Four patients with intracranial penetrating injuries from screwdrivers are presented. Two cases were fatal; the others were left with functional deficits. In two of the patients a penetrating injury was not suspected initially because the history was limited and the significance of the small entry wounds were not appreciated. Unless these wounds are carefully examined a penetrating injury is ea...

BACKGROUND Initial management of solid organ injuries in hemodynamically stable patients is nonoperative. Therefore, early identification of those injuries likely to require surgical intervention is key. We sought to identify factors predictive of the need for nephrectomy after trauma. METHODS This is a retrospective review of renal injuries admitted over a 12-year period to a Level I trauma ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to describe pelvic fractures and their associated injuries in service members who either died of wounds or were killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and define any differences in associated injuries between penetrating versus blunt injury to the pelvis. METHODS A review of all service members who sustained a pe...

Chest trauma can affect any one or all components of the chest wall and thoracic cavity (bony skeleton, lungs and tracheobronchial tree, heart and great vessels, esophagus and diaphragm). This review is focused on the pathophysiology, diagnostic and treatment of blunt and penetrating thoracic injuries.

Background: Penetrating abdominal injury occurs when a foreign object pierces the skin. The morbidity and mortality associated with penetrating abdominal trauma is related to the intraabdominal complications. This study is, therefore, intended to determine the abscess rate resulting from penetrating abdominal trauma in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria. Method: A 6-year (January 2...