Pediatric tracheotomy: a 30-year experience.

Background/purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate changes of pediatric tracheotomy practice over time.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all tracheotomies at the University Children's Hospital Zurich from January 1990 to December 2009 was performed. Data analyzed included the indication for tracheotomy, patient comorbidities, age, duration of cannulation, and complications.

Neuropsychological, behavioral, and adaptive functioning of Swiss children with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.

This study collected data about developmental problems in a cohort of children with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome. In 2003, in Switzerland, 11 children with this disease were registered. Nine of them gave their informed consent to participate in the study and were examined.

Does critical incident reporting contribute to medication error prevention?

Unlabelled: Medication-related critical incidents (CIs) comprise harmful and potentially harmful events. The aim of CI monitoring is quality improvement through system changes. In a prospective survey, we analysed our drug-related CIs of the year 2001 with an emphasis on how they contributed to system changes.

Neonatal cholestatic hepatitis from carbamazepine exposure during pregnancy and breast feeding.

Objective: To report a case of transient cholestatic hepatitis occurring in an infant between the third and seventh weeks of life, most likely due to carbamazepine exposure during pregnancy and breast feeding.

Case Summary: A boy, born to an epileptic mother who had been treated with carbamazepine monotherapy throughout pregnancy and breast feeding, experienced asphyxia at birth with transient hepatic dysfunction in the first week of life. After full recovery from asphyxia, he experienced a second period of liver dysfunction, presenting as cholestatic hepatitis that lasted approximately 5 weeks.

[Sleep apneas in children].

There are many causes leading to breathing disorders in children. In the newborn period the immature central regulation of breathing can result in a pattern with apneas and bradycardias most commonly seen in the very premature infant. Therefore, during hospital stay many of these very tiny preterms and some of the very ill term infants do have severe apneas and do need medication and or mechanical support (nasal CPAP, positive pressure ventilation).