Intra-abdominal injuries

With the increase in mechanization, the incidence of intra-abdominal injury is increasing. Bleeding, contamination or impairment of function of an intra-abdominal organ must be diagnosed early and dealt with immediately. Serial determination of hemoglobin and cell volume of the blood are useful diagnostic procedures. The older teachings of waiting for a patient to recover from shock before operating are to be decried. Immediate operative intervention to close a ruptured stomach, bowel or bladder, or to suture or remove may be necessary to save the life of the patient.     

Craniocerebral injuries

The postconcussion syndrome is a definite entity, and the patient's complaints are due to legitimate injury. The following three factors contribute to the symptomatology:1. Headaches, caused by the associated sprain of the cervical spine with resultant radiculitis-giving rise to muscle spasm and suboccipital headaches.2. Vertigo, due to trauma of the vestibular and labyrinthine apparatus.3. A vasomotor imbalance and instability resulting from the reaction to "stress."In treatment of an unconscious patient great care must be taken to prevent anoxia and to balance the fluids and electrolytes. If coma develops following brain injury, hemorrhage into the cerebellar fossa as well as above the tentorium must be considered.     

Radiodiagnosis of pelvic injuries

The paper deals with an algorithm for the radiodiagnosis of pelvic injuries. The examination of victims with pelvic injuries allows one to state that multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) can define the type of pelvic ring instability and the nature of fragment displacement, visualize all types of fractures of pelvic bones and cotyloid cavity walls, and reveal intrapelvic hematomas, as well as changes in adjacent soft tissues, sacroiliac joints, intrapelvic vessels and organs. MSCT angiography is a technique that can be successfully used at different stages of diagnosis and as the first imaging method or as a pre-examination one if the diagnosis is established and as a control study. The scope and quality of obtained information are generally sufficient to make a decision on treatment policy.