scholarly journals Treatment of sepsis secondary to blast injuries

2021 ◽  
pp. 31-40

Blast injuries are an important cause of morbidity and mortality due to ongoing conflicts, especially among young patients. Due to the adversities of warfare, the first interventions for these patients are performed in unsuitable environments. Patients generally do not receive further treatment in their own country, but in other countries as wounded war refugees. Local and systemic infections in patients with associated polytrauma, soft tissue damage, and blast effects cause mortality and morbidity. All of the patients were injured during the Libyan civil war and the first intervention was performed in hospitals in their own country or in Tunisia. The patients were transferred to our clinic by ambulance plane. All patients presented bone-soft tissue infection and sepsis. Bone-soft tissue and blood cultures were obtained from the patients. The first interventions for the patients were performed multidisciplinarily in orthopedics, general surgery, infection, and intensive care clinics. The patients were followed in our clinic for one year including inten-sive care, service, and outpatient monitoring. Sixteen patients with a mean age of 28.8 years were included in the study. All patients were wounded by explosives or missiles. The patients were admitted to our clinic at a mean of approximately 24.4 days after these events. The patients were followed in the intensive care unit for an average of 7.9 days. The mean follow-up was 4 months. After the service follow-up, each patient continued outpatient follow-up for a total of 12 months. Antibiotics were given according to the causative infectious agent during the intensive care and service follow-up. Three patients had lung infections. Colistin-induced renal failure or hepatotoxicity developed due to resistant infections in 4 patients. After colistin was ceased, this situation resolved. Two of the 16 patients died. The sepsis and bone-soft tissue infections were controlled in all other patients. Four patients had femoral nonu-nion and one patient had short femoral healing. While 2 patients were able to walk without support and 11 patients could walk using support and one patient who was Quadriplegic was unable to walk. The treatment of bone-soft tissue infections accompanied by sepsis should be multidisciplinary. This should be kept in mind for patients with systemic injuries due to explosion effects. The infectious agents in these patients are often drug-resistant and there may be complications secondary to the antibiotics used during treatment.

Sarcoma ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 171-177
Author(s):  
S. Murray Yule ◽  
Roderick Skinner ◽  
Martin W. English ◽  
Mike Cole ◽  
Andrew D. J. Pearson ◽  
...  

Background.Although the survival of children with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) has improved considerably, the outcome of patients with metastatic disease, and those with primary tumours of the extremities or parameningeal sites remains disappointing. We describe the clinical outcome of an ifosfamide-based regimen with local therapy directed only to children who failed to achieve a complete response to initial chemotherapy.Patients and Methods.Twenty-one children with STS (16 rhabdomyosarcoma) who presented with unresectable tumours were treated with five courses of ifosfamide (9 g/m2) and etoposide (600 mg/m2). Patients who did not achieve a complete response then received local therapy. Chemotherapy with ifosfamide combined with etoposide, vincristine (1.5 mg/m2and doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) or vincristine and actinomycin D (1.5 mg/m2) was continued for one year.Results and Discussion.Objective responses to five courses of ifosfamide and etoposide were seen in all patients. Disease free survival (DFS) at a median follow up of 59 months was 57% (95% CI 29–75%). The DFS of children who received local therapy was 89% compared with 33% in those who received chemotherapy alone (p=0.027). Locoregional recurrences did not occur in children who received radiotherapy to the site of the primary tumour. Ifosfamide-based chemotherapy does not reduce the incidence of loco-regional recurrence in children who do not receive local therapy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662110101
Author(s):  
Alexandru Ogica ◽  
Christoph Burdelski ◽  
Holger Rohde ◽  
Stefan Kluge ◽  
Geraldine de Heer

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are typically characterized by extensive soft tissue destruction with systemic signs of toxicity, ranging from sepsis to septic shock. Our aim was to analyze the clinical characteristics, microbiological results, laboratory data, therapies, and outcome of patients with NSTIs admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: A monocentric observational study of patients admitted to the ICU of a university hospital between January 2009 and December 2017. The demographic characteristics, comorbidities, clinical features, microbiology and laboratory results, organ dysfunctions, therapies, and outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Results: There were 59 patients and 70% males. The mean age (± SD) was 55 ± 18; type II (monomicrobial) NSTI was present in 36 patients (61%); the most common isolated pathogen was Streptococcus pyogenes in 28 patients (48%). Septic shock was diagnosed in 41 patients (70%). The most common organ dysfunctions were circulatory and renal in 42 (71%) and 38 patients (64%). The mean value (± SD) of serum lactate at admission to the ICU was 4.22 ± 5.42 mmol/l, the median SOFA score and SAPS II were 7 (IQR 4 - 10) and 46 (IQR 30.5 - 53). ICU mortality rate was 25%. Both SOFA score and serum lactate demonstrated a good prognostic value regarding ICU outcome (OR 1.29, 95%CI 1.07-1.57, P < 0.007 and OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.19-1.98, P < 0.001). A cut-off value for serum lactate of 6.55 mmol/L positively predicted mortality with 67% sensitivity and 97% specificity. Conclusion: NSTIs carry a high risk of septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and thus are still associated with high mortality. In our study, the value of serum lactate at admission to the ICU correlated well with mortality. This easy-to-measure parameter could play a role in the decision-making process regarding prognosis and continuation of care.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 667-676
Author(s):  
Yuk Law ◽  
Yiu Che Chan ◽  
Stephen Wing-Keung Cheng

