Evaluation of surgical approaches to pyloromyotomy: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of various approaches to pyloromyotomy: supraumbilical (SU), right upper quadrant (RUQ), and laparoscopic (LP). METHODS: Single-center retrospective review from 1998 to 2005 with institutional review board approval, evaluating 192 pyloromyotomies based on surgical approach: RUQ (119), SU (64), and LP (9). Patient demographics, acid-base/electrolyte status on presentation, mean operative time, postoperative length of stay, and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Patient demographics, acid-base/electrolyte status, and mean operative time were not significantly different. The median length of stay was 34, 29, and 24.5 hours for SU, RUQ, and LP, respectively (P = .479). The frequency of duodenal/gastric perforations in the SU, RUQ, and LP groups were 1, 4, and 1, respectively. The LP perforation was not recognized intraoperatively, resulting in sepsis and multiorgan failure. One patient in the SU group had a late adhesive bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy and bowel resection. Wound infection rates did not differ significantly between groups (SU, 4; RUQ, 2; LP, 1; P = .113). CONCLUSION: Pyloromyotomy is associated with a low complication rate. Cosmetically, SU is superior to the RUQ approach. The added benefits of being able to examine the integrity of the duodenal mucosa intraoperatively and its short learning curve may make SU a safer alternative to LP for surgeons who are still practicing the RUQ approach.

The role of laparotomy for intestinal perforation in very low birth weight infants.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The management of intestinal perforation in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (less than 1500 g) is controversial. Current practice favors peritoneal drainage (PD) with or without a delayed laparotomy over primary laparotomy (PL). We compared the outcomes of PD +/- delayed laparotomy vs PL in VLBW infants using the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology with Perinatal Extension (SNAPPE-II) as a validated predictor of mortality. METHODS: A retrospective analysis (1998-2003) of VLBW infants with intestinal perforation at 2 pediatric centers was undertaken. Data retrieval included neonatal demographics and parameters for SNAPPE-II calculation. The primary end point was 30-day mortality. Other outcome measures included in-hospital mortality, days fasting, days to extubation, and length of stay. Statistical analysis was performed with either Student's t test or chi2 analysis. Subgroup and multivariate analyses were also performed. P values < .05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Fifty-two neonates (25 PD, 27 PL) were reviewed. Overall, 10 (19.2%) infants died. Observed 30-day mortality rates in PD and PL groups were 32% and 7.4% (P = .028), respectively. Average SNAPPE-II scores for PD (42.5 +/- 20.8) and PL (25.1 +/- 14.6) groups yielded predicted mortality rates of 15.7% and 4.9% (P = .001), respectively. PD group 30-day mortality far exceeded the rate predicted by the SNAPPE-II score. Days fasting (13.7 vs 20.4; P = .0001), days to extubation (26.7 vs 51.5; P = .014), and length of stay (56.1 vs 83.6; P = .031) all favored the PL group despite incorporating SNAPPE-II score as a covariate into the multivariate analysis. Of the 25 patients receiving drainage, 9 underwent PD alone (SNAPPE-II = 46.6 +/- 27.9), whereas 16 patients underwent delayed laparotomy (SNAPPE-II = 37.8 +/- 17.6). The PD-only group had a greatly elevated mortality rate (77.8% vs 15.7% predicted), whereas the delayed laparotomy group had a reduced mortality rate (6.3% vs 9.3% predicted). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that laparotomy, either alone or after PD, provides an improved outcome in VLBW infants with intestinal perforation. PD should be used as a temporizing measure until laparotomy can be performed.

Profile of a metropolitan North American immigrant suicidal adolescent population.

OBJECTIVE: Canadian immigrant adolescents have a lower suicide rate than their nonimmigrant peers. We conducted a hypothesis-generating analysis to determine whether this lower rate correlated with level of drug use and (or) with diagnostic and demographic characteristics of Canadian immigrant adolescents presenting to an emergency room for crisis assessment. METHOD: Known risk factors for suicide were compared among immigrant youth, North American youth, and a culturally mixed group of youth at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: The immigrant group was only differentiated by a lower rate of reported drug use. CONCLUSION: The lower rate of reported drug use at the time of crisis may contribute to the lower suicide rate among immigrants.