Journal of pediatric surgery最新文献

Background: This study aimed to develop a prediction model for intestinal perforation from meconium ileus (MI) based on findings from plain X-ray images.

Methods: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with MI hospitalized in two tertiary centers between 2011 and 2022 were included in this study. We retrospectively reviewed clinical parameters and assessed plain X-ray images from 0 to 5 days of age. The standardized transverse diameter of intestinal gas (STDI) was calculated by dividing the largest diameter of the intestinal gas by the distance from the upper edge of L1 to the lower edge of L4. We then compared the STDI of patients with and without intestinal perforation.

Results: Among 81 VLBW infants with MI, intestinal perforation occurred in 6 (7 %). Among known risk factors, significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding pregnancy-induced hypertension (p = 0.03), weeks of gestation (p < 0.01), birthweight (p = 0.02), and indomethacin administration (p < 0.01). The mortality rate was higher in the perforation group (33 %) than in the non-perforation group (3 %) (p = 0.021). There were significant differences between the perforated and non-perforated groups regarding STDI except at 0 days of age. The positive and negative predictive cut-off values of STDI were respectively 0.08 and 0.93 on day 0, 0.30 and 1.00 on day 1, 0.33 and 0.97 on day 2, 0.33 and 1.00 on day 3, 0.29 and 1.00 on day 4, and 0.33 and 0.98 on day 5, respectively.

Conclusions: Our novel prediction model, using STDI, predicted intestinal perforation in VLBW infants with MI.

Levels of evidence: Level Ⅲ.

Introduction: The Utah Pediatric Trauma Network (UPTN), established in 2019, is a collaboration of hospitals that have implemented guidelines to optimize pediatric trauma care. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preventable transfer (PT) rates decreased following the establishment of the UTPN and what hospital characteristics were associated with decreased preventable transfers.

Methods: Children with traumatic injuries transferred from hospitals in the UPTN to the state's only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center between 2013 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. A PT was a child discharged within 48 h of arrival without surgical intervention or advanced imaging studies. The main hospital-level outcome measure was an overall decrease in PT after the UPTN establishment in 2019.

Results: After 2019, 34 of the 46 hospitals meeting inclusion criteria saw a decrease in the percentage of PTs, while 12 saw an increase in PT rate, with an overall median change of -7 % (IQR -14 %, 0 %). We observed that hospitals with decreased PT had higher rates of PT before the establishment of the UPTN and had higher overall transfer volume than hospitals without a decreased PT rate. Can we put the overall p value in this?

Conclusion: Most hospitals were able to successfully decrease PT rates following the creation of the UPTN. More smaller hospitals did not successfully decrease PT, so more work may need to be done to target lower-volume hospitals.

Background: The categorization of intrahepatic portal venous system (IHPS) patterns using wedged hepatic venous portography (WHVP) has proven to be an effective tool in the preoperative evaluation of Rex recessus and in identifying pediatric patients with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO) who are suitable for meso-Rex bypass (MRB). Despite this classification system being proposed a decade ago, its clinical application remains underutilized.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study of 182 children with EHPVO was conducted between October 2014 and July 2023 when MRB was attempted. Data on demographics, etiology, imaging examinations, procedures, and follow-up were collected for 161 patients included. Two interventional radiologists used deVille's method to classify patients into types A to E based on WHVP imaging, with interobserver agreement analyzed. Associations between IHPS patterns and surgical outcomes following MRB were investigated.

Results: Two radiologists had a high level of agreement on identifying IHPS patterns and suitable patients for MRB. Of the 161 cases, 130 were type A, 10 were type B, 5 were type C, 7 were type D, and 9 were type E. One hundred and forty-five patients with types A, B and C underwent successful MRB, showing feasibility for 90% of patients. Children categorized as types A and B experienced more significant benefits than type C, including intraoperatively decreased portal vein pressure, esophageal/gastric varices relief, decreased portal venous collaterals and a lower rate of bypass occlusion after one year. The surgical outcomes of patients with types A and B were not influenced by the diameter of the Rex recessus as suggested by WHVP.

Conclusions: The majority of pediatric patients with EHPVO in mainland China have opportunities to receive successful MRB. There are potential differences in the etiology of Chinese and Western patients. The IHPS classification system aids in guiding preoperative surgical decisions and predicting hypotensive effects after MRB. Type C patients should be carefully chosen for MRB.

Introduction: Early identification of children at risk for PTSD is critical for improving mental health outcomes after traumatic injury. Currently, there is no standard PTSD screen for pediatric trauma patients and limited data on long-term quality of life for those who screen positive.

Methods: In 2022, we piloted a comprehensive routine screening program for ASD and PTSD at our Level I PTC. All admitted trauma patients ≥8 years old were eligible for screening. Inpatients were administered the ASC3. Those who screened positive were referred for follow-up and repeat mental health evaluation. PTSD screening (CTSQ, CPSS) and quality-of-life screening (PedsQL™) surveys were administered to eligible discharged trauma patients at 1-month post-injury. Children who screened positive on the CTSQ or CPSS were referred for behavioral health services.

Results: 205 children were screened for ASD using the ASC3. 49/205 children (23.9 %) had a positive screen (score ≥3). 56 children completed PTSD screening at 1-month post-discharge. 14/54 children (25.9 %) screened positive on CTSQ, and 8/50 children (16 %) screened positive on CPSS. There was a significant positive correlation between CTSQ and CPSS scores (r 0.76, ∗P<0.0001). When stratified by screening results, patients who screened positive on CTSQ and CPSS were found to have the most significant correlations with poor School and Emotional Functioning on their quality-of-life inventory.

