Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Micromachines (Basel) 2021 Apr 16;12(4). Epub 2021 Apr 16.

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.

Appropriate use of helmets as industrial personal protective gear is a long-standing challenge. The dilemma for any user wearing a helmet is thermal discomfort versus the chances of head injuries while not wearing it. Applying helmet microclimate psychrometry, we propose a logistic regression- (LR) based machine learning (ML) algorithm coupled with low-cost and readily available MEMS sensors to determine if a helmet was worn (W) or not worn (NW) by a human user. Read More

Front Virtual Real 2020 Dec 14;1. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.

Immersive virtual reality is proving effective as a non-pharmacologic analgesic for a growing number of painful medical procedures. External fixator surgical pins provide adjunctive stability to a broken pelvic bone until the bones heal back together, then pins are removed. The purpose of the present case study was to measure for the first time, whether immersive virtual reality could be used to help reduce pain and anxiety during the orthopedic process of removing external fixator pins from a conscious patient in the orthopedic outpatient clinic, and whether it is feasible to use VR in this context. Read More

Anesth Analg 2021 01 15;132(1):38-45. Epub 2020 Sep 15.

From the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine.

Background: Numerous barrier devices have recently been developed and rapidly deployed worldwide in an effort to protect health care workers (HCWs) from exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during high-risk procedures. However, only a few studies have examined their impact on the dispersion of droplets and aerosols, which are both thought to be significant contributors to the spread of COVID-19.

Methods: Two commonly used barrier devices, an intubation box and a clear plastic intubation sheet, were evaluated using a physiologically accurate cough simulator. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2020 Dec 7. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY.

Objective: The goal of endoscopic treatment for craniosynostosis is to remove the fused suture and achieve calvarial remodeling with external orthosis. To reduce the need for secondary surgery and to minimize blood loss, instruments that maximize bone removal while minimizing blood loss and risk of dural injury are evolving. The authors therefore assess the safety and efficacy of the Sonopet Ultrasonic Bone Aspirator (UBA) (Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI) for endoscopic suturectomy compared to traditional instrumentation at our institution. Read More

J Athl Train 2020 Nov 5. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

†Seton Hall University.

Context: In the event of an acute cardiac event, on-field equipment removal is suggested, although it remains unknown how lacrosse equipment removal may alter time to first chest compression and time to first AED shock.

Objective: To determine time to first chest compression and first AED shock in 2 chest exposure procedures with 2 different pad types.

Design: Crossover study Setting: Simulation laboratory Participants: Thirty-six athletic trainers (21 females, 15 males; age=30. Read More

J Family Med Prim Care 2020 Jul 30;9(7):3753-3755. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Department of Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India.

Trauma is currently the leading cause of death in the age group 15 to 44 years globally, with road trauma now representing the sixth leading cause of death worldwide. We present a case of a young male, who was brought to the apex trauma centre of the province with a metallic roadside guardrail impaled in his neck up to his oral cavity, which had to be cut to transport him to the hospital. A meticulous local exploration resulted in the successful removal of the spiked guardrail, with no damage to critical structures. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2020 Oct;31(7):2097-2100

Division of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford.

Background: Craniosynostosis treatment modalities have changed over time. These have included open calvarial remodeling, suturectomy with helmet molding, hand-powered distraction devices, and spring-mediated distraction. Implantable springs were first described for their use in treatment of craniosynostosis in 1998 (Lauritzen et al, Plast Reconstr Surg 121;2008:545-554). Read More

Aerosp Med Hum Perform 2020 Aug;91(8):674-678

Ejection injuries involving the eyes have become uncommon due to effective protection by helmets and visors. We report a unique case of intraocular lead foreign body injury occurring after ejection from a Hawk aircraft in a pilot who had his helmet and visor on. A 40-yr-old male pilot sustained facial injuries after ejection from a Hawk aircraft. Read More

Clin J Sport Med 2020 07;30(4):296-304

University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Introduction: Sports participation is among the leading causes of catastrophic cervical spine injury (CSI) in the United States. Appropriate prehospital care for athletes with suspected CSIs should be available at all levels of sport. The goal of this project was to develop a set of best-practice recommendations appropriate for athletic trainers, emergency responders, sports medicine and emergency physicians, and others engaged in caring for athletes with suspected CSIs. Read More

