Long-term outcomes and quality of life in congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors treated with extracorporeal life support: A cross-sectional survey.

Aim: Few reports have shown Quality-of-Life long-term outcomes in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. We reviewed the short- and long-term outcomes in CDH patients that were supported with ECMO during their neonatal treatment.

Methods: Telephone interviews of parents of CDH children were performed.

Pre-referral ultrasound for cryptorchidism: Still common, still not necessary.

Aim: Evidence-based guidelines do not recommend imaging in cryptorchidism, but anecdotally most referrals include an ultrasound report. We aimed to assess the frequency, utility and burden of imaging in children referred with presumptive disorders of testicular descent, and to assess trends over a 7-year period before and after local and international guidelines have been introduced.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of children referred to the Queensland Children's Hospital for anomalies of testicular descent between 2015-2017 and 2023-2024.

Interventions to optimise preoperative fasting in paediatrics: a scoping review.

Background: Preoperative fasting is the standard of care for patients undergoing a procedure under general anaesthesia. Despite the increased leniency of fasting guideline recommendations, prolonged preoperative fasting periods continue to disproportionally affect paediatric patients. This review maps existing interventions optimising paediatric fasting practices, to explore strategies that can be best applied in clinical practice.

Securement to Prevent Noncuffed Central Venous Catheter Dislodgement in Pediatrics: The SECURED Superiority Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Catheter dislodgement is a common complication for children with tunneled or peripherally inserted noncuffed central venous catheters (CVCs). A subcutaneous anchor securement system (SASS) may reduce this risk compared with traditional adhesive securement.

Objective: To compare dislodgement of noncuffed CVCs secured with SASS with dislodgement of noncuffed CVCs secured with sutureless securement devices (SSDs).

Effectiveness of a Regenerative Epithelial Suspension (RES), on the pigmentation of split-thickness skin graft donor sites in children: the dsing pilot randomised controlled trial protocol.

Background: Paediatric donor site wounds are often complicated by dyspigmentation following a split-thickness skin graft. These easily identifiable scars can potentially never return to normal pigmentation. A Regenerative Epidermal Suspension (RES) has been shown to improve pigmentation in patients with vitiligo, and in adult patients following a burn injury.

An mHealth application for chronic vascular access: A multi-method evaluation.

Background: Healthcare consumers require diverse resources to assist their navigation of complex healthcare interactions, however, these resources need to be fit for purpose.

Aim: In this study, we evaluated the utility, usability and feasibility of children, families and adults requiring long-term intravenous therapy using a recently developed mobile health application (App), intravenous (IV) Passport.

Design: Multi-site, parallel, multi-method, prospective cohort study.

An mHealth application for chronic vascular access: Consumer led co-creation.

Purpose: Children with chronic and complex health conditions frequently need intravenous devices. The current approach to intravenous device selection, insertion, and monitoring is inconsistent, and healthcare consumers are often negatively affected by siloed health information, and poor future planning. Despite child- and family-centred care being recognised as a pillar of paediatric nursing care, limited implementation for vascular access device planning and management is evident.

REstrictive versus StandarD FlUid Management in Mechanically Ventilated ChildrEn Admitted to PICU: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial (REDUCE-1).

Introduction: Intravenous fluid therapy is the most common intervention in critically ill children. There is an increasing body of evidence questioning the safety of high-volume intravenous fluid administration in these patients. To date, the optimal fluid management strategy remains unclear.

Working Towards Holistic Scar Assessment and Improved Shared Decision Making in Global Burn Care.

Cutaneous burn scars impact various aspects of life. Scar treatment is mainly evaluated on scar characteristics. Consensus is needed on which other outcomes to capture, ensuring they are relevant to patients, clinicians, and researchers.

Systematic literature review of topical local anaesthesia or analgesia to donor site wounds.

Background: Topical local analgesic and anaesthetic agents have been used both pre- and immediately post-harvest on split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor site wounds (DSW). There is no systematic review of their effectiveness in providing post-harvest analgesia, or of the possible toxic effects of systemic absorption. This study is designed to address the question of which agent, if any, is favoured over the others and whether there are any safety data regarding their use.

