Extravasation injury in a paediatric population.

BACKGROUND: Extravasation occurs when a drug is inadvertently administered outside of the vein. Depending on the substance involved, this may lead to tissue necrosis with significant long-term morbidity. Children, particularly neonates, are particularly susceptible to extravasation with up to 70% of children in neonatal intensive care unit having some form of extravasation injury. These injuries are commonly referred to plastic surgeons for ongoing management. METHODS: We prospectively collected information on all extravasation injuries referred to the plastic surgery department in a children's hospital over an 18-month period. Data collected included the agent involved in the extravasation, treatment and outcomes. RESULTS: In total, there were 43 extravasation injuries recorded on the hospital risk management system during the period of this study. All of these were referred to the plastic surgery team for ongoing management. Five patients (11%) underwent washout of their injuries. Three patients (7%) suffered injuries, which led to significant tissue necrosis, delayed healing and prolonged morbidity. CONCLUSION: Smaller infants, particularly those being cared for in an intensive care setting, are at increased risk for extravasation injury. Early referral and treatment of high-risk extravasation injuries may reduce the incidence of tissue loss and morbidity.

Investigation of the activation of the temporalis and masseter muscles in voluntary and spontaneous smile production.

INTRODUCTION: Masticatory muscles or their nerve supply are options for facial reanimation surgery, but their ability to create spontaneous smile has been questioned. This study assessed the percentage of healthy adults who activate the temporalis and masseter muscles during voluntary and spontaneous smile. METHODS: Healthy volunteer adults underwent electromyography (EMG) studies of the temporalis and masseter muscles during voluntary and spontaneous smile. Responses were repeated three times and recorded as negative, weakly positive, or strongly positive according to the activity observed. The best response was used for analysis. RESULTS: Thirty healthy adults (median age: 34 years, range: 25-69 years) participated. Overall, 92% of the masseter muscles were activated during voluntary smile (22% strong, 70% weak). Seventy-seven percent of the masseter muscles were activated in spontaneous smile (12% strong, 65% weak). The temporalis muscle was activated in 62% of responses in voluntary smile (15% strong, 47% weak) and in 45% of responses in spontaneous smile (13% strong, 32% weak). No significant difference was found for males vs females or closed vs open mouth smiles. There was no significant difference in responses between voluntary and spontaneous smiles for the temporalis and masseter muscles, and their use in voluntary smile did not predict activity in spontaneous smile. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that masseter and temporalis are active in a high proportion of healthy adults during voluntary and spontaneous smiles. Further work is required to determine the relationship between preoperative donor muscle activation and postoperative spontaneous smile, and whether masticatory muscle activity can be upregulated with appropriate training.

The use of vascularised bone capping to prevent and treat amputation stump spiking in the paediatric population.

BACKGROUND: Overgrowth of the stump skeleton is a major complication seen in children after an amputation. In advanced cases, perforation of the bone spike through the skin can occur. Many surgical treatments have been employed to treat and prevent this, with best results seen when non-vascularised osteo-chondral bone grafts are placed to try to mimic a trans-articular amputation. We reviewed our outcomes using vascularized bone flaps to prevent and treat spiking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2000 and 2016 we carried out six vascularised osteo-cartilaginous bone capping procedures. Five patients underwent the procedure as an adjunct to primary amputation and in a single patient it was used to treat established bone spiking. Trauma accounted for three cases, with the other three being tumour, vascular malformation and ischemia. Three patients had pedicled bone flaps placed on the amputation stump and three underwent free tissue transfer (free calcaneus, free scapular angle, and free proximal tibia). Five cases involved lower limb amputations, with one in the upper limb. RESULTS: One patient had an early post-operative complication in the form of partial skin flap necrosis that required debridement and skin grafting. All bone flaps survived. Mean follow-up was 6.5 years. All patients had bony union with no development of stump spiking. Two patients required further procedures unrelated to the bone flaps. CONCLUSION: Vascularised bone flaps to cap amputation stumps may be a safe and effective method of preventing and treating long-bone stump spiking following amputation in children.

Paediatric fingertip composite grafts: Do they all go black?

BACKGROUND: Fingertip injuries are amongst the most frequently seen hand injuries in the paediatric population. The present study evaluated the composite graft survival rate in distal digital amputations with respect to injury type, amputation level and time to surgery. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent composite grafting of fingertip injuries over an 11-year period at a paediatric hospital. All children who underwent non-vascularized replantation of amputated fingertips were included. Patients were excluded if they failed to attend at least one follow-up appointment. Demographic information was recorded. The nature and level of injury and time to surgery was also recorded. Graft viability was characterized as no take, partial take, or complete take. The number of secondary procedures and number and duration of follow-up appointments were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients underwent fingertip composite grafting, of whom 96 were suitable for inclusion in this study. The median age was 2.4 years (0-16 years); there were 48 boys (46%) and 57 girls (54%). Thirty-one patients had no graft take (32%), 50 patients had partial take (52%) and 15 patients had complete take (16%). Only two patients underwent secondary revision (2%). The median number of follow-up appointments was 4, and the mean follow-up time was 68 days. Time to surgery or level of amputation did not have a statistically significant influence on outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Over two-thirds of composite grafts in children showed some degree of take, albeit partially in the majority. Morbidity was low, and most children did not require further surgery.

