Descending mediastinitis.

We studied 13 patients with mediastinal abscesses caused by oropharyngeal infections, who presented between April 2007 and June 2011. All patients were operated on after maxillofacial and ear, nose and throat surgeons had treated the primary source and drained all collections in the neck. Thoracic surgery was performed in the same session.

Tracheal replacement with an aortic homograft.

We report a case of acquired tracheoesophageal fistula, which was confounded by a long segment of necrotic trachea, requiring a desperate attempt at tracheal reconstruction using an aortic homograft. This is followed by a brief review of the literature in support of this useful technique of salvaging long-segment tracheal resection.

Breastfeeding rates are increasing in Scotland.

Objective: To measure the change in prevalence of breastfeeding between 1990/1991 and 1997/1998 in Scotland, using information collected on Guthrie cards when newborn infants are about seven days old.

Design: Analysis, by geographic postcode area, health board and maternity unit, for babies born in 1990/1991 and 1997/1998. For 1997, maternity unit and health board breastfeeding rates were also compared after standardisation for maternal age, deprivation and age of infant.