Impalement injury of the perineum with an iron rod with a minimal injury: A near miss: A case report

Introduction and importancePenetrating perineal injury in children is uncommon. However, the injury is serious and life-threatening with significant morbidity and mortality.Case presentationWe report an unusual case of a 13-year-old boy with an accidental perineal impalement injury by an iron rod, which pierced through the perineum and exited through the left loin, however with minimal external and internal injuries.Clinical discussionMultiple vital organs in the pelvic space are vulnerable to damage in perineal impalement injury. Vital organ injury, amount of blood loss, and effectiveness of the resuscitation determine the outcome of an impalement injury. Urgent laparotomy forms the cornerstone in management as all the potential injuries can be identified and managed immediately.ConclusionEffective resuscitation and accurate assessment of the associated injuries along with proper pre-hospital care with a multidisciplinary approach is crucial for the survival and optimum outcome of the victim.     

Perforation of gastroesophageal junction,stomach, and diaphragm following blunt abdominal trauma: A near miss: A case report

IntroductionBlunt abdominal trauma causing Gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ), diaphragm, and gastric perforation in children is a very rare occurrence. However, the injury is serious and life-threatening with significant morbidity and mortality.Presentation of caseWe report an unusual case of a 14-year-old boy with an accidental fall from the tree with blunt abdomen trauma with a perforating injury to GEJ, stomach, and diaphragm.DiscussionMultiple vital organs in the abdominal cavity are vulnerable to damage in blunt abdominal trauma. The rarity of perforation, diagnostic delay, and early septic occurrence sums up to higher patient morbidity and mortality. A high degree of suspicion and urgent laparotomy and surgical repair forms the cornerstone in management.ConclusionEarly suspicion along with effective resuscitation and early laparotomy and surgical repair is crucial for survival and optimal outcome of the patient.     

护理接近失误原因分析及预防研究进展

综述护理接近失误的识别与上报现状,并引用瑞士奶酪模型对接近失误的原因分析及干预进行归纳总结,主要包括组织影响、不安全监督、不安全行为先兆、不安全的行为,以期为减少接近失误、改善患者安全提供参考.     

Blunt injury to the inferior gluteal artery: case report of a rare "near miss" event

Traumatic injuries of the inferior gluteal artery are rare, the majority of which are aneurysms due to sharp or blunt trauma. We report the rare case of a "near miss" event of a patient with an acute hemorrhagic mass in the right buttock caused by blunt trauma to the inferior gluteal artery without "hard" clinical signs of vascular injury. Despite the unusual presentation, diffuse injury of the inferior gluteal artery branches was diagnosed by ultrasonography and angiography. This article highlights the importance of considering an arterial injury following blunt trauma to the buttock with subsequent pain and swelling. Appreciation of this rare injury pattern is necessary in order to facilitate rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment.     

Drug labelling and a near miss in the labour suite

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie -     

Preoperative skin marking and perioperative checks require careful thought: a report of a near miss

A patient marked preoperatively for ulnar nerve decompression under general anaesthesia was found to have symmetrical operative site markings. The correct skin mark was transferred to the other side by her sleeping position the night before surgery. Skin marking is an adjunct to safe surgery but is not failsafe.     

Outcome of percutaneous rupture of lumbar synovial cysts: a case series of 101 patients

Background contextLumbar facet joint synovial cysts are benign degenerative abnormalities of the lumbar spine. Previous reports have supported operative and nonoperative management. Facet joint steroid injection with cyst rupture is occasionally performed, but there has been no systematic evaluation of this treatment option.PurposeTo profile the role of facet joint steroid injections with cyst rupture in the treatment of lumbar facet joint synovial cysts.Study design/settingRetrospective chart review and long-term follow-up of patients treated for lumbar facet joint synovial cysts.Patient sampleOne hundred one patients treated for lumbar facet joint synovial cysts with fluoroscopically guided corticosteroid facet joint injection and attempted cyst rupture.Outcome measuresOswestry Disability Index and numeric rating scale score for back and leg pain.MethodsA retrospective review and a subsequent interview were conducted to collect pretreatment and posttreatment pain and disability scores along with details of subsequent treatment interventions. Group differences in pain and disability scores were assessed using paired t test. Multiple clinical factors were analyzed in terms of risk for surgical intervention using logistic regression modeling and Cox proportional hazards modeling.ResultsSuccessful cyst rupture was confirmed fluoroscopically in 81% of cases. Fifty-five patients (54%) required subsequent surgery over a period averaging 8.4 months because of inadequate symptom relief. All patients reported significant improvement in back pain, leg pain, and disability at 3.2 years postinjection, regardless of their subsequent treatment course (p<.0001 in all groups). There was no significant difference in current pain between patients who received injections only and those who underwent subsequent surgery.ConclusionsThis study presents the largest clinical series of nonsurgical treatment for lumbar facet joint synovial cysts. Lumbar facet joint steroid injection with attempted cyst rupture is correlated with avoiding subsequent surgery in half of treated patients. Successful cyst rupture does not appear to have added benefit, and it was associated with worse disability 3 years postinjection. Long-term outcomes are similar, regardless of subsequent surgery.     

