Irritable bowel syndrome worsens faecal incontinence after primary repair of major obstetric anal sphincter injuries.

AIM: Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) occur in approximately 3%-6% of vaginal deliveries and are the leading risk factor for late-onset faecal incontinence, which is an underdiagnosed pathology. The aim of this work was to use a validated scoring system to quantify the effect of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) on the severity of faecal incontinence symptoms after primary repair of major OASIS (Grade IIIb-IV). METHOD: A prospective cohort study was performed on all women who underwent primary repair of major OASIS over a 6-year period. They were assessed with ultrasonography within 12 weeks. Two control groups (who did not have OASIS) were women who underwent elective caesarean section and primigravid women. Questionnaires were sent at least 12 months after delivery, or at first consultation for primigravids, which generated the main outcome measures: Cleveland Clinic faecal incontinence severity scores and the presence of IBS based on Rome III criteria. RESULTS: There was a total of 211 patients included in the three groups and the mean follow-up time was 26 months after sphincter repair. Ultrasonographic sphincter defects were detected in 37% but did not affect the faecal incontinence score (p = 0.47), except in patients with IBS. Within each group, patients with IBS had significantly worse faecal incontinence than those without. Women with both OASIS and IBS had the most severe faecal incontinence scores. CONCLUSION: OASIS has a limited negative effect on faecal incontinence, independent of whether residual ultrasonographic sphincter defects are present. However, the presence of IBS has a significant compounding effect on faecal incontinence in OASIS patients. The effect of IBS on faecal incontinence is also notable in caesarean section patients and primigravids, suggesting that IBS is an independent risk-factor that should have its place in predelivery assessment and counselling.

Comparison of non-triggered magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography for the assessment of left atrial volume and morphology.

BACKGROUND: Advanced atrial fibrillation (AF) patients have persistent AF, failed previous catheter ablation and/or an enlarged left atrium (LA), which is associated with a reduced success of AF ablation. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) are available to assess LA volume. However, it is unknown how these modalities relate in patients with advanced AF. We therefore compared the reproducibility of TTE and non-triggered CE-MRA in advanced AF patients and their ability to select patients with successful thoracoscopic AF ablation. METHODS: Two independent observers measured LA volumes on 65 TTE and CE-MRA exams of advanced AF patients prior to AF ablation. Patients were followed after AF ablation with rhythm monitoring every 3 months for 1 year to determine AF recurrence. Inter-modality, inter- and intra-observer variability were determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine sensitivity and specificity of TTE and CE-MRA volume and CE-MRA dimensions to identify patients with AF recurrence during follow-up. RESULTS: LA enlargement ≥ 34 ml/m2 was present in 60% of the patients. CE-MRA and TTE demonstrated a good correlation for LA volume assessment (intraclass correlation, ICC = 0.86; p < 0.001) with larger volumes consistently measured by CE-MRA. Major discrepancies were mostly attributed to TTE acquisition. Craniocaudal enlargement discriminated patients with AF recurrence (AUC 0.67 [95% CI 0.55-0.85], p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Non-triggered CE-MRA is a viable and reproducible 3D alternative for 2D TTE to assess LA volume in advanced AF patients. Craniocaudal enlargement was the only discriminator of AF recurrence after AF ablation.

Implementation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules.

BACKGROUND: The Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules have been developed and validated to reduce wrist radiographs following wrist trauma in pediatric patients. However, the actual impact should be evaluated in an implementation study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of implementation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules at the emergency department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A before-and-after comparative prospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive patients aged 3 to 18 years presenting at the emergency department with acute wrist trauma. The primary outcome was the difference in the number of wrist radiographs before and after implementation. Secondary outcomes were the number of clinically relevant missed fractures of the distal forearm, the difference in length of stay at the emergency department and physician compliance with the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules. RESULTS: A total of 408 patients were included. The absolute reduction in radiographs was 19% compared to before implementation (chi-square test, P<0.001). Non-fracture patients who were discharged without a wrist radiograph had a 26-min shorter stay at the emergency department compared to patients who received a wrist radiograph (68 min vs. 94 min; Mann-Whitney U test, P=0.004). Eight fractures were missed following the recommendation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules. However, only four of them were clinically relevant. CONCLUSION: Implementing the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules resulted in a significant reduction in wrist radiographs and time spent at the emergency department. The Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules were able to correctly identify 98% of all clinically relevant distal forearm fractures.

