RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic strip craniectomy with helmeting (ESCH) has been shown to be a safe and efficacious alternative to fronto-orbital remodeling (FOR) for selected children with craniosynostosis. In addition to clinical factors, there may be economic benefits from the use of ESCH instead of FOR. METHODS: A retrospective review of 23 patients with nonsyndromic unicoronal craniosynostosis (UCS) treated with FOR was carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for Children in London, UK. Secondary data were used for the ESCH cohort from a paper published by Jimenez and Barone (2013). Data were collected on surgical time, transfusion rates, length of hospital stay, adverse event rates, reintervention rates, and overall costs. Costs were categorized and then assigned to the appropriate data sets. RESULTS: The mean age of patients undergoing FOR (vs. ESCH) was 17.4 mo (vs. 3.1 mo) with a mean surgical time of 234 min (vs. 55 min), mean transfusion volume of 221.6 mL (vs. 80.0 mL), mean transfusion rate of 14/23 (vs. 2/115), and a total immediate overnight stay of 3.13 days (vs. 97% next-day discharge). The FOR group had a higher adverse event rate (5/23 vs. 4/115, p=<0.005) and a higher number requiring extraocular muscle surgery (4/23 vs. 7/109, p=0.16). There was a substantial difference in overall costs between the two groups. Total variance cost for the FOR group was £7436.5 vs. £4951.35, representing a cost difference of £2485.15 over the 24-month study period. CONCLUSION: ESCH, in comparison to FOR, appears as a more economical method in the management of USC patients, as well as having clinical benefits including reduced adverse event rate and improved ophthalmic outcomes.
RESUMO
AIM: To evaluate the performance of an automated BACTEC MGIT 960, a non-radioactive, non-invasive liquid culture system for cultivation of M. tuberculosis complex in terms of recovery rate and time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2005 to December 2007, 14,597 specimens were processed using the MGIT 960 system and the results were compared with conventional L.J medium. We standardised r-nitro benzoic acid (PNBA) assay on MGIT 960 TB system for identification of M. tuberculosis complex and evaluated its usefulness by comparing the results with an in-house molecular assay and sequencing. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of the total 6143 (42%) isolates positive for M. tuberculosis complex, 6015 (41%) were positive by MGIT 960 TB system. In contrast, 3526 (24%) M. tuberculosis complex isolates grew on the conventional L.J medium. The mean turn around time for mycobacterial growth in smear-positive specimens was nine days for MGIT 960, and 38 days for L.J. medium whereas in smear negative specimens it was 16 days by MGIT vs. 48 days by L.J. CONCLUSION: MGIT 960 system with PNBA assay for identification of M. tuberculosis complex is a rapid and useful method in laboratories processing a large number of specimens.
