ABSTRACT
Pseudoaneurysm should be acknowledged as a possible but infrequent postoperative complication after shoulder arthroplasty which could be easily misdiagnosed. It is important that the upper-extremity surgeon suspects this problem in the follow-up assessment for appropriate management. In this paper, we present an unusual case of brachial artery pseudoaneurysm in the early postoperative period after reverse shoulder arthroplasty.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The incidence of injuries from cast saws during cast removal ranges from 0.12% to 4.3%. With 1 second or less of exposure time, a temperature of 65°C can cause partial thickness burns. Despite numerous studies that recommend avoiding the use of a dull blade, there is no objective measure of what defines dullness. METHODS: Plaster and fiberglass casts were collected and measured after removal from patients in the clinic. A series of slabs were constructed based on these measurements. To simulate our emergency department setting, a Stryker 940 cast saw without an attached vacuum was used to split plaster slabs. A thermocouple was used to directly measure the 940-23 ion-nitride saw blade temperature after each use. To simulate our orthopaedic clinic setting, a Stryker 940 cast saw with an attached vacuum was used to split fiberglass and plaster slabs. Three blades were tested in each setting, bivalving 50 slabs each. RESULTS: For the plaster slabs split without a vacuum, average blade temperature of the 3 blades reached 65°C on the 42nd cast. However, the individual blades exceeded 65°C on the 33rd, 31st, and 38th casts, respectively. For the fiberglass and plaster slabs split with a vacuum, average blade temperature reached a maximum of 57.5°C in the first 50 trials. Extrapolating from this data, the blade is predicted to exceed 65°C on the 104th cast. CONCLUSIONS: When a Stryker 940 cast saw without vacuum is used to cut plaster casts, the ion-nitride blade should be changed frequently, at minimum after 60 casts have been split, or 30 casts have been bivalved. When a Stryker 940 cast saw with vacuum is used to remove fiberglass and plaster casts, the ion-nitride blade should be changed after removing 103 casts. A cast saw with an attached vacuum should be used whenever possible to minimize the risk of burning patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Determine how often a cast saw blade should be changed to minimize risk of burning patients.
Subject(s)
Burns , Orthopedics , Burns/etiology , Burns/prevention & control , Casts, Surgical/adverse effects , Humans , TemperatureABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity, potential years of life lost and health care expenditure in Canada and around the world. Trauma systems have been established across North America to provide comprehensive injury care and to lead injury control efforts. We sought to describe the current status of trauma systems in Canada and Canadians' access to acute, multidisciplinary trauma care. METHODS: A national survey was used to identify the locations and capabilities of adult trauma centers across Canada and to identify the catchment populations they serve. Geographic information science methods were used to map the locations of Level I and Level II trauma centers and to define 1-hour road travel times around each trauma center. Data from the 2006 Canadian Census were used to estimate populations within and outside 1-hour access to definitive trauma care. RESULTS: In Canada, 32 Level I and Level II trauma centers provide definitive trauma care and coordinate the efforts of their surrounding trauma systems. Most Canadians (77.5%) reside within 1-hour road travel catchments of Level I or Level II centers. However, marked geographic disparities in access persist. Of the 22.5% of Canadians who live more than an hour away from a Level I or Level II trauma centers, all are in rural and remote regions. DISCUSSION: Access to high quality acute trauma care is well established across parts of Canada but a clear urban/rural divide persists. Regional efforts to improve short- and long-term outcomes after severe trauma should focus on the optimization of access to pre-hospital care and acute trauma care in rural communities using locally relevant strategies or novel care delivery options.
