The diagnosis of malrotation during air enema procedure.

This paper describes the correct diagnosis of cecal malposition, suggesting midgut malrotation, during air enema examination in seven patients. It is possible to diagnose cecal malposition by air enema, even in the presence of a reducible intussusception.

Intussusception in the 1990s: has 25 years made a difference?

To evaluate the current management of the infant and child with intussusception, the medical records of 188 consecutive intussusception patients over 5 years (1985-1990) were reviewed and compared to our series from 25 years ago (1959-1968). The peak months changed from May and June to January and July. Duration of symptoms and signs prior to diagnosis increased by one-third to 35 h with, however, a decrease in the incidence of pain, vomiting, abdominal mass, and rectal blood. Air was the only contrast used for the hydrostatic enema in the present series and was tried in every case with 81% success; this is a major improvement from 45% in the old series. There were three perforations (1.4%) with air-enema attempts compared with 1 (0.2%) 25 years ago. Recently only 19% of patients required operation but 30% needed resection; 55% of the patients in the older series required operation and 20% needed resection. Ten percent of intussusceptions continue to be found spontaneously reduced at operation. There were many less pathologic lead points in the newer series. The recurrences increased from 4% to 7%, but their reduction rate also increased from 31% with barium to 100% with air. There were no deaths in the last 25 years.

Fecal incontinence in children: treatment with percutaneous cecostomy tube placement--a prospective study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the technique used for and long-term results of percutaneous cecostomy tube placement for the treatment of fecal incontinence in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After an initial pilot study in 15 patients, 42 additional patients with fecal incontinence aged 2-20 (mean, 11.5) years and weighing 9.9-109.0 (mean, 39.2) kg underwent percutaneous cecostomy tube placement. Twenty-nine patients had spina bifida, nine had imperforate anus, three had cloacal anomalies, and one had Hirschsprung disease. Mean follow-up was 265 days (range, 8-503 days). RESULTS: Tube placement was successful in all patients. One patient developed local inflammation after accidental early retention-suture removal, which was treated with suture replacement and intravenous antibiotics. Another developed postprocedural ileus, which resolved. Late complications included constipation in one patient (treated with diet alteration), granulation tissue in seven patients (treated with silver nitrate cautery), and accidentally dislodged tubes in three patients (two successfully replaced at home and one replaced at the radiology suite). Vomiting related to the phosphate enema occurred in two patients. Resolution of soiling was achieved in all patients. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous cecostomy and antegrade enemas are very successful in achieving fecal continence and patient independence and acceptability, with minimal early and late complications.

Continence following electrical stimulation and EMG biofeedback in a teenager with imperforate anus.

A teenage boy with repaired high imperforate anus relied on daily enemas for social continence. After treatment with low intensity transcutaneous electrical stimulation and electromyographic biofeedback home programs, he achieved improved fecal continence requiring only one enema per month.

A 13-year experience with peritoneal drainage under local anesthesia for necrotizing enterocolitis perforation.

Between 1974 and 1986, inclusive, over 400 newborns with clinical, radiological, and/or pathological evidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) were treated at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario. Within this group were 37 babies who had a bowel perforation that was treated with peritoneal drainage under local anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of the 41 weighed less than 1,500 g and 65% weighed less than 1,000 g; during the same time 40 other neonates (9% of the total) with perforated NEC had laparotomies. Twelve neonates (32%) required only drainage with complete recovery of their intestinal tracts. The remaining 25 (68%) fell into one of three groups: (1) nine (24%) had rapid downhill course, sepsis, and death without laparotomy; (2) nine (24%) had rapid downhill course, sepsis, and laparotomy (five deaths); (3) seven (20%) had slow development of bowel obstruction requiring operation (two deaths). The overall survival rate was 56%. These results continue to indicate that this method is effective in temporizing 88% of the small and/or very ill babies with a NEC perforation. However, an added bonus is that 32% of these newborns treated in this fashion had complete resolution of their disease.

Intraoperative bupivacaine during outpatient hernia repair in children: a randomized double blind trial.

Postoperative pain is a major problem following surgery in the ambulatory child. A study was undertaken to test the effect of intraoperative bupivacaine on postoperative pain in children undergoing outpatient hernia repair. Ninety-nine children aged 1 to 7 years underwent outpatient inguinal herniorrhaphy under general anesthesia. Each was randomly assigned to receive bupivacaine (group 1) or saline (group 2), infiltrating the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves. Drug administration and patient evaluation were double-blinded. The groups were similar with respect to age, sex, side of procedure, and length of operation. In the immediate postoperative period, 17 group 1 patients required analgesics compared with 39 in group 2 (P less than .01); total codeine dosage was lower in group 1 (4.0 +/- 7.1 mg v 11.8 +/- 10.5 mg, P less than .05). Activity level 45 minutes after surgery (using a standardized scale) was greater in group 1 (P less than .05). Acetaminophen requirements at home were lower in group 1 on the day of surgery (3.1 +/- 4.3 mL v 5.7 +/- 7.4 mL, P less than .05) and over the following 48 hours (1.5 +/- 3.4 mL v 4.9 +/- 10.7 mL, P less than .05). Activity level at home on the day of surgery did not differ significantly between groups, but activity level over the following 48 hours was higher in group 1 (P less than .05). The two groups were similar with respect to all other parameters. We conclude that intraoperative bupivacaine decreases post-operative pain and analgesic use, and promotes early ambulation in children undergoing hernia repair.

