Articles: trauma.
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Patients presenting with acute scrotal pain to the emergency department require a timely diagnosis. Although the differential diagnosis can be extensive and varies with age, there are a few conditions that are considered true surgical emergencies. These include torsion of the spermatic cord, incarcerated hernia with strangulation, testicular trauma leading to rupture or organ-threatening hematomas, and Fournier's gangrene. ⋯ Other causes such as epididymitis or orchitis need to be distinguished, and although not requiring emergency surgery, still require urgent diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic ultrasound can accurately diagnose many acute conditions of the scrotum, and emergency physicians have come to utilize it to advance their diagnostic acumen. This educational review article discusses the current literature and the use of emergency ultrasound in patients presenting with scrotal pain as well as scanning approaches and common sonographic findings.
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Review
Current and future medical therapeutic strategies for the functional repair of spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to social and psychological problems in patients and requires costly treatment and care. In recent years, various pharmacological agents have been tested for acute SCI. Large scale, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials have failed to demonstrate marked neurological benefit in contrast to their success in the laboratory. ⋯ Research had been looking at neuroprotection in the 1980s and the first half of 1990s and regeneration studies started in the second half of the 1990s. A number of studies on surgical timing suggest that early surgical intervention is safe and feasible, can improve clinical and neurological outcomes and reduce health care costs, and minimize the secondary damage caused by compression of the spinal cord after trauma. This article reviews current evidence for early surgical decompression and nonsurgical treatment options, including pharmacological and cellular therapy, as the treatment choices for SCI.
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Each year close to 20000 Americans are involved in gunshot wounds to the head (GSWH). Over 90% of the victims of GSWH eventually fail to survive and only a meager 5% of the patients have a chance to continue with a useful life. One of the fundamental jobs of providers is to realize who the best candidate for the best possible management is. ⋯ In case of a positive study, these patients should have endovascular management of their vascular injuries in order to prevent catastrophic intracerebral hematomas and permanent deficit. Although supported by class III data, subjects of GSWH need to be on broad spectrum antibiotics for a period of 3-5 days. If cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas are observed at any time during the patient's hospital course, they should be taken very seriously and appropriate management is needed to prevent deep intracranial infections.
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Pediatric neurosurgery · Jan 2015
ReviewTreatment Progress of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity after Acquired Brain Injury.
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) is a common complication of various acquired brain injuries such as traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, anoxic brain injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, and others. It is manifested by tachycardia, hypertension, tachypnea, diaphoresis, and dystonic posturing. The development of PSH can prolong hospitalization and lead to secondary brain injury and even death. ⋯ Generally accepted medications are opioids, β-blockers and gabapentin (usually used in combination). However, the efficacy of these drugs has not been systematically assessed. The purpose of this review is to determine the treatment strategies and drugs commonly used for PSH at the overall level.
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Review
Prehospital fluid resuscitation in hypotensive trauma patients: Do we need a tailored approach?
The ideal strategy for prehospital intravenous fluid resuscitation in trauma remains unclear. Fluid resuscitation may reverse shock but aggravate bleeding by raising blood pressure and haemodilution. We examined the effect of prehospital i.v. fluid on the physiologic status and need for blood transfusion in hypotensive trauma patients after their arrival in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ In hypotensive trauma patients, prehospital i.v. fluids were associated with a reduction of likelihood of shock upon arrival in ED. However, volumes of >1L were associated with a markedly increased likelihood of receiving blood transfusion in ED. Therefore, decision making regarding prehospital i.v. fluid resuscitation is critical and may need to be tailored to the individual situation. Further research is needed to clarify whether a causal relationship exists between prehospital i.v. fluid volume and blood transfusion. Also, prospective trials on prehospital i.v. fluid resuscitation strategies in specific patient subgroups (e.g. traumatic brain injury and concomitant haemorrhage) are warranted.