In an era of rapid digital development, e-learning has become a significant trend in the educational field. Medical technology students need to acquire extensive theoretical knowledge and practical skills. E-learning can enhance learning experiences, improving students' understanding and application abilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Conclusions vary substantially among studies examining associations between area-based social determinants of health (SDOH) and pediatric health disparities based on the selected patient population and SDOH index. Most national studies use zip codes, which encompass a wide distribution of communities, limiting the generalizability of findings.
Objectives: To characterize the distributions of composite SDOH indices for pediatric surgical patients within a national sample of academic children's hospitals and to assess SDOH index precision in classifying patients at similar levels of disadvantage.
Background: An ultrasonography-first, magnetic resonance imaging-second protocol, and attention to dose reduction was implemented to reduce computed tomography rates for appendicitis at our institution. We aimed to compare current computed tomography usage and report radiation doses at our children's associated system hospitals and referring nonsystem hospitals.
Methods: A retrospective study of pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy and had a preoperative computed tomography scan between June 2020 and June 2023 was performed.
Introduction: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines in adults have demonstrated reduced complications, length of stay, and cost. However, neonatal ERAS studies are limited and translation of adult ERAS guidelines to neonates is challenging. Furthermore, the knowledge, perception, and practice of neonatal ERAS guidelines is largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSynthetic-based fluorescent chemosensors and protein-based fluorescent biosensors are two well-established classes of tools for visualizing and monitoring biological processes in living tissues. Chemigenetic sensors, created using a combination of both synthetic parts and protein parts, are an emerging class of tools that aims to combine the strengths, and overcome the drawbacks, of traditional chemosensors and biosensors. This review will survey the landscape of strategies used for fluorescent chemigenetic sensor design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Published guidelines to reduce the use and misuse of opioids in pediatrics are limited. After the implementation of an opioid stewardship program, we aimed to investigate the prescribing patterns in pediatric surgery.
Methods: A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients who underwent general pediatric surgery procedures at a single institution between July 2021 and July 2023 was conducted.
Importance: The binary classification of spina bifida lesions as myelomeningocele (with sac) or myeloschisis (without sac) belies a spectrum of morphologies, which have not been correlated to clinical characteristics and outcomes.
Objective: To characterize spina bifida lesion types and correlate them with preoperative presentation and postoperative outcomes.
Design: Secondary analysis of images and videos obtained during fetoscopic spina bifida repair surgery from 2020-2023.
Introduction: Reliance on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes may misclassify perforated appendicitis with resultant research, fiscal, and public health implications. We aimed to improve the accuracy of administrative data for perforated appendicitis classification relying on ICD-10-CM codes from 2015 to 2018.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of randomly sampled patients aged ≤18 years diagnosed with acute appendicitis from eight children's hospitals.
As the management of acute pain for children undergoing surgical procedures as well as recognition of the short and long term risks of exposure to opioids has evolved, multimodal and multidisciplinary approaches using organized pathways has resulted in improved perioperative outcomes and patient satisfaction. In this 2023 symposium held at the American Academy of Pediatrics on Surgery meeting, a multidisciplinary discussion on current enhanced recovery after surgery pathways, alternate methods of effective pain control and education and advocacy efforts for opioid reduction were discussed, and highlights are included in this article.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNationwide abortion restrictions resulting from the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) decision have generated confusion and uncertainty among healthcare professionals, with concerns for liability impacting clinical decision-making and outcomes. The impact on pediatric surgery can be seen in prenatal counseling for fetal anomaly cases, counseling for fetal intervention, and recommendations for pregnant children and adolescents who seek termination. It is essential that all physicians and healthcare team members understand the legal implications on their clinical practices, engage with resources and organizations that can help navigate these circumstances, and consider advocating for patients and themselves.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, the automatic machine for microbial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests has been introduced into the microbiology laboratory of our hospital, but there are still many steps that need manual operation. The purpose of this study was to establish an auto-verification system for bacterial naming to improve the turnaround time (TAT) and reduce the burden on clinical laboratory technologists. After the basic interpretation of the gram staining results of microorganisms, the appearance of strain growth, etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Fetoscopic closure of spina bifida using heated and humidified carbon dioxide gas (hhCO) has been associated with lower maternal morbidity compared with open closure. Fetal cardiovascular changes during these surgical interventions are poorly defined. Our objective was to compare fetal bradycardia (defined as fetal heart rate (FHR) < 110 bpm for 10 min) and changes in umbilical artery (UA) Doppler parameters during open vs fetoscopic closure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnteroviruses (EVs), single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses, can be classified into four species (A-D), which have previously been linked to a diverse range of disease manifestations and infections affecting the central nervous system. In the Enterovirus species B (EV-B), Echovirus type 11 (E11) has been observed to occasionally circulate in Taiwan, which was responsible for an epidemic of enterovirus infections in 2018. Here, 48 clinical specimens isolated in 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2018 were collected for the high-throughput sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in children (2-17 y) with perforated appendicitis demonstrated an 89% probability of reduced intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) rate with povidone-iodine (PVI) irrigation, compared with no irrigation (NI). We hypothesized that PVI also reduced 30-day hospital costs.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective economic analysis of a pilot RCT.
Objective: To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) spectrum and complicated appendicitis and postoperative complications in pediatric patients.
Background: Despite the impact of being overweight and obese on complicated appendicitis and postoperative complications, the implications of being underweight are unknown.
Methods: A retrospective review of pediatric patients was conducted using NSQIP (2016-2020) data.
The cost of readmissions of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates within 6 months and a year of their life is well-studied. However, the cost of readmissions within 90 days of NICU discharge is unknown. This study's objective was to estimate the overall and mean cost of healthcare use for unplanned hospital visits of NICU graduates within 90 days of discharge A retrospective review of all infants discharged between 1/1/2017 and 03/31/2017 from a large hospital system NICUs was conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectrochemically durable perovskite electrodes of nickel foam/TiO/FA(PbGe)I, passivated using various surfactants of tetra--alkyl ammonium halides (alkyl = ethyl, butyl, hexyl, or octyl; halide = I, IBr, Br, BrCl, or Cl), were successfully applied as good electro-catalysts on the counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The longer alkyl chain of a surfactant resulted in a higher water contact angle, but poorer film conductivity. Based on the optimal tetra--hexyl ammonium (THA) cation, shrinking the halide radius of THA from I to IBr formed an appropriate amount of FAPbBr nano-crystals covering on the FA(PbGe)I grain surface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The aim of this study was to determine whether reversal of hindbrain herniation (HBH) on MRI following prenatal repair of neural tube defects (NTDs) is associated with reduced rates of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement or endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) within the 1st year of life.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from all patients who had prenatal open repair of a fetal NTD at a single tertiary care center between 2012 and 2020. Patients were offered surgery according to inclusion criteria from the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS).
Introduction: Surgical repair of pectus excavatum is a painful procedure requiring multimodal pain control with historically prolonged hospital stay. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cryoanalgesia during minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) on hospital days (HDs), total hospital costs (HCs), and complications. We hypothesized that cryoanalgesia would be associated with reduced HDs and total HCs with no increase in post-operative complications.
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