A Retrospective Study of Pilonidal Sinus Healing by Secondary Intention Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Versus Alginate or Gauze Dressings.

Pilonidal sinus (PS) disease is an inflammatory skin and subcutaneous tissue condition that presents with infection, acute abscess, chronic discharging wounds, and/or pain. Surgery with open healing by secondary intention typically is used to achieve the fastest healing time with minimal recurrence rates. A retrospective analysis was conducted of data extracted from the medical records of 73 consecutive patients who had symptomatic natal cleft PS over a 10-year period to compare use of NPWT to alginate-based/gauze daily dressing (DD) changes in terms of healing time and recurrence.

Lumbar plexus schwannoma causing recurrent syncope.

Retroperitoneal schwannomas are rare and present non-specifically. They usually manifest secondary to their compressive effects on adjacent structures. We describe a patient who presented with recurrent syncope resulting from a large retroperitoneal schwannoma stretching the inferior vena cava and compromising venous return.

Patients' perception of surgical training in private hospitals.

Introduction:   Surgical training is traditionally a public hospital-based practice. At Epworth Private Hospital, Richmond, Victoria, there are three accredited surgical training positions and one fellowship position. We conducted a patient survey to review the patients' perspective of surgical trainees in private hospitals.

The Victorian major trauma transfer study.

Aims: To comprehensively examine the inter-hospital transfer of major trauma patients-including the reason for transfer, duration, escorts, interventions and unexpected events.

Methods: This was an detailed study of the transfer of major trauma cases in the State of Victoria, Australia, between April 16, 2003 and December 31, 2004. Twenty-three hospitals and seven transfer/retrieval services participated.

A benchmarking study of two trauma centres highlighting limitations when standardising mortality for comorbidity.

Introduction: A continuous process of trauma centre evaluation is essential to ensure the development and progression of trauma care at regional, national and international levels. Evaluation may be by comparison between pooled datasets or by direct benchmarking between centres. This study attempts to benchmark mortality at two trauma centres standardising this for multiple case-mix factors, which includes the prevalence of individual background pre-existing diseases within the study population.

Trial of interpersonal counselling after major physical trauma.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine if interpersonal counselling (IPC) was effective in reducing psychological morbidity after major physical trauma.

Methods: One hundred and seventeen subjects were recruited from two major trauma centres and randomized to treatment as usual or IPC in the first 3 months following trauma. Measures of depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms were taken at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.

Tackling the burden of injury in Australasia: developing a binational trauma registry.

Existing trauma registries in Australia and New Zealand play an important role in monitoring the management of injured patients. Over the past decade, such monitoring has been translated into changes in clinical processes and practices. Monitoring and changes have been ad hoc, as there are currently no Australasian benchmarks for "optimal" injury management.

Assessment of the trauma evaluation and management (TEAM) module in Australia.

Aim: To assess the immediate effect on trauma-related knowledge of the trauma evaluation and management (TEAM) program applied to medical students in Australia.

Methods: 73 final year medical students from Melbourne were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (E1 and E2 who completed the TEAM program after a 20 item MCQ pre-test on trauma resuscitation and a second MCQ exam after the TEAM program) and two control groups (C1 and C2 who completed the pre- and post-MCQ exams before completing the TEAM module). All 73 students completed an evaluation questionnaire.

Trauma management in Australia and the tyranny of distance.

Major trauma presents a time-critical medical emergency. Successful and expeditious management with early definitive treatment is required to prevent secondary injury. The resources in the prehospital setting, at the hospital of first treatment, and at the tertiary referral (major trauma) center all have an impact on the ability of an integrated trauma system to deliver optimal care to a patient.

Colon trauma: Royal Melbourne Hospital experience.

Background: Recent studies from the USA and South Africa suggest that primary repair or resection and primary anastomosis have become the recommended treatment for most traumatic colon injuries. The aim of the present review is to determine the applicability of these studies to the urban Australian setting.

Methods: All patients with colon injuries operated on at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from March 1989 to March 1999 were identified.