Introduction We performed a single-center nonrandomized study on patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair using polymer-filled or other self-expanding endografts. Methods Consecutive patients with asymptomatic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent endovascular repair were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into a polymer-filled ( n = 20) or self-expanding group ( n = 42). Baseline characteristics, operative mortality and morbidity, and follow-up data were compared. Results Aneurysm diameter, neck and iliac morphologies did not differ between the two groups. Technical success was 100%. The 30-day mortality was 0% and 2.4% in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 17 months, the changes in sac size were −2.1 mm and −5.1 mm ( p = 0.144) at one year, and −3.5 mm and −7.7 mm ( p = 0.287) at 2 years in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. The polymer-filled group had 7 (35%) type II endoleaks, and the self-expanding group had 1 (2.4%) type Ia and 13 (31%) type II endoleaks. Neck diameter remained stable in the polymer-filled stent-grafts whereas there was progressive neck degeneration in the self-expanding group. The rates of reintervention and overall survival were similar in both groups. The presence of an endoleak was the only predictor of non-regression of the aneurysm (odds ratio = 17.00, 95% confidence interval: 4.46–64.88, p < 0.001). Conclusion Polymer-filled endografts had similar safety, effectiveness, and durability to other self-expanding endografts. The major advantage is the small iliofemoral access. They also have the potential long-term benefit of a more stable neck.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 179-184
Author(s):  
Sam Hajialiloo Sami ◽  
◽  
Farshad Zandrahimi ◽  
Mohamadreza Heidarikhoo ◽  
Mahsa Zahmatkesh ◽  
...  

Infantile fibrosarcoma is a rare soft-tissue neoplasm, which may render a diagnostic challenge leading to misdiagnosis and consequently an inappropriate treatment of patients. This study reports a case of infantile fibrosarcoma that mimicked a hemangioma in an 11-month-old girl. As the lesion signal in the MRI was not consistent with the diagnosis of hemangiomas, we performed a core needle biopsy, which its result was consistent with the diagnosis of infantile fibrosarcoma. The lesion was initially treated with surgical resection. However, the lesion recurred one year after the surgery. The recurrence was managed with debulking surgery. The fifth finger was necrotized during the hospitalization after the relapse surgery. Finally, the necrotic finger was amputated. Also, adjuvant chemotherapy was used to prevent further relapses. The 1-year follow-up of the patient was recurrence-free. These findings highlight the importance of considering infantile fibrosarcoma when an infant presents with a lesion that clinically mimics a vascular lesion.


2022 ◽  
Vol 104-B (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Amit Modi ◽  
Aziz Haque ◽  
Vijay Deore ◽  
Harvinder Pal Singh ◽  
Radhakant Pandey

Aims Long-term outcomes following the use of human dermal allografts in the treatment of symptomatic irreparable rotator cuff tears are not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate these outcomes, and to investigate whether this would be a good form of treatment in young patients in whom a reverse shoulder arthroplasty should ideally be avoided. Methods This prospective study included 47 shoulders in 45 patients who underwent an open reconstruction of the rotator cuff using an interposition GraftJacket allograft to bridge irreparable cuff tears, between January 2007 and November 2011. The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), pain score, and range of motion (ROM) were recorded preoperatively and at one year and a mean of 9.1 years (7.0 to 12.5) postoperatively. Results There was significant improvement in the mean OSS from 24.7 (SD 5.4) preoperatively to 42.0 (SD 6.3) at one year, and this improvement was maintained at 9.1 years (p < 0.001), with a score of 42.8 (SD 6.8). Similar significant improvements in the pain score were seen and maintained at the final follow-up from 6.1 (SD 1.6) to 2.1 (SD 2.3) (p < 0.001). There were also significant improvements in the ROM of the shoulder, and patient satisfaction was high. Conclusion The use of an interposition human dermal allograft in patients with an irreparable rotator cuff tear leads to good outcomes that are maintained at a mean of nine years postoperatively. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):91–96.


Aorta ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 07 (05) ◽  
pp. 129-136
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alhaizaey ◽  
Badr Aljabri ◽  
Musaad Alghamdi ◽  
Ali AlAhmari ◽  
Ahmed Abulyazied ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Endovascular stent grafting has emerged as an option to treat traumatic aorta injuries with reported significantly low mortality and morbidity. Stent collapse is one of the complications that can occur in this type of treatment. The aim of this article is to analyze the expected cause of stent collapse and to draw attention to the importance of the surveillance follow-up, as this phenomenon may occur late postdeployment. Methods A retrospectively collected dataset from the two highest volume trauma centers in Saudi Arabia was analyzed between April 2007 and October 2012. A total of 66 patients received stent grafts for traumatic aortic injury and were included in the study. We apply Ishimaru's anatomical aortic arch zones and Benjamin's aortic injury grading systems. There were 35 patients with aortic injury at zone 2, 26 patients in zone 3, and 5 patients in zone 4. About 96% (63) of the injuries were grades 2 and 3, including large intimal flap or aortic wall pseudoaneurysm with change in wall contour. The technical success rate, as defined by complete exclusion of lesions without leaks, stroke, arm ischemia or stent-related complications, was 90%. Results Proximal stent collapse occurred in 4.5% of patients (3 of 66 inserted stents) during follow-up of 4 to 8 years (mean, 6 years). Patients with stent collapse tended to have an acute aortic arch angle with long-intraluminal stent lip, when compared with patients with noncollapsed stents. Intraluminal lip protrusion more than 10-mm increased collapse (p < 0.001). Stent-grafts sizes larger than 28 mm also demonstrated a higher collapse rate (p < 0.001). Conclusions The risk of stent collapse appears related to poor apposition of the stent due to severe aortic arch angulation in young patients and to large stent sizes (>28 mm). Such age groups may have more anatomical and aortic size changes during the growth. Clinical and radiological surveillance is essential in follow-up after stent-graft treatment for traumatic aortic injury.


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