Electrical injuries and outcomes: A retrospective review.

Electrical burns (EI) differ from other burn injuries in the immediate treatment given and delayed sequelae they manifest. This paper reviews our burn center's experience with electrical injuries. All patients with electrical injuries admitted from January 2002 to August 2019 were included.

Accuracy and Clinical Utility of Reports from Outside Hospitals for CT of the Cervical Spine in Blunt Trauma.

Background And Purpose: Multidetector CT is the workhorse for detecting blunt cervical spine injury. There is no standard of care for re-interpretation of radiology images for patients with blunt trauma transferred to a higher level of care. The clinical impact of discrepancies of cervical spine CT reads remains unclear.

Increased Ratio of Dead Space to Tidal Volume in Subjects With Inhalation Injury.

Background: Inhalation injury increases morbidity and mortality in burn patients. Patients with inhalation injury present with large differences between end-tidal CO pressure and [Formula: see text], an indirect measure of dead space. We aimed to investigate the relationships between increased dead space and inhalation injury outcomes.

Common Injuries Associated with Falls from Tree Stands in Iowa.

Introduction: Tree stand falls are a common injury among hunters. This study was designed to identify specific injury patterns and local and regional factors affecting access to and care for this unique trauma cohort in Iowa.

Methods: The University of Iowa trauma registry was retrospectively queried from 2004 to 2014 for patients with a mechanism of injury of fall from tree stands.

The Effect of Improving Basic Preventive Measures in the Perioperative Arena on Staphylococcus aureus Transmission and Surgical Site Infections: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Surgical site infections increase patient morbidity and health care costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasize improved basic preventive measures to reduce bacterial transmission and infections among patients undergoing surgery.

Objective: To assess whether improved basic preventive measures can reduce perioperative Staphylococcus aureus transmission and surgical site infections.

A National Study of the Effect of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender on Burn Outcomes.

Age, burn size, and inhalation injury are the major contributing variables related to burn mortality. While the female gender has been linked to higher mortality, the impact of socioeconomic status has not been well studied. The interplay between these three factors is also unknown.

Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A 14-Year Retrospective Review of 98 Consecutive Patients.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating suppurative disease of the apocrine/follicular glands. Medical treatment has some efficacy in early-stage disease but is costly and requires frequent physician visits. Advanced disease usually requires surgical intervention.

High tidal volume decreases adult respiratory distress syndrome, atelectasis, and ventilator days compared with low tidal volume in pediatric burned patients with inhalation injury.

Background: Inhalation injury, which is among the causes of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), continues to represent a significant source of mortality in burned patients. Inhalation injury often requires mechanical ventilation, but the ideal tidal volume strategy is not clearly defined in burned pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of low and high tidal volume on the number of ventilator days, ventilation pressures, and incidence of atelectasis, pneumonia, and ARDS in pediatric burned patients with inhalation injury within 1 year post burn injury.

Entertainment education for breast cancer surgery decisions: a randomized trial among patients with low health literacy.

Objective: To evaluate an entertainment-based patient decision aid for early stage breast cancer surgery in low health literacy patients.

Methods: Newly diagnosed female patients with early stage breast cancer from two public hospitals were randomized to receive an entertainment-based decision aid for breast cancer treatment along with usual care (intervention arm) or to receive usual care only (control arm). Pre-decision (baseline), pre-surgery, and 1-year follow-up assessments were conducted.

Preliminary testing of a just-in-time, user-defined values clarification exercise to aid lower literate women in making informed breast cancer treatment decisions.

Objective: To report on the initial testing of a values clarification exercise utilizing a jewellery box within a computerized patient decision aid (CPtDA) designed to assist women in making a surgical breast cancer treatment decision.

Design: Pre-post design, with patients interviewed after diagnosis, and then after completing the CPtDA sometime later at their preoperative visit.

Sample: Fifty-one female patients, who are low literate and naïve computer users, newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer from two urban public hospitals.

Early aggressive closure of the open abdomen.

Background: The aim of this series is to describe a new and aggressive approach to definitive closure of the open abdomen.

Methods: A retrospective review of 37 patients who underwent definitive abdominal closure using a combination of vacuum pack, vacuum-assisted wound management and human acellular dermal matrix (HADM).

Results: All patients' open abdomens were maintained with vacuum assisted wound management in attempts for primary closure.

How does casualty load affect trauma care in urban bombing incidents? A quantitative analysis.

