The mission of aeromedical evacuation of patients, whether in peacetime, wartime or under unexpected conditions (earthquake, flood etc) will remain the same. Aeromedical evacuation systems have become an integral part of the practice of critical care medicine. These systems provide interhospital transport of critically ill or severely injured patients. Understanding the medical aspects of flights and the capabilities of the aeromedical environment will help to evacuate patients in a safe and a proper manner.

BACKGROUND
Indirect injuries of adjacent tissues and organs usually accompany maxillofacial impact injuries. However, studies on indirect dental pulp injury are rare. This study was designed to determine the characteristics of indirect dental pulp injury caused by impact injury of mandible in dogs.
METHODS
Eighteen dogs were divided equally into six groups with random allocation. Right mandible of each dog was impacted but teeth were not injured directly. Then, the animals were killed at appointed time points and ultrastructural changes in dental pulp of assigned teeth of each dog were investigated with transmission electron microscope.
RESULTS
Dental pulp of the fourth premolar of right mandible was injured very severely, but irreversible necrosis did not occur in the end. Dental pulp of the second premolar of right mandible was injured less severely and reversibly. Dental pulp of the second premolar of left mandible was injured mildly and temporarily.
CONCLUSION
In the indirect injury of dental pulp caused by maxillofacial impact injury, the injured area is relatively extensive. The effect of the trauma decreases progressively and sharply as the distance to the impact site increases. Ultrastructural changes in the damaged nerves take place early.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of postoperative early enteral, and glutamine enriched enteral feeding on the healing of experimental colonic anastomosis.
METHODS: Forty Wistar-albino rats were equally divided into 4 groups. Colonic transsection and anastomosis situated at distal left colon was performed on all animals. Groups 1 and 2; Animals received late (after 4th day postoperatively) enteral feeding. Groups 3 and 4; Animals received early (after 6th hours postoperatively) enteral feeding. Glutamine was added in enteral nutrition protocol in groups 2 (late) and 4 (early). The colonic segment including the anastomosis was excised at the end of 7th day postoperatively. Bursting pressure of the anastomosis and tissue hydroxyproline levels were determined.
RESULTS: Bursting pressures levels were measured as 111.6 and 95.8 cm/water (p=0.022) in early and late nutrition groups respectively. Comparison of late enteral feeding groups (1 and 2) showed a significant difference in favor of group with glutamine (95.8 vs 138.5 cm/water; p<0.0001). Highest bursting pressure levels (139 and 138.5 cm/water) were measured in both early and late feeding groups with glutamine.
Tissue hydroxyproline level in early enteral feeding group (2440.3 µg) was significantly (p=0.024) higher than late enteral feeding group (1509.6 µg). The differences were not statistically significant between other groups. Comparison of late enteral feeding groups (1 and 2) showed a considerable difference in favor of group with glutamine (1509.6 vs 1981.6 µg) but not statistically significant (p=0.276).
CONCLUSION: Postoperative early enteral feeding significantly ameliorates the resistance of the anastomosis and collagen synthesis. Glutamine enrichment in nutritional protocol decreases and reverses disadvantages of late enteral feeding in point of the resistance of anastomosis. Similar positive and useful, but weaker effects of glutamine supplementation are also valuables on collagen synthesis

BACKGROUND
In this study, we evaluated the cause and the clinical course of neurogenic pulmonary edema which has developed abruptly in some of the patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit.
METHODS
We evaluated 223 patients in the neurosurgical ICU (116 males; 107 females; mean age 44.4±19.5). Five of these had worsening in neurological evaluation and oxygenation and were diagnosed as having a neurogenic pulmonary edema. Patients with pneumonia were excluded from the study.
RESULTS
We identified acute hydrocephaly in three patients and re-bleeding of an aneurysm in one as the cause of neurogenic pulmonary edema. No cause could be identified in the remaining patient. Although four patients could be discharged from the ICU, one died due to multiorgan failure.
CONCLUSION
Physicians should be careful about neurogenic pulmonary edema, a life-threatening clinical condition, that develops within hours of a neurologic event and usually resolves with neurologic recovery.

