Common Source Of Injury Research Articles

A prospective study to evaluate the predictive value of ocular trauma score in cases of mechanical eye injuries in a tertiary care hospital

Ocular trauma score (OTS) was proposed to predict the visual outcome of patients after ocular trauma, which estimates visual function (visual acuity) after 6 months of ocular trauma. This OTS scale is useful for guiding the treatment and rehabilitation of the patients with eye injury and to provide the valuable information and advice. Aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of OTS in cases of mechanical ocular trauma. A prospective interventional study was carried out in a tertiary care centre over a period of 2 years; August 2017 to July 2019. Patients with mechanical eye trauma were included in the study. OTS score was calculated and recorded for each eye at the time of injury. Proper treatment given to each case and followed for six months. Results obtained were compared with standard OTS with respect to final VA. Out of 50 patients mean age was 28.46 years, with majority between 21 to 50 years of age. There were 78% males and 22% were females. Metallic objects were the common source of injury in 27 cases (54%) like iron rod and nail. In cases (fifty eyes) the distribution of OTS variables was; globe rupture 86% (43 eyes), retinal detachment 6% (3 eyes), relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) 6% and endophthalmitis 2% (1 eye) respectively. The final visual acuities in OTS categories in our study groups were similar to those in the OTS study group, except for some categories. OTS helps treating ophthalmic team to assess evidence based prognosis of a traumatized eye in advance. With the guidance of OTS the patient and their family can be counselled for further management.

MP04-07 THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT-RELATED GENITAL INJURIES IN CHILDREN: AN ANALYSIS OF UNITED STATES EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS VISITS, 2010-2019

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Playgrounds are a common source of injury in children. Genital injuries associated with playground equipment are scarcely investigated. Herein, we sought to evaluate the ...

Paediatric off-road vehicle injury in rural and regional Australia.

Off-road riding of quad bikes and motorcycles is common among children across rural and remote Australia, but is a significant source of injury and hospitalisation. An in-depth analysis of paediatric off-road vehicle crashes was undertaken to inform injury prevention countermeasures by characterising injury patterns and sources of injury. This is a prospective in-depth case series. Participants are children aged 16 and under who have been hospitalised due to injury sustained from the use of an off-road motorcycle or quad bike in New South Wales, Australia. Crash investigation techniques (medical data, structured interview, vehicle and crash site inspection) were used to ascertain details of the crash event, protective gear, injury information and contributory factors. Thirty children were recruited, 27 boys and 3 girls, ranging in age from 4 to 16years, having crashed on off-road motorcycles (n=27) or quads (n=3). Most (73.3%) were participating in unstructured social riding. A total of 67 separate injuries were observed, with overall Injury Severity Scores between 1 and 35. There were high rates of wearing helmets and motorcycle-specific garments. The most commonly injured areas were the upper and lower extremities. The most common sources of injury were from impacting the ground, obstacles/other riders or the vehicle. This study demonstrates the patterns of riding and injury in rural paediatric off-road vehicle riders, occurring despite high rates of helmet/protective gear use. This underscores the need for investigation into the injury mitigation and fit properties of protective gear and the inherent risks for physically and developmentally maturing children.

Sex- and Sports-Specific Epidemiology of Traumatic Lumbar Spine Injuries Sustained During Sporting Activities: Male Snowboarders and Female Horseback Riders at Greatest Risk

PurposeTo generate national estimates of sports-related traumatic lumbar spine injury incidence rates using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database and determine any sports- and sex-specific epidemiologic patterns of these traumatic injuries.MethodsData regarding traumatic lumbar spine injuries sustained through sporting activities from 2009 to 2018 were extracted from the NEISS, a database generating nationwide estimates through patient information collected during emergency department visits from 100 NEISS hospitals across the United States. The estimated number of injuries was calculated using weights assigned by the NEISS database depending on the geographic location of the injury.ResultsA total of 497 traumatic lumbar spine injuries were identified over the course of 10 years, suggesting 19,208 estimated injuries. The estimated average injury rate was 6.1 injuries per million persons per year. When analyzed by sex, the incidence rate of traumatic lumbar spine injury was 3.6 injuries per million persons per year for male patients and 2.5 injuries per million persons per year for female patients (P = .663). In male patients, 47% of the injuries occurred in individuals aged between 10 and 29 years, whereas injuries in female patients were more equally distributed across different age groups. Horseback riding (27%), skiing (5%), and roller skating (4%) were the leading causes of traumatic lumbar injuries in female patients. In male patients, most injuries were experienced as a result of snowboarding (13%), weightlifting (10%), and football (6%).ConclusionsFrom 2009 to 2018, the estimated incidence of sports-associated traumatic lumbar spine injuries was approximately 6.1 injuries per million persons per year. Male patients experienced a greater number of traumatic lumbar injuries (3.60) than female patients (2.46), with a relative incidence rate of 1.46. The most common source of injury was snowboarding in male patients and horseback riding in female patients.Level of EvidenceLevel III, retrospective comparative study.

