Challenges and Solutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Hospitalization and Performance in Elective Pediatric Surgeries.

: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the most frequently performed elective pediatric surgical procedures and the number of hospitalizations and compare it to the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. : The subjects were patients under 18 years of age who were regularly admitted for selected elective procedures in a single tertiary center in Croatia from 1 March to 31 August of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Data were collected from the electronic logs of surgical procedures and hospital admissions, logs of one-day surgeries, patients' medical records, and discharge letters.

Safety and Effectiveness of Triclosan-Coated Polydioxanone (PDS Plus) versus Uncoated Polydioxanone (PDS II) Sutures for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection after Hypospadias Repair in Children: A 10-Year Single Center Experience with 550 Hypospadias.

Aim: Triclosan is an antiseptic substance that has been shown in preclinical studies to reduce bacterial load in the wound and slow bacterial growth by inhibiting fatty acid synthesis. It is claimed that the coating protects against colonization of the tissue around the suture. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of triclosan-coated polydioxanone versus uncoated polydioxanone sutures for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) following hypospadias repair in children.

Validity of Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score in Distinguishing Perforated from Non-Perforated Appendicitis in Children.

Background: This prospective observational study aimed to evaluate the validity of appendicitis inflammatory response (AIR) score in differentiating advanced (perforated) from simple (non-perforated) appendicitis in pediatric patients.

Methods: A single-center prospective cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 January 2019 until 1 May 2020 including 184 pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy. Based on the intraoperative finding of advanced ( = 38) or simple ( = 146) appendicitis the patients were divided into two groups.

Management of the Pediatric Spontaneous Pneumothorax: The Role of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery.

Treatment of pneumothorax involves conservative treatment and surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the best approach of initial treatment and long-term outcomes of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in pediatric patients. From January 2009 until June 2019, 36 patients younger than the age of 18 who were treated for spontaneous pneumothorax were included into retrospective study.

Laryngeal Mask Airway Versus Tracheal Intubation for Laparoscopic Hernia Repair in Children: Analysis of Respiratory Complications.

The aim of this study was to compare the perioperative and postoperative respiratory complications between laryngeal mask (LM) airway and tracheal intubation (TI) in children undergoing percutaneous internal ring suturing (PIRS) for inguinal hernia. From October 2015 to February 2019, 135 pediatric patients (97 males and 38 females) with median age of 4 years, who underwent PIRS for inguinal hernia, were included in study. Patients were divided in two groups.

Ertapenem Monotherapy versus Gentamicin Plus Metronidazole for Perforated Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients.

This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ertapenem versus a combination of gentamicin plus metronidazole in pediatric patients with diffuse peritonitis attributable to perforated appendicitis. From January 2017 to January 2019, 80 pediatric patients with a median age of 13 years who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy because of perforated appendicitis with diffuse peritonitis were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups of 40 patients each to receive ertapenem or combination therapy.