Hydroblast intra-abdominal organ trauma.

Hydroblast injuries of the extremities are not uncommon. Hydroblast injuries involving intra-abdominal organs are more unusual. Usually there are subtle findings on the abdominal wall with severe intra-abdominal trauma and undue delay in appropriate treatment may occur, resulting in increased morbidity.

The advanced pedi-bag program: a hospital-EMS partnership to implement prehospital training, equipment, and protocols.

Objective: The Advanced Pedi-Bag Program is a partnership between a trauma center and a county-wide EMS agency (LCEMS) with three major goals: 1) train all LCEMS paramedics in the American Heart Association's Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), 2) stock each Life Squad with a specific bag containing the equipment necessary to treat both basic and advanced pediatric emergencies, and 3) develop treatment protocols for pediatric patients.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: LCEMS serves a population of 450,000.

Acute profound thrombocytopenia following abciximab therapy.

Objective: To report a case of acute, profound thrombocytopenia (APT), defined as an abrupt drop in platelet count to <20,000/mm3 that occurred within 24 hours of administration of an abciximab bolus, to summarize other abciximab-associated APT cases reported in the literature, to review the postulated mechanisms behind this reaction, and to emphasize the importance of periodically monitoring platelet counts after initiating abciximab therapy.

Data Sources: MEDLINE and Index Medicus searches restricted to English-language literature from 1993 through June 1999 were conducted. MeSH headings included abciximab, ReoPro, thrombocytopenia, and glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa) inhibitors.

Pericardio-diaphragmatic rupture: five new cases and literature review.

This report adds five new cases to the world literature on pericardio-diaphragmatic rupture (PDR). Five of 48 (10.4%) consecutive cases of traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR) seen by a single surgeon over a 22-year period were PDR.

Recent advances in the pathophysiology and management of preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes.

During the past few years, meaningful progress has been achieved in our understanding of the pathophysiology of preterm premature rupture of membranes. In addition, more evidence has been presented in favor of induction and delivery for rupture between 34 and 37 weeks and expectant management for rupture before 34 weeks. New approaches are being suggested to complement expectant management.

Cervical prevertebral soft-tissue measurements and chest radiographic findings in acute traumatic aortic injury.

Acute traumatic aortic injury (ATAI) results in several characteristic chest radiographic findings, most notably mediastinal widening. This study was based on the hypothesis that blood or fluid in the widened mediastinum might track up into the neck and be detected on lateral cervical radiographs. In a blinded, retrospective, case-control review of radiology files, 13 consecutive adult cases of ATAI were identified and compared with 19 cases of negative aortography (NAO) and 18 multiple trauma victims (MT) without aortography.

Clinicopathologic correlation of DNA flow cytometric content analysis (DFCA), surgical staging, and estrogen/progesterone receptor status in endometrial adenocarcinoma.

DNA flow cytometric content analysis (DFCA) and estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor levels are reported to be prognostic with regard to the malignant potential of endometrial adenocarcinoma. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 50 patients presenting with endometrial adenocarcinoma between July 1990 and December 1992, to determine the extent of any pathologic features reported at the time of hysterectomy. Patients whose tumors were nondiploid (aneuploid) by flow cytometry generally presented with a higher pathologic stage, higher grade, and more frequent lymph node involvement.

Cold injuries.

There are two categories of cold injury. The first is hypothermia, which is a systemic injury to cold, and the second is frostbite, which is a local injury. Throughout history, entire armies, from George Washington to the Germans on the Russian Front in World War II, have fallen prey to prolonged cold exposure.