Engineering Control Technologies to Protect Operators in Agricultural All-Terrain Vehicle Rollovers.

HIGHLIGHTS Rollovers are the leading cause of injury and fatality in farm all-terrain vehicle (ATV) incidents. Engineering technologies to prevent rollovers or protect the operator in ATV crashes were reviewed in this study. The advances in safety for ATVs are correlated with improvements in stability, handling, and crashworthiness. Operator protection devices and crash notification systems can protect the operator in ATV rollover incidents. ABSTRACT. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are the second most common source of injury, following tractors, in U.S. agriculture. Rollovers are the leading cause of death in farm ATV incidents, constituting about 85% of ATV-related deaths. There is neither a significant practical solution for ATV rollover crashes in the U.S. nor standards and rules for implementing such a solution. Behavior-based control methods have been used for several decades but have reached their limit of success. Hence, engineering controls are needed to significantly decrease the severity of injuries in ATV rollover incidents (as in tractor incidents). In this study, engineering technologies to protect the operator in agricultural ATV crashes were reviewed. The discussion includes improving crash testing and stability ratings, evaluating static stability of ATVs, dynamic handling tests of ATVs, using automatic systems to notify first responders of a crash, and testing and applying operator protection devices. The available standards, rules, and recommendations related to these technologies around the world are also discussed.

The performance of 3D bioscaffolding based on a human periodontal ligament stem cell printing technique.

Bone tissue plays an important role in supporting and protecting the structure and function of the human body. Bone defects are a common source of injury and there are many reconstruction challenges in clinical practice. However, 3D bioprinting of scaffolds provides a promising solution. Hydrogels have emerged as biomaterials with good biocompatibility and are now widely used as cell-loaded materials for bioprinting. This study involved three steps: First, sodium alginate (SA), gelatin (Gel), and nano-hydroxyapatite (na-HA) were mixed into a hydrogel and its rheological properties assessed to identify the optimum slurry for printing. Second, SA/Gel/na-HA bioscaffolds were printed using 3D bioprinting technology and their physical properties characterized for surface morphology, swelling, and mechanical properties. Finally, human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) were mixed with SA/Gel/na-HA printing slurry to create a "bioink" to prepare SA/Gel/na-HA/ hPDLSCs cell bioscaffolds. These were tested for biocompatibility and osteogenic differentiation performance using live/dead cell staining, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase activity. The SA/Gel/na-HA hydrogel exhibited shear-thinning behavior. The equilibrium swelling of the bioscaffold was 125.9%, the compression stress was 0.671 MPa, and the compression elastic modulus was 8.27 MPa. The SA/Gel/na-HA/hPDLSCs cell bioscaffolds caused effective stimulation of cell survival, proliferation, and osteoblast differentiation. Therefore, the SA/Gel/na-HA/hPDLSCs cell bioscaffolds displayed potential as a material for bone defect reconstruction.

