No abstract

Although the short-term impact of injuries is extensive, the long-term outcomes are satisfactory. Severe injuries sustained during childhood do not lead to a diminished quality of life during adulthood.

This retrospective study concerns the aetiology and psychological long-term effects of injuries due to bicycle accidents in 329 patients 50 years and older who attended the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital at Groningen during the period 1990 through 1992. Long-term effects were assessed three years after hospital discharge. The one-sided bicycle accident (with no other traffic involved) was the major (63.2%) cause, mostly due to loss of balance or to a foot slipping from the pedal. The main category of the second major cause was collision with other traffic. Of the bicycle accidents 66% occurred within 15 minutes after departure; 80% of the accidents happened in good weather conditions and daylight, and 7.6% of the patients had taken tranquilizers before biking. The majority of the injuries were observed at the upper extremities (28.8%) and head or face (25.8%). The percentage of clinically treated patients increased across ages from 25% in the 50- to 54-yr.-old category to 45% in the category 75-yr. and older. Three years after the incident, long-term psychological effects were still observed in 29% of the patients.

Improving hemocompatibility is of major interest in extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Changes in numbers and functions of the blood cells during ECC have been ascribed to the nonphysiologic materials of the circuit. In this study, commonly used priming fluids (banked blood, Ringer's lactated solution, gelatin solution and dextran 70 solution) have been investigated for their influence on numbers and functions of canine thrombocytes, leukocytes and erythrocytes. Infusion of banked blood and Ringer's lactated solution did not affect number and function of the thrombocytes, whereas the plasma expanders caused dramatic, but reversible decreases. Leukocyte numbers were also affected, but only gelatin resulted in a decrease of leukocyte function. No effect on erythrocyte numbers was observed. It is concluded that under these experimental circumstances some priming solutions cause acute intravascular aggregation. To obtain the optimal condition for studying the hemocompatibility of ECC, preferably Ringer's lactated solution should be used.