[Can infrascanner be useful in hospital emergency departments for diagnosing minor head injury in children?]

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine whether Infrascanner screening is a test which would facilitate excluding acute intracranial bleeding in children after minor head injury and thus make it possible to limit indications for computed tomography in those children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled 155 children aged 2-18 years after a minor or moderate head injury. The children were assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale, examined by Infrascanner screening. Those who had relvant indications also had head computed tomography. RESULTS: A negative Infrascanner screening result (no intracranial bleeding) was noted in 151 children. The Infrascanner result was positive in 4 children. Head computed tomography was performed in 28 of the 155 children. The conformity of the Infrascanner result with the computed tomography image was found in 26 children: no evidence of intracranial bleeding in 24 children and confirmation of intracranial haematoma in 2 children. The sensitivity of the screening was 66.67% and its specificity 98.68%. The positive and negative predictive values of the screening were 50% and 99.34%, respectively. The reliability of the test results was 98.06%. CONCLUSION: The Infrascanner seems to be a useful device in diagnosing children after minor head injury in the emergency department and its portability makes it possible to use it in practically all settings. Introducing the device into management standards in children after minor head injury might facilitate selecting those after minor head injury who are not at risk of intracranial bleeding and contribute to a reduction in the number of imaging investigations being performed and decrease the number of hospitalisations.

[Minor head trauma - trivial matter or sirious diagnostic and therapeutic problem? The role of Infrascanner in the diagnostic process]. / Lekki uraz glowy u dzieci- blaha sprawa czy duzy problem diagnostyczno-terapeutyczny? Rola infrascannera w procesie diagnostycznym.

Head injuries in children, especially minor head injuries, still constitute a important diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Despite progress in medical sciences, there is no definition of minor head injury or standards of the management of children with a minor head injury. In consequence, the diagnostic procedure in the child who does not show any signs of central nervous system damage as a result of head injury is individual and depends on the experience and knowledge of the aid provider and as well as procedures established in a given ward. Therefore, a problem which requires to be urgently solved is to determine the justification and indications for imaging investigations (justification for skull X-ray, performance indications for carrying out computed tomography of the head) as well as indications for inpatient observation in such cases. The study presents currently existing definitions and proposals for the management of children presenting with a minor head injury. On the basis of own investigation we would stress that there is an opportunity to use in the initial diagnostics of head injuries in children, a modern non-invasive method already available in Poland, utilising the near-infrared NIR technology in order to detect intracranial haemorrhages by means of the Infrascanner.

Prehospital pain management in children with traumatic injuries.

UNLABELLED: Damage that arises as a result of injuries is one of the most common causes of children presenting to hospital emergency departments. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the implementation of recommendations for prehospital pain management in injured children provided by various health care centers. METHODS: A total of 7146 children aged 0 to 18 years because of injury were admitted to the Department of Paediatric Emergency Medicine in the Maria Konopnicka Memorial University Teaching Hospital No. 4 in Lodz within the period of 12 months. From this group, 1493 children received prehospital emergency care from various health care centers. RESULTS: Health care centers provided prehospital aid to 21% of all children with injuries. Boys (60.3%) and children older than 5 years (80%) predominated among pediatric trauma cases. Prehospital emergency aid was most frequently administered to children by emergency medical services personnel (42.7%) and a primary health care physician (28.1%). Injuries of head (42.1%), neck (1.1%), chest (1.7%), abdomen (2.5%), upper (32.2%), and lower (19.9%) limbs as well as burns (5.3%) were diagnosed in pediatric patients. Indications for prehospital analgesia were found in 489 of 1493 patients (32.7%). Analgesia was administered to 159 children (32%), pain medication was not given to 223 children (46%), and in 107 cases (22%), there was a lack of information on that subject. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the training of medical staff, provision of analgesia for children with burns and traumatic injuries of the osteoarticular system is inadequate.

Pain management in children with burns before admission to the ward: Analysis of selected parts of pre-hospital medical records.