Conclusion: Early screening for ASD may be predictive of later development of PTSD in children. Screening using previously validated tools (ASC3, CTSQ, CPSS) were effective in identifying children with negative emotional functioning lasting beyond the acute phase of physical recovery following injury. CTSQ and CPSS both performed well for screening at one-month post-discharge. Early identification can facilitate timely referral to mental health services to potentially minimize long-term socioemotional impact of PTSD.

Background: In proximal hypospadias, ventral curvature is invariable and most have penoscrotal transposition, and we observed that the base of the penis (BOP) was located on the inferior aspect of the pubic bones in those, in contrast to the location of the BOP at the anterior end in normal penises. We also observed an unfused bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM) at surgery in those. The aim was to assess the impact of repairing the unfused BSM or transection and straightening of the urethral plate at the first operation on the low BOP.

Method: All consecutive proximal hypospadias operations from January 2021 to August 2023 that had a low BOP were retrospectively studied. At the first operation, some had urethral plate transection only, with no BSM repair. Some had BSM repair with or without plate transection. The BOP position was reassessed post-intervention.

Results: Thirty-three cases of proximal hypospadias with low BOP were studied. At the first operation, as the key distinguishing step, 18 had BSM repair and 15 urethral plate transections. BOP shifted to the anterior end of the pubic bones in all 18 patients following BSM repair but showed no change in the 15 without BSM repair (p < 0.01). Subsequent BSM repair, during the second stage, normalized BOP in those 15. Normalising the BOP corrected penoscrotal transposition because the anterior end of the scrotum was at the anterior end of the pubic bones.

Conclusion: Repairing BSM is essential for normalising the BOP, which results in a normal penoscrotal relationship and normal anterior penile projection.

Level of evidence: IV.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is an important clinical endpoint in paediatric chronic conditions. How parent-proxy reports differ from child self-reported QOL in patients with anorectal malformation (ARM) and Hirschsprung's disease (HD) has not been well examined to date. This study evaluates agreement between parent-proxy and child-reported QOL scores in ARM and HD patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods: We recruited ARM and HD patients aged 5-17 years and their parents at four tertiary referral centres between December 2020 to February 2023 who had corrective surgery done >12 months prior. Healthy controls were age-matched and gender-matched. They completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) Generic Core Scales and General Well-Being (GWB) Scale. The questionnaires were administered in parallel parent-proxy-report and child self-report formats. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed with p < 0.05 significance. Data are reported as median (interquartile range). Ethical approval was obtained.

Results: There were 65 ARM, 54 HD and 83 controls. There were no significant differences between parent-reported scores and child-reported scores overall in the Total, Psychosocial Health and Physical Health components of Core Scales for ARM, HD and controls. However, parent-reported scores were significantly higher than child-reported scores overall in ARM, HD and controls in the GWB Scale.

Conclusion: Our findings show that parent-rated and child-rated overall QOL was similar in Core Scales for ARM, HD, and controls. However, parents overestimated child's overall GWB for ARM, HD and controls. This highlights the importance of capturing the perspectives of both parents and children to inform strategies to improve patient care.

Level of evidence: Level III.

Background: This study generalized and analyzed the clinical attributes observed in patients afflicted with Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) with the aim of elucidating the risk factors contributing to the manifestation of Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 96 pediatric cases diagnosed with KHE at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from January 2013 to December 2021. Among them, 62 patients (65%) showed KMP (KHE + KMP group), while 34 patients (35%) did not (KHE-KMP group). The risk factors for KMP associated with KHE were analyzed using univariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis, comparing the differences between KHE + KMP group and KHE-KMP group.

Results: Univariate analysis indicated no statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender, prematurity, family history, or color of involved skin. However, statistically significant differences were observed in age of onset, lesion site, and lesion depth. Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations: children with onset age ≤1 month had a 51-fold increased risk of KMP compared to those with onset age >1 month (95% CI 5.238-501.663); non-extremity lesion sites exhibited a 21-fold higher risk of KMP compared to extremity sites (95% CI 3.970-105.958); deeper lesions conferred a 5-fold higher risk of KMP compared to superficial lesions (95% CI 1.073-21.005); lesions >60 mm carried a 17-fold higher risk of KMP compared to lesions ≤60 mm (95% CI 2.999-96.157). A comprehensive predictive model was developed using the fitting formula: Logit (P) = 3.937∗(age at onset) + 1.558∗(lesion depth) + 3.021∗(lesion site) + 2.832∗(lesion size), demonstrating an accuracy of 82.9%. Furthermore, a scoring system was established to assess the likelihood of KMP occurrence. Children diagnosed with KHE were likely to have KMP if their score exceeded 72.5, as determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Conclusion: Age of onset ≤1 month, deeper lesions, non-extremity sites, and lesions ＞60 mm are independent risk factors for KMP in children with KHE. The cumulative presence of these factors escalates the likelihood of KMP development. Additionally, the identification of these factors allows for the early recognition of potential KMP cases among children with KHE, facilitating prompt therapeutic intervention.

Category of the manuscript: Clinical Research article.

Level of evidence: LEVEL Ⅲ.