Anaesthesia 2020 12 9;75(12):1587-1595. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Intensive Care Services and Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the production of novel devices intended to protect airway managers during the aerosol-generating procedure of tracheal intubation. Using an in-situ simulation model, we evaluated laryngoscopist exposure of airborne particles sized 0.3 - 5. Read More

Sports Biomech 2020 Jun 15:1-24. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The purpose of this research was to compare the frequency and magnitude of head impact events between Pee Wee and Bantam ice hockey players. Videos of Pee Wee and Bantam boys' ice hockey were analysed to determine the frequency and type of head impact events. The head impact events were then reconstructed in the laboratory using physical and finite element models to determine the magnitude of strain in the brain tissues. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2019 11 7;163. Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Emma Kinderziekenhuis, Amsterdam UMC, locatie AMC-UvA, Afd. Kinder-mdl, Amsterdam.

Foreign body ingestion occurs frequently in children and may lead to severe complications and mortality. In this article, three cases are presented. A 2-year-old boy swallowed a plastic toy helmet. Read More

Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg 2019 Oct;37(10):623-634

CNDD, Hanover, Pennsylvania.

A review of photobiomodulation (PBM) in Alzheimer's dementia is submitted. The addition of PBM in neurodegenerative diseases is a dual modality that is at present gaining traction as it is safe, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory for treating neurodegeneration with photons that stimulate mitochondria increasing adenosine triphosphate and proteasomes increasing misfolded protein removal. Neurofeedback provides neural plasticity with an increase in brain-derived nerve factor mRNA and an increase in dendrite production and density in the hippocampus coupled with overall growth in dendrites, density, and neuronal survival. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2019 09;69(Suppl 3):S214-S220

Division of Infectious Diseases, Atlanta Department of Medicine.

Background: The safe removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) can limit transmission of serious communicable diseases, but this process poses challenges to healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods: We observed 41 HCWs across 4 Ebola treatment centers in Georgia doffing PPE for simulated patients with serious communicable diseases. Using human factors methodologies, we obtained the details, sequences, and durations of doffing steps; identified the ways each step can fail (failure modes [FMs]); quantified the riskiness of FMs; and characterized the workload of doffing steps. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2019 Aug 15;19(16). Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Department of Electrical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.

By the standard of today's image-guided surgery (IGS) technology, in order to check and verify the progress of the surgery, the surgeons still require divert their attention from the patients occasionally to check against the display. In this paper, a mixed-reality system for medical use is proposed that combines an Intel RealSense sensor with Microsoft's Hololens head-mounted display system, for superimposing medical data onto the physical surface of a patient, so the surgeons do not need to divert their attention from their patients. The main idea of our proposed system is to display the 3D medical images of the patients on the actual patients themselves by placing the medical images and the patients in the same coordinate space. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Aug 24;128:506-513. Epub 2019 May 24.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy; Head and Neck Surgery & Forensic Dissection Research Center, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.

Objective: To describe a novel bilaterally pedicled pericranial flap for anterior cranial base reconstruction after removal of complex frontobasal cancers extending to the frontal region, thus precluding the use of standard reconstructive techniques.

Methods: In selected oncologic cranial base surgeries, the use of the standard galea frontalis pericranial flap for reconstructive purposes may be precluded by tumor infiltration. In such cases, dura mater reconstruction and exclusion of frontal sinuses from the intracranial space can be performed using a large superficial temporal artery bilaterally pedicled pericranial flap obtained from both temporoparietal regions. Read More

Ir Med J 2018 04 19;111(4):727. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Athlone Institute of Technology, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

Aims Despite no previous research, it is anecdotally reported that hurling and camogie players modify their helmet and faceguard, which is against GAA regulations and can potentially increase injury risk. This study aimed to establish the prevalence and rationale behind modifications in hurling and camogie. Methods An online questionnaire was completed by 304 players aged over 18 (62% hurlers, 38% camogie players) which consisted of 27 questions. Read More

BMJ Mil Health 2020 Jun 9;166(3):161-166. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Department of laboratory diagnosis, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, China

Purpose: To describe the combat-related injuries cured by Chinese Level 2 medical treatment facility (CHN L2) in Mali from 1 March 2016 to 1 March 2018, including type of weapon, mortality, nature of injuries, degree and location of injuries and surgical procedures. METHODS : A retrospective, descriptive study of 176 injured cases that met the terrorist attacks was conducted. The medical data were collected by an electronic database system. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Dec;22(6):610-615

1Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; and.

