Visualizing traumatic brain injury:ocular clues for diagnosis and assessment

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as damage to the brain resulting from an external sudden physical force or shock to the head.It is considered a silent public health epidemic causing significant death and disability globally.There were 64,000 TBI related deaths reported in the USA in 2020,with about US$76 billion in direct and indirect medical costs annually.

Epidemiology of work-related hand and wrist injuries in a referral center: A descriptive study

BACKGROUND Occupational hand and wrist injuries(OHWIs)account for 25%of work-related accidents in low-and middle-income countries.In Colombia,more than 500000 occupational accidents occurred in 2021,and although the rate declined to less than 5%in 2020 and 2021,at least one in four accidents involved a hand or wrist injury.AIM To describe the OHWIs in workers seen at the emergency room at a second-level hospital in Colombia.METHODS An observational study was performed using data from workers who experienced OHWIs and attended a second-level hospital,between June,2020 and May,2021.The overall frequency of OHWIs,as well as their distribution by sociodemo-graphic,clinical,and occupational variables,are described.Furthermore,association patterns between sex,anatomical area(fingers,hand,wrist),and type of job were analyzed by correspondence analysis(CA).RESULTS There were 2.101 workers treated for occupational accidents,423(20.3%)were cases of OHWIs,which mainly affected men(93.9%)with a median age of 31 years and who worked mainly in mining(75.9%).OHWIs were more common in the right upper extremity(55.3%)and comprised different types of injuries,such as contusion(42.1%),laceration(27.9%),fracture(18.7%),and crush injury(15.6%).They primarily affected the phalanges(95.2%),especially those of the first finger(25.7%).The CAs showed associations between the injured anatomical area and the worker’s job that differed in men and women(explained variance>90%).CONCLUSION One out of five workers who suffered occupational accidents in Cundinamarca,Columbia had an OHWI,affecting mainly males employed in mining.This occupational profile is likely to lead to prolonged rehabilitation,and permanent functional limitations.Our results might be useful for adjusting preventive measures in cluster risk groups.

Expert consensus on the evaluation and diagnosis of combat injuries of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

The accurate assessment and diagnosis of combat injuries are the basis for triage and treatment of combat casualties. A consensus on the assessment and diagnosis of combat injuries was made and discussed at the second annual meeting of the Professional Committee on Disaster Medicine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA). In this consensus agreement, the massive hemorrhage, airway, respiration, circulation and hypothermia(MARCH) algorithm, which is a simple triage and rapid treatment and field triage score, was recommended to assess combat casualties during the first-aid stage, whereas the abbreviated scoring method for combat casualty and the MARCH algorithm were recommended to assess combat casualties in level Ⅱ facilities. In level Ⅲ facilities, combined measures, including a history inquiry, thorough physical examination, laboratory examination, X-ray, and ultrasound examination, were recommended for the diagnosis of combat casualties. In addition, corresponding methods were recommended for the recognition of casualties needing massive transfusions, assessment of firearm wounds, evaluation of mangled extremities, and assessment of injury severity in this consensus.

Diagnosis and Treatment of 42 Cases of Multiple Injuries with Pancreatic Injury

In order to summarize the clinical diagnosis and treatment methods for 42 cases of multiple injuries with pancreatic injury, a retrospective analysis on 42 cases of multiple injuries with pancreatic injury from January 1990 to January 2006 was carried out in our hospital. Most cases were associated with hemopneumothorax and rib fractures （52.3%）, shock （50%）, multiple fractures （47.6%）, and severe brain injury （26.1%）. In 42 cases, one case died of severe hemorrhagic shock, and the remaining 41 cases （97.6%） were cured （including 40 cases receiving surgical operation and one case receiving the conservative treatment）. Postoperative complications occurred in 16 cases （21 cases/times）： pancreatic fistula （5 cases/times） and incisional wound infection （5 cases/times）, intra-abdominal infection （3 cases/times）, stress ulcer （3 cases/times）, pleural effusion （3 cases/times）, pulmonary infection （one case） and wound dehiscence （1 case）. The principle therapy of multiple injuries with pancreatic injury is to rescue life, followed by active treatment to prevent injuries which giving rise to the abnormal respiratory and circulatory functions, management of cerebral hernia and other injuries which endangers life at last, and the pancreatic injury to increase the survival rate and survival quality.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Diaphragmatic Injuries