Triage tools for detecting cervical spine injury in pediatric trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cervical spine injury (CSI) after blunt trauma is rare. Nonetheless, missing these injuries can have severe consequences. To prevent the overuse of radiographic imaging, two clinical decision tools have been developed: The National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) criteria and the Canadian C-spine Rule (CCR). Both tools are proven to be accurate in deciding whether or not diagnostic imaging is needed in adults presenting for blunt trauma screening at the emergency department. However, little information is known about the accuracy of these triage tools in a pediatric population. OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the NEXUS criteria and the Canadian C-spine Rule in a pediatric population evaluated for CSI following blunt trauma. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the following databases to 24 February 2015: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, MEDLINE Non-Indexed and In-Process Citations, PubMed, Embase, Science Citation Index, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database, OpenGrey, ClinicalTrials.gov, World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, the Health Technology Assessment, and the Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all retrospective and prospective studies involving children following blunt trauma that evaluated the accuracy of the NEXUS criteria, the Canadian C-spine Rule, or both. Plain radiography, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine, and follow-up were considered as adequate reference standards. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed the quality of included studies using the QUADAS-2 checklists. They extracted data on study design, patient characteristics, inclusion and exclusion criteria, clinical parameters, target condition, reference standard, and the diagnostic two-by-two table. We calculated and plotted sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value in ROC space, and constructed forest plots for visual examination of variation in test accuracy. MAIN RESULTS: Three cohort studies were eligible for analysis, including 3380 patients ; 96 children were diagnosed with CSI. One study evaluated the accuracy of the Canadian C-spine Rule and the NEXUS criteria, and two studies evaluated the accuracy of the NEXUS criteria. The studies were of moderate quality. Due to the small number of included studies and the diverse outcomes of those studies, we could not describe a pooled estimate for the diagnostic test accuracy. The sensitivity of the NEXUS criteria of the individual studies was 0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18 to 0.90), 0.98 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.00) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.00). The specificity of the NEXUS criteria was 0.35 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.45), 0.54 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.62) and 0.2 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.21). For the Canadian C-spine Rule the sensitivity was 0.86 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.00) and specificity was 0.15 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.23). Since the quantity of the data was small we were not able to investigate heterogeneity. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There are currently few studies assessing the diagnostic test accuracy of the NEXUS criteria and CCR in children. At the moment, there is not enough evidence to determine the accuracy of the Canadian C-spine Rule to detect CSI in pediatric trauma patients following blunt trauma. The confidence interval of the sensitivity of the NEXUS criteria between the individual studies showed a wide range, with a lower limit varying from 0.18 to 0.91 with a total of four false negative test results, meaning that if physicians use the NEXUS criteria in children, there is a chance of missing CSI. Since missing CSI could have severe consequences with the risk of significant morbidity, we consider that the NEXUS criteria are at best a guide to clinical assessment, with current evidence not supporting strict or protocolized adoption of the tool into pediatric trauma care. Moreover, we have to keep in mind that the sensitivity differs among several studies, and individual confidence intervals of these studies show a wide range. Our main conclusion is therefore that additional well-designed studies with large sample sizes are required to better evaluate the accuracy of the NEXUS criteria or the Canadian C-spine Rule, or both, in order to determine whether they are appropriate triage tools for the clearance of the cervical spine in children following blunt trauma.

External validation of clinical decision rules for children with wrist trauma.

