The hidden aspect of carotid lesions in traffic accidents: A little-known phenomenon

Vascular injuries that occur during traffic accidents are a commonly neglected aspect that can add more detail to the framework of a case. In this study, we analysed a case series of 150 traffic accidents, 39 of which were marked by microscopically identifiable vascular lesions. The purpose was to identify the presence of carotid injuries in individuals who died due to traffic accidents and had nonpenetrating trauma of the neck. We focused on the discrepancies regarding the macroscopical aspect and the histology and demonstrated how histological analysis of the carotids in cases of trauma can reveal injuries that are attributable to the trauma itself. We conducted a histological analysis of the lesions to describe their distribution and type and investigate potential correlations. The study offers insight on how to examine road accidents that involve traumatic injury of the carotid arteries. Indeed the main task of the forensic pathologist in the case of death is to establish the existence of a causal relationship between the micro- or macroscopic alterations observed in the autopsy and the traumatic event that led to the death of the subject. Thus, further morphological elements were provided to the forensic practitioners that may reveal injuries attributable to the trauma itself and should be evaluated in cases of trauma in traffic accidents.     

Five-year results of no-fault compensation related to childbirth injuries in Taiwan

ObjectiveIncreasing obstetric medical litigations had great impacts in health care system resulted in lower recruitment of residents and higher medical cost of defensive medicine in Taiwan. In order to reduce medical litigation, the “Childbirth Accident Emergency Relief Act” was implemented in June 2016. This study presented five-year results of a novel childbirth accident compensation system.Materials and methodsThe purpose of the Relief Act was to establish a national relief system to ensure timely relief, reduce medical disputes, promote the partnership between patient and medical personnel. The compensations included maximal 2 million NTD for maternal death, maximal 0.3 million NTD for neonatal and fetal deaths, and 3, 2, and 1.5 million NTD for maternal or neonatal profound, severe, and moderate disabilities, respectively. Puerperal hysterectomy was included with maximal 0.8 million NTD compensation.ResultsSince June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2021, there were 1340 applications reviewed by Committee and 1258 were approved with total relief of 744.7 million NTD (26.6 million USD) with approve rate of 93.9%. It took an average of 109.8 days to start application from childbirth and 102.4 days to get compensation from application. 66.1% of accident victims agreed this system can restore doctor–patient relationship by immediate care and assistance from medical institutions.ConclusionThe Relief Act is the first government leading compensation system to establish a national relief system. It was enacted to reduce medical disputes, promote the partnership between patient and medical personnel, and enhance health and safety of women during childbirth. A no-fault compensation would be an efficient alternative disputes resolution to childbirth accidents.     

Patterns of facial fractures in children

Morbidity and mortality among children is usually the result of trauma. Because a child’s face is retruded relative to the protecting skull, has a thicker layer of adipose tissue, more elastic bones, flexible sutures lines, the presence of tooth buds within the jaws, and the lack of pneumatisation of the sinuses, the facial bones fracture less commonly than in adults. Our aim was to assess the patterns of such fractures in children who presented to the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. All 535 eligible children between the ages of 1-16 years who presented during the two years December 2009 - December 2011 were included in the study. Facial fractures were diagnosed by clinical examination, plain radiographs, and computed tomography, and the pattern of fractures of the facial bones including the frontal bone, orbital bones, maxilla, zygoma, naso-orbito-ethmoidal complex, mandible, and dentoalveolar region was documented. The male:female ratio was 2:1 with 369 male (70%) and 166 female (31%) patients. Fall was the cause in 212 (39%), and in 167 (31%) it was road traffic accidents, while sports were the cause in 135 (25%). The naso-orboto-ethmoid complex was fractured in 37 cases (7%) while 104 children (19%) presented with isolated fractures of the zygomatic bone. The maxilla was fractured in 195 cases (36%), the mandible in 380 (71%), and dentoalveolar trauma was the cause in 256 (50%). The mandible was the bone that was most often fractured (mostly in boys and usually as a result of falls during summer vacations), with the peak occurring in those aged 8-12 years.     

The relationship between illnesses and medical drug consumption with the occurrence of traffic accidents among truck and bus drivers in Tehran, Iran

Purpose: To determine the relationship of illnesses and medical drug consumption with the occurrence of traffic accidents among truck and bus drivers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on truck and bus drivers in Tehran, Iran. The criteria for participating in this study were: married males over 30 years old, driving license in grade one, five years of job experience, mental health and non-addiction license. The criterion for not participating in this study was the lack of cooperation in responding to the questions. Six months was spent to collect the latest five years data of driving accidents from 2011 to 2016. A total of 323 truck and bus drivers in Tehran city and the suburbs, Iran were chosen. Among them, 112 were responsible for accidents (accident group) while 211 were not responsible for any accidents or involved in an accident in the last five years (nonaccident group). A specially designed questionnaire was used to investigate the demographic information, medical drug consumption, medical backgrounds and history of accidents. Results: The results revealed that compared with healthy subjects, the occurrence of accidents among people with diabetes (OR = 2.3, p = 0.001) and vision weakness (OR = 1.7, p = 0.020) was significantly higher, while that among people with cardiac (OR = 0.5, p = 0.002) and hypertension (OR = 0.9, p = 0.048) problems was remarkably lower. Moreover, consumption of Gemfibrozil (OR = 1.8, p = 0.010) and Glibenclamide (OR = 2.2, p = 0.002) drugs resulted in significantly higher incidence of accidents than those without. Conclusion: Frequencies of illnesses like cardiovascular and hypertension were not higher in accident drivers than in non-accident drivers; but diabetes, vision weakness and consumption of Gemfibrozil and Glibenclamide lead to more traffic accidents.     

