Appendicectomy versus antibiotics for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children: an open-label, international, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Support for the treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis with non-operative management rather than surgery has been increasing in the literature. We aimed to investigate whether treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis with antibiotics in children is inferior to appendicectomy by comparing failure rates for the two treatments.

Methods: In this pragmatic, multicentre, parallel-group, unmasked, randomised, non-inferiority trial, children aged 5-16 years with suspected non-perforated appendicitis (based on clinical diagnosis with or without radiological diagnosis) were recruited from 11 children's hospitals in Canada, the USA, Finland, Sweden, and Singapore.

Micrognathia and cleft palate as a cause of obstructive sleep apnoea in infants.

Aim: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is common in Robin sequence (RS). We investigated the significance of micrognathia, cleft palate and sleep positioning on OSA in infants.

Methods: We analysed our 13-year national reference centre polysomnography (PSG) dataset.

Evaluation of cobas® Liat® Cdiff, STANDARD™ M10 C. difficile and Xpert® C. difficile BT assays for rapid detection of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile.

We evaluated the analytical performance of three commercial molecular assays for rapid detection of Clostridioides difficile toxin B in stool samples. The results were compared with results from the BD MAX™ Cdiff assay. We analyzed forty negative and thirty-two positive stool samples with three rapid assays: Roche cobas® Liat® Cdiff, SD Biosensor STANDARD™ M10 C.

Vocal Cord Paralysis after Repair of Esophageal Atresia.

Objective:  Etiology of vocal cord paralysis (VCP) and laryngeal dysfunction may be congenital or surgical trauma of recurrent and superior laryngeal nerves. We assessed the incidence, risk factors, and morbidity of VCP after repair of esophageal atresia (EA).

Methods:  Medical records of 201 EA patients from 2000 to 2022 were reviewed for this retrospective study.

Children's interstitial lung disease: Multidetector computed tomography patterns and correlations between imaging and histopathology.

Purpose: Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) is an umbrella concept covering a wide range of rare lung diseases, many of which are unique to childhood. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), genetic testing, lung-function testing, and lung biopsy. Because knowledge of the usefulness of MDCT pattern recognition in ChILD is at present limited, we examined the occurrence of MDCT patterns in children with histologically confirmed interstitial lung disease.

Distal Recurrent Tracheoesophageal Fistula after Repair of Esophageal Atresia-Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcome.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to assess incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of distal recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (RTEF) after repair of esophageal atresia (EA).

Methods:  Ethical consent was obtained. Data collection was done by review of hospital records of 286 patients (268 in-house and 18 referred) who underwent repair of type C or D EA from 1980 to 2021.

The Management of Asymptomatic Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation: Results of a European Delphi Survey.

Consensus on the optimal management of asymptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is lacking, and comparison between studies remains difficult due to a large variety in outcome measures. We aimed to define a core outcome set (COS) for pediatric patients with an asymptomatic CPAM. An online, three-round Delphi survey was conducted in two stakeholder groups of specialized caregivers (surgeons and non-surgeons) in various European centers.

Utility of Pentraxin-3 as a biomarker for diagnosis of acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To systematically summarize all relevant data and to define the current evidence on the utility of Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) as a biomarker for acute appendicitis (AA) in children.

Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for studies comparing the levels of PTX3 in patients with AA vs healthy controls or non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP).

Oesophageal atresia with very low birth weight: Clinical characteristics and long-term outcome.

Aim Of The Study: An assessment of the clinical data and outcome of patients with oesophageal atresia (OA) with very low birth weight (VLBW) was completed.

Method: With ethical consent, we reviewed the records of 327 successive patients with OA from 1980 to 2020. Main outcome measures survival and oesophageal repair were compared between patients with VLBW(≤1500 g) and with BW>1500 g.

Anastomotic Stricture in End-to-End Anastomosis-Risk Factors in a Series of 261 Patients with Esophageal Atresia.

Aim:  To assess the risk factors for anastomotic stricture (AS) in end-to-end anastomosis (EEA) in patients with esophageal atresia (EA).

Methods:  With ethical consent, hospital records of 341 EA patients from 1980 to 2020 were reviewed. Patients with less than 3 months survival ( = 30) with Gross type E EA ( = 24) and with primary reconstruction ( = 21) were excluded.

Development of a core outcome set for congenital pulmonary airway malformations: study protocol of an international Delphi survey.

Introduction: A worldwide lack of consensus exists on the optimal management of asymptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) even though the incidence is increasing. Either a surgical resection is performed or a wait-and-see policy is employed, depending on the treating physician. Management is largely based on expert opinion and scientific evidence is scarce.

International Core Outcome Set for Acute Simple Appendicitis in Children: Results of a Systematic Review, Delphi Study, and Focus Croups With Young People.

Objective: To develop an international core outcome set (COS), a minimal collection of outcomes that should be measured and reported in all future clinical trials evaluating treatments of acute simple appendicitis in children.

