The Intramedullary Nailing of Adult Femoral Shaft Fracture by the Way of Open Reduction is a Disadvantage or Not?

The purpose of this study is that to evaluate superiority and results of open technique in the treatment of femoral shaft fracture with interlocking intramedullary nailing. The retrospective study is designed to evaluate results of our technique. In this study, the patients that were admitted to the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department of University Hospital that is third level of trauma center. We claim that open technique is not a disadvantage during union process over closed technique in treatment of femoral shaft fracture with interlocking nailing. In this study, 44 patients that were consulted for adult femoral shaft fracture between January 2008 to July 2010 were included. Patients with open fractures, gunshot wounds, neurovascular injuries, and patients that did not have isolated femoral diaphysis fractures were excluded from the study. Clinical and radiological results of the patients were checked periodically. The open interlocking intramedullary nailing was used in treatment. Complete union rate was 90.9 % in 40 patients who were treated with open interlocking intramedullary nailing for adult femoral shaft fracture, and nonunion rate was 9.1 % in four patients. Mean union time was 18.3 weeks (12-36 weeks). Evaluation of 44 patients according to Thoresen criteria was excellent in 22 patients, good in 6 patients, and bad in 4 patients. We think that open technique is an acceptable technique because all results of our study were similar to results of closed intramedullary nailing technique in literature and some advantages of open technique over closed technique.

Serum sIL-2r, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha level in familial Mediterranean fever patients.

In this study we investigated cytokine levels in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Twenty patients and 20 healthy controls were included. Ten patients had acute attacks of FMF, whereas the other 10 were in the silent period. Patients with the acute exacerbation of FMF had higher soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2r), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen levels than those in the silent period ( P<0.001) and controls ( P<0.001). In patients with acute attacks of FMF, interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were not significantly different from those in the other patients or the controls ( P>0.05). In FMF patients IL-6, TNF-alpha, sIL-2r, ESR, CRP and fibrinogen levels increased with the acute-phase reaction, especially in the attack period. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels did not increase as much as did the inflammatory cytokines. The balance between the cytokines may help us to understand the pathophysiology of FMF and to develop therapies. We conclude that the levels of the acute-phase reactants and the cytokines could be useful for diagnosis of acute exacerbations, follow-up and treatment. However, the cost of cytokine measurement analyses seems disadvantageous at present.

Effects of statins on oxidative stress.

Free oxygen radicals and insufficient antioxidant enzymes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia (HC). Trace elements function as cofactors in antioxidant enzymes. Antioxidant system and trace elements were investigated in many different studies including HC, but these subjects have not been investigated as a whole in these patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidative system and trace elements in hypercholesterolemic patients given fluvastatin therapy. We examined malondialdehyde (MDA), copper zinc-superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities together with copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) levels in erythrocytes of 35 patients with HC and 27 healthy control subjects. It was found that in patients with HC, erythrocyte MDA was significantly higher than those of controls and erythrocyte CuZn-SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly lower in patients with HC. Erythrocyte iron levels were significantly higher than those of controls, and erythrocyte copper and zinc levels were significantly lower in patients with HC. Plasma lipid levels and the oxidative state were analyzed in statin-treatment groups given fluvastatin therapy before and after a 3-mo treatment period. In conclusion, we found that fluvastatin has significant antioxidant properties and these effects might be very important in managing dyslipidemia by improving endothelial function.

An extraordinary case of four primary tumors in the same patient, involving the uterine cervix, lung, skin, and rectum.

Four primary cancers in one patient are fairly rare. Here we present a case of four primary tumors in such a patient. These cancers were cervical carcinoma and lung carcinoma, which occurred synchronously, and basal cell carcinoma of the skin and rectal carcinoma which occurred metachronously. A successful resection of two synchronous and two metachronous cancers, which has never previously been reported in this specific combination, is described.

Renin angiotensin aldosterone system and drug allergies complicated with hypotension.

