Foreign Bodies ; complications ; Humans ; Neck Injuries ; etiology ; Thoracic Injuries ; etiology ; Wood ; Wounds, Penetrating ; etiology

Penetrating neck trauma present difficult management issues by virtue of their rarity. Undiagnosed laryngotracheal injuries have serious implications, especially in the context of multiple trauma, where other injuries overshadow that of the laryngotracheal complex. This is a case of a schizophrenic patient with multiple self-inflicted cuts on his throat and abdomen. Injuries include open, comminuted laryngeal complex lacerations with vocal cord avulsion, as well as evisceration of small bowel. Adequate assessment using both direct laryngoscopy and rigid endoscopy, coupled with open exploration, allowed optimal exposure and fixation of the larynx in the anatomical configuration. The post-operative outcome of the airway and voice remained satisfactory at follow-up. A high index of suspicion coupled with adequate surgical approach allowed establishment of a functional larynx.
Larynx/*injuries ; Schizophrenia/complications ; *Self-Injurious Behavior ; Trachea/*injuries ; Vocal Cords/*injuries ; Wounds, Penetrating/*surgery

When primary injuries caused by penetrating violence and secondary injuries by faulty medical procedures are both present, it is important to distinguish "avoidable" from "unavoidable" secondary injuries. The primary and "unavoidable" secondary injuries rather than the secondary "avoidable" injuries should be included as evidence for assessment of the degree and grade the injuries. The basic principles to assess blood accumulation after injury have been stated in the seventy-two clause of "The Assessment Criterion of Severe Human Body Injury". However, it dose not distinguish abdominal blood accumulation caused by primary penetrating wounds from that resulted from secondary medical procedures. An amendment to the clause might be necessary.
Abdominal Injuries/complications* ; Expert Testimony/standards* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/standards* ; Hemoperitoneum/surgery* ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Wounds, Penetrating/complications*

Pseudoaneurysm arising from the superficial temporal artery (STA) is very rare and is most commonly caused by blunt trauma. Most pseudoaneurysms of the STA usually present as a painless pulsating mass, with concomitant symptoms according to location, and their size may rapidly increase. The treatment of choice is ligation and resection. We present a case of pseudoaneurysm arising from STA after a penetrating injury caused by broken glass. We describe the history, findings of physical examination, Doppler sonography, angiography, histopathology, and the outcome of treatment. We also include a brief review of this condition.
Aneurysm, False/surgery ; Aneurysm, False/etiology* ; Aneurysm, False/diagnosis ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Case Report ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Temporal Arteries/surgery ; Temporal Arteries/pathology ; Temporal Arteries/injuries* ; Thrombosis/etiology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Wounds, Penetrating/surgery ; Wounds, Penetrating/complications*

Migration of metallic foreign body into the cerebral circulation is rarely seen. Most of the cases reported were due to gunshot wounds and shotgun wounds to the neck and face. When the foreign body is near the great vessel, it must be removed immediately or will cause complications. This study reported a case of delayed metallic foreign body embolus to the ophthalmic artery resulting from an injury to the right neck, which arose from the presence of metallic emboli to the cerebral circulation.
Adult ; Embolism ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Foreign Bodies ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Neck Injuries ; complications ; surgery ; Ophthalmic Artery ; injuries ; pathology ; surgery ; Wounds, Penetrating ; complications

PURPOSE: The spleen is the organ most frequently injured by abdominal trauma; often by penetrating wounds to the left lower chest, flank and upper abdomen. A total splenectomy is considered the standard method of treating a splenic injury in the case of multiple organ injuries, a hemodynamically unstable condition and severe splenic injury. During the 5 years, between May 2001 and October 2005 55 splenectomy cases were performed at our clinic. This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical and hematological analysis of a splenectomy undertaken due to trauma (39 cases), with the exception of hematological diseases (16 cases). METHODS: We analyzed the clinical manifestations, intraabdominal blood loss, the total amount of transfusion, postoperative complications, and the distribution of platelet counts after a splenectomy, average time to reach maximal platelet counts and return normal platelet counts, and the periods of aspirin medication in 39 traumatic splenectomy cases. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 2.3 : 1, with the most frequently injured age group being those in their third decade. The most common cause of injury was traffic accident (76.9%). There were 24 (61.5%) cases of associated injury, with the most frequents associated injury being a rib fracture (17 cases). The most common type of splenic injury was Type IV (59%). The average amount of intraabdominal blood loss and amount of transfused blood were 1,850 and 2,700 ml, respectively. The postoperative complication rate was 33.3% (13 cases), with pulmonary complications the most common (8 cases). Thrombocytosis occurred in 33 case 84.6%. After a splenectomy, the first increasing platelet count was noted after an average of 6.7+/-2.0 days, with the maximal count reached after an average of 10.8+/-2.8 days. The platelet count gradually returned to normal levels after an average of 36.1+/-20.0 days. Aspirin was medicated from a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 39 days, with an average of 23.3 days. CONCLUSION: Men in thier twenties were the most commonly injured group. Grade IV splenic injuries were the most common type requiring surgery. The average time to reach postoperative maximal platelet counts was 10.8 days. The patients where the platelet count increased above 750,000/ mm3 were treated with aspirin; there were no complications. Therefore, it is advisable to start patients on aspirin medication of aspirin, and follow up thier needs as out-patients with regular CBC workups.
Abdomen ; Accidents, Traffic ; Aspirin ; Female ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans ; Male ; Outpatients ; Platelet Count ; Postoperative Complications ; Rib Fractures ; Spleen ; Splenectomy* ; Thorax ; Thrombocytosis ; Wounds, Penetrating

