Preferences for Inguinal Hernia Repair in Infants: A Survey of the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network.

Introduction: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (IHR) is being performed more frequently in children, but few studies have evaluated surgical practice patterns in infants. In this study, we surveyed pediatric surgeons within a regional consortium to assess current preferences for IHR strategy in infants. We hypothesized that early-career pediatric surgeons would prefer laparoscopic IHR over open IHR in this patient population.

Unnecessary Scans Lead to Unnecessary Re-scans: Evaluating Clinical Management of Low and Intermediate Risk Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Background: The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) guidelines provide an algorithm to select patients with mild head trauma at highest risk for clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) in whom computed tomography (CT) would facilitate management. Failure to follow PECARN criteria exposes children to unnecessary radiation and contributes to increasing hospital costs, length of stay, and parental anxiety. We sought to evaluate the subsequent allocation of resources to low and intermediate risk group patients who underwent an initial Head CT - which was not indicated by PECARN guidelines but which identified cranial or intracranial injury.

Unplanned Readmission Rate Before Interval Appendectomy After Nonoperative Management of Complicated Appendicitis.

Introduction: There remains clinical equipoise regarding the preference for upfront appendectomy or nonoperative management for patients with complicated appendicitis. However, the natural history of the appendix following nonoperative management and pending interval appendectomy in children is not well characterized, and the risk of recurrent appendicitis as a function of time from index admission not known.

Study Design: The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) was queried for all patients younger than 18 with an ICD-10 diagnosis code for complicated appendicitis admitted between 2018-2021.

Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Compounds for Substance Use Disorders.

Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, legal restrictions and social stigma have historically hindered further research into this area. Nevertheless, concurrent with the rise in SUDs and other mental health conditions, researchers have again turned their attention to these compounds, searching for differing pharmacological targets as well as more holistic treatments that might increase patient adherence and efficacy.

A Data-Driven Approach to Inguinal Hernia Repairs in Infants and Children.

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has become increasingly popular in children. The laparoscopic technique inherently assesses the contralateral processus vaginalis, reducing the risk of metachronous contralateral hernias. We hypothesized that primary laparoscopic repair would be associated with lower rates of subsequent hernia repair in the youngest patients, in whom metachronous contralateral hernias are most common.