Efficacy of antireflux surgery in children with or without neurological impairment: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Antireflux surgery is commonly performed in children, yet evidence for its efficacy is limited. The aim of this review was to determine the effect of antireflux surgery with regard to objective measures of quality of life (QoL) and value of upper gastrointestinal investigations in neurologically normal (NN) and neurologically impaired (NI) children. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted of articles reporting children undergoing antireflux surgery in whom preoperative and postoperative objective testing was performed. Primarily, Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE and PubMed were searched from inception to April 2019. Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria were used to assess article quality. RESULTS: Of 789 articles, 14 met the eligibility criteria, 12 prospective observational and 2 retrospective studies. The median MINORS score was 59·4 (i.q.r. 39 to 62·5) per cent. Seven studies reported assessment of validated QoL measures before and after antireflux surgery in 148 children. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 180 months. All studies confirmed significant improvements in QoL measures among NN and NI children at all follow-up points. Eleven studies reported on preoperative and postoperative investigations in between 416 and 440 children children. Follow-up ranged from 0·5 to 180 months. Nine studies confirmed improvements in gastro-oesophageal reflux using 24-h oesophageal pH monitoring with or without manometry, but conflicting results were identified for four studies reporting gastric emptying. No studies reported fluoroscopy or endoscopy adequately. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of studies of low-to-moderate quality, antireflux surgery improved QoL and reduced oesophageal acid exposure in NN and NI children in the short and medium term. Although antireflux surgery is a common elective operation, the lack of rigorous preoperative and postoperative evaluation(s) in the majority of patient-reported studies is striking.

ANTECEDENTES: La cirugía antirreflujo (antireflux surgery, ARS) se realiza con frecuencia en niños, aunque la evidencia sobre su eficacia es limitada. Nos propusimos determinar la eficacia de la ARS con respecto a medidas objetivas de calidad de vida (quality of life, QoL) y la utilidad de las exploraciones del tracto gastrointestinal superior en niños con funciones neurológicas normales (neurologically normal, NN) y con discapacidad neurológica (neurologically impaired, NI). MÉTODOS: Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática (de acuerdo con la normativa PRISMA) de artículos que describiesen series de niños sometidos a ARS en los que se realizaron pruebas objetivas preoperatorias y postoperatorias. Principalmente, se efectuó una búsqueda en EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline y Pubmed desde un comienzo hasta 04/19. La calidad de los artículos se evaluó siguiendo los criterios MINORS. RESULTADOS: De 789 artículos, 14 reunían los criterios de elegibilidad - 12 estudios observacionales prospectivos y 2 estudios retrospectivos. La mediana de la puntuación MINORS fue de 59,4 % (rango intercuartílico 23,4%). Siete estudios describieron la evaluación de medidas de QoL validadas antes y después de ARS en 148 niños. El seguimiento varió de 1 a 180 meses. Todos los estudios confirmaron mejorías significativas en medidas de QoL en los niños NN y NI en todos los puntos del seguimiento. Once estudios describieron sobre las investigaciones preoperatorias y postoperatorias en 507 niños. El seguimiento oscilaba de 0,5 a 180 meses. Nueve estudios confirmaron mejorías en el reflujo gastroesofágico utilizando la monitorización del pH esofágico de 24 horas +/- manometría, pero los resultados eran contradictorios en 3 estudios que evaluaron el vaciamiento gástrico. Ningún estudio describió de forma adecuada los datos de la fluoroscopia o endoscopia. CONCLUSIÓN: De los estudios identificados de baja o moderada calidad, en un seguimiento a corto y medio plazo, la ARS mejora la QoL y reduce la exposición del esófago al ácido en niños NN y niños NI. A pesar de que la ARS es una cirugía electiva habitual, es llamativa la falta de evaluaciones preoperatorias y postoperatorias rigurosas en la mayoría de los estudios de pacientes.

Nineteenth century mortality at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Since Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children opened in 1882, significant advances have been made in child health. Our aim was to investigate the hospital mortality that occurred in the last decade of the 19th century at Royal Hospital for Sick Children. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hospital mortality records for the decades, 1890-1899, were collected from the Archives of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Data were extracted from the hospital inpatient records and the pathology records. In the decade 1890-1899, there were 731 hospital deaths. The main cause of death at that time in the 19th Century was infection, particularly of the respiratory tract. The age at which death occurred was analysed and the recorded cause were analysed as was the distance patients travelled to the hospital. The ratio of boys to girls and length of inpatient stay was similar to that seen in the hospital currently. CONCLUSION: This study records the mortality in a children's hospital in a large developing industrial city in the 19th century as experienced in a children's hospital.

Dipyridamole and paracetamol overdose resulting in multi-organ failure.

Dipyridamole intoxication is rare and few reports exist amongst the current literature. A case of dipyridamole and paracetamol overdose is described in a previously healthy 58-year-old woman, which resulted in multi-organ failure requiring dialysis, inotropic support, ventilation and extensive surgical intervention for small bowel ischaemia. This case highlights the dangers of an unusually large overdose of a commonly prescribed drug, and reviews current knowledge of dipyridamole intoxication.