Prospective randomized controlled trial: fibrin sealant reduces split skin graft donor-site pain.

BACKGROUND: Pain at split skin graft donor sites is common. Fibrin sealant has been demonstrated to reduce time to hemostasis at wound sites, and patients receiving this treatment were incidentally noted to report less pain. This study aimed to evaluate pain and incapacity in split skin graft donor sites treated with and without fibrin sealant. METHODS: Fifty patients requiring thigh donor-site split skin grafts were prospectively randomized to receive either a self-adhesive fabric dressing alone or fibrin sealant plus the self-adhesive fabric dressing as primary donor-site dressings. External secondary dressings were the same. Patients were blinded with regard to treatment group. Using visual analogue scales (scored 0 to 5), patients rated their donor-site pain and incapacity for 14 days postoperatively. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay and duration of requirement for dressings. RESULTS: Forty patients were included in the study analysis and completed self-reported pain and incapacity scores. Twenty received the fibrin sealant plus self-adhesive fabric dressing and 20 received the fabric dressing only (controls). Patients using the fibrin sealant plus the dressing reported significantly less pain (mean score, 0.42 versus 1.60, p < 0.001) and significantly less incapacity (mean score, 0.48 versus 1.71, p < 0.001). Patients allocated to the fibrin sealant group recorded shorter lengths of stay and faster time to discontinuation of dressing, though statistical significance was not achieved. CONCLUSION: Patients whose split skin graft donor sites were dressed with fibrin sealant plus self-adhesive fabric dressing experienced significantly less pain and incapacity than patients with self-adhesive fabric dressings alone, allowing a more rapid return to normal activity. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

Reconstruction of an extensive peri-orbital defect secondary to mucormycosis in a patient with myelodysplasia.

We present the case of a 68-year old gentleman with previously diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome with pancytopenia who presented with exophthalmia, rhinorrhea, and ophthalmoplegia. Nasal endoscopy revealed black necrotic lesions. He was diagnosed with rhino-orbital mucormycosis and commenced on intravenous antifungals. Despite this therapy he progressed to have total unilateral loss of visual acuity and cutaneous necrosis. He underwent emergency orbital exenteration and extensive cheek and sinus debridement. Necrotic lesions were found in the orbit, the maxillary and ethmoidal sinuses. He underwent reconstruction of this defect using a free myocutaneous ALT flap with a segment of vastus lateralis. Prior to surgery his anemia and thrombocytopenia were addressed with packed red cell and platelet transfusions as well as preoperative thromboelastography (TEG) to measure functional fibrinogen to platelet ratio. Intraoperative platelet administration was guided by repeated TEG analysis. There were no significant intraoperative or postoperative bleeding complications and both flap and donor site healed unremarkably. Few reports exist in the literature related to free tissue transfer in patients with hematological disorders but low platelet count has been implicated in an increased complication rate.

Poloxamer 188 protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in a murine hind-limb model.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia-reperfusion injury can activate pathways generating reactive oxygen species, which can injure cells by creating holes in the cell membranes. Copolymer surfactants such as poloxamer 188 are capable of sealing defects in cell membranes. The authors postulated that a single-dose administration of poloxamer 188 would decrease skeletal myocyte injury and mortality following ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: Mice underwent normothermic hind-limb ischemia for 2 hours. Animals were treated with 150 microl of poloxamer 188 or dextran at three time points: (1) 10 minutes before ischemia; (2) 10 minutes before reperfusion; and (3) 2 or 4 hours after reperfusion. After 24 hours of reperfusion, tissues were analyzed for myocyte injury (histology) and metabolic dysfunction (muscle adenosine 5'-triphosphate). Additional groups of mice were followed for 7 days to assess mortality. RESULTS: When poloxamer 188 treatment was administered 10 minutes before ischemia, injury was reduced by 84 percent, from 50 percent injury in the dextran group to 8 percent injury in the poloxamer 188 group (p < 0.001). When administered 10 minutes before reperfusion, poloxamer 188 animals demonstrated a 60 percent reduction in injury compared with dextran controls (12 percent versus 29 percent). Treatment at 2 hours, but not at 4 hours, postinjury prevented substantial myocyte injury. Preservation of muscle adenosine 5'-triphosphate paralleled the decrease in myocyte injury in poloxamer 188-treated animals. Poloxamer 188 treatment significantly reduced mortality following injury (10 minutes before, 75 percent versus 25 percent survival, p = 0.0077; 2 hours after, 50 percent versus 8 percent survival, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Poloxamer 188 administered to animals decreased myocyte injury, preserved tissue adenosine 5'-triphosphate levels, and improved survival following hind-limb ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Complex regional pain syndrome (Type 1) following steroid injection for stenosing tenosynovitis.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic progressive disease characterised by severe pain, swelling and changes in the skin. Precipitating factors include injury and surgery, and a variety of causes have been described. We present the case of a 68-year-old lady who presented with features indicative of a CRPS following steroid injection for a 'trigger' thumb.