Prospective Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Bivalirudin Versus Heparin in Neonatal and Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Objectives: To test feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an endpoint of time at goal anticoagulation in children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) randomized to receive bivalirudin vs. unfractionated heparin.

Design: Open-label pilot RCT (NCT03318393) carried out 2018-2021.

Outcomes and Need for Additional Interventions after Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Objective: This study investigated the outcomes of premature infants diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB), as well as the need for further treatment after injection.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Participants: Seventy-three premature infants born between 2016 and 2020 at a large county hospital and children's hospital.

Three-Dimensional Imaging Defines Straddling Mitral Valve Anatomy to Allow Successful Biventricular Repair.

Biventricular repair of a straddling mitral valve (MV) can involve relocating ectopic papillary muscles and chordae. However, this increases operative complexity and risks MV incompetence. We describe a nine-month-old with D-transposition of the great arteries and straddling MV.

Multicenter Pivotal Study of the Alterra Adaptive Prestent for the Treatment of Pulmonary Regurgitation.

Background: A dilated native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) presents unique challenges for transcatheter management using balloon-expandable valves. The Alterra Adaptive Prestent was designed to expand transcatheter therapy to treat patients with dilated RVOTs.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report 2-year outcomes of the main cohort of the ALTERRA (Multicenter Study of Congenital Pulmonic Valve Dysfunction Studying the SAPIEN 3 THV With the Alterra Adaptive Prestent) pivotal trial using the prestent with transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.

Accelerated Severity of Illness Score Enhances Prediction of Complicated Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis in Children.

Background: Severity of illness determination for children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis should be accomplished during the earliest stages of evaluation to guide treatment and establish prognosis. This study objectively defines an outcome of complicated osteomyelitis and explores an illness severity-based model with an improved ability to predict this outcome as soon and accurately as possible, comparing it to existing models.

Methods: Children with Staphylococcus aureus acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (n = 438) were retrospectively studied to identify adverse events and predictors of severity.

Academic readiness among young children treated for brain tumors: a multisite, prospective, longitudinal trial.

Background: Young children treated for central nervous system (CNS) malignancies are at high risk for difficulties with academic functioning due to increased vulnerability of the developing brain and missed early developmental opportunities. Extant literature examining academics in this population is limited. We investigated academic readiness, its clinical and demographic predictors, and its relationship with distal academic outcomes among patients treated for CNS tumors during early childhood.

Neuroblastoma, Version 2.2024, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor diagnosed in children. This inaugural version of the NCCN Guidelines for Neuroblastoma provides recommendations for the diagnosis, risk classification, and treatment of neuroblastoma. The information in these guidelines was developed by the NCCN Neuroblastoma Panel, a multidisciplinary group of representatives with expertise in neuroblastoma, consisting of pediatric oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists from NCCN Member Institutions.

Evaluation of Pediatric Posterior Glottic Diastasis Using Dynamic Voice Computed Tomography.

Objectives: Posterior glottic diastasis (PGD) is an underappreciated etiology of dysphonia in patients with prior airway reconstruction or prolonged intubation. In endoscopic posterior cricoid reduction (ePCR), cricoid is removed to minimize the posterior glottic gap. Dynamic voice computed tomography (DVCT) permits visualization of the posterior glottis, estimating the amount of cricoid to be removed.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into the Visualization and Modeling of Three-Dimensional Anatomy in Pediatric Surgical Patients.

Background: Pediatric surgeons often treat patients with complex anatomical considerations due to congenital anomalies or distortion of normal structures by solid organ tumors. There are multiple applications for three-dimensional visualization of these structures based on cross-sectional imaging. Recently, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) applications and graphics hardware have made rapid 3D modelling of individual structures within the body accessible to surgeons without sophisticated and expensive hardware.

Nasal Airflow Dynamics following LeFort I Advancement in Cleft Nasal Deformities: A Retrospective Preliminary Study.

Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) nasal deformity impacts airflow patterns and pressure distribution, leading to nasal breathing difficulties. This study aims to create an integrated approach using computer-aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate airway function and assess outcomes in nasal deformities associated with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) after LeFort I osteotomy advancement. Significant alterations were observed in nasal geometry, airflow velocity, pressure dynamics, volumetric flow rate, and nasal resistance postoperatively, indicating improved nasal airflow.

A Survey of Current Approaches to Inguinal Hernia Repair by Pediatric General Surgeons in the United States.

Introduction: Inguinal hernia repair (IHR) is a common pediatric operation performed via open or laparoscopic approaches. The objective of this survey study was to assess current approaches to IHR in a national sample of pediatric general surgeons.

Methods: A REDCap survey was distributed to all pediatric general surgeons at 21 US institutions in 2023.

Emergent robot-to-open conversion - Multidisciplinary simulation training in crisis management.

Anticipating and addressing unexpected intraoperative events and anatomies are some of the most challenging aspects of pediatric urologic practice; uncontrolled hemorrhage is one of the most anxiety provoking and precarious. The increasing application of the robotic platform in pediatric urology adds another layer of complexity as surgeons are not immediately at the patient's bedside. Should hemorrhage occur in robotic cases, clear communication and seamless coordination between members of the operating room team are paramount to optimize patient safety and minimize errors.

How to be a good reviewer: A step-by-step guide for approaching peer review of a scientific manuscript.

Objectives: The peer review process is critical to maintaining quality, reliability, novelty, and innovation in the scientific literature. However, the teaching of scientific peer review is rarely a component of formal scientific or clinical training, and even the most experienced peer reviewers express interest in continuing education. The objective of this review article is to summarize the collective perspectives of experienced journal editors about how to be a good reviewer in a step-by-step guide that can serve as a resource for the performance of peer review of a scientific manuscript.

Selected 2023 Highlights in Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia.

This article reviews the highlights of pertinent literature of interest to the congenital cardiac anesthesiologist published in 2023. After a search of the US National Library of Medicine PubMed database, several topics emerged where significant contributions were made in 2023. The authors of this article considered the following topics noteworthy to be included in this review: (1) advancements in percutaneous mechanical support in children with congenital heart disease, (2) children with pulmonary hypertension undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease, (3) dexmedetomidine in pediatric cardiac surgery, and (4) recommendations for pediatric heart surgery in the United States: Implications for pediatric cardiac anesthesia.

Transitions of care: An aerodigestive provider assessment survey.

Objective: To create, validate, and apply an aerodigestive provider assessment survey.

Methods: A survey assessing provider knowledge and current practice in the transition of patients with chronic aerodigestive disorders from pediatric to adult care was drafted by a multidisciplinary expert panel. Once agreement of the initial survey items was obtained, the survey was distributed to a national multidisciplinary panel of aerodigestive experts for review.