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INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhage is the most common cause of shock in injured patients. Bleeding into the subcutaneous plane is underestimated cause of hypovolemic shock. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Unrestrained male driver involved in a rollover car crash. On examination, his pulse rate was 144bpm, blood pressure 80/30mmHg, and GCS was 7/15. His right pupil was dilated but reactive. Back examination revealed severe contusion with friction burns and lacerations. A Focused Assessment Sonography for Trauma (FAST) was performed. No free intraperitoneal fluid was detected. CT scan of the brain has shown right temporo-parietal subdural hematoma and extensive hematoma in the deep subcutaneous soft tissues of the back. Decompressive cranicotomy and evacuation of the subdural hematoma was performed. On the 4th postoperative day, three liters of dark brown altered blood was drained from the subcutaneous plane. DISCUSSION: The patient developed severe hypovolemic shock and our aim was to identify and control the source of bleeding during the resuscitation. The source of bleeding was not obvious. Severe shearing force in blunt trauma causes separation between the loose subcutaneous tissues and the underlying relatively immobile deep fascia. This is known as post-traumatic closed degloving injury. To our knowledge this is the first reported case in the English Literature with severe subcutaneous hemorrhage in blunt trauma patients without any previous medical disease. CONCLUSION: Bleeding into the subcutaneous plane in closed degloving injury can cause severe hypovolemic shock. It is important for the clinicians managing trauma patients to be aware this serious injury.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess in vitro the influence of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the regenerative processes of a peripheral nerve after trauma. BACKGROUND DATA: In peripheral nerve injury initiated after severing due to accident or by a surgeon during operation, photomodulation by light in the red to near-infrared range (530-1000 nm) using low-energy lasers has been shown to accelerate nerve regeneration. METHOD: Twenty-four New Zealand adult male rabbits were randomly assigned to two equal groups (control and laser-treated). General anesthesia was administered intramuscularly, and exploration of the peroneal nerve was done in the lateral aspect of the left leg. Complete section of the nerve was performed, which was followed by suturing of the neural sheath (epineurium). Irradiation was carried out directly after the operation and for 10 consecutive days. The laser used was diode with wavelength of 901 nm (impulsive) and power of 10 mW; it was a square-shaped window type (16 cm(2)), and its energy was applied by direct contact of the instrument's window to the site of the operation. Three rabbits from each group were sacrificed at the end of weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, and specimens were collected from the site of nerve suturing and sent for histopathological examination. RESULTS: Two important factors were examined via histopathology: diameter of the nerve fibers and individual internodal length. Compared to the control group, significant variations in regeneration were observed, including thicker nerve fibers, more regular myelin layers, clearer nodes of Ranvier with absence of short nodes in the treated group. Variations between the two groups for diameter were significant for the 2(nd) week (p < 0.05), highly significant for the 4(th) and 6(th) weeks, respectively (p < 0.01), and very highly significant for the 8(th) week (p < 0.001). Variations between the two groups for internodal length were highly significant for the 2(nd) and 4(th) weeks (p < 0.01), and very highly significant for the 6(th) and 8(th) weeks (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This experiment affirms the beneficial effect of LLLT on nerve regeneration, since LLLT produced a significant amount of structural and cellular change. The results of the present study suggest that laser therapy may be a viable approach for nerve regeneration, which may be of clinical relevance in scheduled surgery or microsurgery.