BACKGROUND
We evaluated the patients who underwent surgical or nonoperative treatment for acute necrotizing pancreatitis.
METHODS
The study included 38 patients (22 males, 16 females; mean age 51.3 years; range 16 to 79 years) with acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Surgical treatment was performed in 23 patients, while 15 patients were treated conservatively.
RESULTS
Gallstone (in 17 patients) was the most common cause of pancreatitis. Twenty-five patients had sterile necrotizing pancreatitis, while 13 patients had infected necrotizing pancreatitis. Fifteen of the 25 cases with sterile necrosis were treated conservatively. The other 10 patients were initially treated by conservative methods, and were later treated surgically (due to six incorrect diagnosis, three organ failures, and one symptomatic pseudocyst). We applied continuous lavage to six of those patients and conventional drainage to four of them. Mortality rate was 23.7% globally; 24.0% in the sterile necrosis group and 23.1% in the infected necrosis group. Mortality rate was 21.7% in the surgical treatment group, and 26.7% in the conservative treatment group. There were no statistically significant differences between those groups (p>0.05). Eleven of the 29 patients who survived had some complications.
CONCLUSION
The management of sterile pancreatic necrosis is still a matter of debate. Most patients with sterile necrosis can be treated with conservative methods. Indication for surgery in sterile necrosis should be based on persisting or advancing organ complications and sepsis signs despite intensive care therapy. The patients with infected necrosis should be treated surgically. Surgical intervention is best deferred until the demarcation of necrosis is complete.

BACKGROUND
We evaluated the surgical methods, morbidity and mortality in patients who had surgery for blunt liver trauma.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 159 patients (116 males, 43 females; mean age 33.6; range 15 to 67 years) with blunt hepatic trauma regarding the cause and severity of liver injury, diagnostic procedures, associated injuries, management, morbidity, and mortality. Simple hepatorrhaphy was done in minor liver injuries (Grade I, II). To manage severe liver trauma (Grade III-V), debridement, selective hepatic artery ligation and omentum packing of the laceration (DSO) in 40; resectional debridement (RD) with direct control of bleeding vessels within the liver by the Pringle maneuver in 12; deep matress suture (DMS) in 23; and perihepatic packing (PP) in 9 patients were performed.
RESULTS
The causes of trauma were motor vehicle accidents in 102, falls from height in 43 and violence induced blunt trauma in 14 patients. Among 159 patients, 84 had severe liver injuries and 75 had minor liver injuries. Associated organ injuries were present in 104 patients and splenic injury was the most common. Mean units of blood transfusions in DSO, DMS, RD and PP were 4.3, 6.2, 5.5 and 9.5 respectively. Mean time for liver surgery in DSO, RD, DMS and PP were 34.7, 38.1, 26 and 18.2 minutes respectively. Morbidity rate was higher in DMS group than in DSO and RD groups, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Twenty-five patients (29.4%) died of severe liver injuries and 9 (12%) died of minor liver injuries. The overall mortality rate was 21.3%.
CONCLUSION
DSO, and RD methods don’t increase operation time and amount of blood transfusion. They cause less morbidity and mortality when compared to DMS.

BACKGROUND
Non-operative management in abdominal injuries may reduce non-therapeutic laparatomies without increasing mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of a recently used non-invasive management strategy, in trauma patients in our institution.
METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed. The sixty-three patients (50 males; 13 females; range 8 to 61 years) with abdominal injuries who were unstable during their admissions to our institution between July 1st, 2000 and July 1st, 2001 (the first year of the NIMS implementation) were identified and divided into three groups according to the presence or absence of surgical intervention and the timing of the operation.
RESULTS
There were 63 blunt abdominal trauma patients who were unstable during admission. Patients in Group 1 (n=14) and Group 2 (n=10) had urgent laparotomy during the resuscitation therapy or after a median observation period of 7 hours (range, 2 to 20). Group 3 patients (n=39) did not require surgical intervention.
CONCLUSION
Most of the trauma patients who respond to initial fluid replacement do not require surgery. Close monitoring and repeated abdominal examinations (NIMS) can be the main criteria for surgical intervention, although they are not the most reliable techniques in the diagnosis of solid organ injuries in all patients and of hollow organ injuries in conscious patients.

BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to collect the results of the plain abdominal radiography (PAR) signs, to determine their individual diagnostic values, and to discuss them under a brief literature review.
METHODS
Eight predetermined PAR signs were individually interpreted in a series of 424 consecutive children (278 males; 146 females; median age 10 years; range 11 months to 17 years) who underwent an operation for appendicitis. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the signs were determined.
RESULTS
Appendicitis was confirmed in 378 (89%) patients. Among the remaining 46 (11%) patients with a normal appendix, 20 (5%) had other intraabdominal pathologies. Calcified fecalith, mass image in right-lower-quadrant (RLQ), psoas obscuration, and localized extraluminal air signs were all highly specific and therefore, unlikely to be present if the appendix is normal. On the other hand, the sensitivity values were low, in general, for all the PAR signs investigated. Yet, presence of dilated transverse colon and/or single air şuid level in the RLQ has the highest percentage occurrence with appendicitis.
CONCLUSION
Although the there is no single PAR finding capable of ruling the diagnosis of appendicitis out, basic knowledge on PAR findings could have an impact on decision making process for clinicians dealing with pediatric acute abdominal pain.

BACKGROUND
We aimed to determine the level of knowledge of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) physicians on Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and medicolegal responsibilities in conjunction with related factors.
METHODS
Fifty-three physicians (43 male, 10 females; mean age 39 years; range 28 to 50 years) employed in EMS were required to respond a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and educational background. They also answered 25 multiple-choice questions about BLS, ACLS and medicolegal responsibilities of physicians in a face-to-face manner. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance test.
RESULTS
Mean level of knowledge was 45.4 on a hundred-point scale. Attendance to courses covering emergency aid and working as an ambulance physician for more than one year were associated with higher levels of knowledge (p=0.012; p=0.015).
CONCLUSION
In-service training should be undertaken to raise the level of knowledge of the physicians employed in rural EMS and to improve the quality of field care.

Although intraperitoneal splenosis is a very common disease, intrathoracic splenosis is very rare. It is generally an asymptomatic disease that occurs after thoracoabdominal trauma, and is diagnosed as an intrathoracic mass that leads to unnecessary investigations to be differentiated from other benign or malignant lesions of the chest. We present a patient with an intrathoracic mass which was preoperatively diagnosed as a diaphragmatic hernia on chest X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. We have intraoperatively recognized that many pieces of splenic tissue have been herniated through a diaphragmatic defect, and formed intrathoracic splenosis. We repaired the diaphragmatic hernia defect after excision of fragments of the spleen.

We present a case of traumatic hydropneumothorax due to hydatid cyst rupture in a 10 year-old girl. The patient was suspected to have a bronchial rupture because of prolonged massive air leak and she underwent cystotomy via right posterolateral thoracotomy. The patient was readmitted with dyspnea and chest X-ray revealed a lung collapse 13 months postoperatively. Lung collapse was treated by using a Heimlich valve.
Pulmonary hydatid cyst can be asymptomatic for a long time unless a complication occurs. Because of the high incidence of hydatid disease in our country, this condition should be considered in cases with hydropneumothorax. The use of a Heimlich valve may be a good choice in the management of persistent air leak and may reduce the need for surgery.

Rectus sheath hematomas are uncommon and are being caused by the injuries of the epigastric vessels and the rectus muscle. They are usually located infraumblically and often misdiagnosed as inşammatory diseases or tumours of the abdomen. We present a 70-year-old woman who had complaints of severe abdominal pain on the left side, nausea and vomiting after heavy lifting. Rectus sheath hematoma was detected by abdominal ultrasonography and computerized tomography. The patient recovered uneventfully after bed rest, intravenous fluid replacement, blood transfusion and analgesic treatment. Computerized tomography must be chosen for definitive diagnosis. Ideal treatment is conservative.

Spinal fractures can occur after minor traumas due to the fragility of osseous or ligamentous structures of the spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. They are usually seen in the thoracolumbar region of the spine. However, the cervical region is an extremely rare location for these fractures. We present a 52-year-old male with ankylosing spondilitis who had complaints of weakness in the lower extremities and difficulty with walking after a fall from height. Neurologic examination revealed a progressive loss of motor function. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a Chance fracture at the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae. We performed a one-stage anterior cervical fusion and stabilization with posterior decompression. Postoperatively, there was a progressive neurologic improvement. However, the patient died due to pulmonary failure at the seventh day postoperatively.