1/24. The abdominal compartment syndrome: a report of 3 cases including instance of endocrine induction.Three patients with the abdominal compartment syndrome are presented and discussed. In one of the patients the condition was induced in an endocrine fashion, since trauma was sustained exclusively by the middle third of the left leg. The development of the syndrome as a remote effect of local trauma has never been reported previously. In all three instances only insignificant amounts of intraperitoneal fluid was found and the increase in abdominal pressure was due to severe edema of the mesentery and retroperitoneum. Since the condition is highly lethal, early diagnosis is imperative, and this starts by carrying a high index of suspicion. Measurement of the intraperitoneal pressure easily confirms this diagnosis. It is emphasized that measurements at various sites, like bladder and stomach, in each patient is essential to confirm the diagnosis, since one of the sites may be rendered unreliable due to intraperitoneal processes impinging on the affected site and affecting its distensibility.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/24. Treatment of pancreatic duct disruption in children by an endoscopically placed stent.BACKGROUND: Injuries to the pancreas from blunt abdominal trauma in children are rare. Most are minor and are best treated conservatively. The mainstay for treatment of major ductal injuries has been prompt surgical resection. diagnostic imaging modalities are the key to the accurate classification of these injuries and planning appropriate treatment. Computed tomography (CT) scan has been the major imaging modality in blunt abdominal trauma for children, but has shortcomings in the diagnosis of pancreatic ductal injury. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been shown recently to be superior in diagnostic accuracy. The therapeutic placement of stents in the trauma setting has not been described in children. methods: Two children sustained major ductal injuries from blunt abdominal trauma that were suspected, but not conclusively noted, on initial CT scan. Both underwent ERCP within hours of injury. In case 1, a stent was threaded through the disruption into the distal duct. In case 2, a similar injury, the stent could only be placed through the ampulla, thereby reducing ductal pressure. In both cases, clinical improvement was rapid with complete resolution of clinical and chemical pancreatitis, resumption of a normal diet, and discharge from the hospital. The stents were removed at 10 and 12 days postinjury, and both children have remained well. Follow-up ERCP and CT scans show complete healing of the ducts and no evidence of pseudocyst formation 1 year post injury. CONCLUSIONS: Acute ERCP should be the imaging modality of choice in suspected major pancreatic ductal injury. Successful treatment by placement of an intrapancreatic ductal stent may be possible at the same time. Surgical resection or reconstruction can then be reserved for cases in which stenting is impossible or fails.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/24. Compartment syndrome in multiple uninjured extremities: a case report.Compartment syndrome is a common problem in trauma patients. It can occur within any space bound by a dense fascial layer, such as the extremities or abdomen. It exists when increased tissue pressure within the limited anatomic space compromises perfusion. Failure to decompress the compartment leads to a self-perpetuating ischemia-edema process and resultant irreversible tissue damage. In the extremities, it typically arises from a vascular injury in that same extremity. Herein is reported a case of the unexpected development of compartment syndrome in multiple uninjured extremities in a trauma patient with hypotension requiring systemic vasopressors.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/24. Hepatic portal venous gas caused by blunt abdominal trauma: is it a true ominous sign of bowel necrosis? Report of a case.A case of transient portal venous gas in the liver following blunt abdominal trauma is described. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated hepatic portal venous gas 4 h after the injury. An exploratory laparotomy revealed segmental necrosis of the small intestine with a rupture of the bladder. Pneumatosis intestinalis was evident on the resected bowel. A histopathologic study revealed congestion and bleeding in the bowel wall and a great deal of the mucosa had been lost because of necrosis. However, neither thrombus nor atherosclerotic changes were observed in the vessels. A bacteriological examination demonstrated anaerobic bacteria from the bowel mucosa, which was most likely to produce portal venous gas. Although the present case was associated with bowel necrosis, a review of literature demonstrated that portal venous gas does not necessarily indicate bowel necrosis in trauma patients. There is another possibility that the portal venous gas was caused by a sudden increase in the intra-abdominal pressure with concomitant mucosal disruption, which thus forced intraluminal gas into the portal circulation in the blunt trauma patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/24. Managing the open abdomen.Control of intra-abdominal fluid secretion, facilitation of abdominal exploration, and preservation of the fascia for abdominal wall closure is a major challenge in the management of patients with an open abdomen. Studies comparing different protocols of care have not been conducted and frequency of exploration, surgical procedures, and indications for definitive closure are generally based on clinical judgment. morbidity and mortality rates are high. vacuum-assisted therapy has been reported to help meet the challenges of managing the open abdomen and is particularly useful in patients with abdominal compartment syndromes, traumatic injuries, and severe intra-abdominal sepsis. Over the years, clinicians have developed various approaches to achieve vacuum-assisted closure using wall suction. Some disadvantages of the wall-suction methods are eliminated when using more recently developed vacuum therapy devices. These devices apply subatmospheric pressure, reducing bowel edema, bacterial counts, and inflammatory substances found in open abdominal wounds while eliminating the need for frequent dressing changes, maintaining intact skin, and improving fluid management. The results of six case studies presented are encouraging, suggesting that this treatment approach is safe and effective. Controlled clinical studies to establish the safety and effectiveness of this treatment approach and to facilitate the development of treatment guidelines are needed to help manage an increasingly common group of patients who might benefit from this treatment approach.