Driveway motor vehicle and bicycle injuries in children at Alwahda Hospital, Derna-Libya [2005-2006]

To describe the frequency, nature and outcome of driveway injuries in children. A retrospective study of driveway-related injuries in children less than 16 years of age admitted to Alwahda Hospital, Derna-Libya, from January 2005 to December 2006, and deaths reported. Circumstances of injury; type and number of injuries were identified. A total number of 104 children were admitted to Alwahda Hospital with driveway-related injuries [2005-2006], representing 17.3% of all with motor vehicle injuries. Fourteen deaths representing 13.5% of cases were reported. Males were 85 [81.7%] and females were 19 [18.3%]. Head injuries represented 41.3% [43/104] of cases followed by extremities 31.7% [33/104] then extremities with multiple injuries - 16.3% [17/104]. Sprain or contusions represented 43.3% [45/104] of cases, open wound 26.9% [28/104] and fractures 20.2% [21/104]. Cars were involved in 79% of all injuries, light commercial vehicles or bicycles were involved in 21%. About 75% of injuries occurred in the afternoon or night, and 45% of injuries took place in the summer months. Driveway injuries in children account for a significant proportion of paediatric pedestrian motor vehicle injuries and deaths in Derna. Prevention represents the only effective approach to reducing deaths from this cause

Evaluation of a treatment protocol for mastalgia with topical NSAIDs at Alwahda Hospital, Derna, Libya

Breast pain is the most common breast symptom causing women to consult primary care physicians and surgeons. Mastalgia is more common in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal women, and it is rarely a presenting symptom of breast cancer. Many medical treatments have been used to relieve mastalgia, but some medications produce undesirable side effects. The aim is to evaluate the use of topical NSAIDs in the treatment of mastalgia. From January 2006 to December 2006 a total of 176 women underwent breast examination at Alwahda Hospital, Derna, Libya. Subjects were aged between 19 and 54 years old. The experimental protocol included a prospective study of a group of 109 patients suffering from mastalgia with a 3-month follow-up. Patients witli mastalgia who had normal results on routine biochemistry and hormonal testing and negative evaluations for breast cancer were enrolled in the study. Of those admitted to the study, only 100 completed the course. Patients were assigned randomly to use of a topical NSAID preparation [Voltaren gel] every eight hours [50 women] or a topical placebo cream applied to the breast skin [50 women]. All of the patients were advised to decrease their intake of caffeine. Pain was measured using a visual analog scale during the three months of treatment. After three months, the pain score was markedly improved among participants receiving the topical NSAID treatment. Almost 50 percent of the treated participants reported no pain at the end of the study. No side effects occurred among any of the participants. Applying topical NSAIDs over a three-month period can relieve the pain of mastalgia with minimal adverse effects