The Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid for Reducing Blood Transfusion Rates in Extracapsular Hip Fractures: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.

Perioperative allogenic blood transfusions for patients with hip fractures are associated with increased costs and complications. This prospective randomized controlled trial evaluated whether tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces blood transfusion rates and blood loss in extracapsular hip fractures, when administered at the time of hospital admission. Patients with closed intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric femur fractures undergoing intramedullary nailing (n=100) were enrolled from October 2015 to January 2019.

Lower AM-PAC 6-Clicks Basic Mobility Score Predicts Discharge to a Postacute Care Facility Among Patients in Cardiac Intensive Care Units.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the ability of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" Basic Mobility Short Form to predict patient discharge destination (home vs postacute care [PAC] facility) from the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU), including patients from the cardiothoracic surgical ICU and coronary care unit.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized electronic medical records of patients in cardiac ICU (n = 359) in an academic teaching hospital in the southeastern region of United States from September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2018.

Results: The median interquartile range age of the sample was 68 years (75-60), 55% were men, the median interquartile range 6-Clicks score was 16 (20-12) at the physical therapist evaluation, and 79% of the patients were discharged to home.

Development of an Effective Treatment Algorithm for the Stubbed Great Toe.

While toe fractures are the most common fractures of the foot in the pediatric population, the majority of these injuries do not require aggressive treatment. However, the mechanism of stubbing the great toe with bleeding at the base of the nail, a laceration proximal to the nail fold, or signs of a displaced fracture through the physis of the distal phalanx signal a likely open fracture involving the distal phalanx of the great toe. Unrecognized open fractures can lead to mistreatment and consequently osteomyelitis or growth disturbances.

Image Distortion in Biplanar Slot Scanning: Part 2 Technology-specific Factors.

Background: Biplanar digital slot scanning technology has become the standard of care in the treatment of scoliosis. Yet, the amount of distortion and reproducibility of this type of imaging modality has yet to be fully investigated. In our paper "Image distortion in biplanar slot scanning: part 1 patient-specific factors" we found that there was potentially clinically impactful interimage distortion.

Postnatal home visiting for illicit drug-using mothers and their infants: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Postnatal home-visiting programs for illicit drug-using mothers have reported some success in reducing harms in some areas but there is a lack of data on their impact on breastfeeding and immunisation rates.

Aims: To investigate the effect on breastfeeding, immunisation and parental drug use. The hypothesis was that the outcomes of the home-visiting group (HVG) would be superior to the control group (CG).

Predictors of surgery resident satisfaction with teaching by attendings: a national survey.

Objective: To identify factors that predict fourth- and fifth-year surgical resident satisfaction of attending teaching quality.

Summary Background Data: With the training of surgical residents undergoing major changes, a key issue facing surgical educators is whether high-quality surgeons can still be produced. Innovative techniques (eg, computer simulation surgery) are being developed to substitute partially for conventional teaching methods.

Bladder cancer detection with urinary survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis.

The current "gold standard" for the diagnosis of bladder cancer is cystoscopy and urine cytology. Cystoscopy, a naked eye assessment of the bladder, is invasive, uncomfortable and costly while cytology has high specificity but low sensitivity (40-60%) particularly for low-grade lesions. Therefore, there is a need for a molecular tumor marker assay that is simple to perform and sensitive, particularly for low-grade lesions.