Publications by authors named "Brian Plaisier"

Background: To describe the thermal injuries related to methamphetamine (METH) production, characterize patients' courses, and compare patients with matched controls and to the previously published series.

Methods: Trauma registry data from January 2001 to November 2005 was retrospectively reviewed. METH patients were compared with other burn patients of similar age and total body surface area burn size for toxicology, injury extent, therapies, hospital course, outcomes, and hospital charges.

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Primary Objective: To examine the process of recovery of self-awareness with consideration for the variables of severity of injury and deficit factors.

Research Design: A longitudinal, descriptive design was used.

Methods And Procedures: Eighteen participants and their significant others were interviewed using the Awareness Questionnaire at 1 week, 1 month, 4 months and 1 year post-injury.

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All too often, children and adolescents are exposed to traumatic events that lead to physical injury in many cases, psychological perturbation in most cases, and enduring psychological reactions, notably posttraumatic stress disorder, in a minority of individuals. This sequence of events can affect later development, learning, emotions, and behavior. In the process of caring for the physical injury, it is important for the primary care practitioner (PCP) to correctly interpret these presentations and anticipate the need for specific assessments, immediate intervention, referral, and follow-up.

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Background: This study was designed to determine the applicability of the Harris Benedict (HB) equation in predicting energy requirements after acute spinal cord injury (SCI) and to evaluate the accuracy of a 30-minute energy expenditure measurement to determine 24-hour requirements. Prealbumin (PAB) was monitored weekly to assess the patient's response to the nutrition support regimen.

Methods: Patients with acute isolated SCI requiring mechanical ventilation were studied for 4 weeks postinjury.

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Background: Accidental hypothermia resulting in cardiac arrest poses numerous therapeutic challenges. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) should be used if feasible since it optimally provides both central rewarming and circulatory support. However, this modality may not be available or is contraindicated in certain cases.

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Trauma is prevalent in the lives of children. It derives from many sources, and, depending on its characteristics, can produce transient or enduring and devastating consequences. Early trauma, if left untreated, can set the stage for chronic deficits in the behavioral repertoires of affected children, and thus shape personality development.

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Our objective was to examine patterns of withholding/withdrawal (WH/WD) of life support in trauma patients and to determine whether WD/WH of life support is used more frequently in elderly patients. This is a retrospective cohort study of injured elderly (> or = 65 years) and young patients (< 65 years) from 1994 through 1998 treated at a surgical intensive care unit in a community tertiary-care hospital. We studied the cases of 82 patients (30 elderly and 52 young patients) with WH/WD of life support after injury.

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