One-stage posterior debridement, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and instrumentation in treatment of lumbar spinal tuberculosis: a retrospective case series

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of surgical management by one-stage posterior debridement, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and instrumentation and combined posterior and anterior approaches for lumbar spinal tuberculosis, and determine the clinical effectiveness of the posterior only surgical treatment for lumbar spinal TB at the same time.

Methods

Thirty-seven patients who suffered lumbar tuberculosis were treated by two different surgical procedures in our center from May 2004 to June 2012. All the cases were divided into two groups: 19 cases in Group A underwent one-stage posterior debridement, TLIF and instrumentation, and 18 cases in Group B underwent posterior instrumentation, anterior debridement and bone graft in a single-stage procedure. The operation time, blood loss, lumbar kyphotic angle, recovery of neurological function and fusion time were, respectively, compared between Group A and Group B.

Results

The average follow-up period for Group A was 46.6 ± 16.7 months, and for Group B, 47.5 ± 15.0 months. It was obvious that the average operative duration and blood loss of Group A was less than those of Group B. Lumbar tuberculosis was completely cured and the grafted bones were fused in 10 months in all patients. There was no persistence or recurrence of infection and no differences in the radiological results in both groups. The kyphosis was significantly corrected after surgical management. The average pretreatment ESR was 60.7 ± 22.5 mm/h, which became normal (9.0 ± 2.8 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients.

Conclusions

Surgical management by one-stage posterior debridement, TLIF and instrumentation for lumbar tuberculosis is feasible and effective. This approach obtained better clinical outcomes than combined posterior and anterior surgeries.     

Appendectomy during the third trimester of pregnancy in a 27-year old patient: case report of a "near miss" complication

The management of acute appendicitis during pregnancy is not fully established, especially regarding the choice between open and laparoscopic surgery during the third trimester. We report herein the case of a major uterine variecele hemorrhage during a laparoscopic appendectomy in a 27-year old pregnant patient at 33 weeks of amenorrhea. After conversion to a Pfannenstiel incision, the baby was delivered, the bleeding stopped and the appendectomy completed. While both mother and child fully recovered, this ?near miss? complication underlines the challenges linked to the management of acute appendicitis during pregnancy. Based on a literature review, we propose an algorithm favoring the laparoscopic approach during the first and second trimesters, and the open approach during the third trimester (especially after the 26th week of amenorrhea). In case of unclear pre-operative diagnosis, a laparoscopy should be conducted even during the third trimester with a Mc Burney conversion when the diagnosis of appendicitis is confirmed.     

The effectiveness and appropriate management of abdominal drains in patients undergoing elective liver resection: a retrospective analysis and prospective case series

Purpose

Although many studies have concluded that prophylactic drain insertion during elective liver resection offers few advantages, we reassessed the clinical value and appropriate management of drain insertion.

Methods

We retrospectively studied the clinical value of abdominal drainage in 167 consecutive patients who underwent hepatectomy, focusing on drainage volumes, bilirubin concentrations, drainage fluid bacterial culture results and short-term postoperative outcomes. The results were then validated prospectively in the next 50 consecutive patients to undergo hepatectomy.

Results

Most of the patients with morbidities such as biliary fistulas, ascites, fluid collection or duodenal perforation (20/24 or 83 %) were treated using operative drainage tubes, avoiding the use of percutaneous drainage procedures. The values obtained with the formula (drainage fluid bilirubin concentration/serum bilirubin concentration) × drainage fluid volume, were greater on both postoperative days (POD) 2 and 3 (P = 0.03 and P < 0.01) in patients with biliary leakage compared with those observed in the patients without leakage. The bacteriologic cultures of drainage fluid were positive less frequently on POD 4 or earlier (7/203) than on POD 5 or later (24/74, P < 0.01). In the validation cohort, new drain removal criteria based on the retrospective results led to successful drain management without additional treatment in 96 % of patients.

Conclusions

Abdominal drainage is effective for both postoperative monitoring and morbidity treatment.     

The farmer's wife and the salmon fork: a near miss for the median nerve.

This case history illustrates how a farmer's wife accidentally impaled her forearm on a salmon fork with barbs. Despite the fact that the barbs were not obvious to the rescuing firemen, they had the good sense to transfer the patient with the fork in situ and well supported to prevent traction injury. Any effort to remove the fork at the time of injury would have resulted in complete division of the median nerve.