便携式核事故急救箱的研制

目的:研制一种便携式核事故急救箱,用于核事故现场伤员的自救互救。方法:核事故急救箱外形尺寸为360 mm×240 mm×150 mm,箱体采用5 mm防水板材,表面覆压花铝板,内衬木质纤维板,外层喷涂亚光漆。箱盖内侧设计自带照明装置,箱体内划分为急性放射病防治药放置专区和常规战伤急救药材放置区。急性放射病防治药放置区设计3个Φ50 mm孔洞和4个Φ30 mm孔洞,用于放置配备的抗放药品。结果:用该急救箱在核设施现场开展伤情模拟救治,能满足核事故现场伤员自救互救需求。结论:便携式核事故急救箱设计合理、标识清晰,能有效提高核事故现场伤员自救互救能力和存活率,具有较好的实用价值。     

民航飞行学员飞行训练应激源研究

目的确定我国民航飞行学员飞行训练的应激源。方法采用德尔菲法形成量表初步维度并在此基础上编制初测量表,从不同训练分院及国外训练归校的学员中采取分层随机取样;选取524名飞行学员进行测试,对所得数据进行分析形成正式问卷。对所获数据进行探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析,并分别检验量表的内部一致性系数、重测信度、内容效度与结构效度。结果训练环境、职业前景、飞行教员、座舱环境4个维度共解释了总变异的57.154%。量表总体的Cronbach’sα系数为0.830,各因子的Cronbach’sα系数为0.751~0.782,重测的相关系数均在0.806(P<0.01)以上。维度间的相关系数为0.134~0.438(P<0.05),各维度与总体的相关系数在0.617~0.748(P<0.01)。一阶4因素模型(GFI=0.929、IFI=0.989、TLI=0.986、CFI=0.989、RMSEA=0.013)拟合效果较好。结论民航飞行学员飞行训练应激源量表符合心理测量学标准,具有良好信效度,民航飞行学员飞行训练应激源主要来源于训练环境、职业前景、飞行教员、座舱环境。     

Are you surgically current? Lessons from aviation for returning to non-urgent surgery following COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has caused many issues across healthcare. In surgery, many operations have been cancelled with some surgeons losing their regular operating lists. During this time, technical expertise and decision making can deteriorate. In aviation after a prolonged period of absence from flying, this deficit in keeping skills and thinking up to date is known as being “out of currency” or “not current”. Although aviation and healthcare cannot be compared, numerous human factors concepts are applicable to both. In this article, we explore the likely impact of potentially prolonged absences in operating on surgical skills and psyche, and introduce the concept of a Surgical Skills Currency Barometer. We also discuss a “task-o-meter” thought experiment, and suggest practices which could be adopted to help protect surgeon workload from exceeding surgical capability when returning to operating following a period of prolonged absence.     

Early labor force exit subsequent to permanently impairing occupational injury or illness among workers 50‐64 years of age

Background

Severity of workplace injury tends to increase with age. Whether older workers who experience a workplace injury or illness exit the labor force sooner than comparable peers is not established.

Methods

A case‐cohort study design and complementary log‐log model were used to identify factors associated with average time to early substantial labor force exit among workers’ compensation claimants 50‐64 years of age with permanent impairment from an occupational injury or illness. Analysis was based on Ontario's workers’ compensation claimant data from 1998 to 2006 linked with Canadian tax files.

Results

Workers with permanent impairment left the labor force earlier, on average, than peers without claims. Early retirement was associated with older age in the injury/illness year, greater impairment, lower pre‐claim income, physically demanding jobs, and soft‐tissue injuries.

Conclusions

Policies aiming to extend older adults’ working lives should account for the potentially disparate impacts on older workers of occupational injury and illness.

     

Misdiagnosed coronary artery diseaseeacute aortic syndrome: A case report

It is estimated that 15% of traffic accidents cause trauma to large vessels. In about 70%–95% of cases, aortic rupture took place in the distal ligament of the left subclavian artery, whereas in the remaining cases rupture occurred in the ascending aorta above the aortic valve. Trauma to the aortic sinus and coronary arteries is rarely found in traffic accident victims. Therefore, coronary artery trauma is often misdiagnosed as coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. The present case is a 42 years old male who survived from a traffic accident. He presented with aortic sinus and left coronary artery trauma. He was misdiagnosed as having coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, and therefore wrongly given antiplatelet medicine, such as aspirin, in another hospital. Definite diagnosis was achieved in our hospital, and the patient underwent Bentall and mitral valve replacement, as well as tricuspid valvuloplasty. The aortic occlusion time during surgery was 47 min, and the total cardiopulmonary bypass time was 63 min. After surgery, transthoracic echocardiography confirmed that all the artificial valves worked sufficiently. The patient felt good and symptoms such as asthma and decreased exercise tolerance disappeared. This case taught us that acute aortic syndrome cannot be ignored when patients present with pectoralgia; antiplatelet medication should not be given before definite diagnosis.