Examining the Healthcare and Economic Burden of Gun Violence in a Major US Metropolitan City.

INTRODUCTION: The highest rates of fatal and nonfatal injury due to firearms occur in the Southern United States. This study examined the epidemiology of gunshot wound (GSW) injuries and the association of injury severity with mortality. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 2016 to 2019 data from a mandatory reporting system for all licensed hospitals in Louisiana. Patients aged 18 years and older at the time of hospitalization for GSW were included. Injury severity was measured by the New Injury Severity Score (NISS). Primary outcomes assessed included mortality, length of stay, and total hospital charges. RESULTS: There were 1,709 firearm injuries identified. The patient sample was 83.2% Black and 87.4% male, with a mean age of 34 years. Orthopaedics was the most frequently consulted surgical service. Total hospital visit charges for all GSW-associated care were $262.4 million. The multivariable adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for mortality associated with a high NISS was 16.32 (8.96, 29.72). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the utility of NISS as a predictor of total hospital charges and length of stay, in addition to its well-established role as a predictor of mortality. Epidemiologic trends in GSW pathologies and associated procedures at a major urban trauma center were also reported. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study.

A Review of Proximal Tibia Entry Points for Intramedullary Nailing and Validation of The Lateral Parapatellar Approach as Extra-articular.

Tibial shaft fractures are the most common long bone injury and are often treated surgically in an attempt to minimize complications. Although treatment options for tibial shaft fractures vary based on factors including open injury, severity of fracture, and soft tissue status, intramedullary nailing in adults has emerged as the preferred definitive option for stabilization. Therefore, the primary purposes of this review and cadaveric study were to evaluate the entry points for reamed tibial nails and the risks, benefits, and advantages of each approach. Due to concerns of violating the joint capsule and the generalized applicability to everyday practice of the extra-articular lateral parapatellar semi-extended technique, the secondary goal of this manuscript was to evaluate whether an intramedullary tibial nail can be consistently placed extra-articularly using the lateral parapatellar technique described by Kubiak et al. and generalizability to surgeons of varying experience.

How Did the Number and Type of Injuries in Patients Presenting to a Regional Level I Trauma Center Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic with a Stay-at-home Order?

