Non-collision injuries in public buses: a national survey of a neglected problem.

Objectives: This prospective, nationally representative, multi-centre study was undertaken to assess non-collision injuries sustained by public bus passengers in Israel.

Methods: The emergency departments (EDs) of six medical centres, which participated in this eight month study, were chosen to represent both urban and rural catchment areas. All patients diagnosed with injuries sustained on a public bus not involved in a road traffic accident were promptly evaluated for mechanism and nature of injury and demographic parameters.

Characteristics of road traffic accidents treated in an urban trauma center.

Background: Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of accidental injury and death for persons under the age of 35. The medical literature presents surprisingly little information on the general characteristics of such accidents in the urban setting.

Objectives: To characterize RTA patients arriving at an urban trauma center.

Functions and principles in the management of bombing mass casualty incidents: lessons learned at the Tel-Aviv Souraski Medical Center.

Mass casualty incidents (MCI) resulting from terrorist bombings pose special problems and may overwhelm even the most experienced trauma centre. Although role assignments for MCI management and control are documented, we would like to share several aspects that we have found to be crucial for the management of terrorist bombing MCI. Twelve topics and possible answers were brought up and discussed extensively in MCI debriefing sessions in our institution.

The management of stab wounds to the heart with laceration of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Penetrating cardiac injuries are an increasing cause of traumatic deaths in urban areas. The management of these injuries has undergone a transition from simple pericardiocentesis to cardiac ultrasound evaluation in the stable patient, and emergency thoracotomy and repair of myocardial wounds in the unstable patient in extremes. The incidence of traumatic coronary artery injury is not accurately known because not all victims are examined.