Relationships among Training, Mindfulness, and Workplace Injuries among Nurse Aides Working in Long-Term Care Settings

Nursing aides working in long-term care settings experience high rates of injury, musculoskeletal symptoms, and exposure to resident aggression. Some of these injuries and exposure to aggression may be related to trait mindfulness. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between trait mindfulness, job training, injury, sources of injury, and musculoskeletal symptoms among nursing aides working in long-term care residential settings. Nursing aides working in long-term care settings across Ohio, USA (n = 152) were recruited for the study. Measures of sociodemographic characteristics, job tenure, job training, mindfulness, work injuries, sources of injuries, and musculoskeletal symptoms were obtained. Correlational analyses demonstrated that higher levels of mindfulness and training were associated with lower levels of injury and musculoskeletal symptoms. They were also significantly inversely associated with the following injury sources: lifting/repositioning resident, bumping/hitting equipment, and resident aggression. Results of hierarchical linear regressions indicated that mindfulness was a significant and unique predictor of injuries, exposure to the most common sources of injury, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Specifically, nursing aides with higher levels of mindfulness were less likely to report experiencing injuries, exposure to the most common sources of injury, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Given that mindfulness can be trained and modified, adding mindfulness training to nursing aide educational programs could potentially help reduce risk for injury among this vulnerable population of workers. Further research exploring the potential benefit of mindfulness training could address this possibility.

Analysis of mortality rate of road traffic accidents and its trend in 11 years in Iran

Background and Objectives: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the second cause of death, the first leading cause of years of life lost due to premature mortality, and the most common source of injury in Iran. According to the World Health Organization estimates, Iran located in the countries that have the highest rates from RTAs. The present study aimed to measure road traffic mortality rates and also to depict a view of the trend for a period of 11 years which started from 2006 to 2016. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we collect data on all road traffic deaths in Iran between 2006 and 2016 using records from the Legal Medicine Organization. For doing this research, demographic and epidemiological data of the deceased were extracted using a checklist designed by the forensic experts. Content validity of this form was determined by obtaining comments of professors and scholars in the field. Directly standardized mortality rates were calculated. Finally, the information was analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: During the 11-year period of this study, 226,514 people in Iran died from RTAs. The age-adjusted mortality rate that caused by road traffic decreased from 41.5/100,000 people in 2006 to 20.4 in 2016 during the study period. There were significant differences in mortality rates between males and females and between outside city and inside city roads. The age-adjusted mortality rate was significantly higher among men than in women. The majority of death has occurred in illiterate young men aged 15–34 years and also in self-employed people. Conclusions: During the 2006–2016, mortality from RTAs decreased from 41.5 to 20.4/100,000 populations. This decreasing trend was observed in both sexes and in outside city and inside city roads. However, this reduction trend in the last years of the study is not suitable. These findings highlighted that training programs and harm reduction approaches for reducing the mortality from traffic accident are still needed.

Sonographic features of patients with ocular trauma at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City

Background: The human eye is vulnerable to various external injuries. This is in spite of the seemingly adequate protection offered by the bony orbit. Ultrasound, as a non-invasive and safe imaging modality, is very useful in evaluating the orbit as the globe provides a perfect acoustic window. There is a need for an update on the sonographic patterns of ocular trauma in Nigeria. Objective: To sonographically assess the features of ocular trauma at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Methods: Eighty patients with ocular injuries were studied over an 8-month period. After detailed history taking, using a closed eye technique, each patient was scanned with a 5-12MHz linear array probe of a SONOACE X4 Machine. Results: The 18-35 years age group was most affected and the right eye was more frequently involved. The most common sources of injury were intraocular foreign bodies (26; 32.5%), assault (20; 25%) and road traffic accidents (18; 22.50%). Mechanical injuries were more common, comprising 44 (56.4%) cases of blunt trauma and 34 (43.6%) cases of penetrating trauma. The most common sonographic findings included vitreous haemorrhage, intraocular foreign bodies and retinal detachment. Conclusion: Posterior chamber findings (vitreous haemorrhage and retinal detachment) were more frequent than anterior chamber findings in ocular trauma.

A cross-sectional pilot survey of sharp injuries among dental students in a tertiary care dental hospital in Lucknow, India

