A trauma registry experience from the main referral center of Honduras: A call for action.

BACKGROUND: Honduras is one of the most violent countries in the world and it has limited epidemiological data that describes the extent of intentional and unintentional injuries. This research is needed to develop and inform prevention programs in Honduras, as well as to spread international awareness. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a paper-based injury surveillance system (InSS) with the help of Honduras' University Medical School Hospital (UMSH), the main referral medical center in Tegucigalpa-Honduras. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were carried out using data from all registered injuries in 2013. RESULTS: Of the 17,971 injuries reported, intentional injuries made up 18.14% of all injuries. Interpersonal violence from gun violence, robberies, and physical altercations accounted for 14.68%. Self-inflicted injuries made up 3.46% of injuries, with suicide falls and poison intoxications being the most frequent (1.9% and 1.2%, respectively). Sexual harassment was minimally reported (0.27%, n = 48). Unintentional injuries made up 81.79% of the total injuries. The most common causes of unintentional injuries were falls (38.01%) and road traffic injuries (16.65%). Motorocyclists made up 35.4% of those injured by road traffic accidents. In general, injuries occured during the weekend and mainly affected men during the ages when they would be most likely to work and maintain jobs. The modified Kampala trauma score (M-KTS) showed that most of the injuries were mild (range 3-11), with 59.59% of the patients with a M-KTS of 9, and an overall mortality rate of 0.65% (n = 117). CONCLUSION: The description of injuries provides the basis for prevention. The disproportionate number of unintentional injuries (4:1) seen in Honduras' referral hospital calls for further research in: 1) trauma care logistics and emergency systems, 2) mortality and lethality of intentional injuries, and 3) analysis of the types of unintentional injuries. Further research is necessary to evaluate interventions and identify the socioeconomic effects of injuries in the region.

Blunt Craniocervical Trauma: Does the Patient Have a Cerebral Vascular Injury?

Blunt cerebrovascular injury involves injury to the carotid and/or vertebral arteries sustained via generalized multitrauma or directed blunt craniocervical trauma. Stroke remains the most consequential outcome. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment before the development of neurologic complications has a well-established role in decreasing morbidity and mortality. This article presents evidence and controversies surrounding the optimization of diagnostic imaging for suspected blunt cerebrovascular injury. Discussion centers on the increasing reliance on multidetector computed tomography angiography for screening, considering relevant clinical criteria for determining screening. Imaging protocols, imaging findings, injury grading, pearls, and pitfalls are discussed.

[Radical post-prostatectomy biochemical relapse in patients with pathological factors treated with adjuvant versus observation radiotherapy in Colombia.] / Recaída bioquímica post­prostatectomía radical en pacientes con factores patológicos tratados con radioterapia adyuvante vs observación en Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with prostate cancer and high-risk pathological factors, adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) has been reported to be superior to observation for local disease control and progressionfree survival. But more than 30% of the patients do not present biochemical relapse (BR) and therefore the ART associated with the toxicity can be avoided. It has not been determined whether close observation with early salvage radiotherapy provides a similar result to ART. METHODS: Patients with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) at the Institute of Cancerology (Medellín-Colombia), and those who had adverse predictors of biochemical relapse were included: extracapsular compromise, seminal vesicle involvement (pT3), and positive surgical margins (PSM) or not. Biochemical progression-free survival was compared between ART group and the observation group. RESULTS: Of 171 patients treated with RP, 55 had at least one adverse pathological factor. Of them, 33 (60%) were observed and 22 (40%) received ART. The median follow-up was 55 months (IQR: 37-89). Biochemical relapse occurred in 6 (18.2%) of the first group and 3 (13.6%) of the second group (p>0.05). Biochemical progression-free survival was 24.2% (95%CI: 11.5%-39.6%) in the observation group and 47.7% (95CI: 26.3%-66.4%) in the ART. CONCLUSIONS: After radical prostatectomy, the biochemical relapse in the patient with high-risk prostate cancer was similar in the observation group and in the ART group.

Investigating the Short-Term Effects of Manual Lymphatic Drainage and Compression Garment Therapies on Lymphatic Function Using Near-Infrared Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a chronic peripheral swelling caused by a dysfunction of the lymphatic system, leading to discomfort and loss of upper limb movement. Therapies to treat or manage this swelling have limited evidence, partly because of a paucity in objective lymphatic measures. This study explored the role of near-infrared (NIR) imaging in evaluating interventions. METHODS: Nine healthy volunteers underwent NIR fluoroscopy using a microdose (50 µL, 0.05% w/v) of indocyanine green to quantify lymphatic behavior before and after a 15-minute period of manual lymph drainage followed by compression garment (CG) therapy for a 10-minute period. Images were taken at the forearm and elbow after each intervention. Lymphatic function was defined by the number, size, displacement, and speed of lymph packets. The lymph parameters were analyzed to assess the effects of the interventions compared with basal values. RESULTS: Baseline (BL) parameters of lymph function revealed high variability in the number, size, and speed of packets between individuals. Despite this variance, both interventions showed statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in displacement and speed at the forearm compared with BL. The velocity of transient lymph packets increased from a median of 6.7 mm/s at BL to 13.3 mm/s after manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) and 10.5 mm/s after CG. CONCLUSION: Lymphatic activity increased significantly after MLD, with relative increases being maintained after a short time period of CG application. NIR fluoroscopy has the potential to both monitor lymph pathology and provide robust parameters in the assessment of interventions.