Posts

Successful outpatient anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction hinges on effective analgesia. Routinely, oral narcotic agents have been the preferred analgesic postoperatively in orthopaedic surgery. However, these agents have several known adverse effects and are associated with a potential for abuse. This study evaluates the efficacy of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic properties, as an adjuvant agent for postoperative pain control after ACL reconstruction.

Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm. is a valuable traditional therapeutic plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is a dense and wool-like shrub that is mostly found in subtropical regions of some countries of Asia, such as China and India. It has been widely used for the mitigation of nervous system disorders like epilepsy. The active constituents of the plant have exhibited antioxidant, anti-microbial, and antifungal properties, which are considered due to the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids as chief chemical constituents. Flavonoids like quercetin, landenein, chrysin, and 5, 6, 7-trimethoxy flavones cause protein denaturation of the microbial cell wall.

Lumbar disc herniation is one of the leading causes of chronic low back pain. Surgery remains the therapy of choice when conservative approaches fail. Full-endoscopic approaches represent a promising alternative to the well-established microsurgical technique. However, high-grade evidence comparing these techniques is still scarce.

This retrospective study aimed to introduce a novel method for simultaneous Y-shape osteotomy combined with subtalar arthrodesis for calcaneus malunion and to evaluate the feasibility of this method.

To explore the efficacy and safety of remimazolam for procedural sedation during ultrasound-guided nerve block administration in patients undergoing abdominal tumor surgery, in order to improve and optimize remimazolam use in procedural sedation and clinical anesthesia.

Back pain is common in the gravid population and spinal cord infarction (SCI) or chronic osteomyelitis are exceptionally rare underlying causes of back pain in this population. No case report to date has described this unexpected adverse event in a gravid woman with suspected history of IV drug use (IVDU). This diagnosis could potentially become more common with increasing rates of IVDU, and increased education could result in sooner recognition.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a relatively rare neurotoxic disorder. Our patient was a 56-year-old male who underwent an elective coronary angiography. Few hours postprocedure, the patient developed bilateral painless vision loss, headache, vomiting and hypertension and was subsequently diagnosed with PRES. Possible trigger factors could be contrast agent used, or hypertension. Contrast agent-induced PRES in hypertensive patients is benign and reversible, and a high-grade suspicion about this possibility is critical for precise management. Our patient was successfully treated with supportive management and was doing well on follow-up.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following acute repair of the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint (thumb UCL) using a suture anchor technique. From 2011 to 2019, we retrospectively identified 40 adult patients from a single centre who had undergone an acute thumb UCL repair (≤6 weeks post-injury). The mean age of the study cohort was 37 years (range 16-70) and 68% ( = 27/40) were male. The short-term outcomes included postoperative complications and failure of repair. The long-term outcomes were QuickDASH, the EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D), Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), return to sport and work and satisfaction with outcome. The outcomes survey was completed at a mean of 4.3 years (range 1.0-9.2) for 33 patients (83%). Postoperative complications included self-limiting sensory disturbance (7.5%, = 3/40), superficial infection (requiring oral antibiotics; 5%, = 2/40) and wound dehiscence (requiring surgical debridement and re-closure; 2.5%, = 1/40). No failures of repair were reported. The mean QuickDASH was 3.7 (range 0-27.3), EQ-5D 0.821 (range -0.041 to 1) and EQ-VAS 84 (range 60-100). Of the 32 employed patients, all returned to work at a median of 0.5 weeks (range 0-416) and the mean QuickDASH Work Module was 4.1 (range 0-50). Of the 24 patients playing sport prior to injury, 96% ( = 23/24) returned at a median of 16 weeks (range 5-52) and the mean QuickDASH Sport Module was 4.6 (range 0-25). All the patients were satisfied with their outcome (mean satisfaction score 9.8/10 [8-10O]). Thumb UCL repair using a suture anchor technique is safe and effective up to 6 weeks post injury. Pain and stiffness may persist in the longer term, but most patients report excellent upper limb function and health-related quality of life. The majority return to work and sport and are highly satisfied with their outcome. Level IV (Therapeutic).

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) remains a promising strategy for neurorehabilitation. The stimulation intensity (SI) influences the after-effects observed. Here, we examined if single sessions of a HF-rTMS protocol, administered at different suprathreshold SI, can be safely administered to able-bodied (AB) individuals.

Neuroprognostication in severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is challenging and occurs in critical care settings to determine withdrawal of life sustaining therapies (WSLT). However, formal pediatric sTBI neuroprognostication guidelines are lacking, brain death criteria vary and dilemmas regarding WLST persist which lead to institutional differences. We studied WLST practice and outcome in pediatric sTBI to provide insight into WLST-associated factors and survivor recovery trajectory ≥ 1 year post-sTBI. This retrospective, single center observational study included patients < 18 years admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Erasmus MC-Sophia (a tertiary university hospital) between 2012 and 2020 with sTBI defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤ 8 and requiring intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. Clinical, neuroimaging and electroencephalogram (EEG) data were reviewed. Multidisciplinary follow-up included the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) score, educational level and commonly cited complaints. Seventy-eight children with sTBI were included (median age 10.5 years; IQR 5.0 – 14.1; 56% male; 67% traffic-related accidents). Median ICP monitoring was 5 days [IQR 3-8], 19 (24%) underwent decompressive craniectomy. PICU mortality was 21% (16/78): clinical brain death (cBD, 5/16), WLST due to poor neurological prognosis (WLST_neuro, 11/16). Significant differences (p < 0.001) between survivors and nonsurvivors: first GCS score, first pupillary reaction and first lactate, Injury Severity Score (ISS), pre-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Rotterdam CT score. WLST_neuro decision timing ranged from 0 to 31 days [median 2 days, IQR 0-5]. WLST_neuro decision (n=11) was based on neurologic examination (100%), brain imaging (100%) and refractory intracranial hypertension (5/11; 45%). WLST discussions were multidisciplinary with 100% agreement. Immediate agreement between medical team and caregivers was 81%. The majority (42/62, 68%) of survivors were poor outcome (PCPC score 3 to 5) at PICU discharge, of which 12 (19%) in a vegetative state. One year post-injury no patients were in a vegetative state and the median PCPC score had improved to 2 [IQR 2-3]. No patients died after PICU discharge. Twenty percent of survivors could not attend school two years post-injury. Survivors requiring an adjusted educational level increased to 45% within this timeframe. Chronic complaints were headache, behavioral and sleeping problems. In conclusion, two thirds of sTBI PICU mortality was secondary to WLST_neuro and occurred early post-injury. Median survivor PCPC score improved from 4 to 2 with no vegetative patients one year post-sTBI. Our findings show the WLST decision process was multidisciplinary and guided by specific clinical features at presentation, clinical course and (serial) neurological diagnostic modalities of which the testing combination was determined by case-to-case variation. This stresses the need for international guidelines to provide accurate neuroprognostication within an appropriate timeframe whereby overall survivor outcome data provides valuable context and guidance in the acute phase decision process.