Introduction: Chest trauma has a high incidence and pneumothorax is the most frequent finding. The literature is scarce on what to do with asymptomatic patients with pneumothorax due to penetrating chest trauma. The aim of this study was to evaluate what are the findings of the control radiography of patients with penetrating chest trauma who are not initially taken to surgery, and their usefulness in determining the need for further treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, including patients older than 15 years who were admitted for penetrating chest trauma between January 2015 and December 2017 and who did not require initial surgical management. We analyzed the results of chest radiography, the time of its acquisition, and the behavior decided according to the findings in patients initially left under observation. Results: A total of 1,554 patients were included, whose average age was 30 years, 92.5% were male and 97% had a sharp weapon wound. Of these, 186 (51.5%) had no alterations in their initial X-ray, 142 had pneumothorax less than 30% and 33 had pneumothorax greater than 30 %, hemopneumothorax or hemothorax. Closed thoracostomy was required as the final procedure in 78 cases, sternotomy or thoracotomy in 2 cases and discharged in 281. Conclusion: In asymptomatic patients with small or moderate pneumothorax and no other significant lesions, longer observation times, radiographs and closed thoracostomy may be unnecessary.
Today, diffusion-weighted MRI is an important, complementary sequence in an MRI of the abdomen, especially in oncological questions, but also in inflammatory diseases. The following paper deals with the technical basics and shows typical indications and findings as well as the value of the method in the diagnosis of parenchymatous upper abdominal organs and the gastrointestinal tract.
Background: Through the development of robust techniques and their comprehensive validation, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has developed a wide range of indications in its almost 25 years of clinical use. The recording of cardiac volumes and systolic ventricular function as well as the characterization of focal myocardial scars are now part of standard CMR imaging. Recently, the introduction of accelerated image acquisition technologies, the new imaging methods of myocardial T1 and T2 mapping and 4-D flow measurements, and the new post-processing technique of myocardial feature tracking have gained relevance. Method: This overview is based on a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed database on new CMR techniques and their clinical application. Results and conclusion: This article provides an overview of the latest technical developments in the field of CMR and their possible applications based on the most important clinical questions.
In a time of a growingly age-diverse workforce, modern organizations are facing the challenge of simultaneously maintaining job satisfaction for both younger and older workers. In that regard, this study aims to analyse and further explore the difference in job expectations of employees from the IT industry who belong to different age groups. Based on the extant literature, an appropriate research model was designed, which was subsequently tested using the data gathered through the surveys conducted over the past fourteen years. The research results show that the main difference between younger and older employees within the IT industry is related to professional and personal growth. Specifically, younger employees primarily look for personal development and rapid professional advancement, which are of minor importance to their older counterparts. Intriguingly, the obtained results showed no difference between the younger and older employees regarding the work environment, including its competitiveness.
Problem: in recent years, new studies have been published on biological effects of strong static magnetic fields and on thermal effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields as used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many of these studies have not yet been incorporated into current safety recommendations. Method: scientific publications from 2010 onwards on the biological effects of static and electromagnetic fields of MRI were searched and evaluated. Results: new studies confirm older work that has already described effects of static magnetic fields on sensory organs and the central nervous system accompanied by sensory perception. A new result is the direct effect of Lorentz forces on ionic currents in the semicircular canals of the vestibular organ. Recent studies on thermal effects of radiofrequency fields focused on the development of anatomically realistic body models and more accurate simulation of exposure scenarios. Recommendation for practice: strong static magnetic fields can cause unpleasant perceptions, especially dizziness. In addition, they can impair the performance of the medical personnel and thus potentially endanger patient safety. As a precaution, medical personnel should move slowly in the field gradient. High-frequency electromagnetic fields cause tissues and organs to heat up in patients. This must be taken into account in particular for patients with impaired thermoregulation as well as for pregnant women and newborns; exposure in these cases must be kept as low as possible.
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