Background: The aim of this modeling study was to examine how casualty load affects the level of trauma care in multiple casualty incidents and to define the surge capacity of the hospital trauma assets.

Methods: The disaster plan of a U.S.

Patterns of microbiology in intra-abdominal packing for trauma.

Introduction: This study tracks the microbiology of packs and infections in damage-control trauma patients to determine whether the packs cause infections.

Methods: The peritoneum and abdominal packs were cultured in patients who survived to re-operation. The study recorded all positive cultures, pack count, packing duration, number of operations, and infections.

Neoadjuvant trastuzumab and docetaxel in breast cancer: preliminary results.

Trastuzumab/chemotherapy combinations have already shown superior results in metastatic breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant trastuzumab and docetaxel in women with locally advanced breast cancer, with or without metastatic disease. Treatment-naive women with HER2-overexpressing locally advanced breast cancer, with or without metastatic disease, were included.

Intraoperative detection of traumatic coagulopathy using the activated coagulation time.

Traumatic coagulopathy manifests as a hypocoagulable state associated with hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulation factor dilution. The diagnosis must be made clinically because traditional coagulation tests are neither sensitive nor specific and take too long to be used for intraoperative monitoring. We hypothesized that the activated coagulation time (ACT) would reflect the global coagulation status of traumatized patients and would become elevated as coagulation reserves become exhausted.

Feature mining and predictive model construction from severe trauma patient's data.

In management of severe trauma patients, trauma surgeons need to decide which patients are eligible for damage control. Such decision may be supported by utilizing models that predict the patient's outcome. The study described in this paper investigates the possibility to construct patient outcome prediction models from retrospective patient's data at the end of initial damage control surgery by using feature mining and machine learning techniques.

Treatment of metastatic breast cancer with somatostatin analogues--a meta-analysis.

Background: Somatostatin analogues appear to have antiproliferative effects in breast cancer by inhibiting various hormones. Several small phase 1 and 2 clinical trails have evaluated the efficacy of somatostatin analogues, but the results are varied. The purpose of this study was to use the technique of meta-analysis to determine the effect of somatostatin analogues on tumor response, toxicity, and serum hormone levels in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Predictive model for survival at the conclusion of a damage control laparotomy.

Background: We employed modern statistical and data mining methods to model survival based on preoperative and intraoperative parameters for patients undergoing damage control surgery.

Methods: One hundred seventy-four parameters were collected from 68 damage control patients in prehospital, emergency center, operating room, and intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Data were analyzed with logistic regression and data mining.

Is regionalization of trauma care using telemedicine feasible and desirable?

Background: The judgement and skill of an experienced surgeon are crucial ingredients during trauma resuscitation, so that errors of omission, commission, and misprioritization can be avoided. Trauma represents a potential paradigm application for telemedicine owing to its ubiquitous and urgent nature and the limited availability of specialized care.

Methods: A two-phase project was performed, using an Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)-based evaluation tool.

Prolonged use of intraluminal arterial shunts without systemic anticoagulation.

Background: Temporary arterial shunts maintain perfusion while surgeons postpone arterial repairs. The common indications are combined orthopedic and vascular injuries and damage control. The duration of patency and the need for systemic anticoagulation remain in question.

Low use of breast conservation surgery in medically indigent populations.

Background: Breast conservation surgery (BCS) with radiation is an acceptable treatment for early-stage breast cancer.

Methods: Data were obtained from hospital cancer registries on women surgically treated for Stage 0 to II breast cancer from 1993 to 1997. Data on 1,747 patients were analyzed for surgical treatment, hospital type (private versus public), disease stage, and ethnic origin.

Remote clinical assessment for acute trauma: an initial experience.

Optimal care of the injured patient requires an organized approach, dedicated resources and clinical expertise. Victims of major trauma, however, frequently present to rural and suburban hospitals regardless of whether a dedicated trauma system in place. Immediate consultation by a trauma expert could potentially expedite effective evaluation and management of trauma victims, reducing the occurrence of unnecessary transport and leading to efficient stabilization and transport when needed.

Low rate of breast conservation surgery in large urban hospital serving the medically indigent.

Background: Breast conservation surgery (BCS) with radiation therapy is an acceptable treatment for stage I and II breast carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to measure the use of BCS in a large, urban, university-affiliated hospital serving primarily medically indigent patients.

Methods: A chart review of patients receiving operative treatment for breast carcinoma during 1995 and 1996 was done.