48 h for femur fracture treatment: are we choosing the wrong quality index?

Background: In the last 10 years, the rate of femur fractures treated within 48 h from trauma has been introduced as a performance index for hospital management in Italy. Literature showed a significant indirect correlation between early treatment and mortality/comorbidity. The aims of early treatment are pain management and reduction of time to ambulation.

The open abdomen, indications, management and definitive closure.

The indications for Open Abdomen (OA) are generally all those situations in which is ongoing the development an intra-abdominal hypertension condition (IAH), in order to prevent the development of abdominal compartmental syndrome (ACS). In fact all those involved in care of a critically ill patient should in the first instance think how to prevent IAH and ACS. In case of ACS goal directed therapy to achieve early opening and early closure is the key: paradigm of closure shifts to combination of therapies including negative pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure, in order to reduce complications and avoid incisional hernia.

Evaluation of an endoscopic procedure for the treatment of docking site nonunion.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of an endoscopic docking site surgery during the use of a classic bone transport technique for dealing with bone loss.

Design: Retrospective comparative study.

Setting: Level I trauma center.

Surgical site infections following colorectal cancer surgery: a randomized prospective trial comparing common and advanced antimicrobial dressing containing ionic silver.

Background: An antimicrobial dressing containing ionic silver was found effective in reducing surgical-site infection in a preliminary study of colorectal cancer elective surgery. We decided to test this finding in a randomized, double-blind trial.

Methods: Adults undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery at two university-affiliated hospitals were randomly assigned to have the surgical incision dressed with Aquacel Ag Hydrofiber dressing or a common dressing.