[Outcomes of open leg fractures treated with external fixator and relating factors]

Open leg fractures are serious problems with high incidence and several complicated consequences in affected patients. There is no reliable record in this regard in Iranian medical literature. This study assesses the results of open leg fractures treated with external fixator in Imam Hossein hospital in a 3 year periods; 2003-2006. At an experimental study, all the patients with open leg fracture, referred to Imam Hossein hospital and treated with external fixator monolateral [AO] evaluated. All the patients were encouraged to bear weight early and dynamization was performed in relation to amount of comminution. Patients were visited every 4 to 6 weeks during the treatment. Minimal follow up was 8 months and the results of treatment were evaluated using a requirement for both secondary procedures and quality of reduction. In addition, effect of age, gender, grade, fracture type and causes of injury on this two problems were calculated with Fisher's exact and Chi-square tests. 58 patients referred to Imam Hossein hospital and 8 ones were excluded from study owing to different intervening causes. 10% of patients needed secondary procedures. Exact reduction was performed at 64%. Fractures with comminution, grade III Gustilo and displacement of more than 2mm had high probability of secondary procedures [P<0.02]. Mean time of union was 22 weeks. Fractures with exact reduction had lesser mean time compared to others. External fixator is a safe implant in treatment of open leg fractures and we recommend further clinical trials with control groups

Parental consanguinity among parents of neonates with congenital hypothyroidism in Isfahan

We determined the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism and the rate of consanguinity among parents of hypothyroid neonates among 93 381 neonates born in 17 hospitals in Isfahan from May 2002 to April 2005. Serum thyroxine [T4] and thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] levels were measured on the 3rd-7th day of birth and neonates with abnormal levels were recalled and the levels reassessed. Those with TSH

[ prophylactic effect of methyl prednisolone sodium succinate against fat embolism in long bones fractures]

In this prospective study, the effect of low dose methylprednisolone succinate [10 mg/kg] on the incidence of fat embolism syndrome and isolated arterial hypoxemia in 99patients with long bone fracture [52 control and 47 steroid-trated subjects] was studied. Frequency of fractures among the selected patients was as follows: femoral fracture 52.5%, tibial fracture 36.4%, both femoral and tibial fractures l1.1%. Fat embolism occurred only in four patients in control group, but there was no case of fat embolism in the steroid-treated group. In fifty-five cases, isolated hypoxemia was developed of whom two cases were severe [pao2<50mmHa] and were in the control group, while there was no case of severe hypoxemia in steroid- treated group. None of the patients needed mechanical ventilation and no death was occurred. This drug decreased the risk of fat embolism syndrome in patients with long bone fracture and the results of this study, emphasizes the protective effect of methyl prednisolone against fat embolism syndrome reported in previous studies