Polymicrobial bacterial pericarditis and cardiac tamponade caused by pericardial penetration of an adjustable gastric band.

We describe a case of polymicrobial bacterial pericarditis with and , caused by pericardial penetration of the tip of the catheter of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB). The patient developed a cardiac tamponade, and subsequently emergency pericardiocentesis was performed. Analysis of earlier CT scans showed that the tip of the catheter had migrated through the liver and through the diaphragm into the pericardium, and was in contact with the myocardium.

End-of-Life Decisions in Pediatric Cancer Patients.

Background: End-of-life decisions (ELDs) have been investigated in several care settings, but rarely in pediatric oncology.

Objective: The aims of this study were to characterize the practice of end-of-life decision making in a Dutch academic medical center and to explore pediatric oncologists' perspectives on decision making.

Methods: Between 2001 and 2010, in a specified period of 2 years, 57 children died of cancer.

Pulmonary epithelial apoptosis in fetal down syndrome: not higher than normal.

Children with Down syndrome (DS) are at high risk for acute lung injury (ALI). Pulmonary epithelial apoptosis is an important factor in the pathophysiology of ALI. Whether the risk of ALI in DS is associated with a high level of pulmonary epithelial apoptosis is not known.

The pulmonary mesenchymal tissue layer is defective in an in vitro recombinant model of nitrofen-induced lung hypoplasia.

Despite modern treatments, congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains associated with variable survival and significant morbidity. The associated pulmonary hypoplasia is a major determinant of outcome. To develop better treatments, improved comprehension of the pathogenesis of lung hypoplasia is warranted.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: comparison of animal models and relevance to the human situation.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) occurs in 1 in 3,000 newborns. Mortality and morbidity are due to the amount of pulmonary hypoplasia (PH), the response on artificial ventilation and the presence of therapy-resistant pulmonary hypertension. The pathogenesis and etiology of CDH and its associated anomalies are still largely unknown despite all research efforts over the past years.

Polytomous regression did not outperform dichotomous logistic regression in diagnosing serious bacterial infections in febrile children.

Objective: To compare polytomous and dichotomous logistic regression analyses in diagnosing serious bacterial infections (SBIs) in children with fever without apparent source (FWS).

Study Design And Setting: We analyzed data of 595 children aged 1-36 months, who attended the emergency department with fever without source. Outcome categories were SBI, subdivided in pneumonia and other-SBI (OSBI), and non-SBI.