Infection in total hip replacement: meta-analysis

While total hip arthroplasty has progressed to become one of the most successful surgical procedures ever developed, infection remains a serious complication. We have conducted a review of the literature pertaining to management of deep infection in total hip arthroplasty, specifically focusing on clinically relevant articles published in the last five years. A search was conducted using MEDLINE and PubMed, as well as a review of the Cochrane database, using the terms “total hip arthroplasty”, “total hip replacement” and “infection”. References for all selected articles were cross-checked. While the so-called two-stage revision is generally considered to be the gold standard for management, numerous studies now report outcomes for implant retention and reassessing one-stage revision strategies. There are encouraging reports for complex reconstruction options in patients with associated severe bone stock loss. The duration of antibiotic therapy remains controversial. There is concern about increasing bacterial resistance especially with the widespread use of vancomycin and ertapenem (carbapenem)

New perspectives on central and peripheral immune responses to acute traumatic brain injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Traumatic injury to the brain (TBI) results in a complex set of responses involving various symptoms and long-term consequences. TBI of any form can cause cognitive, behavioral and immunologic changes in later life, which underscores the problem of underdiagnosis of mild TBI that can cause long-term neurological deficits. TBI disrupts the blood–brain barrier (BBB) leading to infiltration of immune cells into the brain and subsequent inflammation and neurodegeneration. TBI-induced peripheral immune responses can also result in multiorgan damage. Despite worldwide research efforts, the methods of diagnosis, monitoring and treatment for TBI are still relatively ineffective. In this review, we delve into the mechanism of how TBI-induced central and peripheral immune responses affect the disease outcome and discuss recent developments in the continuing effort to combat the consequences of TBI and new ways to enhance repair of the damaged brain.</p