Correction to: Differences in Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Penetrating Injuries in the USA and the Netherlands: A Multi-institutional Comparison.

In the original article Dennis Den Hartog's name was tagged incorrectly. It is correct as reflected here.

The Role of Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections.

BACKGROUND: The exact role of IV contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) has not yet been established. We aimed to explore the role of CT in patients with clinical suspicion of NSTI and assess its sensitivity and specificity for NSTI. METHODS: The medical records of patients admitted between 2009 and 2016, who received IV contrast-enhanced CT to rule out NSTI, were reviewed. CT was considered positive in case of: (a) gas in soft tissues, (b) multiple fluid collections, (c) absence or heterogeneity of tissue enhancement by the IV contrast, and (d) significant inflammatory changes under the fascia. NSTI was confirmed only by the presence of necrotic tissue during surgical exploration. NSTI was considered absent if surgical exploration failed to identify necrosis, or if the patient was successfully treated non-operatively. RESULTS: Of the 184 patients, 17 had a positive CT and hence underwent surgical exploration with NSTI being confirmed in 13 of them (76%). Of the 167 patients that had a negative CT, 38 (23%) underwent surgical exploration due to the high clinical suspicion for NSTI and were all found to have non-necrotizing infections; the remaining 129 (77%) were managed non-operatively with successful resolution of symptoms. The sensitivity of CT in identifying NSTI was 100%, the specificity 98%, the positive predictive value 76%, and the negative predictive value 100%. CONCLUSIONS: A negative IV contrast-enhanced CT scan can reliably rule out the need for surgical intervention in patients with initial suspicion of NSTI.

Differences in Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Penetrating Injuries in the USA and the Netherlands: A Multi-institutional Comparison.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence and nature of penetrating injuries differ between countries. The aim of this study was to analyze characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with penetrating injuries treated at urban Level-1 trauma centers in the USA (USTC) and the Netherlands (NLTC). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 1331 adult patients (470 from five NLTC and 861 from three USTC) with truncal penetrating injuries admitted between July 2011 and December 2014 were included. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Outcome comparisons were adjusted for differences in population characteristics in multivariable analyses. RESULTS: In USTC, gunshot wound injuries (36.1 vs. 17.4%, p < 0.001) and assaults were more frequent (91.2 vs. 77.7%, p < 0.001). ISS was higher in USTC, but the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was comparable. In-hospital mortality was similar (5.0 vs. 3.6% in NLTC, p = 0.25). The adjusted odds ratio for mortality in USTC compared to NLTC was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.35-2.54). Hospital stay length of stay was shorter in USTC (difference 0.17 days, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.05, p = 0.005), ICU admission rate was comparable (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.71-1.31, p = 0.80), and ICU length of stay was longer in USTC (difference of 0.39 days, 95% CI 0.18-0.60, p < 0.0001). More USTC patients were discharged to home (86.9 vs. 80.6%, p < 0.001). Readmission rates were similar (5.6 vs. 3.8%, p = 0.17). CONCLUSION: Despite the higher incidence of penetrating trauma, particularly firearm-related injuries, and higher hospital volumes in the USTC compared to the NLTC, the in-hospital mortality was similar. In this study, outcome of care was not significantly influenced by differences in incidence of firearm-related injuries.

Trabecular bone density in middle-aged women with reproductive disorders.

Besides age, estrogen exposure plays a crucial role in changes in bone density (BD) in women. Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are conditions in reproductive-aged women in which the exposure to estrogen is substantially different. Women with a history of preeclampsia (PE) are expected to have normal estrogen exposure. Within the CREw-IMAGO study, we investigated if trabecular BD is different in these women because of differences in the duration of estrogen exposure. Trabecular BD was measured in thoracic vertebrae on coronary CT scans. Women with an reduced estrogen exposure (POI) have a lower BD compared to women with an intermediate exposure (PE) (mean difference (MD) -26.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) -37.2 - -16.3). Women with a prolonged estrogen exposure (PCOS) have the highest BD (MD 15.0, 95% CI 4.3 - 25.7). These results support the hypothesis that the duration of estrogen exposure in these women is associated with trabecular BD.

Frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Patients with Imminent Preterm Delivery on the Island of Curaçao.

Sexually transmitted infections are one of the important risk factors for preterm delivery, which is among the important contributors to perinatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in women with imminent preterm delivery in Curaçao, an island of the Dutch Caribbean. All women from Curaçao with either preterm premature rupture of the membranes or preterm labor, common indications of imminent preterm delivery, and presenting at the Curaçao Medical Center between 15 November 2019 and 31 December 2020, were included in this single cohort study. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was assessed by Cepheid GeneXpert ® (Xpert) CT/NG assay (Sunnyvale, CA, USA). In the included cohort, the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection was 15.5% and of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection was 2.1%. All patients infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae were co-infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in patients with imminent preterm delivery in Curaçao is high. It is recommended to test all patients with imminent preterm delivery for these sexually transmitted infections and possibly consider testing all women in early pregnancy on the island.