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Acute, short-term hyperglycemia affects all major components of innate immunity and impairs the ability of the host to combat infection, even though certain distinctive proinflammatory alterations of the immune response can be observed under these conditions.

Immunological assessment is important to characterize the host defence response of trauma patients as infection is the most common cause of severe morbidity and late death. Sixty trauma patients were followed serially and divided into three groups: those with an uneventful recovery (n = 17), those with recovery after major sepsis (n = 27) and those who died (n = 16). The ability of peripheral blood monocytes to express the antigen HLA-DR was measured and compared to the results from 77 asymptomatic volunteers. After initial injury, there was a significant reduction from normal in the three trauma groups. It took one week for HLA-DR antigen expression to return to the normal range in the first group, three weeks in the second group, and in the third group it never returned to normal. Monocyte HLA-DR antigen expression, after incubation with lipopolysaccharide, distinguished those patients who survived from those who died. There was no difference in HLA-DR antigen expression between a high transfusion group of 31 patients who received 10 or more units of blood and a low transfusion group of 29 patients who received less than 10 units. The ability of monocytes to express HLA-DR antigen correlated directly with the clinical course in these patients and its measurement identified a group of patients at high risk of infection and death following trauma.

Non-operative management is safe in haemodynamically stable patients with blunt liver injury. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen is extremely useful to document the extent of the damage and the presence of associated injuries, but it is not possible, based on CT alone, to predict failure; careful physiological monitoring in selected patients is indicated to avoid catastrophic complications.

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The acute replacement of full-thickness abdominal wall has been facilitated by polypropylene mesh (Marlex) (PPM), allowing debridement of nonviable tissue and restoration of abdominal wall integrity without tension. However, no substantial long-term follow-up has been reported on the definitive wound coverage after the use of PPM in open wounds. Since 1976, we have placed PPM in 31 patients; 25 for infectious complication, three for massive bowel distension preventing abdominal closure, and three for shotgun wounds with extensive tissue loss. In 29 of 31 patients, the mesh was placed in heavily contaminated wounds; extensive fasciitis was present in 23 patients and 21 had intra-abdominal abscesses. Following mesh placement, 23 reoperations were required for continuing complications. No patients eviscerated, despite these multiple procedures. Polypropylene mesh was highly effective in restoring abdominal wall continuity. Despite advantages when PPM was used, significant long-term problems developed. Seven patients died from their primary illness in the postoperative period. Nine wounds were closed by granulation and subsequent split-thickness skin grafts. All nine developed mesh extrusion and/or enteric fistulae. Nine wounds healed by secondary intention, six developed enteric fistulae or continuing mesh extrusion. Full-thickness flap coverage after granulation provided the best means of wound closure. Polypropylene mesh had significant early advantages for providing abdominal wall integrity even in the presence of severe infection. However, long-term problems were common when wounds were closed to skin grafts or secondary intention. If the mesh cannot be completely removed, strong consideration should be given to myocutaneous flaps for coverage after the primary illness has resolved.