J Trauma
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A retrospective review of the roentgenograms of 750 patients treated in our institution for tarsometatarsal joint injuries or metatarsal fractures over a 10-year-period was performed. Injuries of the Lisfranc joint were found in 66 patients (9%). Twelve patients (19%) had a total dislocation, 47 patients (71%) a partial dislocation, and seven patients (11%) a subtle injury of the Lisfranc joint. ⋯ Multiple metatarsal fractures and midtarsal bone injuries were more frequent in high-energy vehicular crashes than in low-energy injuries (p = 0.016 and p = 0.033, respectively). In 23 patients (35%), the treatment had been focused on multiple metatarsal fractures or midtarsal bone injuries without full appreciation of the concomitant Lisfranc joint incongruity. Increasing the knowledge of normal foot anatomy and the appreciation of the risk of Lisfranc joint injury even in seemingly trivial stumbling accidents obviously may improve the diagnosis and treatment of these potentially disabling injuries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Prospective data from blunt trauma victims admitted to one hospital were analyzed to determine the significance of sternal fractures and possible associated injuries. A total of 12,618 patients were admitted over a 6 1/2 year period, of whom 2226 (17.6%) were injured while in a motor vehicle. One hundred seventy-two sternal fractures were recorded with 152 (89%) occurring in motor vehicle occupants. ⋯ There was an association with thoracic spine fractures (Chi-squared 5.871, df = 1, p < 0.05). Sternal fractures in motor vehicle occupants were associated with less injury overall (median ISS = 5.5) compared with those without sternal fractures (median ISS = 13). Assessment of such patients should include age and injury mechanism to reduce the rate of admission and investigation of patients whose sole injury is a sternal fracture without significant pain.
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Blunt pelviperineal trauma has been associated with mortality rates of 32% to 58% in recent literature. A review of our institution's experience revealed a much lower mortality rate, prompting further investigation. Nine hundred-seventy five patients with pelvic fractures were admitted to our institution from July 1984 through June 1991. ⋯ During this interval 21 patients (2.2%) were admitted with open pelvic fractures. Only one patient in this group died. Our low mortality figures were the result of better control of pelvic hemorrhage and sepsis, and a lower incidence of associated injuries to the head and thorax, representing a more favorable mechanism of injury.
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This study examined the application of an artificial intelligence technique, the neural network (NET), in predicting probability of survival (Ps) for patients with penetrating trauma. A NET is a computer construct that can detect complex patterns within a data set. A NET must be "trained" by supplying a series of input patterns and the corresponding expected output (e.g., survival). ⋯ The increased sensitivity was statistically significant by Chi-square analysis. The NET for penetrating trauma provided a more sensitive but less specific technique for calculating Ps than did either TRISS or ASCOT. This translated into a 40% reduction in the number of deaths requiring review, and the potential for more efficient use of quality assurance resources.
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Since the development of surgical critical care (SCC) as a discrete body of knowledge and its recognition by the American Board of Surgery (ABS), it has been beset by several controversies. One controversy is that the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Surgery mandated that approved SCC training be 1 year long with no operative experience. A survey was conducted to determine the opinions and experiences on this controversy and others of 498 surgeons who regularly practice SCC. ⋯ Two thirds disagreed with the RRC's ban on operative experience during SCC fellowships and 71% believed that this prohibition limited the pool of surgical applicants to SCC programs. There were no significant differences in the responses between any of the major subgroups. Interestingly, 50% of the respondents who had completed RRC-approved SCC fellowships stated that their fellowship included operative experience.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)