Impact of timing of pelvic fixation on functional outcome.

Pelvic fractures are the third most common cause of death in motor vehicle accidents. Recent improvements in mortality can be attributed to the progress made in modern critical care medicine, multidetector CT, ATLS principles, multidisciplinary protocols and early fracture stabilisation. Currently, the timing of pelvic fixation is often based on the haemodynamic status and response of the patient to resuscitation, the fracture pattern, the presence of associated injuries and the immuno-inflammatory status of the patient.

Compressive blunt trauma of the abdomen and pelvis associated with abdominal aortic rupture.

Blunt trauma to the abdominal aorta is an uncommon but life-threatening injury. Its incidence and mortality are related to road traffic accidents and have increased during the last years mainly because of the compulsory use of seat belts. A high level of suspicion and medical knowledge is necessary for its diagnosis and appropriate management.

Septic arthritis of the knee by Salmonella montevideo.

We describe a case of salmonella septic arthritis of the knee in a middle-aged woman with the following predisposing conditions: long-term corticosteroids and microscopic collagenous colitis. The patient presented with enteritis caused by the same strain 3 months before the arthritis. The first series of cultures were negative and the possibility of a chronic carriage of the disease was not suspected initially.