More Frequent Hemodialysis: Back to the Future?

An increase in the length of the standard in-center hemodialysis treatment by 30 to 45 minutes per session was not associated with an improvement in mortality in long-term hemodialysis patients enrolled in the HEMO study. Testing the possibility that delivering still higher doses of hemodialysis may have a beneficial effect on patient outcomes will require the use of more frequent hemodialysis or a much longer duration for each dialysis session. "Short-daily hemodialysis," actually 6 times per week hemodialysis for 1.5 to 3 hours per session, can provide some increase in small molecule clearance as measured by urea kinetics. "Long nocturnal daily hemodialysis," actually 6 times per week hemodialysis for 6 to 8 hours per session, provides a significant increase in both small-molecular-weight and large-molecular-weight clearance and often alleviates the need to take phosphate binders. The National Institutes of Health is sponsoring 2 clinical trials via the Frequent Hemodialysis Network to determine the impact of these 2 modalities on intermediate outcomes, compared with standard 3-times-per-week hemodialysis.     

A transgluteal approach—Back to the future

Minimally invasive approaches to total hip arthroplasty have received much attention from both the lay press as well as the orthopaedic community. The potential for enhanced recovery and improved pain control in the perioperative period are in high demand from patients. We present a transgluteal approach to total hip arthroplasty as an alternative to the direct anterior approach that has the potential to maintain all of the possible benefits of a soft tissue sparing approach with a lower risk profile.     

Back to the future for wound care?

The European Renaissance was a time of enormous change and rapid progress in the arts, sciences, and medicine. A glimpse of wound care in the last phase of the European Renaissance is provided by the analysis of work by Wilhelm Fabry, the "father of German surgery," as provided in his book De Combustionibus ("Burns") which details his range of treatments for the burn wound, as well as his approach to the later problems of scarring and contracture. We describe some of the historic events which may have stimulated Fabry's writings, in particular, the influences passed down from the medical school of Padua which thereby advanced the cause of wound care and surgery. Finally, we briefly explore the potential of such an approach to the works of our medical forefathers.     

Editorial Commentary: Back to the Past—Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair Revisited

There has been increasing scientific interest in primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair in recent years. The results of these procedures have improved significantly compared with the 1970s and 1980s. Nevertheless, the overall rerupture rates after ACL repair are worse than after ACL reconstruction, and patient-reported outcome measures do not improve after ACL repair, in contrast to those after ACL reconstruction. However, because primary ACL repair is performed in the acute phase, improvement in patient-reported outcome measures after surgery is not expected. We believe that in the future, primary ACL repair will be established next to ACL reconstruction and nonsurgical therapy. One possible indication is a proximal ACL rupture. Which surgical technique will prevail—and whether orthobiological treatments such as platelet-rich plasma or stem cells will improve postoperative outcomes after ACL repair—will need further clarification by clinical trials.     

Colistin in burn intensive care: Back to the future?

Colistin is a venerable antibiotic whose fortunes have been revived by its excellent activity, the diminishing output of novel clinically effective antibiotics and the increasing importance of MDR infection in burn surgery, both in the civilian and military arenas. This review synthesizes current evidence on the usage of colistin in burn surgery including the structure–activity relationship; dosing, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD), analytic methods, resistance and current research efforts into the redevelopment of this antibiotic, to distil recommendations for future research and clinical efficacy.