The status of ultrasonography training and use in general surgery residency programs.

Background: Effective use of ultrasonography (US) by surgeons was demonstrated a decade ago. Major surgical organizations now require its incorporation into surgical training and practice. But little information about the teaching of US to surgical residents exists.

Are resident work-hour limitations beneficial to the trauma profession?

In July 2003, work-hour restrictions were implemented by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to limit resident duty hours. Attending surgeon work-hours have not been similarly reduced, and many trauma services have added emergency general surgery responsibilities. We hypothesized that trauma attending/resident work-hour disparity may disincentivize residents from selecting trauma careers and that trauma directors would view ACGME regulations negatively.

Management options in blunt aortic injury: a case series and literature review.

Blunt aortic injury (BAI) is a devastating consequence of high-energy trauma. The majority of its victims do not survive; those who do generally have significant associated injury. The standard treatment of BAI has been emergent replacement or repair of the damaged aorta via a posterolateral thoracotomy, with or without perfusion adjuncts.