Introduction: Early diagnosis and treatment of injuries of the diaphragm are important both because of high incidence of concomitant injuries and since they may lead to life-threatening intestinal and gastric strangulation in the late term. Herein, cases with diaphragmatic injury that have been diagnosed and operated in the early period after injury or during surgery were presented. Methods: Data of 14 cases, which have been diagnosed with diaphragmatic injury after trauma or during surgical procedure that was performed because of concomitant abdominal or intra-thoracic injury between January 2008 and April 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Of the traumatic diaphragmatic injuries, 10 (71.4%) have occurred due to penetrating trauma, whereas 4 (28.5%) have occurred due to blunt trauma. Diagnosis was made using I.V. contrast-enhanced whole abdominal and thoracic tomography in all 3 pediatric cases (21.4%) and during surgery in the others (78.5%). Conclusion: All of the diaphragmatic injuries have been accompanied by intra-abdominal or intra-thoracic organ injury that requires surgery. In these cases, the diagnosis was made on suspicion of diaphragmatic injury in the course of surgical procedure performed for concomitant organ injury. Computed tomography was diagnostic for diaphragmatic injuries in the pediatric cases.

Recent advances in the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury

Drug-induced liver injury(DILI)is a major problem in the United States,commonly leading to hospital admission.Diagnosing DILI is difficult as it is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a temporal relationship between drug exposure and liver injury and a thorough work up for other causes.In addition,DILI has a very variable clinical and histologic presentation that can mimic many different etiologies of liver disease.Objective scoring systems can assess the probability that a drug caused the liver injury but liver biopsy findings are not part of the criteria used in these systems.This review will address some of the recent updates to the scoring systems and the role of liver biopsy in the diagnosis of DILI.

Review and update on the management of triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries in professional athletes

Triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries are common in amateur and professional sports.These injuries are mainly caused by acute or chronic repetitive axial loads on the wrist,particularly on the ulnar side and in association with rotations or radial/ulnar deviations.In order to treat professional athletes,a detailed specific knowledge of the pathology is needed.Moreover,the clinician should fully understand the specific and unique environment and needs of the athletes,their priorities and goals,the type of sport,the time of the season,and the position played.An early diagnosis and appropriate management with the quickest possible recovery time are the uppermost goals for both the athlete and the surgeon.A compromise between conservative vs surgical indications,athletes’needs and expectations,and financial implications should be achieved.Arthroscopic procedures should be timely planned when indicated as they could allow early diagnosis and treatment at the same time.Conservative measures are often used as first line treatment when possible.Peripheral lesions are treated by arthroscopic repair,whilst central lesions are treated by arthroscopic debridement.Further procedures(such as the Wafer procedure,ulnar osteotomies,etc.)have specific indications and great implications with regard to rehabilitation.

Analysis of The Value of Multi-Slice Spiral CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in The Diagnosis of Carpal Joint Injury

Objective:To analyze the value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in the diagnosis of carpal joint injury.Methods:A total of 130 patients with suspected wrist injuries admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of our hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected and randomly divided into a single group(n=65)and a joint group(n=65).The single group was diagnosed using multi-slice spiral CT,and the joint group was diagnosed using multi-slice spiral CT and magnetic resonance imaging,with pathological diagnosis as the gold standard.The diagnostic results of both groups were compared to the gold standard,and the diagnostic energy efficiency of both groups was compared.Results:The diagnostic results of the single group compared with the gold standard were significant(P<0.05).The diagnostic results of the joint group compared with the gold standard were not significant(P>0.05).The sensitivity and accuracy of diagnosis in the joint group were significantly higher than that in the single group(P<0.05).The specificity of diagnosis in the joint group was higher as compared to that in the single group(P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of multi-slice spiral CT and MRI was highly accurate in diagnosing wrist injuries,and the misdiagnosis rate and leakage rate were relatively low.Hence,this diagnostic program is recommended to be popularized.