Summary Of Background Data: A previous systematic review identified 115 outcomes in 60 trials and systematic reviews evaluating treatments for children with appendicitis, suggesting the need for a COS.

Methods: The development process consisted of 4 phases: (1) an updated systematic review identifying all previously reported outcomes, (2) a 2-stage international Delphi study in which parents with their children and surgeons rated these outcomes for inclusion in the COS, (3) focus groups with young people to identify missing outcomes, and (4) international expert meetings to ratify the final COS.

ERNICA Consensus Conference on the Management of Patients with Long-Gap Esophageal Atresia: Perioperative, Surgical, and Long-Term Management.

Introduction:  Evidence supporting best practice for long-gap esophageal atresia is limited. The European Reference Network for Rare Inherited Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA) organized a consensus conference on the management of patients with long-gap esophageal atresia based on expert opinion referring to the latest literature aiming to provide clear and uniform statements in this respect.

Materials And Methods:  Twenty-four ERNICA representatives from nine European countries participated.

Development of Late Continence in Bladder Exstrophy and Epispadias Patients.

Objective: To evaluate to what extend urinary continence develops during puberty in patients with classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) and epispadias.

Methods: The operative database was reviewed for surgical procedures and urinary continence in all 65 CBE and epispadias patients born in 1976-2005. Excluded were 2 patients who had insufficient data for evaluation.

Indications, Surgical Complications, and Long-Term Outcomes in Pediatric Esophageal Reconstructions with Pedicled Jejunal Interposition Graft.

Introduction:  Several surgical techniques are available for pediatric esophageal reconstruction. We started to use pedicled jejunum interposition graft (PJIG) because other techniques had significant long-term complications. In this retrospective study, the indications, surgical complications, and long-term outcomes were assessed in patients with PJIG.

Medium and long-term outcomes of gastroschisis.

As survival of gastroschisis patients has improved significantly, it has become apparent that longitudinal follow up strategies need to be developed. Problems concerning patients with gastroschisis are usually associated with gastrointestinal morbidity, but there is mounting evidence that also neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioral and late-onset auditory sequelae exist. The presence of associated anomalies, as well as complex features (bowel atresia, necrosis, volvulus, perforation) increase morbidity and impact long-term outcomes.

Smelling Machine History: Olfactory Experiences of Information Technology.

This article analyses users' olfactory recollections of computers, based on large-scale, online inquiry material collected between 2002 and 2003 and in 2013. It discusses how olfactory experiences and recollections can be classified based on narration and the causes of odors. Furthermore, it explores the changes of olfactory recollections over the course of ten years, and deals with age and gender in these recollections and in their representations.

3D printed UV light cured polydimethylsiloxane devices for drug delivery.

The goal of this work was to study the printability of PDMS with a semi-solid extrusion printer in combination with the UV-assisted crosslinking technology using UV-LED light to manufacture drug containing structures. Structures with different pore sizes and different drug loadings were prepared containing prednisolone as a model drug. The work showed that it was possible to print drug-free and drug-loaded drug delivery devices of PDMS with the 3D printing technique used in this study.

3D printed drug delivery devices: perspectives and technical challenges.

The technological advancements in the pharmaceutical field are constantly improving and provide various possibilities for meeting the needs of personalized drug therapy. The three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has endless potential in the fabrication of patient-specific drug delivery devices (DDD) and dosage forms as the technological development is progressing. Moreover, the rapidly evolving research on 3D printed DDD has enabled us to determine several challenges related to the manufacturing and marketing of personalized drug delivery systems.

Gender Identity and Sex Role of Patients Operated on for Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias.

Purpose: We evaluated whether genital deformity has an impact on gender identity and sex role in patients operated on for bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex.

Materials And Methods: A total of 62 adolescents and adults operated on for bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex were mailed questionnaires evaluating gender identity (Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults) and sex role (Bem Sex Role Inventory). Of the patients 33 responded and the results were compared with 99 gender matched controls.

Health-related Quality of Life and Mental Health in Adolescents and Adults Operated for Bladder Exstrophy and Epispadias.

Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychiatric symptom aspects in patients with bladder exstrophy and epispadias.

Methods: Sixty-two adolescents or adults operated for BEE were mailed questionnaires evaluating HRQoL (RAND-36 questionnaire) and psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90 questionnaire). Thirty-two patients with a median age of 28 years responded.

APRi predicts native liver survival by reflecting portal fibrogenesis and hepatic neovascularization at the time of portoenterostomy in biliary atresia.

Background: Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRi) may be useful noninvasive prognostic tool in biliary atresia (BA). We studied whether APRi predicts native liver survival and parallels biochemical and immunohistological signs of liver injury and fibrogenesis at the time of Kasai portoenterostomy (PE).

Methods: Serum and liver specimens were obtained at PE from 29 BA patients for liver biochemistry including APRi, histology and immunohistochemical analysis of collagen 1, α-SMA and CD34.