Discharge against Medical Advice in Surgical Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report Series Illustrating Unique Challenges.

Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) can have detrimental effects on patient outcomes. Recently, the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked with DAMA in the setting. However, PTSD as a risk factor for DAMA in patients has not received much consideration, although such patients may be at risk for triggering or amplification of PTSD symptoms perioperatively.

Spinal Subdural Abscess Following Laminectomy for Symptomatic Stenosis: A Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND Spinal subdural abscesses, also known as empyemas, are rare infectious lesions, the exact incidence of which is unknown. Presentation is typically dramatic, with back pain, fever, motor, and sensory deficits. Rapid identification and surgical intervention with laminectomy, durotomy, and washout provides the best outcomes.

The influence of chronic cigarette smoking on neurocognitive recovery after mild traumatic brain injury.

The majority of the approximately 1.7 million civilians in the United States who seek emergency care for traumatic brain injury (TBI) are classified as mild (MTBI). Premorbid and comorbid conditions that commonly accompany MTBI may influence neurocognitive and functional recovery.

Live transference of surgical subspecialty skills using telerobotic proctoring to remote general surgeons.

Background: Certain clinical environments, including military field hospitals or rural medical centers, lack readily available surgical subspecialists. We hypothesized that telementoring by a surgical subspecialist using a robotic platform is feasible and can convey subspecialty knowledge and skill to a remotely located general surgeon.

Study Design: Eight general surgery residents evaluated the effect of remote surgical telementoring by performing 3 operative procedures, first unproctored and then again when teleproctored by a surgical subspecialist.

Advances in neuroimaging of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Improved diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are needed for our military and veterans, their families, and society at large. Advances in brain imaging offer important biomarkers of structural, functional, and metabolic information concerning the brain. This article reviews the application of various imaging techniques to the clinical problems of TBI and PTSD.