Evaluation's of advanced trauma life support.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G A Timberlake.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Controversy has surrounded the role of local hypothermia as a preoperative treatment in amputations of the lower extremity. A study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of amputation under cryoanesthesia in decreasing postoperative morbidity and mortality in below-knee (BK) amputations. Of 154 BK amputations, only 91 with unreconstructable vascular disease, gangrene, or both, were included in this study. Group I consisted of 48 patients (mean age 63.9 years) who had undergone a routine BK amputation; group II consisted of 43 patients (mean age 65.7 years) who were acutely ill and too unstable to undergo a major surgical procedure. Group II patients were treated by amputation while under cryoanesthesia before any definitive operative intervention. The patients in group II were significantly (p less than 0.05) more ill preoperatively than those in group I. Group II patients had a higher prevalence of previous myocardial infarction, previous stroke, diabetes mellitus, osteomyelitis, and wet gangrene. Seventy percent of the patients in group II had three or more risk factors vs. 46% in group I. Early postoperative mortality rates did not differ significantly between groups (group I, 8%; group II, 9%); the average length of hospital stay for group I patients was 24.2 days compared with 17.7 days in group II. Group II patients sustained slightly more postoperative complications. Amputation under cryoanesthesia appears to be of value in reducing postoperative morbidity and mortality and length of hospital stay in the acutely ill patient with unreconstructable vascular disease, gangrene, or both.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Despite the maturing of prehospital emergency care over the last 25 years, many controversies still persist. Although EMS personnel now widely recognize that medical cardiac arrest patients and traumatic cardiac arrest patients require different amounts of field stabilization and treatment, there is still no clear answer as to how much stabilization using what treatments is necessary. Similarly, although it is widely accepted that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation should be rapidly defibrillated, there is no consensus as to who should deliver the countershock and with the use of what equipment. These and many other controversies of prehospital care arise because this field is new and rapidly growing.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A 42-year-old woman developed inflammatory breast cancer in a breast with "silicone mastitis" 12 years after bilateral breast augmentation with liquid silicone injections. Despite aggressive local and systemic therapy, the patient died of her disease. Breast cancer arising in silicone-injected breasts is reported infrequently, and physicians caring for patients with silicone breast injection augmentation should be aware of this potentially fatal association with breast cancer.
Surgical management of major venous injuries remains controversial. The medical records of 184 patients with major venous injury were reviewed. Forty-three patients had isolated venous injury; 31 of 43 patients (72%) underwent ligation to treat their vein injury. Another 141 patients had combined arterial and venous injury; 117 of these patients (83%) had ligation. Injured were the inferior vena cava, iliac, femoral, popliteal, distal leg, and arm veins; all patients underwent surgical exploration. Arterial injuries were repaired by standard techniques and venous injuries were either ligated or repaired by end-to-end or lateral phleborrhaphy. Adjunctive fasciotomy was used when clinically indicated. The patients were followed up for 1 month to 9 years. No permanent sequelae of venous ligation were identified. Transient extremity edema developed in up to 32% of patients, regardless of whether vein ligation or repair was performed. This edema resolved completely within 12 weeks of the injury. No extremity was lost after ligation of a venous injury. Although it may be ideal to repair all venous vascular injuries, selective management reflecting mechanism of injury, blood loss, anesthesia requirements, associated organ injury, and other concerns may mitigate against extensive venous repair.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.