Extravasation injury management for neonates and children: A systematic review and aggregated case series.

Background: Pediatric extravasation injuries are significant healthcare-associated injuries, with sometimes significant sequelae. Evidence-based guidance on management is necessary to prevent permanent injury.

Purpose: A systematic review of the literature, including aggregated case series, investigating extravasation injury management of hospitalized pediatric patients.

Comparing ivWatch biosensor to standard care to identify extravasation injuries in the paediatric intensive care: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) frequently fail during therapy administration, resulting in infusates pooling in the surrounding tissue. These extravasation injuries can cause significant pain, tissue destruction and scarring. ivWatch is a biosensor that uses visible and near-infrared light to measure tissue changes surrounding the PIVC and alert clinicians when extravasation may occur.

Improving peripheral venous cannula insertion in children: a mixed methods study to develop the DIVA key.

Objective: To develop and validate a difficult intravenous access risk assessment and escalation pathway, to increase first time intravenous insertion success in paediatrics.

Methods: Mixed methods underpinned by literature and co-production principles. Iterative development of the instrument was informed through semi-structured interviews and stakeholder workshops.

Changes in cancer incidence and survival among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia, 1997-2016.

Background: This study reports cancer incidence and survival among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and other Australian children, and assesses changes over time.

Procedure: Data were from the population-based Australian Childhood Cancer Registry. The study comprised children aged under 15 diagnosed between 1997 and 2016 and with mortality follow-up until 31 December 2017.

The morbidity associated with paediatric burn wound escharotomies.

Introduction: An escharotomy is an effective surgical procedure for the rapid decompression of a constricting and unyielding eschar, to permit restoration of blood flow. However, an escharotomy is also a full-thickness incision, which adds additional scarring to the burn injury area. The cosmetic and functional morbidity of escharotomy scarring in children is poorly characterised.

What to measure in biliary atresia research: study protocol for developing a core outcome set.

Aim: Extrahepatic biliary atresia is a rare disorder. This creates challenges in the quality and quantity of research conducted. This issue is exacerbated by the potential heterogeneity in the reported outcomes in research examining the management of biliary atresia.

Massive, benign, cystic ovarian tumors: A technical modification for minimally invasive resection.

The majority of large, cystic ovarian tumors presenting in children are benign and amenable to ovarian sparing surgery (OSS). Laparoscopy is impractical in these cases and when attempted has been associated with a high rate of intraperitoneal fluid spill. We present a modified technique for controlled cyst decompression that allows delivery of the ovary through minilaparotomy and subsequent OSS.

Multidisciplinary approach to paediatric aerodigestive disorders: A single-centre longitudinal observational study.

Aim: Aerodigestive clinics (ADCs) are multidisciplinary programmes for the care of children with complex congenital or acquired conditions affecting breathing, swallowing and growth. Our objective was to describe the demographic, clinical, etiological and investigational profile of children attending the inaugural ADC at a tertiary paediatric centre in Queensland.

Methods: Children referred to the ADC at Queensland Children's Hospital from August 2018 to December 2019 were included.

Surgeon's practices and beliefs in Australia and New Zealand regarding the donor site wound for paediatric skin grafts.

Aim: Children's burns care in Australasia is performed by paediatric surgeons and by plastic surgeons. The aim was to determine practices regarding the donor site wound (DSW), and to explore any differences by training scheme or nature of unit (paediatric vs. mixed).

Penile nerve block predicts higher revision surgery rate following distal hypospadias repair when compared with caudal epidural block: A consecutive cohort study.

Introduction: Recent literature has suggested caudal epidural blocks (CEB) may increase revision surgery rates following hypospadias repair. We sought to investigate this using a large, multi-surgeon series.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to identify the impact of CEB or penile nerve blocks (PNB) on revision surgery rates following distal hypospadias repair at our centre.