Practical guidelines for diagnosis and early management of drug-induced liver injury

The spectrum of drug-induced liver injury （DILI） is both diverse and complex. The first step in diagnosis is a suspicion of DILl based on careful consideration of recent comprehensive reports on the disease. There are some situations in which the suspicion of DILI is particularly strong. Exclusion of other possible etiologies according to the pattern of liver injury is essential for the diagnosis. In patients with suspected DILl, diagnostic scales, such as the Councils for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/ Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method （CIOMS/RUCAM） scale, may be helpful for the final diagnosis. Early management of DILl involves prompt withdrawal of the drug suspected of being responsible, according to serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）, alkaline phosphatase （ALP）, and total bilirubin （T-Bil）. However, as DILI patients may show resolution of liver injury without discontinuation of the drug, it should be carefully evaluated whether the suspected drug should be discontinued immediately with adequate consideration of the importance of the medication.

Bile duct injuries associated with laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy: Sixteen-year experience

AIM: To summarize the experience in diagnosis, management and prevention of iatrogenic bile duct injury (IBDI). METHODS: A total of 210 patients with bile duct injury occurred during cholecystectomy admitted to Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital from March 1990 to March 2006 were included in this study for retrospective analysis. RESULTS: There were 59.5% (103/173) of patients with IBDI resulting from the wrong identification of the anatomy of the Calot’s triangle during cholecystectomy. The diagnosis of IBDI was made on the basis of clinical features, diagnostic abdominocentesis and imaging findings. Abdominal B ultrasonography (BUS) was the most popular way for IBDI with a diagnostic rate of 84.6% (126/149). Magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) could reveal the site of injury, the length of injured bile duct and variation of bile duct tree with a diagnostic rate 100% (45/45). According to the site of injury, IBDI could be divided into six types. The most common type (type 3) occurred in 76.7% (161/210) of the patients and was treated with partial resection of the common hepatic duct and common bile duct. One hundred and seventy-six patients were followed up. The mean follow-up time was 3.7 (range 0.25-10) years. Good results were achieved in 87.5% (154/176) of the patients. CONCLUSION: The key to prevention of IBDI is to follow the "identifying-cutting-identifying" principle during cholecystectomy. Re-operation time and surgical procedure are decided according to the type of IBDI.

Non-image diagnosis of bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Objective: To evaluate the role of simple non-imagetechnique in intraoperative diagnosis of bile duct in-jury (BDI).Methods: BDI was highly suspected at the original la-paroscopic cholecystectomy (LC) when the following 3abnormal findings were noted: the 'cystic duct' stump(the common bile duct stump actually) markedly re-tracted down to the duodenum; bile leakage from theporta hepatis; abnormal mucosal patch attached to the'cystic duct' stump of the removed gallbladder. Allcases of suspected BDI were converted to have laparo-tomy. Image techniques such as intraoperative cholan-giography or ultrasonography were not utilized forrecognition of BDI in all 9 patients.Results: BDI in 4 of the 9 patients was suspected ac-cording to 1-3 abnormal intraoperative findings de-scribed above. The four patients were subjected imme-diately to converted laparotomy. Abnormal findingswere not observed or misinterpreted in the other 5misdiagnosed patients.Conclusions: Timely recognizing whether BDI occursshould be considered as a routine procedure ofLC. Negligence of operators to the abnormalities of theoriginal LC, is the main cause of misdiagnosis forBDL. Simple non-image approaches such as close ob-servation of these abnormalities can make timely diag-nosis for most BDIs during the original LC.

Strategies to avoid a missed diagnosis of co-occurring concussion in post-acute patients having a spinal cord injury

Research scientists and clinicians should be aware that missed diagnoses of mild-moderate traumatic brain injuries in post-acute patients having spinal cord injuries may approach 60-74% with certain risk factors, potentially causing clinical consequences for patients, and confounding the results of clinical research studies. Factors leading to a missed diagnosis may include acute trauma-related life-threatening issues, sedation/intubation, subtle neuropathology on neuroimaging, failure to collect Glasgow Coma Scale scores or duration of posttraumatic amnesia, or lack of validity of this information, and overlap in neuro-cognitive symptoms with emotional responses to spinal cord injuries. Strategies for avoiding a missed diagnosis of mild-moderate traumatic brain injuries in patients having a spinal cord injuries are highlighted in this perspective.