OBJECTIVEMany infants with sagittal craniosynostosis undergo effective surgical correction with endoscopic strip craniectomy (ESC) and postoperative helmet therapy (PHT). While PHT is essential to achieving optimal cosmesis following ESC, there has been little comprehensive analysis of the ideal PHT duration needed to attain this goal.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of infants undergoing ESC and PHT for sagittal synostosis at our institution between 2008 and 2015. Read More

Surgery 2018 Nov 30;164(5):921-925. Epub 2018 Jul 30.

Department of Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

Background: Recommendations of the Joint Commission discourage the use of surgical skull caps in favor of bouffant or helmet headwear; however, data supporting such recommendations are limited and have been questioned in recent studies, as well as by our departmental and hospital leadership. At the end of December 2015, surgical caps were removed from our institution with the theoretic goal of decreasing surgical site infections. We aimed to assess the impact of this intervention on surgical site infection occurrence at our institution. Read More

Cureus 2018 May 14;10(5):e2622. Epub 2018 May 14.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.

Sporting event emergencies are common among both spectators and players, with unique sets of challenges associated with patient extrication in unfamiliar and chaotic environments. It is critical for sports physicians and trainers to deliberately train and prepare for emergent situations with limited resources during athletic events. One of the most difficult, yet commonly encountered challenges is determining when and how to safely remove an injured player's helmet and sporting equipment, particularly if a spinal injury is highly suspected. Read More

Trauma Case Rep 2018 Apr 2;14:11-19. Epub 2018 Feb 2.

Department of Neurosurgery, Second floor, College building, LTMG Hospital, Sion, Mumbai 22, India.

Civilian perforating head injury is rare. Because rarity of this injury, there is no standard management protocol. We report a case of perforating head injury with iron rod, review the literature on the subject and discuss the challenges in the management of such case. Read More

Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul) 2018 Apr 24;81(2):99-105. Epub 2018 Jan 24.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Acute exacerbation(s) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) tend to be critical and debilitating events leading to poorer outcomes in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment modalities, and contribute to a higher and earlier mortality rate in COPD patients. Besides pro-active preventative measures intended to obviate acquisition of AECOPD, early recovery from severe AECOPD is an important issue in determining the long-term prognosis of patients diagnosed with COPD. Updated GOLD guidelines and recently published American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society clinical recommendations emphasize the importance of use of pharmacologic treatment including bronchodilators, systemic steroids and/or antibiotics. Read More

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2018 04 16;158(4):637-640. Epub 2018 Jan 16.

1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.

Standard KTP laser (potassium titanyl phosphate) wavelength-specific protective eyewear often impairs visualization of tissue changes during laser treatment. This sometimes necessitates eyewear removal to evaluate tissue effects, which wastes time and poses safety concerns. The objective was to determine if "virtual" or "electronic" chromoendoscopy filters, as found on some endoscopy platforms, could alleviate the restricted visualization inherent to protective eyewear. Read More

Orthop J Sports Med 2017 Dec 20;5(12):2325967117744757. Epub 2017 Dec 20.

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.

Background: The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) advocates for cervical spine immobilization on a rigid board or vacuum splint and for removal of athletic equipment before transfer to an emergency medical facility.

Purpose: To (1) compare triplanar cervical spine motion using motion capture between a traditional rigid spine board and a full-body vacuum splint in equipped and unequipped athletes, (2) assess cervical spine motion during the removal of a football helmet and shoulder pads, and (3) evaluate the effect of body mass on cervical spine motion.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Read More

Br J Sports Med 2018 Jun 27;52(11):741-746. Epub 2017 Sep 27.

Combat Sports Performance, Braintree, Essex, UK.

Objectives: The effect of the rules change in 2013 on amateur boxing strategy, technique and safety in comparison with pre-2013 is unknown.

Methods: Pre-2013 and post-2013 3×3 min elite level amateur boxing was compared from video footage of 29 Olympic (pre-2013) and 50 World Championship bouts (post-2013) totalling 99 male boxers (mean±SD) age: 24.3±3. Read More

Emergencias 2017 07;29(4):249-252

Facultad de Enfermería de la UCAM, Murcia, España. Gerencia de Urgencias y Emergencias 061 de la Región de Murcia, Murcia, España.

Objectives: To measure cervical spine movement during removal of a motorcycle helmet by health care professionals.

Material And Methods: Observational study using biomechanical inertial sensors to detect movement in the spinal column during removal of helmets.

Results: Thirty-four emergency medicine specialists and nurses participated. Read More