Validation of Probabilistic Linkage to Match De-identified Ambulance Records to a State Trauma Registry

Objectives: To validate the accuracy of using probabilistic linkage for matching de‐identified ambulance records to a state trauma registry. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis. Three thousand nine hundred nineteen true matches between ambulance and state trauma registry data from 1998 to 2003 were identified by deterministic matching on trauma identification number and verified by human review. Two thousand thirty‐eight ambulance records from trauma patients not meeting criteria for a true match, and an identical number of trauma registry records randomly selected from the one local county served by a different EMS provider, were included as nonmatches. There were 17 variables considered for linkage, which included the following: age, gender, race, county, hospital, date, rural setting, call and arrival times, mechanism, penetrating injury, vital signs, intubation, and intoxication. Probabilistic linkage was used to link the two data sets, using seven different combinations of common variables (maximum, 17; minimum, 4). The sensitivity and specificity of identifying true matches and nonmatches (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]) were calculated for each combination of variables. Results: Using all 17 available variables, 3,766 of 3,919 true matches were appropriately linked (sensitivity, 96.1%; 95% CI = 95.4% to 96.7%), with eight mismatches (specificity, 99.6%; 95% CI = 99.2% to 99.8%). Sensitivity fell below 95% with < 15 variables; however, sensitivity was very dependent on the inclusion of variables with high discriminatory power. Specificity remained >98% regardless of the number of variables included. Conclusions: Probabilistic linkage is a valid method for matching ambulance records to a trauma registry without the use of patient identifiers; however, the sensitivity of identifying true matches is critically dependent on the number and type of common variables included in the analysis.     

Post–traumatic Alzheimer''s disease: preponderance of a single plaque type

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Several factors have been proposed including head trauma. At present, the link between head injury and a subsequent neurodegenerative process is largely circumstantial, except in the case of dementia pugilistica (punch drunk syndrome) found in boxers. Recent studies have shown that the brains of boxers with this syndrome contain large numbers of 'diffuse' beta-protein immunoreactive plaques. We supposed that this plaque type might be associated with trauma induced Alzheimer-like degeneration. In order to test this hypothesis we have re-investigated a previously reported case of post-traumatic premature Alzheimer's disease. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies to amyloid beta-protein revealed large numbers of 'diffuse' non-Congophilic plaques with little or no neuritic component. A similar preponderance of this plaque type is present in the brains of boxers with dementia pugilistica. Our observations support the idea of a trauma induced Alzheimer-like degenerative process and indicate that such a condition is associated with a marked preponderance of 'diffuse' plaques.     

Impaired modulation of motor cortex excitability by homonymous and heteronymous muscle afferents in focal hand dystonia.

A decrease of heteronymous median nerve-evoked inhibition of corticospinal projections to forearm extensor muscles was reported in a group of 10 dystonic patients by Bertolasi and colleagues in 2003. Here we tested the excitability of corticomotoneuronal connections to both wrist extensor (ECR) and flexor (FCR) muscles after conditioning stimulation of median and also radial nerve at rest in a group of 25 patients with focal hand dystonia compared to 20 healthy subjects. We also investigated the effect of the wrist dystonic posture, either in flexion or in extension, on the afferent modulation of ECR and FCR motor evolved potentials (MEPs). The heteronymous (median-induced) but also homonymous (radial-induced) inhibitions (interstimuli intervals 13-21 ms) of ECR MEP size observed in healthy subjects were decreased in patients. In addition, homonymous (median-induced) facilitation of FCR MEP size was also decreased in patients while heteronymous inhibition (radial-induced) was not. Neither the involvement of the target muscle in the dystonic posture nor the origin of the afferent volley (from a dystonic muscle) influenced the degree of impairment of afferent modulation of the MEP. These findings support the view that a global abnormal somatosensory coupling in focal hand dystonia may contribute to an inadequate motor command to wrist muscles.     

Prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors in candidates for orthodontic treatment

Abstract  – The dental records made on presentation of 1367 consecutive patients (731 females and 636 males) for orthodontic treatment at a private orthodontic practice between 1998 and 2002 were examined for data relating to trauma to the permanent incisors. The results showed that 10.3% of these patients had suffered from dental trauma before the onset of orthodontic treatment. The highest prevalence of dental trauma was determined in the 11–15 years age group, corresponding to the dental developmental stage of the late mixed dentition. The most frequently affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors (79.6%), and the most common types of trauma were fracture of enamel–dentin without pulpal involvement (42.7%) and fracture of enamel (33.8%). Compared to patients with normal overjet and adequate lip coverage, the frequency of dental trauma was significantly higher in patients with increased overjet and adequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.028) or with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.003). The results of the present study indicate that a significant percentage of candidates for orthodontic treatment, and especially those with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage, suffer trauma to their permanent incisors before the onset of orthodontic treatment. It might also be concluded that preventive orthodontic treatment of such patients should be initiated and completed before the age of 11, i.e. in the early to middle mixed dentition.     

早期扩髓髓内钉固定治疗合并胸部损伤的股骨干骨折

目的探讨合并胸部损伤的股骨干骨折早期扩髓及髓内钉固定是否增加并发症及死亡率. 方法采用回顾性对比分析,依据下列标准选择病例(1) 年龄在17～65岁;(2) 必须有胸部损伤[简明损伤定级(AIS)≥2], 且损伤严重度评分(ISS)≥16;(3) 住院时间≥48 h;(4) 病史中无明显影响全身状况的疾病, 如糖尿病, 慢性心、肺、肾功能不全等;(5) 有股骨干骨折, 且进行了扩髓髓内钉固定, 不含钢板、外固定支架或牵引及石膏固定者.并按受伤至手术时间划分为两组, A组为<24 h手术者(早期扩髓组), B组为≥24 h手术者(延期扩髓组),将两组间合并伤情况、ISS、住院时间、ICU时间、并发症、死亡及合并休克情况进行比较. 结果有96例符合上述标准, 其中A组57例, B组39例,经统计学处理, 两组间仅在股骨开放性骨折发生率(A组53%,B组31%,χ2=4.496, P<0.05)、合并休克率(A组51%, B组28%,χ2=4.895, P<0.05 )及住院时间[A组为(17.5±6.5)d, B组为(31.5±9.5)d,t=8.599, P<0.001]上差异有显著性意义和非常显著性意义, 而两组并发症发生率和死亡率等方面比较, 差异无显著性意义(P>0.05). 结论在合并胸部损伤的股骨干骨折中,只要能控制休克,保证生命体征平稳,对股骨干骨折行早期扩髓髓内钉固定不增加患者的并发症发生率及死亡率,并可促进患者早日康复,缩短住院时间.     

创伤性睾丸脱位5例报告

目的 探讨创伤性睾丸脱位的诊断和治疗。方法 对所收治的5例患的诊治情况进行分析研究，并结合复习有关献。结果 1例手法复位成功，4例行手术复位．1例发生睾丸萎缩后切除患睾。结论 创伤性睾丸脱位临床少见，漏误诊率较高。对骨盆部、会阴部、阴囊部外伤患应警惕本病；详细检查阴囊及睾丸．确诊后尽早行手法或手术复位固定．定期随访。     

等密度硬膜下血肿的CT诊断(附47例分析)

本文分析了47例等密度硬膜下血肿的CT表现,观测的各种CT征象,发现(1)bolus增强扫描显示的血肿、血肿膜及表面移位血管;(2)中线结构的特征性偏移;(3)表面脑回聚拢内移;(4)脑灰白质界面内移;(5)侧脑室变形和脑—脑室指数变小,对等密度硬膜下血肿的诊断和鉴别诊断有重要意义。