Application value of biofluid-based biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord injury

Recent studies in patients with spinal cord injuries(SCIs)have confirmed the diagnostic potential of biofluid-based biomarkers,as a topic of increasing interest in relation to SCI diagnosis and treatment.This paper reviews the research progress and application prospects of recently identified SCI-related biomarkers.Many structural proteins,such as glial fibrillary acidic protein,S100-β,ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-L1,neurofilament light,and tau protein were correlated with the diagnosis,American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale,and prognosis of SCI to different degrees.Inflammatory factors,including interleukin-6,interleukin-8,and tumor necrosis factorα,are also good biomarkers for the diagnosis of acute and chronic SCI,while non-coding RNAs(micro RNAs and long non-coding RNAs)also show diagnostic potential for SCI.Trace elements(Mg,Se,Cu,Zn)have been shown to be related to motor recovery and can predict motor function after SCI,while humoral markers can reflect the pathophysiological changes after SCI.These factors have the advantages of low cost,convenient sampling,and ease of dynamic tracking,but are also associated with disadvantages,including diverse influencing factors and complex level changes.Although various proteins have been verified as potential biomarkers for SCI,more convincing evidence from large clinical and prospective studies is thus required to identify the most valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for SCI.

Diagnosis of erythropoietic protoporphyria with severe liver injury: A case report

BACKGROUND Porphyria is a rare disease with complex classification. Erythropoietic protoporphyria(EPP) is an autosomal recessively inherited disease, and most are caused by mutations in the FECH gene. EPP combined with liver injury is even rarer.CASE SUMMARY This paper reports a case of EPP which was admitted to the hospital with abnormal liver function and diagnosed by repeated questioning of medical history, screening of common causes of severe liver injury, and second generation sequencing of the whole exon genome. We also summarize the clinical characteristics of EPP with liver injury, and put forward some suggestions on EPP to provide a reference for the diagnosis of such rare disease.CONCLUSION A new mutation locus(c.32_35 dupCCCT) which may be related to the disease was found by detecting the FECH gene in the pedigree of this case.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of acute injury to the anterior talofibular ligament

Injury to the anterior talofibular ligament(ATFL)is a common acute injury of the lateral foot ligament.Untimely and improper treatment significantly affects the quality of life and rehabilitation progress of patients.The purpose of this paper is to review the anatomy and the current methods of diagnosis and treatment of acute injury to the ATFL.The clinical manifestations of acute injury to the ATFL include pain,swelling,and dysfunction.At present,non-surgical treatment is the first choice for acute injury of the ATFL.The standard treatment strategy involves the“peace and love”principle.After initial treatment in the acute phase,personalized rehabilitation training programs can be followed.These may involve proprioception training,muscle training,and functional exercise to restore limb coordination and muscle strength.Static stretching and other techniques to loosen joints,acupuncture,moxibustion massage,and other traditional medical treatments can relieve pain,restore range of motion,and prevent joint stiffness.If the non-surgical treatment is not ideal or fails,surgical treatment is feasible.Currently,arthroscopic anatomical repair or anatomical reconstruction surgery is commonly used in clinical practice.Although open Broström surgery provides good results,the modified arthroscopic Broström surgery has many advantages,such as less trauma,rapid pain relief,rapid postoperative recovery,and fewer complications,and is more popular with patients.In general,when treating acute injury to the ATFL,treatment management and methods should be timely and reasonably arranged according to the specific injury scenario and attention should be paid to the timely combination of multiple therapies to achieve the best treatment results.

Is laparoscopy equal to laparotomy in detecting and treating small bowel injuries in a porcine model?

