Explore the impact of deploying high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assay across a state-wide health service.
Presentations to emergency departments of six tertiary hospitals between ...January 2008 and August 2019 were included; standard cTnT assay was superseded by hs-cTnT in June 2011 without changing the reference range (≥30 ng/L reported as elevated), despite cTnT level of 30 ng/L being equivalent to ∼44 ng/L with hs-cTnT. Clinical outcomes were captured using state-wide linked health records. Interrupted time series analyses were used adjusted for seasonality and multiple co-morbidities using propensity score matching allowing for correlation within hospitals.
In total, 614,847 presentations had ≥1 troponin measurement. Clinical ordering of troponin decreased throughout the study with no increase in elevated measurements amongst those tested with hs-cTnT. Small but statistically significant changes in index myocardial infarction (MI) diagnosis (−0.36%/year, 95%CI confidence interval:–0.48, −0.24,p < 0.001) and invasive coronary angiography (0.12%/year,95%CI:0, 0.24,p = 0.02) were seen, with no impact on death/MI at 30 days or 3-year survival in episodes of care (EOCs) with elevated cTnT after hs-cTnT implementation. Length of stay (LOS) was shorter among those with an elevated hs-cTnT (−4.44 h/year, 95%CI:–5.27, −3.60, p < 0.001). Non-elevated cTnT EOCs demonstrated shorter total LOS and improved 3-year survival (adjusted hazard ratio:0.90, 95%CI:0.83, 0.97,p = 0.008) although death/MI at 30 days was unchanged using hs-cTnT.
Widespread implementation of hs-cTnT without altering clinical thresholds reported to clinicians provided significantly shorter LOS without a clinically significant impact on clinical outcomes. A safer cohort with non-elevated cTnT was identified by hs-cTnT compared to the standard cTnT assay.
•hs-cTnT implementation reduced LOS without clinically significant impact on outcomes.•hs-cTnT identified a safer non-elevated cTnT cohort compared to the standard assay.•Progressively increasing hs-cTnT reporting threshold increases risk of late outcomes.•Future RCTs are required to establish if late outcomes in low cTn elevation are avoidable.
Operative management of thoracic injuries is an increasingly accepted technique, with multiple reports of improved patient outcomes as compared with nonoperative treatment. Despite the evolving ...support of rib fracture fixation, descriptions of surgical approaches and tactics remain limited. We present this information to allow surgeons to begin or improve treatment of these injuries. In addition, we present the initial treatment results of a series of 21 patients treated with the approaches described within.
Avian diet selection is hypothesized to be sensitive to seasonal changes in breeding status, but few tests exist for frugivorous tropical birds. Frugivorous birds provide an interesting test case ...because fruits are relatively deficient in minerals critical for reproduction. Here, we quantify annual patterns of fruit availability and diet for two frugivorous hornbill (Bucerotidae) species over a 5.5-y period to test for patterns of diet selection. Data from the lowland tropical rain forest of the Dja Reserve, Cameroon, are used to generate two nutritional indices. One index estimates the nutrient concentration of the diet chosen by Ceratogymna atrata and Bycanistes albotibialis on a monthly basis using 3165 feeding observations combined with fruit pulp sample data. The second index is an estimate of nutrient concentration of a non-selective or neutral diet across the study area based on tree fruiting phenology, vegetation survey and fruit-pulp sample data. Fifty-nine fruit pulp samples representing 40 species were analysed for 16 nutrient categories to contribute to both indices. Pulp samples accounted for approximately 75% of the observed diets. The results support expected patterns of nutrient selection. The two hornbill species selected a diet rich in calcium during the early breeding season (significantly so for B. albotibialis in July and August). Through the brooding and fledging periods, they switched from a calcium-rich diet to one rich in iron and caloric content as well as supplemental protein in the form of invertebrates. Calcium, the calcium to phosphorus ratio and fat concentration were the strongest predictors of breeding success (significant for calcium and Ca:P for B. albotibialis in June). We conclude that hornbills actively select fruit based on nutritional concentration and mineral concentration and that the indices developed here are useful for assessing frugivore diet over time.
The Gritti-Stokes amputation procedure is a modification of the traditional transfemoral amputation, with resection of the bone at a supracondylar femoral level and fixation of the patella to the ...distal part of the femur as an end-cap. Although well-established in patients with vascular compromise, no evidence exists on its use in the trauma setting.
Fourteen consecutive patients who underwent Gritti-Stokes amputation and fifteen consecutive patients who underwent traditional transfemoral amputation by fellowship-trained orthopaedic traumatologists at a level-I trauma center were evaluated at more than fourteen months postoperatively. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) questionnaire was also administered to both patient groups at more than thirty-six months postoperatively to assess patient-reported functional outcomes.
Despite the two groups not having significant differences in preoperative variables or demographics, the Gritti-Stokes group had significantly improved SIP questionnaire overall and domain scores. This procedure also left the patients with a significantly longer residual limb (an average of 46.1 cm of residual femoral length versus 34.6 cm for the transfemoral group). The Gritti-Stokes group also had a significantly increased rate of walking without assistive devices (five patients versus none in the transfemoral amputation group).
The Gritti-Stokes amputation appears to be safe and beneficial when utilized in the trauma population.
