The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Jul 2012
Patterns of pediatric injury in South Africa: an analysis of hospital data between 1997 and 2006.
Pediatric injuries are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the magnitude of this burden, there is lack of data to characterize the etiology and risk factors associated with childhood injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this article is to describe the demographics, mechanisms, and severity of injuries during a 10-year time period using hospital-based data in Cape Town, South Africa. ⋯ Prognostic study, level II.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Jul 2012
Management of sacral fractures associated with spinal or pelvic ring injury.
The proper treatment of sacral fracture has yet to be standardized. ⋯ Therapeutic study, level IV.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Jul 2012
The heart of the matter: utility of ultrasound of cardiac activity during traumatic arrest.
The clinical utility of determining cardiac motion on ultrasound has been reported for patients presenting in pulseless medical cardiac arrest. However, the relationship between ultrasound-documented cardiac activity and the probability of surviving pulseless electrical activity has not been examined in populations with trauma. We hypothesized that cardiac activity on ultrasound predicts survival for patients presenting in pulseless traumatic arrest. ⋯ Survival in pulseless traumatic arrest is very low, but survival for patients with no cardiac motion on ultrasound is also exceedingly rare. Cardiac ultrasound had a negative predictive value approaching 100% for survival to hospital admission. For patients with prolonged prehospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ultrasound evaluation of cardiac motion in pulseless patients with trauma may be a rapid way to help determine which patients have no chance of survival in the setting of lethal injuries, so that futile resuscitations can be stopped.
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There have been no large cohort studies examining the wounding patterns and injury mechanisms in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2005 to 2009. This investigation sought to characterize the incidence and epidemiology of combat-related injuries for this period. ⋯ The wounding patterns observed in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2005 to 2009 differ from previous conflicts. Explosive mechanisms accounted for 74·4% of combat casualties, which is a higher percentage than in previous US conflicts. A progressive increase in the use of explosive mechanisms in Afghanistan, eventually equaling that in Iraq, was observed during the study period.
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J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Jul 2012
The twin terrorist attacks in Norway on July 22, 2011: the trauma center response.
The terrorist attacks in Norway on July 22, 2011, consisted of a bomb explosion in central Oslo, followed by a shooting spree in a youth camp. We describe the trauma center response, identifying possible success factors and suggesting improvements for institutional major incident plans. ⋯ Therapeutic/care management study, level V.