Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Recent studies have demonstrated increased morbidity in elderly patients with rib fractures after blunt trauma. As a first step in creating a multidisciplinary rib fracture clinical pathway, we sought to determine the relationship between increasing age, number of rib fractures, and adverse outcomes in blunt chest trauma patients, without major abdominal or brain injury. ⋯ Patients over the age of 45 with more than four rib fractures are more severely injured and at increased risk of adverse outcomes. Efforts to decrease rib fracture morbidity should focus not only on elderly patients but those as young as 45 years. Based on these data we have initiated a multidisciplinary clinical pathway focusing on patients 45 years and older who have more than four rib fractures.
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CYFRA 21-1 has been reported as a useful tumor marker for esophageal carcinoma, but little information was reported about the clinicopathologic importance of CYFRA 21-1. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of preoperative CYFRA 21-1 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. ⋯ A high CYFRA 21-1 level is associated with tumor progression and poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.