European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2014
Abdominal blast injuries: different patterns, severity, management, and prognosis according to the main mechanism of injury.
To review the frequency, different patterns, anatomic severity, management, and prognosis of abdominal injuries in survivors of explosions, according to the main mechanism of injury. ⋯ The pattern, severity, management, and prognosis of ABI vary considerably, in accordance with the main mechanism of injury.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2014
The role of decompressive craniectomy in children with severe traumatic brain injury.
Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains the leading cause of death in children. The present study analyses the outcome of children after severe TBI treated by decompressive craniectomy (DC) due to elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in a single centre. ⋯ In children with refractory ICP conditions due to severe TBI, decompressive surgery might lead to a similar favourable outcome compared to children in whom ICP can be controlled only by conservative management. Timing of surgery depends on the neurological deterioration of the patients and a continuous ICP monitoring.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2014
Wounds of war in the civilian sector: principles of treatment and pitfalls to avoid.
Terror attacks with explosive devices or mass shootings have introduced a new pattern of injuries into the civilian sector. The aim of this short review on the treatment principles for so-called penetrating war wounds is to remind surgeons who are not normally confronted with them of some basic rules to follow and pitfalls to avoid. ⋯ Certain knowledge of the treatment of war wounds is necessary in all civilian hospitals that receive patients injured in terror attacks.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Aug 2014
Development and evaluation of a new simulation model for interactive training of the medical response to major incidents and disasters.
The need for and benefit of simulation models for interactive training of the response to major incidents and disasters has been increasingly recognized during recent years. One of the advantages with such models is that all components of the chain of response can be trained simultaneously. This includes the important communication/coordination between different units, which has been reported as the most common cause of failure. Very few of the presently available simulation models have been suitable for the simultaneous training of decision-making on all levels of the response. In this study, a new simulation model, originally developed for the scientific evaluation of methodology, was adapted to and developed for the postgraduate courses in Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI) organized under the auspices of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES). The aim of the present study was to describe this development process, the model it resulted in, and the evaluation of this model. ⋯ The simulation system tested in this study could, with adjustments based on accumulated experience and evaluations, be developed into a tool for the training of major incident response meeting the specific demands on such training based on recent experiences from major incidents and disasters. Experienced trainees in several courses evaluated the methodology to be accurate for this training, markedly increasing their perceived knowledge and skills in fields of importance for a successful outcome of the response to a major incident.