Continuing animal tests on cosmetic ingredients for REACH in the EU.

EU cosmetic ingredients are governed by two regulations that conflict. Regulation EC 1223/2009, the Cosmetic Regulation, bans in vivo (animal) testing for cosmetic product safety assessments, including both final products and ingredients. At the same time, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation can impose in vivo testing of those same ingredients under its chemical testing requirements.

Routine postoperative chest X-ray is unnecessary following the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum.

Objectives: Pneumothorax is the most common complication after the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. The majority of pneumothoraces are small, and the patients have no symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the necessity for routine chest X-ray immediately after surgery.

Elective pectus bar removal following Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum: a single-institution experience.

Objective: Very few data are available on complications following elective bar removal after the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. The objective of this study was to investigate the data from 343 consecutive patients.

Methods: From 2003 to 2009, 343 patients (85% males) had their pectus bar removed.

The effects of surgically induced right bundle branch block on left ventricular function after closure of the ventricular septal defect.

Objective: To determine the long-term significance of right bundle branch block on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in children subsequent to surgical closure of ventricular septal defect.

Methods: We studied 26 children who underwent surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect 11 +/- 2 years postoperatively by use of conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography, comparing the findings to those obtained from a control group. Of those having surgical correction 14 had postoperative right bundle branch block.