Injury
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The use of improvised explosive devices is a frequent method of insurgents to inflict harm on deployed military personnel. Consequently, lower extremity injuries make up the majority of combat related trauma. The wounding pattern of an explosion is not often encountered in a civilian population and can lead to substantial disability. It is therefore important to study the impact of these lower extremity injuries and their treatment (limb salvage versus amputation) on functional outcome and quality of life. ⋯ Sustaining a combat injury to the lower extremity can lead to partial or permanent dysfunction. However, wounded service members, amputees included, are able to achieve high levels of activity and participation in society, proving a remarkable resilience. These long-term results demonstrate that amputation is not a failure for casualty and surgeon, and strengthen a life before limb (damage control surgery) mindset in the initial phase. For future research, we recommend the use of adequate coding and injury scoring systems to predict outcome and give insight in the attributes that are supportive for the resilience that is needed to cope with a serious battle injury.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of compartment syndrome and timing of fasciotomy wound closure on surgical site infection (SSI) after surgical fixation of tibial plateau fractures. Our primary hypothesis was that SSI rate is increased for fractures with compartment syndrome versus those without, even accounting for confounders associated with infection. Our secondary hypothesis was that infection rates are unrelated to timing of fasciotomy closure or fixation. ⋯ Tibial plateau fractures with ipsilateral compartment syndrome have a significant increase in rates of SSI compared with those without compartment syndrome (p<0.001). Delays in fasciotomy wound closure were also associated with increased odds of SSI (p<0.05).
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Hip fracture in the elderly can induce systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) and lung injury which increases the risk of lung infection and death. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) plays a role in SIRS and lung injury in patients with multi-trauma, and also in patients with hip fractures. This study evaluated the potential value of plasma mtDNA in the early prognosis of lung injury in elderly fracture patients. ⋯ Plasma mtDNA release induced by hip fracture in elderly patients, might be an early predictor of lung injury in these patients.