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision rules help to avoid potentially unnecessary radiographs of the wrist, reduce waiting times and save costs. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to provide an overview of all existing non-validated clinical decision rules for wrist trauma in children and to externally validate these rules in a different cohort of patients. Secondarily, we aimed to compare the performance of these rules with the validated Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included all studies that proposed a clinical prediction or decision rule in children presenting at the emergency department with acute wrist trauma. We performed external validation within a cohort of 379 children. We also calculated the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of each decision rule. RESULTS: We included three clinical decision rules. The sensitivity and specificity of all clinical decision rules after external validation were between 94% and 99%, and 11% and 26%, respectively. After external validation 7% to 17% less radiographs would be ordered and 1.4% to 5.7% of all fractures would be missed. Compared to the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules only one of the three other rules had a higher sensitivity; however both the specificity and the reduction in requested radiographs were lower in the other three rules. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of the three non-validated clinical decision rules is high. However the specificity and the reduction in number of requested radiographs are low. In contrast, the validated Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules has an acceptable sensitivity and the greatest reduction in radiographs, at 22%, without missing any clinically relevant fractures.

A clinical decision rule for the use of plain radiography in children after acute wrist injury: development and external validation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules.

BACKGROUND: In most hospitals, children with acute wrist trauma are routinely referred for radiography. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a clinical decision rule to decide whether radiography in children with wrist trauma is required. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively developed and validated a clinical decision rule in two study populations. All children who presented in the emergency department of four hospitals with pain following wrist trauma were included and evaluated for 18 clinical variables. The outcome was a wrist fracture diagnosed by plain radiography. RESULTS: Included in the study were 787 children. The prediction model consisted of six variables: age, swelling of the distal radius, visible deformation, distal radius tender to palpation, anatomical snuffbox tender to palpation, and painful or abnormal supination. The model showed an area under the receiver operator characteristics curve of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.83). The sensitivity and specificity were 95.9% and 37.3%, respectively. The use of this model would have resulted in a 22% absolute reduction of radiographic examinations. In a validation study, 7/170 fractures (4.1%, 95% CI: 1.7-8.3%) would have been missed using the decision model. CONCLUSION: The decision model may be a valuable tool to decide whether radiography in children after wrist trauma is required.

The Amsterdam wrist rules: the multicenter prospective derivation and external validation of a clinical decision rule for the use of radiography in acute wrist trauma.

BACKGROUND: Although only 39 % of patients with wrist trauma have sustained a fracture, the majority of patients is routinely referred for radiography. The purpose of this study was to derive and externally validate a clinical decision rule that selects patients with acute wrist trauma in the Emergency Department (ED) for radiography. METHODS: This multicenter prospective study consisted of three components: (1) derivation of a clinical prediction model for detecting wrist fractures in patients following wrist trauma; (2) external validation of this model; and (3) design of a clinical decision rule. The study was conducted in the EDs of five Dutch hospitals: one academic hospital (derivation cohort) and four regional hospitals (external validation cohort). We included all adult patients with acute wrist trauma. The main outcome was fracture of the wrist (distal radius, distal ulna or carpal bones) diagnosed on conventional X-rays. RESULTS: A total of 882 patients were analyzed; 487 in the derivation cohort and 395 in the validation cohort. We derived a clinical prediction model with eight variables: age; sex, swelling of the wrist; swelling of the anatomical snuffbox, visible deformation; distal radius tender to palpation; pain on radial deviation and painful axial compression of the thumb. The Area Under the Curve at external validation of this model was 0.81 (95 % CI: 0.77-0.85). The sensitivity and specificity of the Amsterdam Wrist Rules (AWR) in the external validation cohort were 98 % (95 % CI: 95-99 %) and 21 % (95 % CI: 15 %-28). The negative predictive value was 90 % (95 % CI: 81-99 %). CONCLUSIONS: The Amsterdam Wrist Rules is a clinical prediction rule with a high sensitivity and negative predictive value for fractures of the wrist. Although external validation showed low specificity and 100 % sensitivity could not be achieved, the Amsterdam Wrist Rules can provide physicians in the Emergency Department with a useful screening tool to select patients with acute wrist trauma for radiography. The upcoming implementation study will further reveal the impact of the Amsterdam Wrist Rules on the anticipated reduction of X-rays requested, missed fractures, Emergency Department waiting times and health care costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Dutch Trial Registry, reference number NTR2544 on October 1(st), 2010.

Long-term outcome of bilateral Wilms tumors (BWT).