Aim: This study aims to estimate the frequency of sharp injuries among the post-graduate and undergraduate dental students and evaluate their knowledge regarding the needle-stick/sharp injuries, proper handling and disposal of sharp waste. Methodology: A written questionnaire containing questions regarding frequency of sharps injury, source of injury, status of immunisation and knowledge regarding handling and disposal of sharps waste was personally distributed to the participants and collected on the same day. Informed consent was obtained from the participants, and the purpose of the study was explained to them. The data obtained was statistically analysed. Percentage distribution of responses for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) students was recorded. Furthermore, the comparison of responses for BDS and MDS was analysed using the t-test. Chi-square test was used to find the significance difference between responses by BDS and MDS students. Results: The results of the present questionnaire study revealed that 38.5% (10/26) post-graduate students and 37.2% (16/42) undergraduate respondents had a history of sharps injury (P = 0.917). Most common reason for the injury among post-graduates was recapping of needles 84.6% (22/26) followed by endodontic instruments 11.5% (3/26) and use of probes/explorer 3% (1/26). Among the undergraduates, the most common source of injury was again recapping of needles 97.7% (42/43), followed by endodontic instruments 2.3% (1/43). Conclusion: Both undergraduates and post-graduates reported with history of sharps injury, though the difference among them was not significant. Needle-stick or sharps injury can prove to be fatal, and as dental students have an early clinical exposure, they should be trained early in their curriculum regarding correct disposal and handling of sharps.

Stair-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of stair-related injuries among individuals of all ages and estimate national injury frequencies and rates using a representative sample of patients treated in United States emergency departments. MethodsData from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were analyzed for patients treated for stair-related injuries in United States emergency departments from 1990 through 2012. ResultsAn estimated 24,760,843 patients were treated in emergency departments for a stair-related injury during the 23-year study period, averaging 1,076,558 patients annually, or 37.8 injuries per 10,000 United States residents. The annual rate of stair-related injuries decreased by 12.6% (p<0.001) during 1990–1996, followed by an increase of 24.0% (p<0.001) during 1996–2012. Although the highest injury rates occurred among younger children and older adults, the majority (67.2%) of emergency department visits for stair-related injuries was by individuals 11–60years old. Most patients were female (62.4%), who also had a higher injury rate (46.5 vs. 29.1 per 10,000) than males. Sprains and strains (32.3%), soft tissue injuries (23.8%), and fractures (19.3%) were the most common types of injury. The body regions most frequently injured were the lower extremities (42.1%) and head/neck (21.6%). Patients ≤10years old experienced more head/neck injuries. Older adult patients more frequently sustained fractures than younger age groups. ConclusionsStairs are a common source of injury among individuals of all ages and the frequency and rate of stair-related injuries are increasing. This underscores the need for increased prevention efforts, particularly those related to stair design and construction.

Surgical Fires and Operative Burns: Lessons Learned From a 33-Year Review of Medical Litigation

ObjectiveWe aimed to understand the setting and litigation outcomes of surgical fires and operative burns. MethodsWestlaw, an online legal research data-set, was utilized. Data were collected on patient, procedure, and case characteristics. ResultsOne hundred thirty-nine cases were identified; 114 (82%) operative burns and 25 (18%) surgical fires. Median plaintiff (patient) age was 46 (IQR:28–59). Most common site of operative burn was the face (26% [n = 36]). Most common source of injury was a high energy device (43% [n = 52]). Death was reported in 2 (1.4%) cases. Plaintiff age <18 vs age 18–50 and mention of a non-surgical physician as a defendant both were shown to be independently associated with an award payout (OR = 4.90 [95% CI, 1.23–25.45]; p = .02) and (OR = 4.50 [95% CI, 1.63–13.63]; p = .003) respectively. Plaintiff award payment (settlement or plaintiff verdict) was reported in 83 (60%) cases; median award payout was $215,000 (IQR: $82,000-$518,000). ConclusionHigh energy devices remain as the most common cause of injury. Understanding and addressing pitfalls in operative care may mitigate errors and potentially lessen future liability. Level of evidenceIII.

Sports participation and the solitary kidney, with particular reference to the child athlete

