Resuscitation with polymeric plasma substitutes is permissive for systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis in multiply injured patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Multiple trauma is often accompanied by systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of polymeric plasma substitutes on the development of SIRS or sepsis.

Methods: We included 2969 patients aged ≥16 years with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >16 in this study.

Fresh frozen plasma is permissive for systemic inflammatory response syndrome, infection, and sepsis in multiple-injured patients.

Background: The correction of coagulopathy with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is one of the main issues in the treatment of multiple-injured patients. Infectious and septic complications contribute to an adverse outcome in multiple-injured patients. Here, we investigated the role of FFP in the development of inflammatory complications given within the first 48 hours.

Obesity and overweight as a risk factor for pneumonia in polytrauma patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Obesity is a growing problem in western societies. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the association between the overweight and obese polytrauma patients and pneumonia after injury.

Methods: A total of 628 patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 16 or greater and 16 years or older were included in this retrospective study.

Agraphia caused by an infarction in Exner's area.

Sigmund Exner postulated in 1881 that lesions of the base of the medial frontal gyrus could specifically produce writing impairments and attributed the writing centre to this area. We report two patients who suffered from strokes in this area. These patients suffered from writing disturbances comprising both omitted words within a sentence or badly written words, as well as aphasia.

Low-dose prednisolone in addition to the initial disease-modifying antirheumatic drug in patients with early active rheumatoid arthritis reduces joint destruction and increases the remission rate: a two-year randomized trial.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of low-dose prednisolone on joint damage and disease activity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: At the start of their initial treatment with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), patients with early (duration < or =1 year) active RA were randomly assigned to receive either 7.5 mg/day prednisolone or no prednisolone for 2 years.

Reduced bone mineral density in early rheumatoid arthritis is associated with radiological joint damage at baseline and after 2 years in women.

Objective: Data suggest that reduced bone mass may be associated with radiological damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated if patients with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) at onset of RA had more radiological damage at onset and after 2 years than patients with normal BMD.

Methods: BMD at lumbar spine and hip was measured in 204 patients with recent RA at presentation.