Advanced trauma life support course for medical students. A new era?

Introduction: Trauma represents a major public health issue and is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A systematic approach toward dealing with trauma patients was facilitated through the ATLS program, which has become a milestone in trauma care. Our new ATLS course for medical students was set in motion in 2015.

Prognostic factors in flail-chest patients.

Objective: The records of 250 patients presenting with flail-chest injury in a level I trauma centre were reviewed and analysed in order to determine prognostic factors.

Methods: There were 250 consecutive trauma patients with flail chest, 183 men (73.2%) and 67 women (26.

Therapy of the empyema thoracis. Why not thoracostoma?

Empyema toracis can be defined as a purulent pleural effusion. From 1998 to 2003 we treated 106 patients (87 men and 19 women), aged between 23 and 82 years, affected by localized empyema toracis. All of them received initially a chest tube and 73 of them (60 men and 13 women), in combination with selected antibiotics, had an uneventful recovery.

Spontaneous pneumothorax. When and how to treat.

Introduction: Spontaneous pneumothorax, whether primary or secondary, may occur in patients with or without a history of pneumonic disease.

Aim Of The Study: From 1992 to 2002, we treated 275 patients, 230 male and 45 female, in the department of Thoracic Surgery of the General Hospital of Nikaia-Piraeus. In this study the Authors report the data concerning the frequency correlated with age, sex, causes, symptoms, as well as the ways of treatment, in order to compare them and their results with those recorded in Greek and international literature.

Sternal fracture with or without associated injuries. Assessment of the difference in the diagnosis, management and complications. Eighteen years of experience.

Aim Of The Study: To determine the incidence of sternal fracture as an isolated injury as well as those which presented with concomitant injuries, and compare them in order to manage them more effectively. The Greek and International Literature related to the subject was also reviewed.

Material And Methods: From 1984 to 2002 the Authors treated 134 patients with sternal fracture in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of their hospital, 59 males and 45 females, age from 17 to 84 years.