Publications by authors named "Cara Connolly"

Background: The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) developed a severity scale for surgical conditions, including diverticulitis. The Hinchey classification requires operative intervention yet remains the established scoring system for acute diverticulitis. This is a pilot study to compare the AAST grading scale for acute colonic diverticulitis with the traditional Hinchey classification.

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Background: The seventh cranial nerve (CN VII), also known as the facial nerve, is an anatomically intricate structure the branches of which serve several physiologic functions. CN VII innervates the muscles of facial expression which are crucial for eye protection, oral competence, and social interaction. The temporal branch, clinically referred to as the frontotemporal branch (FTB), is the most superior of the 5 branches and is at risk during cutaneous surgery of the parotid gland and in the temporal region.

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The question of whether anesthetic, analgesic or other perioperative intervention during cancer resection surgery might influence long-term oncologic outcomes has generated much attention over the past 13 years. A wealth of experimental and observational clinical data have been published, but the results of prospective, randomized clinical trials are awaited. The European Union supports a pan-European network of researchers, clinicians and industry partners engaged in this question (COST Action 15204: Euro-Periscope).

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Purpose Of Review: Cancer is now one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and excisional surgery is an essential treatment for the four most common adult cancers. Opioids remain the most commonly prescribed analgesics in the perioperative period of cancer surgery, yet the question of whether opioids could influence recurrence or metastasis remains unanswered.

Recent Findings: In-vitro cell culture, live animal models, and retrospective clinical reviews investigating the effects of opioids on outcomes after cancer surgery have yielded conflicting results, with findings ranging from deleterious, null to potentially protective effects.

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Hidden behind their common garden symptoms, malignant tumours of the nasal cavity are typically advanced when detected. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common histological type of these rare tumours which may simply present with epistaxis or a blocked nose. A 79-year-old woman attended our clinic with a 2-year history of progressive nasal collapse resulting in a 'saddle nose deformity'.

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Recurrent volar displacement of the extensor digitorum communis tendon (EDC) at the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) more commonly occurs post-trauma or in the rheumatoid hand. This disabling condition of the hand results in painful swelling of the MCPJ, associated with "locking" of the extensor tendon. We report a simple surgical technique used to successfully 'secure' the EDC from recurrent displacement.

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It has been suggested that hyperdynamic (HD) resuscitation improves outcomes. We hypothesized that initial HD resuscitation of burn injury using fluid and inotropes would improve metabolic function as indicated by base excess. We used an anesthetized ovine model of 60% TBSA full-thickness flame burn with delayed resuscitation started at 90 min after burn and continued for 8 h.

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Thyroxine (T4), Tri-iodothyronine (T3), and total serum protein levels are reduced in severely burned children. T4 and T3 are carried on serum transport proteins via thyroid hormone-binding sites (THBS). Treatment of bums with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) increases albumin (Alb) and prealbumin (PreAlb), which bind nearly 30% of circulating T4 and T3.

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Background: The combination of isoflurane anesthesia and mechanical ventilation reduces urinary output and promotes redistribution of a crystalloid bolus into the extravascular space. The authors hypothesized that mechanical ventilation rather than isoflurane causes this alteration.

Methods: The fate of a 25-ml/kg, 20-min, 0.

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