European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Dec 2023
How does trauma secondary to unexpected extreme weather affect orthopaedic surgery departments? An epidemiological study on the Filomena snowstorm.
Trauma secondary to extreme weather events may heavily impact the normal activity of orthopaedic surgery departments, especially in places not prepared to deal with them. The Filomena snowstorm, which happened in January 2021, has been one of the greatest snowstorms ever in Spain. During it, the constant influx of trauma patients made the Orthopaedic Emergencies Department (OED) to collapse. The primary objective of this study was to describe the orthopaedic injuries and changes in fracture's epidemiology observed during this exceptional period. Secondary objectives were to analyse the collected variables in order to minimize the future impact of these unexpected extreme weather events. ⋯ Unexpected snowstorms entail an exponential rise in orthopaedic care demand and OED pressures. A significant increment in orthopaedic trauma surgery, up to 168% more, particularly distal radius, proximal humerus and ankle fractures it is to be expected, which will imply elective surgery cancellation, damaging patients and increasing costs.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Dec 2023
Functional assessment and outcome following surgical treatment of displaced tibial plateau fractures: a retrospective analysis.
Patients with tibial plateau fractures (TPF) are at risk of long-term hampered bipedal locomotion. A retrospective single-center study using patient-related outcome measures and a sophisticated assessment of walking abilities was conducted. ⋯ Outcome after an isolated TPF is neither related to fracture type, severity of the fracture nor time from injury. Simple gait analysis techniques relying on different tasks appear to yield a more sophisticated image on functional deficits after TPF than classical exam of ground-level walking and correlate quite well with validated patient-related outcome measures as the KOOS.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Dec 2023
Multicenter StudyInfluence of residency discipline and seniority on traumatic musculoskeletal radiographs interpretation accuracy: a multicenter study.
Imaging studies are a significant and integral part of the initial assessment of patients admitted to the emergency department. Developing imaging diagnostic abilities early in residency is of paramount importance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare diagnosis accuracy of common musculoskeletal X-rays (XR) between residency disciplines and seniority. ⋯ Orthopedic residents presented higher diagnosis accuracy of MSK imaging compared to EM and radiology residents. Seniority had a positive effect on diagnosis accuracy. The development of an educational program on MSK XR is necessary to enhance the competency of physicians in their daily practice.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Dec 2023
ReviewReducing the incidence and mortality of traumatic brain injury in Latin America.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a considerable portion of the global injury burden. The incidence of TBI will continue to increase in view of an increase in population density, an aging population, and the increased use of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles. The most common causes of TBI are falls and road traffic injuries. ⋯ Data from HIC indicates that road traffic injuries can be successfully prevented through concerted efforts at the national level, with coordinated and multisector responses to the problem. Such actions require implementation of proven measures to address the safety of road users and the vehicles themselves, road infrastructure, and post-crash care. In this review, we focus on the epidemiology of TBI in Latin America and the implementation of solutions and preventive measures to decrease mortality and long-term disability.