Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Neck Injuries”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,459 records · Page 81Linked to original sources

A prospective study of the impact of helmet usage on motorcycle trauma.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of the use of a motorcycle helmet on reducing the mortality, morbidity, and health care costs resulting from motorcycle crashes. DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter study of all eligible motorcycle crash victims. SETTING: The emergency departments of eight medical centers across the state of Illinois, including representatives from urban, rural, teaching, and community facilities. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: All motorcycle crash victims presenting less than 24 hours after injury for whom helmet information was known. Data were collected from April 1 through October 31, 1988. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-eight of 398 patients (14.6%) were helmeted, and 340 (85.4%) were not. The nonhelmeted patients had higher Injury Severity Scores (11.9 vs 7.02), sustained head/neck injuries more frequently (41.7 vs 24.1%), and had lower Glasgow Coma Scores (13.73 vs 14.51). Twenty-five of the 26 fatalities were nonhelmeted patients. By logistic regression, the lack of helmet use was found to be a major risk factor for increased severity of injury. A 23% increase in health care costs was demonstrated for nonhelmeted patients (average charges $7,208 vs $5,852). CONCLUSION: Helmet use may reduce the overall severity of injury and the incidence of head injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes. A trend toward higher health care costs was demonstrated in the nonhelmeted patients.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Transient quadriparesis in the athlete.

A considerable amount of controversy persists regarding return-to-play criteria and the risk for more severe injury after an athlete experiences an episode of transient quadriparesis. Similarly, the implication of the presence of congenital stenosis in an athlete participating in contact sports elicits great debate in the literature in terms of the athlete's risk for neurologic injury. The relatively infrequent occurrence rate of both transient quadriparesis and permanent cervical cord injury make it difficult to predict with certainty whether or not an episode of transient quadriparesis is a risk factor for permanent neurologic injury. The decision-making process in determining player eligibility in the face of congenital stenosis or after a documented spinal injury is difficult and at times confusing. Every injury and athlete should be evaluated on an individual basis in terms of cause, symptoms, radiographic findings, and previous history. It is hoped that the guidelines for return-to-play delineated in this article will help the physician and the athlete make an informed and rational decision regarding the criteria for and relative risks of returning to participation in a contact sport.

Athletic Injuries↗

Cervical burners in the athlete.

Back pain in the pediatric athlete is rare compared to the adult population. However, the diagnosis should be accurate as most have specific etiologies and treatment. Nearly 50% of the time, the cause of the pain is an injury to the pars interarticularis. A thorough history and careful physician examination should guide the physician to a working differential diagnosis. Based on this, appropriate laboratory and imaging work-up is pursued to arrive at a timely diagnosis and subsequent treatment regimen.

Adolescent↗

Survey of trauma patients requiring maxillofacial intervention, ages 56 to 91 years, with length of stay analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze trauma patients, ages 55 and older, sustaining multiple injuries including maxillofacial trauma. Factors influencing length of intensive care unit stay (ICUS) and length of total hospital stay were delineated and examined to determine if specific causes of increased length of stay could be elucidated, and, once known, if these causes could translate into recommendations tailored to the oral and maxillofacial surgery trauma practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred ninety-six patients, 55 years of age or older, who received either consultation alone, or consultation with surgical treatment, by oral and maxillofacial surgeons, from January 1991 to August 1998 were included in this study. Variables of interest included location of traumatic event, mechanism of injury, patient age and gender, comorbidities on presentation, Injury Severity Score (ISS), specific injuries incurred, ICUS, length of hospital stay (LOS), surgical interventions, and disposition. RESULTS: Complications were the statistically significant factor determining length of ICU stay. ICUS, complications incurred, and ISS were the important predictors of total LOS. The significant complications affecting LOS were infectious, respiratory, and hematologic complications. CONCLUSION: The number of complications the patient incurs after an injury can predict length of ICUS. Length of ICUS, ISS, and number of complications incurred were the strongest predictors for total length of hospital stay. Other variables, including age, gender, living or dead, blunt versus penetrating injury, ISS, fracture site (skull, midface, or lower face), and comorbidities on presentation were not statistically significant in this patient population. Infectious, respiratory, and hematologic complications were the complications most closely correlated with increasing length of ICUS and total hospital stay.

