Barium appendicitis after upper gastrointestinal imaging.

Background: Barium appendicitis (BA) is a rarely seen entity with fewer than 30 reports in the literature. However, it is a known complication of barium imaging.

Objective: To report a case of BA in a patient whose computed tomography (CT) scan was initially read as foreign body ingestion.

Roux limb volvulus after long-limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

A case is reported of a patient after long-limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass who presented with a volvulus of the Roux limb. This is the first report of this complication in the literature.

Immunocompetence of the severely injured spleen verified by differential interference contrast microscopy: the red blood cell pit test.

Objective: To determine the immunocompetence of the successfully nonoperatively managed injured spleen warranting vaccinations for overwhelming postsplenectomy sepsis by differential interference contrast microscopy (DICM).

Methods: Cull an urban Level I trauma systems data bank for all patients with grade IV or V splenic injuries (those with the greatest potential to compromise immunologic function) successfully managed nonoperatively and those who have required splenectomies since 1996 and verify the Association for the Surgery of Trauma grading. Contact or obtain written consent of these patients and acquire a blood sample for DICM (red blood cell [RBC] pit analysis) and IgM levels (as a control).

Competency-based strategies for injury control and prevention curriculums in undergraduate medical education.

Injury, including unintentional injury and intentional injury, is the leading cause of death in people aged View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Abdominal computed tomography and the placement of inferior vena caval filters.

Background: Standard cavography is performed with iodinated contrast material with plain film or digital subtraction technique. However, preplacement imaging may change final inferior vena cava filter (IVC) placement in 11 to 26% of patients. This study will examine the use and reliability of incidental spiral computed abdominal tomography (CAT) scans for the placement of IVC filters.

Rib fracture stabilization in patients sustaining blunt chest injury.

Conservative management for the majority of patients with severe chest injuries has produced a reduction in mortality, complications, and hospital length of stay. More recently, operative stabilization of rib fractures has been used with the implication of improved outcome. We assessed the impact of operative rib fracture stabilization on outcome among trauma patients.

Effective retention of primary survey skills by medical students after participation in an expanded Trauma Evaluation and Management course.

Background: The Trauma Evaluation and Management (TEAM) module orients medical students to the initial assessment of an injured patient. At the Medical College of Wisconsin, a course based on expanded TEAM (eTEAM) was developed for junior medical students. This study determined whether eTEAM improved the ability to perform and retain primary survey skills.

The need for head computed tomography in patients sustaining loss of consciousness after mild head injury.

Background: Many management schemes have incorporated mandatory head computed tomography (HCT) to evaluate a patient sustaining blunt head trauma with a history of loss of consciousness (LOC). Commonly, this is despite physical examination findings warranting such a workup. This study is intended to better identify the significance of selective criteria, a set of constitutional signs and symptoms (CSS) for head injury, to screen patients sustaining blunt head trauma and LOC.

Penetrating zone II neck injury: does dynamic computed tomographic scan contribute to the diagnostic sensitivity of physical examination for surgically significant injury? A prospective blinded study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the utility of dynamic computed tomographic (CT) scanning as a diagnostic tool and adjunct to physical examination in the identification of surgically significant penetrating zone II neck injuries.

Methods: All patients older than 14 years of age who suffered penetrating zone II neck injuries were eligible for entry into the study protocol at an urban Level I trauma center. All patients that presented with signs of surgically significant injury on physical examination underwent immediate neck exploration.