The enema continence catheter in spina bifida: successful bowel management.

Patients with spina bifida who have fecal incontinence are managed by means of a large-volume saline enema. To facilitate administration of the enema, a special catheter has been devised that prevents leakage of the enema fluid. Continence has been achieved in 112 children and youths with spina bifida who were managed in this fashion.

Bowel perforation with nonoperative treatment of meconium ileus.

Over the last 11 years, 22 neonates were treated with water-soluble contrast enemas to relieve the obstruction of meconium ileus. Fifteen babies had a gestational age of at least 36 weeks, and 16 weighed more than 2,500 g. All presented with clinical findings of a bowel obstruction, confirmed by roentgenograms, and each eventually had high sweat chloride levels. Each neonate had from 1 to 4 water-soluble contrast enemas administered slowly by syringe over 15 to 30 minutes. Eight enemas were successful in relieving the obstruction, four newborns requiring only one enema. Fourteen were unsuccessful, three having more than one enema. Seven of these 14 had intraabdominal pathology that would have required surgery. In five babies the bowel was perforated by the enema, the colon in three, and terminal ileum in two. These perforations were all immediately recognized during the course of the enema and operated on forthwith; a stoma was made in four cases. Only one of these five babies would have required an operation because of a volvulus. There were no fluid or electrolyte disturbances caused by the contrast material, and none of the babies with perforations died. Although this enema technique was successful in one third of cases, and despite the fact that perforations ensued in one quarter of cases, the procedure still seems warranted if the following precautions are taken: establishment of proper temperature, fluid, and electrolyte balance; the radiologist is not rushed, is extremely gentle, willing to repeat the study until no further progress is evident; the surgeon is available for an immediate laparotomy should a perforation occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hydrostatic reduction of intussusceptions caused by lead points.

It is generally accepted that an intussusception caused by a lead point will not be reduced by hydrostatic barium enema. This was reported several years ago, and has continued to be a consistent finding, prompting us to attempt hydrostatic barium enema reductions of recurrent intussusceptions in infants and children and also in older children with a first intussusception. However, in the last 9 years we have treated five children whose ileocolic intussusceptions were caused by lead points but which were reduced by hydrostatic barium enema. The histories and physical examinations were not any different than those of the average pediatric patient with an intussusception. The ileocolic intussusceptions diagnosed by barium enema were reduced with adequate reflux of barium into the terminal ileum. However, a residual and persistent filling defect in the colon or ileocecal area made laparotomy mandatory. In all five cases, a lead point was found and resected. This experience has suggested to us that a residual intraluminal filling defect in the barium column following what appears to be adequate flooding of the terminal ileum should be interpreted as a lead point, and an indication for a laparotomy.

Intussusception due to lymphoma.

Over 1,200 infants and children with an intussusception were treated at our hospital over the last 40 years and from this group, only 11 were found to have a lymphoma as a leading point for the intussusception. This number represents 17% of the 65 pathologic lesions that have caused an intussusception. Three children were under 41/2 years of age. All the children except two were chronically ill with pain for at least 1 week and usually for several months; weight loss and an abdominal mass in many instances provided the suspicion of a possible malignancy. When barium studies were done, there was almost always an ileocolic intussusception present with some obstruction. Reduction of the intussusception was accomplished with hydrostatic barium enema in 10 of the 11 patients; the one reduction, however, had a residual filling defect. Surgery confirmed the above findings and a resection of the leading point lymphoma was carried out in all of the children. In spite of all forms of treatment, death followed in all but three, usually within several months. One of these three survivors was treated with radiotherapy and steroids (after surgical excision) and is alive after 30 years; the second was also given chemotherapy and is alive and well after 6 years, and the third has not had radiotherapy and is alive after 10 months.

Anaphylactoid and systemic reactions following saline enema administration. Six case reports.

This report describes six children with spina bifida who have experienced a total of 13 episodes of generalized hives, angioedema and in two cases, anaphylactoid reactions immediately following saline enema infusions. The enemas were administered using a kit comprised of a plastic bag, tubing, and rectal end-piece. The reactions always occurred with the first use of new kits. A third child developed a systemic reaction with only the rectal end-piece in situ and without infusion of fluid. An in-hospital challenge using a new end-piece in one patient, who was clinically the most sensitive, produced an acute anaphylactoid reaction implicating the end-piece as the most likely source of the problem. The definitive mechanism(s) of the reactions and the agent(s) responsible for them presently remain unknown.

Meconium ileus: laparotomy without resection, anastomosis, or enterostomy.

During the 14 yr from 1965 through 1978, 49 infants presented shortly after birth with intestinal obstruction due to impacted meconium. Three of these patients did not have fibrocystic disease. Eight patients were cured by a Gastrografin enema. There were 18 patients who had complications that included associated atresia, volvulus, and/or peritonitis. Various operations were done including resection with either primary anastomosis or enterostomy or varieties of the foregoing. Twenty-three babies had the simple uncomplicated form of meconium ileus. Eleven of these underwent resection and six patients died. Twelve patients were treated by laparotomy, ileotomy through a purse-string suture and prolonged irrigations using acetylcysteine. Of this group only one succumbed. This latter course of management is recommended for patients with simple uncomplicated meconium ileus as it involves no resection, no enterostomy, nor any primary anastomosis.