AIM: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopy compared with laparotomy for diagnosing and treating small bowel injuries (SBIs) in a porcine model. METHODS: Twenty-eight female pigs were anesthetized and laid in the left recumbent position. The SBI model was established by shooting at the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. The pigs were then randomized into either the laparotomy group or the laparoscopy group. All pigs underwent routine exploratory laparotomy or laparoscopy to evaluate the abdominal injuries, particularly the types, sites, and numbers of SBIs. Traditional open surgery or therapeutic laparoscopy was then performed. All pigs were kept alive within the observational period (postoperative 72 h). The postoperative recovery of each pig was carefully observed. RESULTS: The vital signs of all pigs were stable within 1-2 h after shooting and none of the pigs died from gunshot wounds or SBIs immediately. The SBI model was successfully established in all pigs and definitively diagnosed with single or multiple SBIs either by exploratory laparotomy or laparoscopy. Compared with exploratory laparotomy, laparoscopy took a significantly longer time for diagnosis (41.27 ± 12.04 min vs 27.64 ± 13.32 min, P = 0.02), but the time for therapeutic laparoscopy was similar to that of open surgery. The length of incision was significantly reduced in the laparoscopy group compared with the laparotomy group (5.27 ± 1.86 cm vs 15.73 ± 1.06 cm, P < 0.01). In the final post-mortem examination 72 h after surgery, both laparotomy and laparoscopy offered a definitive diagnosis with no missed injuries. Postoperative complications occurred in four cases (three following laparotomy and one following laparoscopy, P = 0.326). The average recovery period for bowel function, vital appearance, and food re-intake after laparoscopy was 10.36 ± 4.72 h, 14.91 ± 3.14 h, and 15.00 ± 7.11 h, respectively. All of these were significantly shorter than after laparotomy (21.27 ± 10.17 h, P = 0.004; 27.82 ± 9.61 h, P < 0.001; and 24.55 ± 9.72 h, respectively, P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Compared with laparotomy, laparoscopy offers equivalent efficacy for diagnosing and treating SBIs, and reduces postoperative complications as well as recovery period.

Hepatorenal syndrome: Update on diagnosis and treatment

Acute kidney injury(AKI) is a common complication in patients with end-stage liver disease and advanced cirrhosis regardless of the underlying cause. Hepatorenal syndrome(HRS), a functional form of kidney failure, is one of the many possible causes of AKI. HRS is potentially reversible but involves highly complex pathogenetic mechanisms and equally complex clinical and therapeutic management. Once HRS has developed, it has a very poor prognosis. This review focuses on the diagnostic approach to HRS and discusses the therapeutic protocols currently adopted in clinical practice.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia:a rare and often missed diagnosis in blunt trauma

Dear editor,Traumatic abdominal wall hernia(TAWH)is defined as disruption of the abdominal wall musculature and fascia with herniation of intra-abdominal contents,in the absence of surgery to that area of the abdominal wall.[1]It is rare,with an incidence of 0.17%-0.90%in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.[2,3]Deceleration forces caused by falls from height or seat belt injuries are the most common causes of TAWH.[4]Low-energy blunt injuries from bicycle or motorcycles handlebars or charging animals are less frequent causes.Due to the rare incidence and complex presentation of this condition with other distracting injuries,this diagnosis is often not considered,resulting in missed or delayed diagnosis.We present a case of a 46-year-old male who suffered major abdominal trauma,and was found to have TAWH as well as intra-abdominal organ injury.

RXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL STUDY OF CREATINE KINASE BB ACTIVITY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS ON BRAIN DAMAGE

Objective To study the differential diagnosis on cerebral concussion and mild cerebral contusion value of the brain type creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK BB),and evaluate the seriousness of brain damage and prognosis of the patients with acute head injury.Methods Chromatographic separating and fluorometric quantifying technique was used to detect the CK BB activity in the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) of 117 patients with acute head injury and 12 patients with increased intracranial pressure and 20 normal people.Results The CSF CK BB activity of the patients with acute head injury was remarkably higher than that of the normal people and the CSF CK BB activity increased with the seriousness of brain damage.There was a close relationship between CSF CK BB activity and prognosis,and higher activity of CSF CK BB indicated poor prognosis.Conclusion CSF CK BB activity could be used as a new index to diagnose brain damage and evaluate the seriousness of brain damage and prognosis.

Analysis of CT and MRI in the Diagnosis of Shoulder Joint Injury

Objective: To observe the effect of multi-slice spiral CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of shoulder injury. Methods: 120 patients with shoulder injury who were treated in our hospital (January 2020 to December 2021) and underwent surgical treatment were diagnosed as shoulder injury. They were divided into CT group, MRI group and joint diagnosis group. The detection rates of the two methods were compared. Results: In the diagnosis of shoulder injury, MRI group was higher than CT group, and the joint diagnosis group was higher than the other two groups. Conclusion: In the diagnosis of shoulder injury, the joint examination of multi-slice spiral CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can obtain a higher diagnostic rate and ideal effect.