OBJECTIVETo explore a good way of the reconstruction of severe tibial shaft fractures by using different flaps and external fixators.

METHODSEighty-five patients of Type IIIC tibial shaft fractures with average age of 42.5 years were treated in our hospital from 1990 to 2005. Injuries were caused by motorcycle accidents in 66 patients, by machine accidents in 16 patients, and by stone bruise in 3 patients. The management procedures consisted of administration of antibiotics, serial debridment, bone grafting if needed, application of different flaps, such as free thoracoumbilical flaps, fasciocutaneous flaps, saphenous neurocutaneous vascular flaps, sural neurocutaneous vascular flaps and gastrocnemius muscular flaps, and different external fixations, for instance, half-ring fixators, unilateral axial dynamic fixators, AO fixators, Weifang fixators, and Hybrid fixators. The average follow up was 6.3 years.

RESULTSAll flaps survived. Eighty-three cases had bone healed. The average bone healing time of different external fixations was 5.5 months in 47 cases with half-ring fixators, 9.2 months in 4 cases treated with unilateral axial dynamic fixators, 8.5 months in 6 cases with AO fixators, 10.7 months in 16 cases with Weifang fixators, and 7.8 months in 10 cases with assembly fixators. Except half-ring fixation, other fixations all needed necessary bone graft. Two cases treated with unilateral axial dynamic fixators had nonunion of bone and developed osteomyelitis. The wounds healed after the removal of the fixators and immobilization by plaster. The last follow up examination showed ankle and knee motion was normal and no pain was noted.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of half-ring external fixators with various flaps provides good results for Type IIIC tibial shaft fractures.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Debridement ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; methods ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Leg Injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effect of fast-track surgery combined with Chinese medicine treatment in devascularization operation for cirrhotic esophageal varices.

METHODSSeventy-two patients with cirrhotic esophageal varices were selected from January 2009 to June 2013, and randomly assigned to a conventional group and a fast-track group (fast-track surgery combined with Chinese medicine treatment) using a randomized digital table, 36 cases in each group. Operation and anesthesia recovery time, postoperative hospitalization and quality of life were recorded and compared between groups during the perioperative period.

RESULTSCompared with the conventional group, the fast-track group had longer operation time (253.6±46.4 min vs. 220.6±51.0 min) and anesthesia recovery time (50.5±15.9 min vs. 23.5±9.6 min; P<0.01); less bleeding (311.3±46.8 mL vs. 356.2±57.5 mL; P<0.01) and less transfusion (1932.3±106.9 mL vs. 2045.6±115.4 mL; P<0.01); as well as faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, shorter postoperative hospitalization and higher quality of life. There were no serious postoperative complications and no further bleeding occurred.

CONCLUSIONFast-track surgery combined with Chinese medicine treatment is a safe and feasible approach to accelerate the recovery of patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension in perioperative period of devascularization operation.

Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Blood Transfusion ; Chronic Disease ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Quality of Life ; Splenectomy

Objective: To describe the current status and trends in the outcomes and care practices of extremely preterm infants at 22-25 weeks' gestation age from the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 2019 to 2021. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the CHNN cohort of very preterm infants. All 963 extremely preterm infants with gestational age between 22-25 weeks who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the CHNN from 2019 to 2021 were included. Infants admitted after 24 hours of life or transferred to non-CHNN hospitals were excluded. Perinatal care practices, survival rates, incidences of major morbidities, and NICU treatments were described according to different gestational age groups and admission years. Comparison among gestational age groups was conducted using χ² and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Trends by year were evaluated by Cochran-Armitage and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests for trend. Results: Of the 963 extremely preterm infants enrolled, 588 extremely preterm infants (61.1%) were male. The gestational age was 25.0 (24.4, 25.6) weeks, with 29 extremely preterm infants (3.0%), 88 extremely preterm infants (9.1%), 264 extremely preterm infants (27.4%), and 582 extremely preterm infants (60.4%) at 22, 23, 24, and 25 weeks of gestation age, respectively. The birth weight was 770 (680, 840) g. From 2019 to 2021, the number of extremely preterm infants increased each year (285, 312, and 366 extremely preterm infants, respectively). Antenatal steroids and magnesium sulfate were administered to 67.7% (615/908) and 51.1% (453/886) mothers of extremely preterm infants. In the delivery room, 20.8% (200/963) and 69.5% (669/963) extremely preterm infants received noninvasive positive end-expiratory pressure support and endotracheal intubation. Delayed cord clamping and cord milking were performed in 19.0% (149/784) and 30.4% (241/794) extremely preterm infants. From 2019 to 2021, there were significant increases in the usage of antenatal steroids, antenatal magnesium sulfate, and delivery room noninvasive positive-end expiratory pressure support (all P<0.05). Overall, 349 extremely preterm infants (36.2%) did not receive complete care, 392 extremely preterm infants (40.7%) received complete care and survived to discharge, and 222 extremely preterm infants (23.1%) received complete care but died in hospital. The survival rates for extremely preterm infants at 22, 23, 24 and 25 weeks of gestation age were 10.3% (3/29), 23.9% (21/88), 33.0% (87/264) and 48.3% (281/582), respectively. From 2019 to 2021, there were no statistically significant trends in complete care, survival, and mortality rates (all P>0.05). Only 11.5% (45/392) extremely preterm infants survived without major morbidities. Moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (67.3% (264/392)) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (61.5% (241/392)) were the most common morbidities among survivors. The incidences of severe intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sepsis were 15.3% (60/392), 5.9% (23/392) and 19.1% (75/392), respectively. Overall, 83.7% (328/392) survivors received invasive ventilation during hospitalization, with a duration of 22 (10, 42) days. The hospital stay for survivors was 97 (86, 116) days. Conclusions: With the increasing number of extremely preterm infants at 22-25 weeks' gestation admitted to CHNN NICU, the survival rate remained low, especially the rate of survival without major morbidities. Further quality improvement initiatives are needed to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based care practices.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Gestational Age ; Magnesium Sulfate/therapeutic use* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Infant, Premature, Diseases/epidemiology* ; Infant, Newborn, Diseases ; Steroids ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; China/epidemiology*