Enhanced skeletal muscle contractile function and corticospinal excitability precede strength and architectural adaptations during lower-limb resistance training.

Purpose: Evolving investigative techniques are providing greater understanding about the early neuromuscular responses to resistance training among novice exercisers. The aim of this study was to investigate the time-course of changes in muscle contractile mechanics, architecture, neuromuscular, and strength adaptation during the first 6-weeks of lower-limb resistance training.

Methods: Forty participants: 22 intervention (10 males/12 females; 173.

Bayesian analysis of changes in standing horizontal and vertical jump after different modes of resistance training.

Training interventions often have small effects and are tested in small samples. We used a Bayesian approach to examine the change in jump distance after different resistance training programmes. Thirty-three 18- to 45-year-old males completed one of three lower limb resistance training programmes: deadlift (DL), hip thrust (HT) or back squat (BS).

Tensiomyography Derived Parameters Reflect Skeletal Muscle Architectural Adaptations Following 6-Weeks of Lower Body Resistance Training.

Measurement of muscle specific contractile properties in response to resistance training (RT) can provide practitioners valuable information regarding physiological status of individuals. Field based measurements of such contractile properties within specific muscle groups, could be beneficial when monitoring efficacy of training or rehabilitation interventions. Tensiomyography (TMG) quantifies contractile properties of individual muscles via an electrically stimulated twitch contraction and may serve as a viable option in the aforementioned applications.

Lingual Nerve Microsurgery Outcomes Using 2 Different Conduits: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study compared a type 1 collagen conduit (NeuraGen) with a porcine small intestinal submucosa conduit (AxoGuard) when used in lingual nerve microsurgery and any differences in achieving functional sensory recovery (FSR).

Patients And Methods: All patients who underwent lingual nerve microsurgery performed by 1 surgeon (V.B.

Treatment of chest wall implosion injuries without thoracotomy: technique and clinical outcomes.

Background: Chest wall implosion injuries secondary to side impact are unusual but devastating injuries. The purpose of this series is to describe the clinical entity, present a surgical technique to reduce and repair the thoracic cage deformity without thoracotomy, and report outcomes in nine patients.

Study: Institutional review board approved retrospective case series, surgical technique.

Severe traumatic brain injury: is there a gender difference in mortality?

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that male and female nervous systems respond differently to traumatic brain injury (TBI). The objective of this study was to examine outcomes between the sexes after TBI.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of all severe TBI patients admitted between January and December 2005 was performed.

Noninvasive Doppler ultrasonography for assessing cardiac function: can it replace the Swan-Ganz catheter?

Background: Cardiac function, including cardiac index (CI), traditionally has been measured by a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC). A noninvasive alternative for measuring cardiac function would offer obvious advantages.

Methods: A prospective study of trauma and nontrauma patients was performed in a surgical intensive care unit over a 3-month period.

A 2-minute pre-extubation protocol for ventilated intensive care unit patients.

Background: Clinicians often are challenged with safely predicting the optimal time of extubation for ventilated patients. Commonly used weaning parameters have poor positive predictive value for successful extubation.

Methods: A total of 213 intubated patients in our 20-bed surgical intensive care unit were enrolled in a trial to test a prospective, observational, 2-minute extubation protocol (TMEP).

A promising new alternative for the rapid reversal of warfarin coagulopathy in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Background: Internationally, Factor IX complex (FIX complex) has been used to correct warfarin-induced coagulopathy. We present our experience with 28 patients using FIX complex.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted between November 2002 and July 2006 on patients with warfarin-induced coagulopathy.

Percutaneous tracheostomy in neurosurgical patients with intracranial pressure monitoring is safe.

Background: Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is performed routinely on neurosurgical patients in many critical care units. Some of these patients suffer from severe brain injury and require intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. It remains uncertain whether this procedure causes an increase in ICP or jeopardizes the cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in these patients.

Malposition of percutaneous endoscopic-guided gastrostomy: Guideline and management.

Percutaneous endoscopic-guided gastrostomy (PEG) is done routinely on patients who suffer from inability to feed by mouth. PEG is generally considered a safe procedure with a low complication rate. A commonly underreported complication of PEG is malposition.

Adapting to the changing paradigm of management of colon injuries.

Background: Based on the evolution that the management of colonic trauma has undergone since the early 1990s, we hypothesized that the use of diversion has decreased at our institution over the last decade.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who presented to our trauma center with colon injuries between 1995 and 2006.

Results: A total of 81 patients were analyzed.

CT angiography in penetrating neck trauma reduces the need for operative neck exploration.

The evaluation of penetrating neck injury has evolved dramatically from mandatory operative exploration of Zone II injuries that penetrate the platysma to selective management based on physical examination and adjunctive studies. More recently, CT angiography has emerged as an efficient, noninvasive method of evaluating penetrating neck injury. We retrospectively reviewed our experience over 10 years with the management of penetrating neck injury.

Objective indications for early tracheostomy after blunt head trauma.

Background: Early tracheostomy has been shown to be beneficial after trauma; however, there are few objective data to identify early in the recovery period which patients will ultimately require tracheostomy after blunt head trauma.

Methods: The charts of all patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit intubated at a level 1 urban trauma center, over a 5-year period with a primary admission diagnosis of blunt head trauma were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Sixty-four patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: those extubated and those that required tracheostomy.

Analysis of causes and prevention of early readmission to surgical intensive care.

The purpose of this study was to analyze causes of early readmission to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), to determine whether readmission can be predicted or prevented, and to compare outcomes of patients readmitted to the SICU with patients not requiring readmission. All patients admitted to the Cedars-Sinai SICU from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2001, were included. Clinical data was prospectively collected in an on-line computer system.

Tension pyopneumothorax in a child: a case report.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung parenchyma that may result in pleural thickening, effusion, or an empyema. When there is air or gas in association with purulent exudate in the pleural cavity, a pyopneumothorax exists. The progression to pyopneumothorax under tension is extremely rare.