There are few reports in the literature of complete obstruction of the vertebral artery (VA) due to an electric screw driver bit penetration through the neural foramen into the spinal canal with Brown-Sequard syndrome (BSS). A 25-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with a penetrated neck injury by an electric screw driver bit after a struggle. The patient presented the clinical features of BSS. Computed tomography scan revealed that the electric screw driver bit penetrated through the right neural foramen at the level of C3-4, and it caused an injury to the right half of the spinal cord. Emergent angiography revealed VA dissection, which was managed by immediate coil embolization at both proximal and distal ends of the injury site. After occlusion of the VA, the electric screw driver bit was extracted under general anesthesia. Bleeding was minimal and controlled without difficulties. No postoperative complications, such as wound dehiscence, CSF leakage, or infection, were noted. Endovascular approaches for occlusion of vertebral artery lesions are safe and effective methods of treatment.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Angiography ; Brown-Sequard Syndrome* ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Methods ; Neck Injuries ; Postoperative Complications ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Vertebral Artery Dissection ; Vertebral Artery* ; Wounds and Injuries ; Wounds, Penetrating

Trauma is a leading cause of admissions to the surgical ward in Papua New Guinea (PNG), accounting for about 35% of cases. Of these, 15% of cases are abdominal injuries, of which 19% are penetrating injuries. Selective surgical management of patients with a low-velocity anterior abdominal wound (AAW) is beneficial in some patients. AIM: To determine if selective surgical management is a viable therapeutic option in PNG. METHODS: A non-random prospective study of consecutive cases was done on 60 patients with an AAW based entirely on clinical symptoms and signs. The outcome measures were length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality. Data were analysed using SPSS 10.0 for Windows and Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Immediate laparotomy was done on 24 (40%) of cases and 36 (60%) had nonoperative conservative management, of which 6 (17%) failed and went on to have laparotomy on demand. The average hospital stay was 4 days shorter (p = 0.0001) for the nonoperative group, which had significantly fewer complications (p = 0.01). No deaths were recorded in either of the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Selective nonoperative management of stable patients with an AAW with or without omental signs is a safe therapeutic option in PNG.
Abdominal Injuries/complications/mortality/*surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Papua New Guinea ; Patient Selection ; Peritonitis/etiology/*surgery ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds, Penetrating/complications/mortality/*surgery ; Young Adult

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in imaging anterior segment foreign bodies and compare it with conventional B-scan ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).

MATERIALS AND METHODSThe charts of 18 eyes with anterior segment foreign bodies were reviewed. The rates of detection of foreign bodies using ultrasound, CT scan and UBM were compared.

RESULTSThe foreign body detection rates were 36.5% by ultrasound, 88.9% by CT scan, and 94.4% by UBM. The diagnosis of presence of a foreign body using UBM was made based on high reflective echoes causing shadowing or reverberations. In 7 eyes, UBM detected injury to the zonules, guiding the operative procedure. In the 8 eyes for which all tests were performed, rates of detection of foreign bodies were 25% (2/8) with ultrasound, 87.5% (7/8) with CT, and 100% (8/8) with UBM.

CONCLUSIONUBM is a valuable adjunct for the accurate localisation of small foreign bodies, including cilia. It offers a higher detection rate than that provided by ultrasound and CT scan.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anterior Eye Segment ; ultrastructure ; Diagnostic Errors ; prevention & control ; Eye Foreign Bodies ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microscopy, Acoustic ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography ; methods ; Wounds, Penetrating ; complications

OBJECTIVETo explore the causes of the formation of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas and the therapeutic effect of detachable balloon and/or coil embolization and the prevention of its complications.

METHODSFrom October, 1992 to March, 2002, 17 patients with traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas were treated with detachable balloon and/or coil embolization in our hospital. The clinical data and imaging features of CT, MR and selective angiogram of these patients were analyzed.

RESULTSOne week after treatment with embolization, the clinical symptoms of the 17 patients were remitted, and optic cacophony, nystagmus, exophthalmos and dropsy of conjunctiva disappeared. Two patients manifested surgical complications, one patient died. Sixteen patients survived. They were all followed up for more than 2 years, which showed one patient had handicap in movement, and in one patient the signs and symptoms of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas reoccurred 2 months after treatment.

CONCLUSIONSThe detachable balloon and/or coil embolization is safe and reliable. It is a good method to treat traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Balloon Occlusion ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula ; diagnosis ; mortality ; therapy ; China ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Sampling Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds, Penetrating ; complications