Bilateral traumatic renal artery dissection managed by endovascular therapy.

We present the case of post-traumatic bilateral renal artery injury with renal perfusion disorder, successfully treated by endovascular treatment. This therapeutic approach avoided the need for long-term dialysis by maintaining a sufficient renal function. This case is an illustration of the feasibility and the efficiency of endovascular treatment in severe post-traumatic renal artery lesions.

Indications and interventions of damage control orthopedic surgeries: an expert opinion survey.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to gather an expert opinion survey and to evaluate the suitability of summarized indications and interventions for DCO. BACKGROUND: The indications to perform temporary surgery in musculoskeletal injuries may vary during the hospitalization and have not been defined. We performed a literature review and an expert opinion survey about the indications for damage control orthopaedics (DCO). METHODS: Part I: A literature review was performed on the basis of the PubMed library search. Publications were screened for damage control interventions in the following anatomic regions: "Spine", "Pelvis", "Extremities" and "Soft Tissues". A standardized questionnaire was developed including a list of damage control interventions and associated indications. Part II: Development of the expert opinion survey: experienced trauma and orthopaedic surgeons participated in the consensus process. RESULTS: Part I: A total of 646 references were obtained on the basis of the MeSH terms search. 74 manuscripts were included. Part II: Twelve experts in the field of polytrauma management met at three consensus meetings. We identified 12 interventions and 79 indications for DCO. In spinal trauma, percutaneous interventions were determined beneficial. Traction was considered harmful. For isolated injuries, a new terminology should be used: "MusculoSkeletal Temporary Surgery". CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates a detailed description of the management consensus for abbreviated musculoskeletal surgeries. It was consented that early fixation is crucial for all major fractures, and certain indications for DCO were dropped. Authors propose a distinct terminology to separate local (MuST surgery) versus systemic (polytrauma: DCO) scenarios.

Massive bleeding following severe blunt trauma: the first minutes that can change everything.

The first hour following a major trauma with massive bleeding is certainly the most decisive period in global trauma care. Most of it takes place during the prehospital care. Those prehospital minutes are thus determinant as they can be used to correctly identified patient's clinical condition, initiate organization of the in-hospital needed resources and initiate specific therapies in the very early phase after trauma. Significant recent advances in this aspect of care have been made and but evidence to support some of those strategies is still lacking.

Environmental dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane or hexachlorobenzene exposure and breast cancer: is there a risk?

The carcinogenic potential of environmental xenoestrogens (i.e., organochlorines) is a matter of controversy. Their pathogenic role as promoters in breast cancer has been previously suggested. In Europe, despite their prohibition since the '70s, residues persist in soil and rivers resulting in a widespread contamination of the general population. In this study, we have compared the serum levels of p,p'-1,1-dichloro-2, 2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethylene (DDE) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in 231 women at the time of breast cancer discovery and in 290 age-matched healthy controls. p,p'-DDE was found in 76.2% of cases and in 71.1% of controls but HCB was present only in 12.6% of cases (29 from 231) and in 8.9% of controls (26 from 290). Even if taking all undetectable results (recorded as "0") into consideration, mean values were significantly different in cases when compared to controls. The serum level of p,p'-DDE was 3.46 +/- 3.48 ppb (0.58 +/- 0.58 microg/g lipid) in patients and 1.85 +/- 2.09 ppb (0.31 +/- 0.35 microg/g lipid) in controls (p < 0.0001). The HCB serum level was 0.66 +/-.25 ppb (0.11 +/- 0.21 microg/g lipid) in patients and 0.20 +/- 1.02 ppb (0.03 +/- 0.17 microg/g lipid) in controls (p < 0.0001). When considering p,p'-DDE and HCB as binary variables (1 if higher than the limit of quantification, 0 if lower), the presence of both residues was significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer development (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.41-3.48 for p,p'-DDE and OR 4.99, 95% CI 2.95-8.43 for HCB). No excess was observed among parous women or when familial history of breast cancer was considered. In the cancer group, no differences in serum levels of p,p'-DDE or HCB were found in relation with estrogen-receptor (ER) status, Bloom stage or lymph node metastasis, but the HCB level was moderately correlated with tumor size (p = 0.026).