BACKGROUND: Modern WT management consist of ample chemotherapy, nephron-sparing surgery, and, when indicated, radiotherapy. Survivors may develop renal failure or secondary tumors due to anticancer treatment. We analyzed long-term outcome (follow-up >5 years) after bilateral Wilms tumor (BWT) treatment with respect to survival, renal function, and secondary malignancies. METHODS: From 41 patients (23 females, 28 synchronous tumors) diagnosed with BWT between 1967 and 2007, 25 (18 females, 14 synchronous) with a follow-up >5 years could be included. Of this subgroup, median age at diagnosis was 1.64 years (range 0.27-5.35), and at maximum follow-up 14.99 years (range 5.40-33.99). Data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: One patient (4%) died 17.75 years after diagnosis, five (20%) had renal transplants: 3/5 after bilateral nephrectomy for Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS), and 2/5 for ESRD after an interval of 7 and 18 years, respectively. All transplanted patients remained in CR. Another three patients developed mild renal insufficiency (creatinine levels 1.3, 1.8, and 2.8 mg/100 ml, respectively; N = 0.5-1.2), combined with hypertension in 1; neither of them was transplanted. Sixteen (64%) had normal renal function and were in CR. Long-term renal function appeared significantly better after bilateral nephron sparing surgery (NSS) then after other surgical procedures (P < 0.0001). Seven secondary tumors were found in five (20%) patients, one of whom had a DDS. CONCLUSION: Long-term 10-year overall survival was 78%. There was significant morbidity (13/25, 52%), in terms of renal failure (8/25, 32%) including renal transplantation (5/25, 20%), and secondary tumors (5/25). These findings necessitate long-term follow-up beyond childhood. Future work should be directed at reducing the harmful effects of treatment, including the increased use of NSS.

Predicting distant metastasis in patients with suspected pancreatic and periampullary tumors for selective use of staging laparoscopy.

BACKGROUND: In patients with pancreatic or periampullary tumor, staging laparoscopy (SL) can detect metastases that are occult on computed tomography (CT), thereby precluding nontherapeutic laparotomy. Routine SL is not advocated, but some studies suggest its selective use. The aim of this study was to identify patients at risk for metastasis in whom SL could be beneficial. METHODS: A consecutive series of patients who underwent laparotomy for a suspected pancreatic or periampullary tumor were analyzed. We included patients with a suspected resectable solid lesion and a recent high-quality CT scan. Patients with and without an intraoperatively encountered metastasis were compared. Regression analysis was performed to examine the association between various predictors and metastasis. RESULTS: Data from 385 patients (mean age 63, 41% women) were analyzed. Distant metastasis was encountered in 79 patients (21%). Logistic regression analysis revealed the following key predictors for metastasis: tumor size on CT scan [odds ratio (OR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16-1.76 per millimeter increase], weight loss (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.01-1.63 per doubling the kilograms), and history of jaundice (OR 2.36, 95% CI 0.79-7.06). In patients with a tumor ≥3 cm and severe weight loss (≥10 kg) and in patients with a tumor ≥4 cm and moderate weight loss (≥5 kg), the proportion of patients with metastasis was >40%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a suspected pancreatic or periampullary tumor, the tumor size, weight loss, and jaundice are key predictors of metastasis at exploration. SL might be beneficial in patients with a tumor ≥3 cm and severe weight loss and in those with a tumor ≥4 cm and moderate weight loss.

Amsterdam wrist rules: a clinical decision aid.