The aims of this systematic review were to analyze the risks of renal injury during various sports and to recommend appropriate management with particular reference to individuals with a solitary kidney. The Ovid/Medline data-base was searched from 1996 to August 2015. The terms sports/sports medicine, athletes or physical activity were combined with the terms wounds and injuries/kidneys to yield 27 citations relevant to the review. This data base was supplemented extensively from journal reference lists and the author``s personal files to provide a total of 56 citations. Review articles suggest that many physicians are still very cautious in recommending some forms of sport to children with single kidneys, while permitting other more dangerous activities. The absolute risks of renal injury are very low but not non-existent for most sports; for instance, there are 2.6 incidents per million exposures in male soccer players. Many renal injuries are minor, and only a small minority require nephrectomy. Contact sports account for perhaps a fifth of physical activity-related renal trauma, but the operation of all-terrain vehicles, cycling, Alpine sports and horse-back riding are all more common sources of injury. Possible factors modifying inherent risks include parental supervision, the wearing of protective equipment, initial renal health, and the individual``s age (children being more vulnerable than adults). Minor renal injuries may require only 2-6 weeks of restricted activity; often, there are no long-term consequences, but subcapsular haematomas can cause a pressure necrosis of renal tissue, with later risks of hypertension, proteinuria and renal insufficiency. Sports physicians must communicate the objective level of risk to the parents of children with a single kidney, emphasizing that sport carries greater dangers for the head than the kidneys, and that serious renal injury is more likely from motor traffic than from sport participation. Moreover, they must underline the importance of continued regular physical activity to the overall health and development of the child. Nevertheless, they should also underline the need to take all reasonable precautions to reduce risk, including the avoidance of activities likely to involve collisions and blunt trauma.

Prevalence of injury in ultra trail running

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to find the rate of musculoskeletal injuries in ultra-trail runners, investigate the most sensitive anatomical areas, and discover associated predicting factors to aid in the effective prevention and rapid rehabilitation of trail running injuries.MethodsForty ultra trail runners responded to an epidemiological questionnaire.ResultsAt least one running injury was reported by 90% of the sample, with a total of 135 injuries were reported (111 overuse injuries, 24 appeared during competing). Lower back pain was the most common source of injury (42.5%). Running in the mountains (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.0004) and following a personalized training schedule (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.0995) were found to be protective factors. Runners involved in physical labor are associated with more injuries (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.058). Higher-level runners are associated with more injuries than lower-level cohorts (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.067), with symptoms most commonly arising in the lower back (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.091), hip joint (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.083), and the plantar surface of the foot (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.054). Experienced runners (&gt; 6 years) are at greater risk of developing injuries (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001), especially in the lower back (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.012), tibia (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.049), and the plantar surface of the foot (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0 .028). Double training sessions could cause hip joint injury (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.060).ConclusionsIn order to avoid injury, it is recommended to train mostly on mountain trails and have a training program designed by professionals.

Context-based fall detection and activity recognition using inertial and location sensors

Accidental falls are some of the most common sources of injury among the elderly. A fall is particularly critical when the elderly person is injured and cannot call for help. This problem is addressed by many fall-detection systems, but they often focus on isolated falls under restricted conditions, not paying enough attention to complex, real-life situations. To achieve robust performance in real life, a combination of body-worn inertial and location sensors for fall detection is studied in this paper. A novel context-based method that exploits the information from the both types of sensors is designed. It considers body accelerations, location and elementary activities to detect a fall. The recognition of the activities is of great importance and also is the most demanding of the three, thus it is treated as a separate task. The evaluation is performed on a real-life sce- nario, including fast falls, slow falls and fall-like situations that are difficult to distinguish from falls. All possible combinations of six inertial and four location sensors are tested. The results show that: (i) context-based reasoning significantly improves the performance; (ii) a combination of two types of sensors in a single physical sensor enclosure is the best practical solution.

Stove-related injuries treated in EDs in the United States, 1990-2010

BackgroundHousehold stoves are a common source of injury in the United States. PurposeTo investigate the epidemiology of stove-related injuries. MethodsThe National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to analyze cases of nonfatal stove-related injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments (EDs) from 1990 through 2010. ResultsAn estimated 910696 (95% CI, 789279-1032113) individuals were treated for stove-related injuries during the 21-year study period, yielding an average of 43366 injured persons annually or 5 injuries every hour. The number (m = −252.85; P = .033) and rate (m = −0.026; P < .001) of injured individuals significantly decreased during the study. Injuries were highest in 1991 (50656 cases; 2.0 per 10000) and lowest in 2005 (38669 cases; 1.31 per 10000), although there was an increase in 2010 (48990 cases; 1.58 per 10000). Patients ≤19 years experienced 41.3% of stove-related injuries. The primary mechanism of injury was contact with stove parts (37.5%). The body region most commonly injured was the hand (44.6%), and a thermal burn was the most common diagnosis (51.8%). The majority (94.4%) of patients were treated and released from the ED. Patients >60 years of age were 3.85 (95% CI, 2.97-4.98) times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than younger patients. ConclusionsThis is the first comprehensive study of stove-related injuries in the United States using a nationally representative sample. Strategies to prevent stove-related injuries should address the multiple mechanisms of injury.

