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A Falabella

Publications and source records attributed to A Falabella.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Acute lipodermatosclerosis is characterized by pain and tenderness in the medial aspect of the leg. It is thought to be the result of venous insufficiency and to be the acute counterpart of chronic lipodermatosclerosis, a hallmark of venous disease. However, there is no direct evidence linking acute lipodermatosclerosis to venous disease. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with venous insufficiency. METHODS: With air plethysmography, we determined the venous filling index, the ejection fraction, and the residual volume fraction in 15 sequential patients with acute lipodermatosclerosis. RESULTS: Ten of the 15 patients (67%) had at least one abnormal result, eight (53%) had two, and two (13%) had three. In four patients (27%), abnormalities of both reflux and ejection were noted. Duplex venous ultrasonography, in two of the patients with normal results from air plethysmography, showed incompetent perforators at sites of lipodermatosclerosis. CONCLUSION: Acute lipodermatosclerosis is associated with objective findings of venous insufficiency in a high percentage of patients. It is likely that this condition is the result of venous disease.

Acute Disease↗

Duration of antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk patients with penetrating abdominal trauma: a prospective randomized trial.

To evaluate the effect of varying durations of antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma patients with multiple risk factors for postoperative septic complications, a prospective randomized trial was undertaken at an urban level I trauma center. The inclusion criteria were full-thickness colon injury and one of the following: (1) Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index > 25, (2) transfusion of 6 units or more of packed red blood cells, or (3) more than 4 hours from injury to operation. Patients were randomly assigned to a short course (24 hours) or a long course (5 days) of antibiotic therapy. All patients received 2 g cefoxitin en route to the operating room and 2 g intravenously piggyback every 6 hours for a total of 1 day vs. 5 days. Sixty-three patients were equally divided into short-course (n = 31) and long-course (n = 32) therapy. This was a high-risk patient population, as assessed by the mean Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index (33), number of patients with multiple blood transfusions (51 of 63; 81%), number of patients with an Injury Severity Score greater than 15 (37 of 63; 59%), number of patients with destructive colon wounds requiring resection (27 of 63; 43%), and number of patients requiring postoperative critical care (37 of 63; 59%). Differences in intra-abdominal (1-day, 19%; 5-days, 38%) and extra-abdominal (1-day, 45%; 5-days, 25%) infection rates did not achieve statistical significance. There continues to be no evidence that extending antibiotic prophylaxis beyond 24 hours is of benefit, even among the highest risk patients with penetrating abdominal trauma. A large, multi-institutional trial will be necessary to condemn this common practice with statistical validity.

Abdominal Injuries↗