BACKGROUND: Acute trauma of the wrist is one of the most frequent reasons for visiting the Emergency Department. These patients are routinely referred for radiological examination. Most X-rays however, do not reveal any fractures. A clinical decision rule determining the need for X-rays in patients with acute wrist trauma may help to percolate and select patients with fractures. METHODS/DESIGN: This study will be a multi-center observational diagnostic study in which the data will be collected cross-sectionally. The study population will consist of all consecutive adult patients (≥18 years) presenting with acute wrist trauma at the Emergency Department in the participating hospitals. This research comprises two components: one study will be conducted to determine which clinical parameters are predictive for the presence of a distal radius fracture in adult patients presenting to the Emergency Department following acute wrist trauma. These clinical parameters are defined by trauma-mechanism, physical examination, and functional testing. This data will be collected in two of the three participating hospitals and will be assessed by using logistic regression modelling to estimate the regression coefficients after which a reduced model will be created by means of a log likelihood ratio test. The accuracy of the model will be estimated by a goodness of fit test and an ROC curve. The final model will be validated internally through bootstrapping and by shrinking it, an adjusted model will be generated. In the second component of this study, the developed prediction model will be validated in a new dataset consisting of a population of patients from the third hospital. If necessary, the model will be calibrated using the data from the validation study. DISCUSSION: Wrist trauma is frequently encountered at the Emergency Department. However, to this date, no decision rule regarding this type of trauma has been created. Ideally, radiographs are obtained of all patients entering one of the participating hospitals with trauma to the wrist. However, this is ethically and logistically not feasible and one could argue that patients, for whom no radiography is required according to their physician, are not suspected of having a distal radius fracture and thus are not part of the domain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR 2544) and was granted permission by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam on 06-01-2011.

Increased and unjustified CT usage in paediatric C-spine clearance in a level 2 trauma centre.

PURPOSE: Cervical spine injury after blunt trauma in children is rare but can have severe consequences. Clear protocols for diagnostic workup are, therefore, needed, but currently not available. As a step in developing such a protocol, we determined the incidence of cervical spine injury and the degree of protocol adherence at our level 2 trauma centre. METHODS: We analysed data from all patients aged < 16 years suspected of cervical spine injury after blunt trauma who had presented to our hospital during two periods: January 2010 to June 2012, and January 2017 to June 2019. In the intervening period, the imaging protocol for diagnostic workup was updated. Outcomes were the incidence of cervical spine injury and protocol adherence in terms of the indication for imaging and the type of imaging. RESULTS: We included 170 children in the first study period and 83 in the second. One patient was diagnosed with cervical spine injury. Protocol adherence regarding the indication for imaging was > 80% in both periods. Adherence regarding the imaging type decreased over time, with 45.8% of the patients receiving a primary CT scan in the second study period versus 2.9% in the first. CONCLUSION: Radiographic imaging is frequently performed when clearing the paediatric cervical spine, although cervical spine injury is rare. Particularly CT scan usage has wrongly been emerging over time. Stricter adherence to current protocols could limit overuse of radiographic imaging, but ultimately there is a need for an accurate rule predicting which children really are at risk of injury.

[Catamenial pneumothorax: an intriguing cause of recurrent pneumothorax in women]. / Catameniale pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endometriosis (TE) is one of the causes of secondary pneumothorax in women. According to the literature, 1 in 3 premenopausal women with pneumothorax can be diagnosed with 'catamenial pneumothorax'. The diagnosis is often not or only belatedly made in practice, even though treatment is significantly different than that of primary pneumothorax. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 40-year-old woman came to the emergency department because of dyspnoea and right-sided chest pain. The patient had recurrent pneumothorax and chest pain related to the menstrual cycle. Thoracoscopy revealed thoracic endometriosis. The endometriosis lesions were removed and the patient subsequently received hormonal menstrual suppression treatment. CONCLUSION: In premenopausal women with pneumothorax or a recurrence of pneumothorax, it is important to consider catamenial pneumothorax. Infertility, earlier proven abdominal endometriosis and chest pain linked to menstruation are indications of thoracic endometriosis or catamenial pneumothorax.

Adherence to the guidelines of paediatric cervical spine clearance in a level I trauma centre: A single centre experience.

INTRODUCTION: International guidelines define if and what type of radiography is advised in children to clear the cervical spine (C-spine). However, adherence to these guidelines has never been evaluated in a paediatric population. Therefore, we wanted to assess the adherence to the guidelines for C-spine clearance in a level-one trauma centre. METHODS: We retrospectively included all children, presented at the ED between January 2006 and December 2013, in whom radiographic imaging of the C-spine was obtained following blunt trauma. Primary outcome was the adherence to the international guidelines with regard to (1) if the indication for radiographic imaging was correct and (2) if the type of radiographic imaging was correct. RESULTS: Included were 573 patients; 336 boys (58.7%). Median age was 11 years (IQR 5.25-15). The indication for radiographic imaging was correct in all cases. The type of primary imaging modality was concordant with the guidelines in 99,7%. In 41% of the cases supplementary radiographs were made. The most common supplementary view was the odontoid. In 15% an incomplete set of radiographs was obtained. CONCLUSION: The adherence to the international guidelines when to obtain radiographic imaging was 100%. However, in a large proportion of patients (56%), not the recommended number of radiographs was obtained.