Softball injuries treated in US EDs, 1994 to 2010

BackgroundSoftball is a popular participant sport in the United States. This study investigated the epidemiology of softball injuries with comparisons between children and adults. MethodsData from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients 7 years and older treated in an emergency department (ED) for a softball injury from 1994 through 2010 were analyzed. ResultsAn estimated 2107823 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1736417-2479229) patients were treated in US EDs for a softball injury during the 17-year study period. The annual number of injuries decreased by 23.0% from 1994 to 2010 (P < .001); however, during the last 6 years of the study, injuries increased by 11.7% (P = .008). The annual rate of softball injuries increased significantly during the study period (P = .035). The most commonly injured body regions were the hand/wrist (22.2%) and face (19.3%). Being hit by a ball was the most common mechanism of injury (52.4%) and accounted for most of face (89.6%) and head (75.7%) injuries. Injuries associated with running (relative risk, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.97-2.82) and diving for a ball (relative risk, 4.61; 95% CI, 3.50-6.09) were more likely to occur among adult than pediatric patients. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate softball injuries using a nationally representative sample. Softball is a common source of injury among children and adults. Increased efforts are needed to promote safety measures, such as face guards, mouth guards, safety softballs, and break-away bases, to decrease these injuries.

Polytrauma patient - Ophthalmologist perspective

Ocular trauma is the leading cause of monocular blindness accounting for up to 40%. It can occur in all age groups, most frequent being young males. The incidence of penetrating eye injuries is 3.6 per lakh, while those requiring hospitalization is 15.2 per lakh. Common sources of injury include blunt objects, sports, and road traffic accidents. The current article deals with the examination and management of an ocular emergency in a polytrauma patient.

Fall Classification by Machine Learning Using Mobile Phones

Fall prevention is a critical component of health care; falls are a common source of injury in the elderly and are associated with significant levels of mortality and morbidity. Automatically detecting falls can allow rapid response to potential emergencies; in addition, knowing the cause or manner of a fall can be beneficial for prevention studies or a more tailored emergency response. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate techniques to not only reliably detect a fall but also to automatically classify the type. We asked 15 subjects to simulate four different types of falls–left and right lateral, forward trips, and backward slips–while wearing mobile phones and previously validated, dedicated accelerometers. Nine subjects also wore the devices for ten days, to provide data for comparison with the simulated falls. We applied five machine learning classifiers to a large time-series feature set to detect falls. Support vector machines and regularized logistic regression were able to identify a fall with 98% accuracy and classify the type of fall with 99% accuracy. This work demonstrates how current machine learning approaches can simplify data collection for prevention in fall-related research as well as improve rapid response to potential injuries due to falls.

Multidisciplinary trauma team care in Kandahar, Afghanistan: Current injury patterns and care practices

Multidisciplinary trauma care systems have been shown to improve patient outcomes. Medical care in support of the global war on terror has provided opportunities to refine these systems. We report on the multidisciplinary trauma care system at the Role III Hospital at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.We reviewed the Joint Trauma System Registry, Kandahar database from 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2010 and extracted data regarding patient demographics, clinical variables and outcomes. We also queried the operating room records from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010.In the study period of 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2010, 2599 patients presented to the trauma bay, with the most common source of injury being from Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts (915), followed by gunshot wounds (GSW) (327). Importantly, 19 patients with triple amputations as a result of injuries from IEDs were seen. 127 patients were massively transfused. The in-hospital mortality was 4.45%.From 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010, 4106.24 operating room hours were logged to complete 1914 patient cases. The mean number of procedures per case in 2009 was 1.27, compared to 3.11 in 2010.Multinational, multidisciplinary care is required for the large number of severely injured patients seen at Kandahar Airfield. Multidisciplinary trauma care in Kandahar is effective and can be readily employed in combat hospitals in Afghanistan and serve as a model for civilian centres.