Fracture fixation of the medial malleolus in rotationally unstable ankle fractures typically results in healing with current fixation methods. However, when failure occurs, pullout of the screws from ...tension, compression, and rotational forces is predictable. We sought to biomechanically test a relatively new technique of bicortical screw fixation for medial malleoli fractures. Also, the AO group recommends tension-band fixation of small avulsion type fractures of the medial malleolus that are unacceptable for screw fixation. A well-documented complication of this technique is prominent symptomatic implants and secondary surgery for implant removal. Replacing stainless steel 18-gauge wire with FiberWire suture could theoretically decrease symptomatic implants. Therefore, a second goal was to biomechanically compare these 2 tension-band constructs. Using a tibial Sawbones model, 2 bicortical screws were compared with 2 unicortical cancellous screws on a servohydraulic test frame in offset axial, transverse, and tension loading. Second, tension-band fixation using stainless steel wire was compared with FiberWire under tensile loads. Bicortical screw fixation was statistically the stiffest construct under tension loading conditions compared to unicortical screw fixation and tension-band techniques with FiberWire or stainless steel wire. In fact, unicortical screw fixation had only 10% of the stiffness as demonstrated in the bicortical technique. In a direct comparison, tension-band fixation using stainless steel wire was statistically stiffer than the FiberWire construct.
Background
Although operative stabilization of unstable distal fibula fractures is frequently performed and discussed, the ideal implant and technique for these injuries is still debated.
...Questions/Purposes
The purpose of this study was to determine if minifragment plating of distal fibula fractures would clinically provide equivalent fixation and cost and minimize hardware prominence when compared with standard one-third tubular plating.
Patients and Methods
A retrospective review was conducted on 44 patients who had undergone operative stabilization of a displaced fibula fracture. Inclusion required fibula fixation with either a traditional one-third semitubular plate or a 2.7-mm minifragment plate. Retrospective review of the patient demographics, injury and surgical variables, and radiographs was completed by two surgeons not involved with the patients’ original care.
Results
The minifragment group demonstrated equivalency in maintenance of fracture reduction relative to standard tubular plating. Both groups were able to maintain the talocrural angle with less than 1° of change from initial postoperative to final postoperative radiographs. No significant differences were seen in postoperative hardware irritation between groups.
Conclusions
Use of a minifragment plating system for displaced fibula fractures appears to be safe but comes with the significant potential added cost of the technology. Interestingly, no significant differences were seen in implant-related irritation or implant removal, but further investigation with a larger study population would help better determine these outcomes.
Pulmonary complications of rib fractures typically occur in the immediate postinjury period, as a result of the forces causing the injury or subsequent rib fracture displacement. Pneumothorax, ...hemothorax, pulmonary contusions, or parenchymal lacerations are frequently seen with significant chest wall trauma. Hemopneumothorax is typically treated with tube thoracostomy, and full resolution of the pleural injury is expected; continued pleural fluid accumulation despite these measures is unanticipated, rare, and quite problematic. We report a case of hemorrhagic pleural effusion after rib fractures that were recurrent despite several tube thoracostomies and computed tomography-guided aspirations. The patient subsequently underwent operative fixation of her rib fractures, with successful resolution of her symptomatic pleural effusion.
We hypothesized that patients undergoing transtibial amputation osteomyoplasty would have better functional outcomes than patients undergoing traditional transtibial amputation. We conducted a ...retrospective review of the medical and radiographic records to evaluate and compare 26 patients who underwent transtibial amputation osteomyoplasty and 10 patients who underwent traditional transtibial amputation, with specific attention to perioperative complications and functional outcomes. At >1 year follow-up, patients who underwent amputation osteomyoplasty had significantly improved rates of return to work and decreased rates of revision than patients who underwent traditional transtibial amputation. Sickness Impact Profile questionnaire results completed at a mean of 28 months postoperatively showed significantly better overall scores and physical and psychosocial dimension scores for amputation osteomyoplasty patients. Based on the results of this study, the outcomes of amputation osteomyoplasty appear to be safe and may be more beneficial than traditional amputation, in terms of improved functional outcomes for patients after severe lower-extremity trauma.
Many high-dose groups demonstrate increased leukaemia risks, with risk greatest following childhood exposure; risks at low/moderate doses are less clear.
We conducted a pooled analysis of the major ...radiation-associated leukaemias (acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with/without the inclusion of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)) in ten childhood-exposed groups, including Japanese atomic bomb survivors, four therapeutically irradiated and five diagnostically exposed cohorts, a mixture of incidence and mortality data. Relative/absolute risk Poisson regression models were fitted.
Of 365 cases/deaths of leukaemias excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, there were 272 AML/CML/ALL among 310,905 persons (7,641,362 person-years), with mean active bone marrow (ABM) dose of 0.11 Gy (range 0-5.95). We estimated significant (P < 0.005) linear excess relative risks/Gy (ERR/Gy) for: AML (n = 140) = 1.48 (95% CI 0.59-2.85), CML (n = 61) = 1.77 (95% CI 0.38-4.50), and ALL (n = 71) = 6.65 (95% CI 2.79-14.83). There is upward curvature in the dose response for ALL and AML over the full dose range, although at lower doses (<0.5 Gy) curvature for ALL is downwards.
We found increased ERR/Gy for all major types of radiation-associated leukaemia after childhood exposure to ABM doses that were predominantly (for 99%) <1 Gy, and consistent with our prior analysis focusing on <100 mGy.
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