Repeat serial transverse enteroplasty leads to reduction in parenteral nutrition in children with short bowel syndrome.

Background/purpose: Following a serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) procedure some children develop redilation of the small intestine leading to impaired enteral tolerance and inability to wean parenteral nutrition (PN). The benefit of a second STEP procedure (2STEP) has been controversial.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of our experience (2008-2018) performing 2STEP, with comparative analysis of nutritional outcomes pre- and postsurgery.

Emergent cholecystectomy is superior to percutaneous cholecystostomy tube placement in critically ill patients with emergent calculous cholecystitis.

Background: The role of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is undefined in patients with multiple comorbidities presenting with emergent calculous cholecystitis (CC). This study compared outcomes between PC, laparoscopic (LC), and open cholecystectomy (OC).

Methods: The Vizient UHC database was queried for high-risk patients with CC who underwent PC, LC, OC, or laparoscopic converted to open cholecystectomy (CONV).

Performance of the On-Q pain infusion device during changes in environmental temperature.

Background: The On-Q infusion device is an elastomeric device with a flow regulator that controls the flow of a local anesthetic agent through a peripheral catheter. As variations in external temperature may affect the diameter of the tubing or viscosity of the fluid, it is feasible that alterations in flow may be caused by such temperature variations. This study evaluates the performance of this device during variations in environmental temperature.