Immobilisation in occipital condyle fractures: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this review are to determine the level of evidence for the management of OCF, compare outcomes of different immobilisation, and to review the prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted using 3 databases (MEDLINE, PubMed and EMBASE). All papers between 1940 and July 2017 were screened using PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were patients with a confirmed diagnosis of occipital condyle fracture(s) on CT managed with any form of immobilisation with no age restriction. Primary outcome was clinical improvement in symptoms or Neck Disability Index. MINORS and OCEBM level was assigned to each study. RESULTS: 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies used a single form of C-spine immobilisation support (58%) with a semi rigid collar and halo device being the most common. From these studies, the average length of time for immobilisation was 11.7 weeks, 9 weeks and 8.3 weeks for halo, semi-rigid and rigid cervical collars respectively. Neuro deficit was found in 20.3% of patients. OCEBM level of evidence and MINORS score was low. CONCLUSION: Management of OCF is associated with low level of evidence. Further studies are needed to determine optimal management of these under-diagnosed fractures.

Vasospastic myocardial infarction caused by a slimming agent-do not forget non-prescription drugs.

A 41-year-old woman presented with central chest discomfort. She had been previously well, was an ex-smoker and reported no regular medication. The ECG developed T-wave changes inferiorly and anterolaterally and troponin I concentrations were elevated confirming non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiac catheterization showed severe spasm of the right and left anterior descending coronary arteries which resolved with intracoronary nitrates. She later volunteered that prior to presentation she had been taking non-prescription Acti-Phen a slimming agent containing phentermine. Acti-Phen had its licence withdrawn in 2001 because of cardiovascular side effects including coronary spasm. Accordingly, she was advised to avoid Acti-Phen in future. The case emphasizes the importance of obtaining a complete drug history, including non-prescription drugs, in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes.

The First 500 Registrations to the Research Registry®: Advancing Registration of Under-Registered Study Types.

INTRODUCTION: The Declaration of Helsinki 2013 encourages the registration of all research studies involving human participants. However, emphasis has been placed on prospective clinical trials, and it is estimated that only 10% of observational studies are registered. In response, Research Registry® was launched in February 2015; a retrospectively curated registry that is free and easy to use. Research Registry® enables prospective or retrospective registration of studies, including those study types that cannot be registered on existing registries. In this study, we describe the first 500 registrations on Research Registry®. METHODS: Since the launch of Research Registry® in February 2015, data of registrations have been collected, including type of studies registered, country of origin, and data curation activity. Inappropriate registrations, such as duplicates, were identified by the data curation process. These were removed from the database or modified as required. A quality score was assigned for each registration, based on Sir Austin Bradford Hill's criteria on what research studies should convey. Changes in quality scores over time were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 500 studies were registered on Research Registry® from February 2015 to October 2015, with a total of 1.7 million patients enrolled. The most common study types were retrospective cohort studies (37.2%), case series (14.8%), and first-in-man case reports (10.4%). Registrations were received from 57 different countries; the most submissions were received from Turkey, followed by China and the United Kingdom. Retrospective data curation identified 80 studies that were initially registered as the incorrect study type, and were subsequently correct. The Kruskal-Wallis test identified a significant improvement in quality scores for registrations from February 2015 to October 2015 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Since its conception in February 2015, Research Registry® has established itself as a new registry that is free, easy to use, and enables the registration of various study types, including observational studies and first-in-man case reports. Going forward, our plan is to continue developing Research Registry® in line with user feedback and usability studies. We plan to further promote Research Registry® to advance the cause of registration of research, to increase compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki 2013.

Erratum: Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy: A Modified Simple Technique.

[This corrects the article on p. 3 in vol. 5, PMID: 26793595.].

Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy: A Modified Simple Technique.

BACKGROUND: A modified laparoscopic pyloromyotomy (LP) technique may provide an alternative to treating infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) by improving operative timing with reduction of postoperative complication rates, compared with a three-port trocar system. METHODS: Thirty-three infants were treated with IHPS at a single-centre between January 2002 and December 2011. The local surgical incision to the pylorus was performed according to Ramstedt's pyloromyotomy; but with a two-port trocar system (umbilical and right lower abdominal crease ports), following a controlled stab wound into the epigastric region and a 3mm incision to allow introduction of ophthalmic knife. With the aid of atraumatic forceps and camera guidance, the ophthalmic knife was used to carefully incise the seromuscular layer, which allows improved manual tactile sensation compared to ergonomic laparoscopic spreaders. A Benson pyloric spreader was then used to further separate the pyloric muscle layer to complete the procedure. RESULTS: In all 33 infants treated, LP was safely performed with no evidence of duodenal or mucosal perforation with complete pyloromyotomy achieved in each case. The postoperative course was rather uneventful apart from an umbilical wound infection. CONCLUSION: This modified approach is simple, safe and allows improved operative timing, whilst increasing surgeon's confidence by tactile sensation.

Duodenal perforation in a neonate: an unusual presentation and analysis of the cause.

Duodenal perforation in neonates is a rare surgical emergency. In the cases reported, most perforations are localised to the anterior duodenum and a few at posterior aspect. We present a case of duodenal perforation in the second part of the duodenum in a 26-day-old healthy male neonate.

Meckel's diverticulum with intussusception in a 5-year-old patient with Down's syndrome.

Meckel's diverticulum is understood to be the commonest congenital malformation within the gastrointestinal tract with a prevalence of 2%, as found on autopsy studies. Although many cases are asymptomatic, complications can occur including haemorrhage, diverticulitis, chronic ulceration and intestinal obstruction. Intussusception is also a complication, but extremely rare. We present a rare case of Meckel's diverticulum causing intussusception, which was surgically resolved, in a 5-year-old girl. Our aim through this case report is to generate greater awareness of this complication and to provide some potential guidance towards its treatment.