BACKGROUND: During a pandemic, it is paramount to understand volume changes in Level I trauma so that with appropriate planning and reallocation of resources, these facilities can maintain and even improve life-saving capabilities. Evaluating nonaccidental and accidental trauma can highlight potential areas of improvement in societal behavior and hospital preparedness. These critical questions were proposed to better understand how healthcare leaders might adjust surgeon and team coverage of trauma services as well as prepare from a system standpoint what resources will be needed during a pandemic or similar crisis to maintain services. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) How did the total observed number of trauma activations, defined as patients who meet mechanism of injury requirements which trigger the notification and aggregation of the trauma team upon entering the emergency department, change during a pandemic and stay-at-home order? (2) How did the proportion of major mechanisms of traumatic injury change during this time period? (3) How did the proportion and absolute numbers of accidental versus nonaccidental traumatic injury in children and adults change during this time period? METHODS: This was a retrospective study of trauma activations at a Level I trauma center in New Orleans, LA, USA, using trauma registry data of all patients presenting to the trauma center from 2017 to 2020. The number of trauma activations during a government mandated coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) stay-at-home order (from March 20, 2020 to May 14, 2020) was compared with the expected number of activations for the same time period from 2017 to 2019, called "predicted period". The expected number (predicted period) was assumed based on the linear trend of trauma activations seen in the prior 3 years (2017 to 2019) for the same date range (March 20, 2020 to May 14, 2020). To define the total number of traumatic injuries, account for proportion changes, and evaluate fluctuation in accidental verses nonaccidental trauma, variables including type of traumatic injury (blunt, penetrating, and thermal), and mechanism of injury (gunshot wound, fall, knife wound, motor vehicle collision, assault, burns) were collected for each patient. RESULTS: There were fewer total trauma activations during the stay-at-home period than during the predicted period (372 versus 532 [95% CI 77 to 122]; p = 0.016). The proportion of penetrating trauma among total activations was greater during the stay-at-home period than during the predicted period (35% [129 of 372] versus 26% [141 of 532]; p = 0.01), while the proportion of blunt trauma was lower during the stay-at-home period than during the predicted period (63 % [236 of 372] versus 71% [376 of 532]; p = 0.02). The proportion of gunshot wounds in relation to total activations was greater during the stay-at-home period than expected (26% [97 of 372] versus 18% [96 of 532]; p = 0.004). There were fewer motor vehicle collisions in relation to total activations during the stay-at-home period than expected (42% [156 of 372] versus 49% [263 of 532]; p = 0.03). Among total trauma activations, the stay-at-home period had a lower proportion of accidental injuries than the predicted period (55% [203 of 372] versus 61% [326 of 532]; p = 0.05), and there was a greater proportion of nonaccidental injuries than the predicted period (37% [137 of 372] versus 27% [143 of 532]; p < 0.001). In adults, the stay-at-home period had a greater proportion of nonaccidental injuries than the predicted period (38% [123 of 328] versus 26% [123 of 466]; p < 0.001). There was no difference between the stay-at-home period and predicted period in nonaccidental and accidental injuries among children. CONCLUSION: Data from the trauma registry at our region's only Level I trauma center indicate that a stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 70% reduction in the number of traumatic injuries, and the types of injuries shifted from more accidental blunt trauma to more nonaccidental penetrating trauma. Non-accidental trauma, including gunshot wounds, increased during this period, which suggest community awareness, crisis de-escalation strategies, and programs need to be created to address violence in the community. Understanding these changes allows for adjustments in staffing schedules. Surgeons and trauma teams could allow for longer shifts between changeover, decreasing viral exposure because the volume of work would be lower. Understanding the shift in injury could also lead to a change in specialists covering call. With the often limited availability of orthopaedic trauma-trained surgeons who can perform life-saving pelvis and acetabular surgery, this data may be used to mitigate exposure of these surgeons during pandemic situations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

"Nailable" External Fixation of the Tibia: A Novel Technique to Accommodate Delayed Intramedullary Nailing of the Tibia.

External fixation is often used for temporary stabilization of the tibia in several clinical scenarios. Conventional placement of external fixation pins may impede instrumentation with intramedullary nailing, thus requiring pin removal, loss of reduction, and increased operative time during definite fixation. In this article, we describe a strategic pin placement routinely used at our institution in which we create a medially based inverted triangular construct that allows for pins to remain in place during definitive fixation.

A simple method for fashioning an antibiotic cement-coated interlocking intramedullary nail.

Acute or chronic infection in the presence of nonunited fracture or chronic nonunion often necessitates staged surgical treatment. Treatment typically involves removal of hardware, débridement of infected tissue, use of local antibiotic delivery, and a long-term course of intravenous antibiotics. Several methods of local antibiotic delivery using antibiotic-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) have been commonly used, including commercial or hand-fashioned PMMA beads, antibiotic spacers, and antibiotic PMMA-coated guide rods. While these methods address the problem of infection, they do little to address fracture stability. In this report we describe a simple method for fashioning an antibiotic cement-coated interlocking intramedullary nail to treat an infected tibia fracture. This technique capitalizes on local delivery of antibiotics through use of antibiotic cement with the added benefit of improving fracture stability and fixation with an interlocking nail to achieve bony union.

Fatal knee dislocation in a morbidly obese Jehovah's Witness. A case report.

We describe a case of a morbidly obese Jehovah's Witness who sustained a popliteal artery and vein transection after a spontaneous knee dislocation. Following surgical repair, the patient fatally deteriorated, while blood products had to be withheld according to the patient's preoperative request.

Pediatric orthopedic trauma: principles of management.

Musculoskeletal injuries in the pediatric population are unique and require a thorough evaluation by a trained specialist. Unlike adults, many of the injuries may be treated closed due to the amazing growth and remodeling potential of children. Special consideration should be taken in treating certain fracture patterns to prevent the long-term consequences of growth deformities and protect children from child abuse. It is the goal of this article to outline common orthopedic injuries in the pediatric population to facilitate proper care in the multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment of children.