Publications by authors named "Elisabeth Andereggen"
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 262 patients, 58.8% were treated with a pelvic binder, with usage rates increasing for more severe injuries; presence of hemodynamic instability significantly influenced the decision to apply the binder.
- * The findings indicate that having a physician at the trauma site correlated with higher application rates of pelvic binders in patients, highlighting the importance of medical personnel in emergency care settings.
Article Synopsis
- The article investigates how abdominal trauma is managed in elderly patients compared to younger individuals, recognizing the unique medical needs of the aging population.
- A study from two European hospitals analyzed 1181 patients, revealing that while elderly patients had higher mortality rates (13% vs. 7%), their management approach, including surgical intervention and intensive care requirements, was similar to that of younger patients.
- The authors suggest that age should not be the sole predictor of mortality, advocating for the use of a frailty score to enhance treatment strategies and outcomes for elderly trauma patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the incidence and outcomes of emergency general surgery at a Swiss University Hospital, focusing on patient characteristics and how age affects clinical outcomes.
- A total of 310,914 emergency department visits from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed, with 3,592 patients undergoing surgery within three days of admission, indicating an annual incidence of 116 surgeries per 10,000 visits.
- Results showed that older patients faced significantly higher risks for ICU admission, dependence at discharge, and one-year mortality compared to younger patients.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to assess the incidence of severe pelvic ring injuries and the number of polytrauma patients during the COVID-19 pseudo-lockdown (March 16 to June 19, 2020) at a trauma center, comparing it to data from 2014-2019 to highlight the need for specialized trauma care.
- - Data was sourced from the Severely Injured Patients' Registry, focusing on patients aged 16 and older with specific injury criteria, and used both inclusion and exclusion criteria to frame the study.
- - The researchers focused on understanding trauma management efficiency and preparedness, revealing insights crucial for organized trauma care amidst healthcare challenges during the pandemic.
Article Synopsis
- * The study focused on patients aged 16 and older who experienced high-energy blunt PRI from various causes, such as falls, traffic accidents, and industrial injuries, between 2014 and 2019.
- * Data from 195 patients were analyzed to provide insights into their demographics and injury characteristics, enhancing the understanding of high-energy blunt PRI cases.
Article Synopsis
- High-energy pelvic ring injuries (PRI) are significant issues for trauma centers, with only two recent studies analyzing their incidence and characteristics, focusing on type B or C injuries.
- The study found a global incidence of 3.8/100,000/year for high-energy blunt PRI, showing no gender differences, although overall high-energy blunt trauma was more common in men.
- Patients with type B or C PRI had more severe injuries and required greater medical resources compared to other trauma patients, but complication and mortality rates were similar.
Introduction: High-energy blunt pelvic ring injuries with hemodynamic instability are complicated by a high mortality rate (up to 32%). There is no consensus on the best management strategy for these injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the high-energy blunt pelvic ring injury management protocol implemented in the authors' institution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to determine the rate and topography of intra-pelvic arterial lesions associated with high-energy blunt pelvic ring injuries (PRI).
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a level I trauma center serving 500,000 inhabitants. A total of 127 consecutive patients with high-energy blunt PRI were included between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2017.
Background: Acute abdominal pain accounts for about 10% of emergency department visits and has progressively become the primary indication for CT scanning in most centers. The goal of our study is to identify biological or clinical variables able to predict or rule out significant pathology (conditions requiring urgent medical or surgical treatment) on abdominal CT in patients presenting to an emergency department with acute abdominal pain.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study performed in the emergency department of an academic center with an annual census of 60'000 patients.
Background: Pelvic binders are routinely used in the prehospital setting for stabilization of pelvic injuries in patients with trauma. Emergency department trauma management relies on primary and secondary survey assessment and imaging, most often computed tomography, in hemodynamically stable patients. Maintaining the pelvic binder in situ allows stabilization of pelvic injuries during imaging but may hinder the visualization of some pelvic lesions.
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- - Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients can sometimes have detectable brain lesions via CT scans, but many don't show any visible issues, highlighting the need for better detection methods.
- - The study examined 13 different proteins to identify which ones could help differentiate between mTBI patients with and without brain lesions; ultimately, four proteins (H-FABP, IL-10, S100B, and GFAP) were found to be effective, with H-FABP showing the highest performance.
- - Combining H-FABP and GFAP into a blood biomarker panel improved detection accuracy for CT-positive patients, with additional success when adding IL-10, achieving 100% sensitivity and a specificity of up to
Traumatic brain injury is a common event where 70%-90% will be classified as mild TBI (mTBI). Among these, only 10% will have a brain lesion visible via CT scan. A triage biomarker would help clinicians to identify patients with mTBI who are at risk of developing a brain lesion and require a CT scan.
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- - Biliary infections frequently lead to emergency department visits, typically benign but can become life-threatening if untreated.
- - The primary treatment for acute cholecystitis is urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 72 hours, while mild cholangitis can often be managed with antibiotics.
- - Severe cases of cholangitis may require urgent biliary drainage, with definitive treatment planned for a later time.
The majority of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) will have normal Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 15. Furthermore, only 5%-8% of them will be CT-positive for an mTBI. Having a useful biomarker would help clinicians evaluate a patient's risk of developing intracranial lesions.
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- The study aimed to evaluate an algorithm that combines ultrasound and low-dose unenhanced CT (LDCT) to assess acute appendicitis, aiming to minimize the use of traditional CT scans.
- In the study, 183 adult patients suspected of having acute appendicitis underwent ultrasound, with 84 showing clear results, while the rest had LDCT, and some required further standard CT.
- The algorithm demonstrated high sensitivity (98.8%) and specificity (96.9%) for appendicitis detection, effectively reducing the reliance on standard CT and lowering patient exposure to radiation.
When should a patient with abdominal pain be referred to the emergency ward? The following goals must be achieved upon managing patients with acute abdominal pain: 1) identify vital emergency situations; 2) detect surgical conditions that require emergency referral without further diagnostic procedures; 3) in "non surgical acute abdomen patients" perform appropriate diagnostic procedures, or in selected cases delay tests and reevaluate the patient after an observation period, after which a referral decision is made. Clues from the history and physical examination are critical to perform this evaluation. A good knowledge of the most frequent acute abdominal conditions, and identifying potential severity criteria allow an appropriate management and decision about emergency referral.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCT delivers a large dose of radiation, especially in abdominal imaging. Recently, a low-dose abdominal CT protocol (low-dose CT) has been set-up in our institution. "Low-dose CT" is almost equivalent to a single standard abdominal radiograph in term of dose of radiation (about one sixth of those delivered by a standard CT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of surgery for rectal cancer in patients 80 years of age or more.
Methods: A retrospective study of 29 patients older than 80 years, who presented in our institution between 1997 and 2001 with the diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma, was undertaken.
Results: Median follow-up was 54 (range 27-78) months, and the median age of patients was 85 (range 80-94) years.