Early outcomes of surgically managed civilian gunshot femur fractures at a level one trauma unit in Cape Town, South Africa: a retrospective review.

Purpose: To assess the outcome of surgically fixated femur shaft and distal femur fractures following low-velocity civilian gunshot injuries over a 4-year period.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on all patients who sustained femur shaft and distal femur fractures from civilian low-velocity gunshot injuries that required definitive surgical fixation between January 2014 and December 2017. Patient demographics, comorbidities, injury characteristics, duration between injury and surgical fixation and presence of complications were captured.

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Silver-Impregnated Fibrous Hydrocolloid Dressings With Silver Sulfadiazine Cream Dressings for the Treatment of Fracture Blisters to Determine Time to Surgical Readiness.

Objectives: To investigate, in patients with fracture blisters, the time to surgical readiness in those treated with silver-impregnated fibrous hydrocolloid (SFH) dressings compared with those treated with topical silver sulfadiazine (SS) cream and to determine the direct costs associated with both treatments.

Design: A single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: The study was conducted at Tygerberg Hospital, a tertiary care facility, and Worcester Provincial Hospital, a secondary care facility, Western Cape, South Africa.