The pulmonary contusion score: Development of a simple scoring system for blunt lung injury.

Background: Pulmonary contusions (PC) are common after blunt chest trauma and can be identified with computed tomography (CT). Complex scoring systems for grading PC exist, however recent scoring systems rely on computer-generated algorithms that are not readily available at all hospitals. We developed a scoring system for grading PC to predict the need for prolonged mechanical ventilation and initial hospital admission location.

Hypercoagulability in pregnant trauma patients.

Unlabelled: Circulating hormones affect coagulopathy in pregnancy and after trauma. The hemostatic profile of pregnant women after injury has not been characterized. We hypothesized that injured pregnant females would present with an initial thrombelastography (TEG) reflecting a more hypercoagulable profile and a higher incidence of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) when compared with non-pregnant females and males.

Severity of Asynchronous Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses in Skeletally Immature Versus More Skeletally Mature Patients.

Background: Routine prophylactic screw fixation for skeletally immature patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) continues to be debated. The purpose of this study was to assess the slip severity of a second SCFE in skeletally immature versus more mature patients and determine necessity of contralateral hip prophylactic screw fixation.

Methods: All patients treated for SCFE at 3 pediatric hospitals over a 10-year time period (January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2011) were evaluated.