INTRODUCTION Recent research has determined Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to be an independent predictor of mortality in patients with traumatic inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of GCS, as well as other factors previously described as determinants of mortality, in a cohort of patients presenting with traumatic IVC lesions. METHODS A 7-year retrospect...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown the prognostic value of stimulation elicited blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in traumatic patients in vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS). However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have focused on the relevance of etiology and level of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) when explaining...

CONTEXT Only 1% to 8% of adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive to hospital discharge. OBJECTIVE To compare resuscitation outcomes before and after an urban emergency medical services (EMS) system switched from manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to load-distributing band (LDB) CPR. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS A phased, observational cohort evaluation with intention-to-...

PURPOSE To study the predisposing conditions, treatments, and visual outcomes of nontraumatic corneal perforations. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted of all nontraumatic corneal perforations seen between January 1992 and December 1998, with > or = 3 months of follow-up, at the Cornea Service Wills Eye Hospital. RESULTS A total of 40 nontraumatic corneal perforations was ana...

To investigate the longitudinal trend of nontraumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), we analyzed the annual population-based incidence and mortality rate of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in Taiwan. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of mortality. The average incidence rate (IR) of nontraumatic SAH was 6.25 ± 0.88 per 100,000 per year. The prevalence of femal...

Nontraumatic hemobilia is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in children. In the developing world, infections and inflammation are the two most common causes. Two patients are presented illustrating the diagnostic difficulties. Following recognition of the site of bleeding the surgery was successful in each case. After a review of the literature, a diagnostic workup is proposed.

Radiologic Procedure Rating Comments RRL* X-ray chest 9 ☢ CT chest with IV contrast 8 ☢ ☢ ☢ CT chest and abdomen without IV contrast 8 ☢ ☢ ☢ ☢ CT chest and abdomen without and with IV contrast 8 ☢ ☢ ☢ ☢ CTA chest with IV contrast 8 ☢ ☢ ☢ CTA chest and abdomen with IV contrast 8 ☢ ☢ ☢ ☢ MRA chest without and with IV contrast 8 O MRA chest and abdomen without and with IV contrast 8 O US echocardi...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), a newly identified damage-associated molecular pattern, has been observed in trauma patients, however, little is known concerning the relationship between plasma mtDNA levels and concrete post-traumatic complications, particularly systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The aim of this study is to determine whether plasma mtDNA levels ar...

INTRODUCTION Traumatic brain injury has a considerable socio-economic impact, being a major cause of morbi-mortality, often with permanent disability. We sought to characterize health resource utilization of adult traumatic brain injury patients in Portugal between 2000 and 2010. MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective study of medical records of adult patients with ICD9 diagnostic code of traumat...