[The Amsterdam wrist rules: the multicenter prospective derivation and external validation of a clinical decision rule for the use of radiography in acute wrist trauma]. / De Amsterdam Wrist Rules: Een klinische beslisregel voor polstrauma op de SEH.

BACKGROUND: Although only 39% of patients with wrist trauma have sustained a fracture, the majority of patients is routinely referred for radiography. The purpose of this study was to derive and externally validate a clinical decision rule that selects patients with acute wrist trauma in the Emergency Department (ED) for radiography. METHOD: This multicenter prospective study consisted of three components: (1) derivation of a clinical prediction model for detecting wrist fractures in patients following wrist trauma; (2) external validation of this model; and (3) design of a clinical decision rule. The study was conducted in the EDs of five Dutch hospitals: one academic hospital (derivation cohort) and four regional hospitals (external validation cohort). We included all adult patients with acute wrist trauma. The main outcome was fracture of the wrist (distal radius, distal ulna or carpal bones) diagnosed on conventional X-rays. RESULTS: A total of 882 patients were analyzed; 487 in the derivation cohort and 395 in the validation cohort. We derived a clinical prediction model with eight variables: age; sex, swelling of the wrist; swelling of the anatomical snuffbox, visible deformation; distal radius tender to palpation; pain on radial deviation and painful axial compression of the thumb. The Area Under the Curve at external validation of this model was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77-0.85). The sensitivity and specificity of the Amsterdam Wrist Rules (AWR) in the external validation cohort were 98% (95% CI: 95-99%) and 21% (95% CI: 15%-28). The negative predictive value was 90% (95% CI: 81-99%). CONCLUSION: The Amsterdam Wrist Rules is a clinical prediction rule with a high sensitivity and negative predictive value for fractures of the wrist. Although external validation showed low specificity and 100 % sensitivity could not be achieved, the Amsterdam Wrist Rules can provide physicians in the Emergency Department with a useful screening tool to select patients with acute wrist trauma for radiography. The upcoming implementation study will further reveal the impact of the Amsterdam Wrist Rules on the anticipated reduction of X-rays requested, missed fractures, Emergency Department waiting times and health care costs.

Plain radiography in children with spoke wheel injury: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Bicycle spoke injury (BSI) mostly occurs in children as a result of entrapment of the leg in the bicycle spokes. No guideline or protocol exists that defines what type of radiography is indicated to diagnose or rule out a fracture commonly associated with these injuries. The aim of this study was (1) to evaluate the type of radiographs that are obtained in children with BSI, (2) to assess in which anatomical regions fractures occur and (3) to evaluate on which radiographs a fracture can be detected in children with BSI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed in paediatric patients presenting at the Emergency Department (ED) of a university hospital with a paediatric surgery department between June 2008 and December 2013. RESULTS: In 99 of the 320 children (31.4%) evaluated with radiography following BSI a fracture was diagnosed. In almost two third of the patients (63%) radiographic imaging of two or more anatomical regions was performed. In 98 children (99%) the fracture was located at the distal tibia or fibula. All fractures were diagnosed on a radiograph of the ankle or lower leg (including the ankle region). No fractures of the foot were diagnosed. CONCLUSION: We suggest that in children with a clinical suspicion of a fracture at the ankle region, in which no fracture is seen at the radiograph of the ankle, no additional radiographs are necessary.

Qualitative analysis of studies concerning quality of life in children and adults with anorectal malformations.

