Biological Glue as an Alternative to Suction Drainage in Tissue-Expanded Flaps in Children: Cost-Effectiveness Study.

INTRODUCTION: Biological glue is already used as a hemostatic agent and tissue adhesive in plastic surgery. This study evaluates the use of this glue as an alternative to suction drainage for the adhesion of tissue-expanded flaps in pediatric patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter case-control study on 48 flap procedures conducted on 42 children (5 months-12 years of age) between 2004 and 2017, comparing a "glue" group (n = 24) with a control group (n = 24), in which a classic redon drain was used. The control patients were matched according to age, etiology, location of the lesion, and the size of the expander. The primary end point was the duration of hospital stay. RESULTS: The conditions were 24 cases of congenital nevus, 14 of cicatricial alopecia, and 10 of sebaceous hamartoma. Twenty-nine lesions were located on the scalp, 15 on the back, 2 on the thigh, and 2 on the buttocks.The average surgical durations (48 ± 24 vs 63 ± 32 minutes, P = 0.13) and average room occupancy time (126 ± 21 vs 139 ± 44 minutes, P = 0.29) were similar between the glue group and the control group. However, the average duration of hospital stay was lower in the glue group (1.5 ± 1.5 days) than in the control group (3.6 ± 1.3 days, P < 0.0001). The complication rates between the groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The application of glue on expanded flaps is as reliable as suction drainage with the advantage of reducing the duration of hospital stay and potentially enabling outpatient treatment for certain patients.

Interaction of the protective effect of breastfeeding and the aggravating effect of pacifier use in the occurrence of bronchiolitis in children.

BACKGROUND: Acute bronchiolitis affects around 30 % of infants each winter in France. Breastfeeding (BF) is described as being protective against acute lower respiratory infections in developing countries, but this effect is more difficult to demonstrate in industrialized countries. Moreover, the effect of using a pacifier in the occurrence of bronchiolitis is not clearly established. In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the link between BF and the use of a pacifier in the occurrence of bronchiolitis in children under 1 year of age who presented to five pediatric emergency centers in Pays de la Loire, France. METHOD: A questionnaire collecting data on diet, sociodemographic characteristics, and the reason for presentation was provided at the admission to pediatric emergency centers in five hospitals in Pays de Loire, France, between 2018 and 2020. Children with bronchiolitis were included in group 1, and children consulting for other reasons (except gastrointestinal infections or otitis) were included in group 2. Breastfeeding was classified as exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and partial breastfeeding (PBF). Pacifier use was classified as frequent and during sleep or not used. RESULTS: The study included 671 children under 1 year of age, including 174 (25.8 %) who were admitted with bronchiolitis. In univariate analysis, a significantly smaller number of children in group 1 s were breastfed (EBF and PBF) at admission compared with children in group 2:21.8 % versus 32.8 %, respectively, (OR=0.57, 95 % CI: 0.38-0.86, p = 0.006); furthermore, children in group 1 used a pacifier more often than those in group 2: 84.5 % versus 75.8 % (OR=1.74, 95 % CI: 1.10-2.76, p = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age, ongoing BF or EBF beyond 9 and 12 months of age remained a protective factor; however, the protective effect of BF disappeared with the introduction of a pacifier, and pacifier use was significantly associated with bronchiolitis. CONCLUSION: The protective effect of BF against bronchiolitis was demonstrated independently of pacifier use. However, due to the strong association between pacifier use and bronchiolitis, the effect of BF weakened. The advice to be given to parents for BF and pacifier use is discussed.

Breastfeeding and respiratory, ear and gastro-intestinal infections, in children, under the age of one year, admitted through the paediatric emergency departments of five hospitals.

Background: Breastfeeding is a protective factor against respiratory and intestinal infections in developing countries. In developed countries, proof of this protection is more difficult to show. The objective of the study is to compare the proportion of children breastfed during their first year in groups of children with infectious pathologies supposedly prevented by breastfeeding and children free of these infectious pathologies. Method: Questionnaires about diet, socio-demographic data and the motive for consultation were given to the parents upon arrival in the paediatric emergency departments of 5 hospitals located in Pays de Loire (France) in 2018 and 2019. Children with lower respiratory tract infections, acute gastroenteritis and acute otitis media were included in the case group (A), children admitted for other reasons were included in the same control group (B). Breastfeeding was classified as exclusive or partial. Results: During the study period, 741 infants were included, of which 266 (35.9%) in group A. In this group, children were significantly less likely to have been breastfed at the time of admission than children in group B: for example, for children under 6 months, 23.3% were currently breastfed in group A, vs. 36.6% (weaned BF or formula diet) in group B [OR = 0.53 (0.34-0.82); p = 0.004]. Similar results were found at 9 and 12 months. After taking into account the age of the patients, the same results were confirmed with an aOR = 0.60 (0.38-0.94) (p = 0.02) at 6 months, but with when considering six variables six variables, aOR was not significative aOR = 0.65 (0.40-1.05); p = 0.08), meaning that factors such as the childcare out of home, socio-professional categories, and the pacifier decrease the protective effect of breastfeeding. Sensitivity analyses (age-matching, analysis by type of infection) showed the same protection effect provided by breastfeeding when it was pursued for at least 6 months and also that the protective effect of breastfeeding is especially true against gastro-enteritis. Conclusion: Breastfeeding is a protective factor against respiratory, gastrointestinal and ear infections when pursued at least 6 months after birth. Other factors such as collective childcare, pacifiers and low parental professional status can reduce the protective effect of breastfeeding.