Evaluation of the Nelson Criteria as an Indicator for Nonsurgical Admission in Trauma Patients.

Geriatric patients with complex medical comorbidities who sustain minor injuries may warrant admission to nonsurgical services. The Nelson score provides an objective scoring system that helps identify patients appropriate for nonsurgical admission (NSA). The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of the Nelson criteria in determining the most appropriate admission service.

Time is of the Essence: Impact of a More Aggressive Chemical Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Regimen on Trauma Patients.

Background: Trauma patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Opportunity for chemical VTE prophylaxis improvement was identified and practice was altered to start chemoprophylaxis on admission in most patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if early VTE prophylaxis is safe and reduces VTE.

A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of an Adjuvanted Subunit Vaccine for the Prevention of Herpes Zoster and Post-herpetic Neuralgia.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) develops in up to 50% of unvaccinated individuals, accounting for >1 million cases annually in the United States. A live attenuated HZ vaccine (LAV) is Food and Drug Administration approved for those age 50 years or older, though Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations are only for those age 60 years or older. LAV efficacy is ~70% for persons 50-59 years of age, with lower efficacy in older adults.

Rib fractures in the elderly: physiology trumps anatomy.

Introduction: Rib fractures in elderly patients are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Predicting which patients are at risk for complications is an area of debate. Current models use anatomic, physiologic or laboratory parameters in isolation to answer this question.

Getting back to zero with nucleated red blood cells: following trends is not necessarily a bad thing.

Background: The presence of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) has been identified as a poor prognostic indicator. We investigated the relationship of NRBC trends in patients with and without trauma.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed surgical intensive care unit admissions over 4 years, categorizing trauma and nontrauma patients and subdividing them into 3 groups: group A, all-zero NRBC; group B, positive NRBC value returning to zero; and group C, positive NRBC value that did not return to zero.