The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Mar 2012
Comparative StudySafety of prehospital intravenous fentanyl for adult trauma patients.
Little is known about the safety of intravenous fentanyl for adult trauma patients in the prehospital setting. Our objective was to study the hemodynamic effect of prehospital intravenous fentanyl in initially normotensive adult trauma patients. ⋯ III.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Mar 2012
Comparative StudyPredictors of acute posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following civilian trauma: highest incidence and severity of symptoms after assault.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with significant morbidity following injury. The incidence and risk factors for PTSD are not well described in the civilian trauma population. We proposed to screen all trauma patients in the outpatient trauma clinic for acute PTSD symptoms and identify risk factors for PTSD. ⋯ II.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Mar 2012
Comparative StudyThe value of cervical magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of the obtunded or comatose patient with cervical trauma, no other abnormal neurological findings, and a normal cervical computed tomography.
The value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of the obtunded or comatose patient with a potential neck injury is a controversial subject. Some authors have suggested that MRI of the cervical spine adds no value in the evaluation of patients with a normal computed tomography (CT) of the neck. However, others have suggested that MRI is the gold standard for clearing the cervical spine in a clinically suspicious or unevaluatable blunt trauma patient. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our data in regard to these conflicting hypotheses. ⋯ The addition of a cervical MRI to the evaluation protocol of obtunded or comatose patients with an otherwise normal neurologic examination and a normal cervical CT did not provide any additional useful information to change the management of these patients.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyBacteria on external fixators: which prep is best?
There are no established guidelines for the surgical prep of an external fixator in the operative field. This study investigates the effectiveness of different prep solutions and methods of application. ⋯ Although there was no increase in bacteria counts after the simulated external fixator adjustment, it did expose additional bacteria previously unseen. Although there was no difference in surgical prep solution or method of application, consideration must be given to performing an additional surgical prep of the newly exposed surface after loosening of each individual external fixator component as this may further minimize potential bacteria exposure.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Mar 2012
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEvaluation of multidetector computed tomography for penetrating neck injury: a prospective multicenter study.
The purpose of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate a clinical protocol integrating multidetector computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA) as the initial screening examination for the work-up of penetrating neck injury. ⋯ II, prospective study.