ABSTRACT
Trauma remains the major cause of death in children and young adults. Adult and pediatric patients differ significantly in both mechanism of and physiologic response to injury. We reviewed the records of all consecutive adult and pediatric blunt trauma patients admitted to a major metropolitan trauma center for a 10-year period. An extensive computerized database has been maintained for all patients since 1977. A comparative statistical analysis of mechanism of injury, specific organ injury, and clinical outcome was performed. Altogether, 1,722 adults and 289 children were treated during the study period. Blunt trauma accounted for 82.8% of adult and 94.3% of pediatric injury (p = 0.00005), and only these patients were considered for analysis. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage was performed in 249 children and 1,464 adults, with a respective accuracy of 99.6% and 97.2%. Mechanism of injury was comparable for both groups, although children were far more likely to be injured by falls, bicycle accidents, or struck by an automobile. Comparative analysis of specific injuries demonstrated significantly fewer pediatric chest (p = 0.001), spine (p = 0.03), and pelvic (p = 0.003) injuries. Central nervous system (CNS) injury in children was a strong determinant of outcome: serious pediatric CNS trauma was associated with a tenfold increase in mortality. Mortality for children in the absence of CNS injury was less than 3%. Spinal injury also appeared to be a predictor of poor outcome in the pediatric population, with an associated mortality of greater than 50%. Overall, survival was age independent (82.5% of adults and 85.8% of children were survivors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Subject(s)
Wounds, Nonpenetrating/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Minnesota/epidemiology , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Peritoneal Lavage , Wound Infection/etiology , Wound Infection/therapy , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/diagnosis , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Twenty-five cadaver eyes were used to study the effect of paired arcuate keratotomy on corneal astigmatic changes. Paired arcuate incisions placed at optical zones of 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 mm were progressively lengthened from 45 degrees to 60 degrees, 90 degrees, and, finally, 120 degrees. The corneal flattening in the meridian centered over the incisions and the corneal steepening 90 degrees away were quantified with each successive lengthening. Linear regression analysis showed a direct linear relationship of corneal astigmatic change (sum of corneal flattening and steepening, or delta K) to decreasing optical zone size as measured in millimeters and increasing incision length as measured in degrees. The delta K value ranged from 2.65 +/- 1.07 diopters to 22.05 +/- 3.55 D. The flattening/steepening coupling ratio mean was 1.47 +/- 0.41. Progressively longer paired arcuate incisions produced a predictable and titratable corneal flattening in the meridian centered over the incisions and a slightly smaller corneal steepening 90 degrees away, making the procedure ideal for mixed astigmatism.
