[Traumatic hemipelvectomy : An uncommon case in trauma surgery]. / Traumatische Hemipelvektomie : Ein nichtalltäglicher Fall in der Unfallchirurgie.

The challenge in treating traumatic hemipelvectomy is the dynamics of the complex and life-threatening consequences of the injury. These include skin and soft tissue defects, osseous, neural and vascular injuries as well as the subsequent hemostatic derangement and organ dysfunction as part of the shock process. The treatment requires rapid and targeted decisions to save the patient's life. In this particular case a 34-year-old farmer was trapped between a wheeled loader and a stationary trailer. Upon arrival at the hospital the patient was in a state of hemorrhagic shock with accompanying acute traumatic coagulopathy and a grade III open pelvic trauma with complete ischemia of the left leg and a bladder injury. After performing emergency surgery and a two-stage approach for pelvic stabilization the patient's condition deteriorated up to multiorgan failure, necessitating left-sided hemipelvectomy as an immediate life-saving salvage procedure. In the further course multiple revision surgeries and plastic reconstructions due to wound infections and the presence of skin and soft tissue damage were required. Due to the rare confrontation with this type of injury in everyday practice and the absence of a universal treatment algorithm, the following case report is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the treatment and to illustrate the coherent interactions of the individual organ systems affected.

[The marginal vein-Still a rare entity: case series of 16 patients]. / Die Marginalvene ­ nach wie vor eine seltene Entität: Fallserie von 16 Patienten.

BACKGROUND: The marginal vein (MV) is a congenital, predominantly venous vascular malformation, which is based on a lack of regression of the embryonic venous system in the lower extremities and is associated with a variety of complications. So far, no uniform treatment regimens have been described in the literature. OBJECTIVE: What are the treatment strategies and outcomes in patients with a MV? MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2020, all patients treated at the University Hospital Augsburg with MV were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The median age at the time of diagnosis was 14.8 years (3-42 years). Out of 16 patients 12 had a leg length difference, 75% of patients (12/16) already had chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) at the time of diagnosis of MV. Open surgical removal of MV was performed as first-line treatment in 31.3% (5/16) patients. The MV was primarily closed by endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) in 1/16 patients, 15/16 patients were treated with redo procedures and 2.6 ± 2.4 (mean±SD) redo procedures were performed per patient in follow-up. The mean follow-up was 8.1 years. DISCUSSION: In order to prevent/avoid progression of CVI and thrombosis prophylaxis, the MV should be closed/removed promptly after diagnosis. The use of conventional surgical techniques for the removal of MV seems to have an advantage over treatment with minimally invasive procedures in terms of the number of secondary interventions required.

[Treatment strategies and outcomes for injection-associated inguinal perivascular abscesses in intravenous drug addicts]. / Behandlungsstrategien und Ergebnisse bei injektionsassoziierten inguinalen perivaskulären Abszessen bei intravenös Drogenabhängigen.

BACKGROUND: Long-term drug users regularly present with deep inguinal vascular-associated abscesses due to continued drug injections utilizing superficial veins. The treatment of these complications continues to be a major medical challenge. So far no uniform treatment regimens have been described in the literature. OBJECTIVE: What are the treatment strategies and outcomes of injection-associated inguinal perivascular abscesses in drug addicts? MATERIAL AND METHODS: All drug users treated at the Augsburg University Hospital in the period between 1 January 2004 and 31 May 2019 were retrospectively reviewed and compared with the currently available literature. RESULTS: In this study 37 cases (male = 25, female = 12) could be included in the data collection after implementation of the inclusion criteria. The median age in the investigated patient population was 34.3 years. The 30-day mortality was 2.7% (1/37). The amputation rate was 2.8%. In the investigated collective 13 patients had arterial involvement, in 5 cases a ligature of arteries was primarily used and in another 5 cases a reconstruction using an autologous conduit graft was primarily performed. In another 3 cases an obturator bypass (1/3) was placed and a patch plasty (2/3). The patency rate after arterial reconstruction was 87.5% with a mean follow-up of 421 days. The overall complication rate was 51.4%. CONCLUSION: For vascular involvement an approach appropriate for the situation is meaningful. In addition to the elimination of complicated septic venous thromboses, the correction of arterial hemorrhages using autologous reconstruction measures seems promising.

[COVID-19 infection-Risk of thromboembolic complications]. / COVID-19-Infektion ­ Risiko für thrombembolische Komplikationen.

While the COVID-19 syndrome triggered by the SARS CoV­2 was initially seen predominantly as a pulmonary disease, the number of reports of vascular complications has recently increased. The aim of the present review article is to summarize the most relevant vascular complications in COVID-19 patients. These include venous and arterial thromboembolic events as well as local thromboses, which can form directly on the endothelium at the site of cytokine release. A generalized coagulopathy also appears to promote this thrombogenic condition. With a rate of approximately 20%, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the leg is one of the most common thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care treatment. In addition, arterial events, such as stroke or acute coronary syndrome were also observed in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing vascular disease. Children rarely have vascular complications, but a systemic immune response similar to the Kawasaki syndrome and toxic shock syndrome has been reported. According to current data, the risk of thromboembolic events in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is significantly increased, making thrombosis prophylaxis with low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin necessary. If pharmaceutical thrombosis prophylaxis is contraindicated, intermittent pneumatic compression should be used. In addition, in patients admitted to the hospital with suspected or proven SARS-CoV­2 infection, the determination of D­dimers and, in the case of positive results, broad indication for compression sonography of the deep leg veins are recommended. This allows to detect and treat DVT at an early stage. The treatment of thromboses should be carried out according to current guidelines with therapeutic anticoagulation. Further studies and registries are needed to improve the understanding of the relationship between COVID-19 infection and the occurrence of thromboembolic events.

[Increased risk of deep vein thrombosis in intensive care unit patients with CoViD-19 infections?-Preliminary data]. / Erhöhtes Risiko für tiefe Beinvenenthrombosen bei Intensivpatienten mit CoViD-19-Infektion? ­ Erste Daten.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in CoViD-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) has so far been investigated in only a few studies. Prospective comparative studies with non-CoViD-19 ICU patients are completely lacking. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the incidence of DVT in ICU patients with CoViD-19 compared to non-CoViD-19 ICU patients who were treated in the University Hospital Augsburg during the same period. In addition, the aim was to investigate what type of anticoagulation was present in CoViD-19 patients at the time the DVT occurred and to what extent DVT is associated with increased mortality in this patient population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective single center study, which was conducted between 18 April 2020 and 30 April 2020, 20 SARS-CoV2 positive patients were compared with 20 non-CoVid-19 patients in the ICU with respect to the occurrence of DVT. For this purpose, demographic data, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of DVT in the investigated patient collective was markedly higher in patients with SARS-CoV2 (CoViD-19 patients 20% vs. non-CoViD-19 patients 5%). Both DVT and elevated D­dimer levels were associated with increased mortality in the present study. CONCLUSION: We recommend the determination of D­dimer levels and, in the case of elevated levels, the broad indication for compression sonography of the deep leg veins on admission of patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV2. In this way DVT in the setting of CoViD-19 can be recognized early and therapeutic anticoagulation can be started. All inpatient CoViD-19 patients should receive thrombosis prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin. Further studies on point of care methods (TEG®, ROTEM®) for the detection of hypercoagulability in SARS-CoV2 are necessary.