrating thoracic trauma to surgery vs. expectant management (NOM). ⋯ Thoracic CT has a negative predictive value of 99% in triaging hemodynamically normal patients with penetrating chest trauma. Screening thoracic CT successfully excludes surgery in patients with non-significant radiologic findings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized, controlled trial of povidone-iodine to reduce simple traumatic wound infections in the emergency department.
Povidone Iodine (PVI) has been used to prevent wound infection for a long time, yet the merits and effectiveness of this agent in reducing the rates of infection in simple traumatic wounds have been debated. The aim of this study is determine the effect of PVI as skin disinfectant in preventing simple traumatic wound infection after repair in emergency departments. ⋯ Our study showed that using PVI in the management of traumatic wounds did not reduced rate of infections.