Aged↗

Pitfalls in penetrating trauma.

In Western Europe the most frequent cause of multiple injuries is blunt trauma. Only few of us have experience with penetrating trauma, without exception far less than in the USA or South-Africa. In Rotterdam, the Erasmus Medical Centre is a level I trauma centre, situated directly in the town centre. All penetrating traumas are directly presented to our emergency department by a well organized ambulance service supported by a mobile medical team if necessary. The delay with scoop and run principles is very short for these cases, resulting in severely injured reaching the hospital alive in increasing frequency. Although the basic principles of trauma care according to the guidelines of the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) (1-2) are the same for blunt and penetrating trauma with regard to priorities, diagnostics and primary therapy, there are some pitfalls in the strategy of management in penetrating trauma one should be aware of. Simple algorithms can be helpful, especially in case of limited experience (3). In case of life-saving procedures, the principles of Damage Control Surgery (DCS) must be followed (4-5). This approach is somewhat different from "traditional" surgical treatment. In the Ist phase prompt interventions by emergency thoracotomy and laparotomy are carried out, with only two goals to achieve: surgical control of haemorrhage and contamination. After temporary life-saving procedures, the 2nd phase is characterized by intensive care treatment, dealing with hypothermia, metabolic acidosis and clotting disturbances. Finally in the 3rd phase, within 6-24 hours, definitive surgical care takes place. In this overview, penetrating injuries of neck, thorax, abdomen and extremities will be outlined. Penetrating cranial injuries, as a neurosurgical emergency with poor prognosis, are not discussed. History and physical examination remain the corner stones of good medical praxis. In a work-up according to ATLS principles airway, breathing and circulation should be evaluated with great care. Neurovascular examination related to trauma of the spinal cord, peripheral nerves as well as vascular involvement should be carried out also in extremity injuries. Physical examination should be completed by localization of all stabwounds, in- and outshot openings as well as recto-vaginal examination and inspection of the oropharynx.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗

Injury of the vertebral artery after closed head trauma.

Two case reports characterized by the complete occlusion of the basilar artery, secondary to dissection of the vertebral artery after closed head trauma are described. These lesions, often clinically silent in the beginning, were able to cause severe neurologic impairment, even after minor head trauma in healthy individuals without predisposing structural disorders. Early detection, based upon the knowledge of the modality of the trauma and upon a correct diagnostic approach, is mandatory to reduce secondary injury. The authors suggest an extensive use of cerebral angiography or angio-magnetic resonance in all cases where clinical conditions are more severe than the computed tomography scan, particularly if the trauma produced a cervical injury with a movement of flexo-extension of the neck. Therapeutic management is discussed. Anti-coagulants, thrombolytic agents or surgical ligation of the vessel has been proposed to prevent the extension of the lesion and to improve the outcome.

Adult↗

Quality of information on risk factors reported by ski patrols.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of reporting of information on risk factors from a standard accident report form used by ski patrols and a follow up mail questionnaire or telephone interview among injured skiers and snowboarders. SETTING: 19 ski areas in the Canadian province of Quebec between November 2001 and April 2002. PARTICIPANTS: 4377 injured skiers and snowboarders seen by the ski patrol, who completed a follow up mail questionnaire or telephone interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Kappa and weighted kappa statistics were used to measure the chance corrected agreement for self reported ability, age, skiing time on day of injury, lessons, type of practice, use of helmet at time of injury, and hill difficulty. RESULTS: The kappa value for helmet use at the time of injury was 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 0.90) and for other risk factors ranged from 0.45 (skiing time on day of injury) to 0.98 (age). Few differences were seen in reporting by body region of injury. Reporting consistency was lower for respondents who completed telephone interviews compared with those who completed mail questionnaires and those who responded more than four months after the injury. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to almost perfect agreement, depending on the risk factor, exists between ski patrols' accident report forms and follow up information. Ski patrol reports can be a reliable and readily available source of information on risk factors for skiing and snowboarding.

Adolescent↗