Discordance in interpretation of chest radiographs between pediatric intensivists and a radiologist: impact on patient management.

Purpose: When radiologists are not available, chest radiographs (CXRs) of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients are commonly interpreted by pediatric intensivists. We prospectively investigated the frequency of errors in CXR interpretation by pediatric intensivists and their impact on patient management.

Materials And Methods: Chest radiographs of PICU patients were evaluated by 5 pediatric intensivists then by a pediatric radiologist (the "gold standard").

Dyssegmental dysplasia Silverman-Handmaker type in a consanguineous Druze Lebanese family: long term survival and documentation of the natural history.

We report on a male infant born with clinical and radiographic evidence of a lethal form of dyssegmental dysplasia not comparable to Silverman-Handmaker type, who had a prolonged survival of more than eight months. He had ocular and central nervous system abnormalities which have not been previously described. His course included significant feeding and respiratory difficulties, severe physical and psychomotor retardation, and recurrent fever of unknown etiology believed to be of central origin.

Effect of intrauterine cocaine exposure on respiratory distress syndrome in very low birthweight infants.

To evaluate the effect of intrauterine cocaine exposure on lung maturity of very low birthweight infants, the medical records of all infants with birthweight < 1500 g born between January 1989 and December 1990 at DC General Hospital were reviewed. Infants with conditions known to cause lung maturity, severe congenital anomalies, proven early sepsis, and birthweight > or = 500 g were excluded. A total of 69 infants were included in the study.

PACS clinical experience at Georgetown University.

Georgetown University Hospital has been operating an image management and communications system (IMACS or PACS) for 3.5 years. This work was initially funded under the Army Medical Research and Development Command Digital Imaging Network Systems (DINS) project.

A prospective, multicenter, randomized study of high versus low positive end-expiratory pressure during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

To test the hypothesis that increased positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) could prevent deterioration of pulmonary function and lead to more rapid recovery of lung function, we randomly assigned 74 patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at four centers to receive either high (12 to 14 cm H2O) or low (3 to 5 cm H2O) PEEP. The two groups were similar in terms of weight, gestational age, diagnosis, and pre-ECMO course. All other aspects of care were identical.

PACS clinical experience at Georgetown University.

Georgetown University Hospital has been operating an image management and communications system (IMACS or PACS) for three-and-a-half years. This work was initially funded under the Army Medical Research and Development Command Digital Imaging Network Systems (DINS) project. The system was taken from a research system supporting only radiology tasks to one extended to clinical use, and has been used in clinical work for two-and-a-half years.

Intestinal lymphonodular hyperplasia of childhood: patterns of presentation.

In this retrospective analysis we searched for a constellation of signs or symptoms attributable to childhood lymphonodular hyperplasia (LNH). Of 147 children with documented LNH reviewed, 43% had lesions in the small bowel, and 57% in the large bowel. Children in this study presented with complaints of abdominal pain (58%) and bright red blood per rectum (32%).

Upper airway obstruction during sleep in children.

Cinefluoroscopic findings are described in nine children with sleep-related upper airway obstruction who are asymptomatic while awake. Asleep, these patients show strikingly similar changes in the region of the hypopharynx. During inspiration, the tongue and hypopharyngeal soft tissues are approximate, obliterating the hypopharyngeal air space causing intermittent and almost complete obstruction to air flow.

On the subject of caring for and caring about patients.

Recognition of the growing familiarity on the part of physicians in approaching patients is presented with discussion of alternative approaches to establishing rapport and, at the same time, respecting the rights and preserving the dignity of the patient.

Osteomyelitis of the calcaneus secondary to heel pad puncture: a case report.

Heel pad puncture, a well-established procedure for obtaining hematologic samples from infants, may be complicated by acute osteomyelitis of the calcaneus. One such case is presented which involved a 3½-month-old female. Physicians are cautioned that calcaneal osteomyelitis should be suspected if soft tissue swelling and erythema are present around the heel area.