BACKGROUND: The extent of pre-hospital medical care (PHMC) given to burned patients affects both the patient's condition and the effectiveness of treatment. OBJECTIVES: To improve the quality of PHMC of burns in children, based upon an analysis of the selected parts of pre-hospital medical records, with particular emphasis on analgesia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records were used to analyze how PHMC was given to 117 burned children aged 0-18 years, treated at the Pediatric Surgery Ward between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2017. RESULTS: In 41/85 cases, PHMC was delivered by Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), in 42 in Emergency/Admission Rooms (ARs) and in 2 by Primary Health Care (PHC). Monotherapy was predominant. Medical records from ARs included the following information: the administration of analgesics with the name in 95% (21) of the cases, the route of drug administration in 45% (10), insertion of intravenous access and dressing in 33% (14), and fluid transfusion in 43% (6) cases. The way in which the EMTs provided assistance was described in 34% (14/41) of medical records, the administration of analgesics in 86% (12) cases, cooling and dressing in 43% (6), and the establishment of intravenous access with fluid transfusion in 36% (5) cases. CONCLUSION: In burned children, access to analgesic and combined pain therapy is still random, limited and deviates from current recommendations. Prior to the admission to the ward, pain relief with 1 agent administered rectally prevails. There is a need to standardize the procedures for pre-hospital medical assistance provided to burned children, including the method of pain management in line with the Polish recommendations. It is necessary to make the medical staff aware of the obligation to keep medical records in a reliable and legal manner.

[Nephroblastoma in children aged less than 6 months at diagnosis]. / Nowotwory nerek u noworodków i niemowlat w pierwszych 6 miesiacach zycia.

UNLABELLED: We present the results of treatment of kidney tumours in newborns and infants aged less than 6 months, in the years 1993-2000, from the Nephroblastoma Committee of the Polish Paediatric Group of Solid Tumours (PPGGL). We have analysed the diagnostic and treatment results in the group of 31 children aged 0 to 6 months. For 19 children registered between 1993 and 1996, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (AS) were assessed. Among 450 children registered between 1993 and 2000 by PPGGL and treated for kidney tumours, there were 31 (7.1%) newborns and infants aged below 6 months. The accuracy of diagnosis based on imaging studies was 97%. Only in one child the initial diagnosis of kidney tumour was not confirmed; cystic degeneration of kidney was finally established. The tumours removed during surgery were small, with average size 213 cm3, and in half of the cases the size of the tumour did not exceed 165 cm3. Primary complete excision of the tumour was performed in 21 children (67.7%). In 10 cases histopathology confirmed mesoblastic nephroma, in 19 cases nephroblastoma and in 2 cases sarcoma clarocellulare. In 10 infants (32.2%) with nephroblastoma delayed surgery preceded by chemotherapy was performed. Indications for initial preoperative chemotherapy comprised: tumour in a single kidney, tumour in a horseshoe kidney, preoperative diagnostic biopsy of the tumour and large tumour in neonates older than 3 months. In almost 70% of the children the stage of advancement was low (stage I and IIN-). Histopathology of excised tumours confirmed in 42% of cases low risk, and in 51.6% intermediate risk. Intraoperative complications occurred in 5 infants (16%). The tolerance of reduced chemotherapy by the infants was good. AS was 100%. ESF for the 19 children registered for nephroblastoma between 1993 and 1996 for all stages of advancement and types of histology was 94.75%. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Mesoblastic nephroma and low risk nephroblastoma are the most common tumours in children within the first three years of life. 2) The results of treatment of nephroblastoma in the youngest children (below 6 months of age) are the most favourable and represent world standards.3) Surgical complications in children operated primarily for nephroblastoma indicate the need of performing such operations in academic centres, specialised in newborn surgery. 4) In infants with extensive kidney tumours older than 3 months, primarily considered as inoperative, individual induction chemotherapy should be taken into account.