Deep vein thrombosis in children.

We describe a rare case of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in children, highlight the importance of early diagnosis of rare disease with potential complications. In a 5 year old boy presented with persistent leg pain without any obvious cause. Detailed investigation led to diagnosis of DVT. As there are common differential diagnoses for leg pain in children, pediatricians usually have a low index of suspicious of DVT in children. This case highlight that paediatricians must consider DVT in their differential diagnosis when children present with leg pain.

A case of stage IV neuroblastoma in a child with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH): a case report and review of literature.

Neuroblastoma in a known case of congenital adrenal hyperplasia has rarely been reported. The management of such a patient in the background of hormonal imbalance can be very challenging. In this report, we share our experience in managing such a child and discuss the clinical dilemma.

Accidental staggered paracetamol overdose: An interesting case report.

Paracetamol is one of the most commonly used drugs both over the counter and on prescription. Liquid paracetamol is available over the counter all over the world. Most commonly available concentrations are 120 mg/5 ml and 250 mg/5 ml. Many parents and healthcare professionals assume that doses available in different countries are similar. However, 500 mg/5 ml bottle is available in some countries including the United Kingdom. This leaves a potential for accidental overdose with therapeutic intent. We have reviewed the experience of diagnosing and managing an interesting case of paracetamol over dosage caused by several ingestions over 24 hours period (staggered paracetamol over dosage). It highlights the importance of communication between health professionals and parents while managing common medical problems.

The feasibility of plerixafor as a second-line stem cell mobilizing agent in children.

In patients heavily pretreated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy or irradiation, Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) may fail to mobilize stem cells from the bone marrow. Plerixafor is emerging as a reliable alternate option in such situations in adult patients. Robust data in support of the high efficacy and safety of plerixafor are available in adults. Very little evidence is available on the usefulness of this drug among children. We report our experience with plerixafor usage on 5 occasions in pediatric patients, with a success rate of 60%. No significant side effects were encountered in any patient.

Factors influencing the outcome of paediatric cardiac surgical patients during extracorporeal circulatory support.

BACKGROUND: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a common modality of circulatory assist device used in children. We assessed the outcome of children who had ECMO following repair of congenital cardiac defects (CCD) and identified the risk factors associated with hospital mortality. METHODS: From April 1990 to December 2003, 53 patients required ECMO following surgical correction of CCD. Retrospectively collected data was analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Median age and weight of the patients were 150 days and 5.4 kgs respectively. The indications for ECMO were low cardiac output in 16, failure to wean cardiopulmonary bypass in 13, cardiac arrest in 10 and cardio-respiratory failure in 14 patients. The mean duration of ECMO was 143 hours. Weaning off from ECMO was successful in 66% and of these 83% were survival to hospital-discharge. 37.7% of patients were alive for the mean follow-up period of 75 months. On univariate analysis, arrhythmias, ECMO duration >168 hours, bleeding complications, renal replacement therapy on ECMO, arrhythmias and cardiac arrest after ECMO were associated with hospital mortality.On multivariate analysis, abnormal neurology, bleeding complications and arrhythmias after ECMO were associated with hospital mortality. Extra and intra-thoracic cannulations were used in 79% and 21% of patients respectively and extra-thoracic cannulation had significantly less bleeding complications (p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: ECMO provides an effective circulatory support following surgical repair of CCD in children. Extra-thoracic cannulation is associated with less bleeding complications. Abnormal neurology, bleeding complications on ECMO and arrhythmias after ECMO are poor prognostic indicators for hospital survival.