Is Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy a "Bridge to Reconstruction" for Poststernotomy Mediastinitis? A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in preparing sternal wounds for flap reconstruction. METHODS: Investigators searched standard research databases with terms including "post-sternotomy mediastinitis," "deep sternal wound infection," "negative pressure wound therapy," "vacuum assisted closure," and "VAC." Of 434 reports, 14 studies described patients diagnosed with poststernotomy mediastinitis who underwent NPWT followed by flap reconstruction. Eligible studies were assessed for length of stay, mortality, manufacturer involvement, and methodological rigor. MAIN RESULTS: Among a total 429 patients, median length of stay was 29 (±16) days. There were 41 deaths in this inpatient group (10%). Seventy-one percent of the reports were nonrandomized, and 36% of the studies accurately accounted for baseline differences in severity, whereas 14% failed to report diagnostic criteria. Only one study reported follow-up results. Nine studies (64%) failed to make a statement regarding conflicts of interest. In this analysis of quality, 48% (n = 8) of the studies were of very low to low quality. One study was of high quality. CONCLUSIONS: Investigators failed to find ample support for routine use of NPWT as a "bridge to reconstruction." Serious complications related to the use of NPWT including right ventricular rupture, atrial fibrillation, respiratory arrest, recurrent infection, and a retained sponge were reported in this group of studies. Rigorous evaluative studies that assess the true effectiveness of NPWT as a "bridge to reconstruction" must precede its adoption.

Simulated driving performance of combat veterans with mild tramatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: We determined differences in driving errors between combat veterans with mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder and healthy control participants. METHOD: We compared 18 postdeployed combat veterans with 20 control participants on drivingerrors in a driving simulator. RESULTS: Combat veterans were more likely to be male; were younger; and had more racial diversity, less formal education, and lower cognitive scores than control participants. Control participants made more signaling errors (t [19] = -2.138, p = .046, SE = 0.395), but combat veterans made more overspeeding (t [17.3] = 4.095, p = .001, SE = 0.708) and adjustment-to-stimuli (t [17] = 2.380, p = .029, SE = 0.140) errors. Young age was related to overspeeding. CONCLUSION: Combat veterans made more critical driving errors than did control participants. Such errors made on the road may lead to crashes or injuries. Although limited in generalizability, these findings provide early support for developing safe driving interventions for combat veterans.

Successful Percutaneous Endovascular Repair in a Very Large, Symptomatic, Non-ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Severe Neck Angulation.

Percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (PEVAR) is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). PEVAR allows for the lower incidence of vascular access site complications and decreased procedure time, yet the utility of this technique depends on the anatomical characteristics of the aneurysm. A detailed evaluation of the access site vessels and aneurysm neck anatomy are critical for standard patient and device selection. An 84-year-old male presented to our institution with the sudden onset of abdominal pain and confusion. Subsequent imaging demonstrated the presence of a 9.5 cm fusiform, infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm with a greater than 60-degree neck angulation and bilateral common iliac aneurysms. The patient underwent percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (PEVAR), and a type IB endoleak seen at the end of the case was treated successfully. At the one-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic with the AAA stable in size.  This case represents the largest reported symptomatic unruptured AAA repaired with a completely percutaneous technique to date. Building up the stent-graft from the bifurcation with a unibody modular device may allow for support to address the severe angulation of a very hostile neck. PEVAR is a viable option in patients with symptomatic AAA and can be performed despite severe aneurysm neck angulation.