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E-Only Articles
The Iliad and the Odyssey of metallic foreign body extraction: commentary on “Novel methods of removing metallic foreign body from human soft tissue: a report of 7390 cases”
Surgeons have been extracting metallic foreign bodies (MFB) for centuries. Perhaps the earliest literary account comes from Homer's epic poem The Iliad (ca BC 800), based on events of the Trojan War from Greek mythology. Makaon operated on an arrow wound to the abdomen of King Menelaus by extracting the arrow, sucking blood from the wound to remove poison, and applying a salve [1]: The shaft he drew, but left the head behind. Straight the broad belt with gay embroidery graced, He loosed; the corslet from his breast unbraced; Then suck'd the blood, and sovereign balm infused, Which Chron gave, and Aesculapius used [2].Strategies to prevent sepsis-induced intensive care unit–acquired weakness: are there any options? Commentary on “Comparison of melatonin and oxytocin in the prevention of critical illness polyneuropathy in rats with surgically induced sepsis”
Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is one of the leading causes of morbidity in critically ill patients and a significant risk factor for the development of chronic critical illness. In 2008, 727,000 patients were hospitalized for sepsis, with mortality rate of 17% at an estimated cost of $14.6 billion [1]. The risk of critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities in patients with sepsis, multiorgan failure, or prolonged mechanical ventilation is reported to be as high as 46% [2].