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/24. Employing vasopressin as an adjunct vasopressor in uncontrolled traumatic hemorrhagic shock. Three cases and a brief analysis of the literature.Resuscitation of patients in hemorrhagic shock remains one of the most challenging aspects of trauma care. We showed in experimental studies that vasopressin, but not fluid resuscitation, enabled short-term and long-term survival in a porcine model of uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock after penetrating liver trauma. In this case report, we present two cases with temporarily successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using vasopressin and catecholamines in uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock with subsequent cardiac arrest that was refractory to catecholamines and fluid replacement. In a third patient, an infusion of vasopressin was started before cardiac arrest occurred; in this case, we were able to stabilize blood pressure thus allowing further therapy. The patient underwent multiple surgical procedures, developed multi-organ failure, but was finally discharged from the critical care unit without neurological damage.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/24. Secondary abdominal compartment syndrome in children with burns and trauma: a potentially lethal complication.Acute, rapid, and unimpeded increases in intra-abdominal pressure can lead to multiple organ dysfunction defined as the abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). If this develops in the absence of obvious intra-abdominal injury, it has been termed secondary ACS (2 degrees ACS). Massive fluid resuscitation in the presence of large burns or shock can lead to 2 degrees ACS. The importance of early recognition and the need for urgent abdominal decompression have been recognized in adults; however, this has not been appreciated in the pediatric population. medical records of four children diagnosed with 2 degrees ACS were reviewed. Secondary ACS occurred in three children with burns and in one child with a traumatic brain injury. Three children underwent decompressive laparotomy, and one underwent successful percutaneous drainage. There were two survivors. Secondary ACS may be observed in burnt or traumatized children needing large volume resuscitation. Early recognition of 2 degrees ACS by routine bladder pressure monitoring in this high-risk group of children may result in earlier decompression and a possible decrease in morbidity and mortality.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/24. Traumatic lesions of adrenal glands in paediatrics: about three cases.Pediatric adrenal injuries, in blunt thoracoabdominal trauma, are rare and usually associated with traumatic liver and kidney lesions. This paper aims to present imaging findings and possible adrenal involvement in blunt abdominal traumas in childhood. We report three cases of thoracoabdominal trauma with adrenal involvement. Two patients were polytraumatised in car accidents. The third case was unusual because of the mild trauma. The adrenals lesions were right-sided in all cases. Post-traumatic adrenal contusion/haematoma may arise not only because of a direct trauma but also as a consequence of a sudden increase in the pressure in the inferior vena cava system-adrenal veins. This is why adrenal haemorrhage is not directly proportional to the trauma: compression of the inferior vena cava leads to increased pressure in the adrenal venous circulation, which supports the parenchymal lesion. The right adrenal gland is more frequently injured than the left gland: it can be easily compressed between the liver, spine and kidney, and its venous drainage flows directly into the inferior vena cava.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/24. Delayed cardiac rupture due to blunt chest trauma.A 7-year-old boy fell from a 2.5-m height and suffered contusion of the thorax with hematoma in the soft tissues of the lateral chest wall. The rib cage itself remained intact. After 3 days, there was only local pressure sensitivity of the left hemithorax. On day 8 after the trauma, the child, who up to then had seemed to be in good health, suddenly died during lessons at school. autopsy revealed a full-thickness rupture of the left ventricle with resultant cardiac tamponade. The macroscopic and histopathologic findings are presented and discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/24. Restrictive pulmonary dysfunction caused by the grafted chest and abdominal burn.We report on the effect of the excised and grafted chest and abdominal burn on lung function. Six consecutive patients with 3 degree burns to the entire chest and abdomen (72 /- 10% total body surface area 3 degree burns) were studied. A severe restrictive lung dysfunction due to the noncompliant nature of the excised and grafted chest and abdominal wound was identified; this was most evident when inspiratory pressure (IP) was even modestly impaired with general anesthetics. Measured vital capacity (VC) was 12 to 14 ml/kg at 6 to 8 wk postburn, in the absence of any significant parenchymal injury. The measured VC was identical to the tidal volume (VT) used during the extended period of mechanical ventilatory support. Dynamic compliance (or characteristic) (Cdyn) decreased dramatically from 35 /- 8 to 15 /- 9 ml/cm H2O when the positive pressure VT was increased by as little as 100 ml above prior VT settings, indicating the noncompliant nature of the combined chest and abdominal excised and grafted burn. Major cardiopulmonary complications developed in the first two patients after onset of the restrictive process when general anesthesia was used for grafting procedures (n = 8) and the limits of chest wall excursion were unrecognized. patients received only continuous positive airway pressure preoperatively. A modest but significant decrease in IP from -45 /- 8 to -33 /- 5 cm H2O and 30% decrease in spontaneous VT were noted in the early postoperative period. These changes, however, resulted in a dramatic decrease in pulmonary function leading to hypercarbia, PCO2 greater than 50 torr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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