It has been discussed in several studies that non-immunologic factors, such as renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) may play a role in the pathophysiology of anaphylaxis. This study aimed to determine whether RAAS plays a part in the fall in blood pressure during drug reactions or not. Twenty patients who experienced hypotension during drug reaction and 15 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. None of the patients in the study or control groups were under treatment with any drug that was capable of influencing to RAAS. Serum levels of angiotensin-I (A-I), angiotensin-II (A-II), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and aldosterone were measured in both study and control groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the results of the groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to A-I, A-II, ACE and aldosterone levels. It was concluded that a fall in blood pressure during drug reaction must be the result of mast cell mediator effects on the vascular wall rather than RAAS impairment.

Ottawa versus Bernese: which is better?

PURPOSE: Trauma of the foot and ankle is commonly seen in the emergency service. For most patients, fractures cannot be ruled out without radiography. The aim of this study is to consider these injured patients in the light of the Ottawa ankle rules and the Bernese ankle rules. METHODS: Our study is a randomized, prospective clinical study. This study was performed during a 24-month period in the Süleyman Demirel University Emergency Medicine Service. A total of 962 adult patients with foot and ankle pain or tenderness following trauma incurring within the previous 10 days were included in the study. Patients were examined only by physicians who had been trained in the correct application of the Ottawa ankle rules and the Bernese ankle rules. All patients were X-rayed with standardized anterior-posterior and lateral radiographs of the ankle and foot, regardless of whether the Ottawa ankle rules and the Bernese ankle rules were positive or negative. The sensitivity and specificity of the Ottawa and Bernese ankle rules according to the study results regarding the correlation between physical examination and radiography were calculated. RESULTS: For the Ottawa ankle rules, the sensitivity was 74.8 %, specificity was 68.6 %, false-negative ratio was 15.1 %, and the false-positive ratio was 46.3 %. For the Bernese ankle rules, the sensitivity was 55.7 %, specificity was 79 %, false-negative was ratio 21.4 %, and the false-positive ratio was 43.7 %. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the Ottawa ankle rules are more sensitive than the Bernese ankle rules to accurately identify the fracture, but they are still not 100 % reliable.

Antiannexin V autoantibody in thrombophilic Behçet's disease.

We propose that thrombosis in Behçet's syndrome may be due to disruption of the annexin V shield by antiphospholipid antibodies. Measurement of antiannexin V antibodies may be of value in confirming diagnosis and evaluating the risk of venous and arterial thrombosis in patients with Behçet's syndrome. To evaluate the efficiency of antiannexin V antibody in the formation of thrombosis, 53 male patients with Behçet's disease according to international study group criteria were involved in this study. The age range was 20-28 years (mean 23+/-3.4). All of these patients had been taking colchicum. Those taking medications that interfere with antiannexin V autoantibody levels were excluded, and serum samples were taken during the active period. Group I included 26 Behçet's patients with well-documented thrombosis, group II included 27 Behçet's patients without thrombosis, and group III was comprised of 27 healthy controls. There were no statistical differences between the mean concentrations of IgG and IgM antiannexin V autoantibodies in the three groups. The results indicate that these antibodies may not be associated with the pathogenesis of thrombotic events in patients with Behçet's syndrome.

Erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (1.1.1.49) deficiency in Antalya province, Turkey: an epidemiologic and biochemical study.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (1.1.1.49) activity was assessed in 1986-1988 in blood samples from 1,521 individuals from 375 families living an Antalya city and adjacent villages by Beutler's fluorescence spot test. The families were randomly selected by the State Statistical Institute. Complete deficiency occurred in 7.4% of males and 1.8% of females. Mean enzyme activity was 6.77 +/- 1.07 IU/g Hb in normals and ranged between 0 and 0.48 IU/g Hb in those considered deficient. Kinetic measurements made with partially purified enzyme showed that GdB+ and GdB- variants were present in normal and in deficient subjects, respectively.