INTRODUCTION: Anorectal malformations are relatively common congenital anomalies in pediatric surgery. After definitive surgery constipation, soiling, and fecal incontinence are frequently seen problems. Quality of life (QoL) can be influenced by these problems. In the last decades QoL has become an important aspect in the treatment and follow-up of patients with anorectal malformations. This has resulted in various reports concerning QoL. In order to deduce whether the drawn conclusions in the different studies are correct and can be used to adjust standard care for patients with ARM, a qualitative analysis of the studies was performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature study was performed in PubMed, Psychinfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (240 hits). Thirty articles were used, following application of our inclusion criteria and in-depth analysis of the articles. A methodological qualitative analysis was also performed and QoL outcome assessed. RESULTS: Six authors (20.0%) used validated QoL questionnaires. Four articles were longitudinal and had more than one measure moment. Eleven studies (36.7%) used only non-validated questionnaires, and eight studies (26.6%) used only validated questionnaires. Nineteen studies correlated fecal continence to QoL, and seven studies established no correlation. Three of these seven studies used validated QoL questionnaires. All twelve studies, which did establish a correlation, used non-validated QoL questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 83% of the studies had not used validated QoL questionnaires. Further, conclusions concerning QoL were often based on functional outcomes, for example fecal incontinence. So far, longitudinal high quality research on QoL in this group has not been achieved.

The role of plain radiography in paediatric wrist trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Acute wrist trauma in children is one of the most frequent reasons for visiting the emergency department (ED). Radiographic imaging in children with wrist trauma is mostly performed routinely to confirm or rule out a fracture. The aim of this study was to determine how many radiographs of the wrist show a fracture in children following wrist trauma. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed in three Dutch hospitals from 2009-2010. Data were extracted from patient records and radiographic reports. RESULTS: Of the 1,223 children who presented at the ED after a wrist trauma, 51 % had a wrist fracture. The peak incidence of having a wrist fracture was at the age of 10 years; 65 % of the children younger than 10 years of age had a wrist fracture. Of all the patients without a wrist fracture, 74 % were older than 10 years of age. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the paediatric patients with a trauma of the wrist had normal radiographs. The development of a clinical decision rule to determine when a radiograph of the wrist is indicated following acute wrist trauma is needed. This could likely reduce the number of radiographs. MAIN MESSAGES: • Fifty-one percent of the children with wrist trauma have a wrist fracture. • Peak incidence of having a wrist fracture is at the age of 10 years. • Sixty-five percent of the children younger than 10 years of age had a wrist fracture. • Of all the patients without a wrist fracture, 74 % were older than 10 years of age. • The development of a clinical decision rule to reduce the number of radiographs is needed.

Incidence of biopsy-proven bone tumors in children: a report based on the Dutch pathology registration "PALGA".

INTRODUCTION: Data on childhood bone tumors are mainly confined to reports on malignant tumors or on institutional registries. Incidence figures on both benign and malignant bone tumors in childhood are lacking. METHODS: From January 1999 to December 2003, 1474 newly diagnosed bone tumors in children up to 18 years were registered in Pathologisch Anatomisch Landelijk Geautomatiseerd Archief (the nationwide network and registry of histopathology and cytopathology in The Netherlands). Data provided were diagnosis, date of birth, age at diagnosis, and localization. For incidence calculations, data on age and sex in each year of investigation were obtained from the StatLine database of Statistics Netherlands (www.cbs.nl). RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of pathology-proven bone tumors in children is low. Incidence of pathology-proven bone tumors in The Netherlands is 79.3 per 1,000,000. From the very first year of life, incidence increases from 3.9 per 1,000,000 to a peak at 13 to 15 years of 142.9 per 1,000,000. Osteochondromas are the most prevalent tumors, followed by aneurysmal bone cysts. The overall incidence is higher for male compared with female patients, mainly due to different frequencies found in aneurysmal bone cysts, Ewing sarcoma, and osteochondroma. Shifts in incidence differ among the various tumors. In infants, bone tumors are mainly chondromas and fibrous dysplasia, which both show a steady increase at older ages. Tumors most prevalent at older ages are osteochondromas, osteosarcomas, osteoid osteomas, and chondromas. A peak incidence at approximately the age of 10 is noted for solitary bone cysts, nonossifying fibromas, and osteoblastomas. Small children more often have localizations in the skull and facial bones. Comparison with literature data showed significant differences due to referral-based institutionally bias, whereas tumor registries only give data for specific tumor types.