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Abstract Background Ondansetron is a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 serotonin-receptor antagonist with antiemetic properties used inadvertently in the emergency department for controlling nausea. However, ondansetron is linked with a number of adverse effects, including prolongation of the QT interval. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the occurrence of QT prolongation in pediatric, adult, and elderly patients receiving oral or intravenously administered ondansetron. Methods A thorough electronic search was conducted on PubMed (Medline) and Cochrane Library from the databases' inception to August 10, 2022. Only those studies were considered in which ondansetron was administered orally or intravenously to participants for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. The prevalence of QT prolongation in multiple predefined age groups was the outcome variable. Analyses were conducted using Review manager 5.4 (Cochrane collaboration, 2020). Results A total of 10 studies involving 687 ondansetron group participants were statistically analyzed. The administration of ondansetron was associated with a statistically significant prevalence of QT prolongation in all age groups. An age-wise subgroup analysis was conducted which revealed that the prevalence of QT prolongation among participants younger than 18 years was not statistically significant, whereas it was statistically significant among participants aged 18–50 years and among patients older than 50 years. Conclusions The present meta-analysis provides further evidence that oral or intravenous administration of Ondansetron may lead to QT prolongation, particularly among patients older than 18 years of age.

Background and Objectives: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion continues to be administered on the basis of conventional wisdom and the notion of an average benefit per unit. The present study was aimed at estimating the hemoglobin (Hb) content in packed red blood cell (PRBC) units in three types of blood donors: Replacement blood donor (RD), First time voluntary blood donors (FTVD), and Regular/Repeat voluntary blood donors (RTVD). Methods: A total of 900 blood donors were divided equally into three groups of blood donors. Within each group, 100 collections were done in Double 350 ml, Triple 450 ml and quadruple 450 ml blood bags, respectively. The Hb concentration of the PRBC unit was done after the collection of representative samples from the PRBC unit. The volume of the PRBC unit was estimated by the formula: Weight of PRBC divided by its specific gravity. The net Hb content in the PRBC unit was calculated by the formula: Hb of PRBC multiply by its volume. Results: Net Hb content of 900 PRBC units were in the range of 30.77–87.36 g; mean was 52.91 ± 9.99 g. Net Hb content of PRBC bag was lower in PRBC prepared from RD as compared to FTVD and RTVD. We observed a range of net Hb content in the PRBC units and Hb content strongly correlated with the volume of PRBC. Conclusion: The present study shows that there is a range of Hb content of PRBC units. Adopting a policy of optimizing the dosage of RBC transfusion could have the potential to significantly improve RBC use and decrease patient exposure to allogeneic blood.

Paroxysmal cold haemoglobinuria (PCH) is a rare acquired cause of intravascular haemolysis in children. We are reporting an unusual case of PCH, a 7-year-old boy who presented with acute febrile illness, severe anaemia and passage of red colored urine. His initial haemolytic workup had shown positive direct agglutination test along with evidence of ongoing haemolysis with severe leukocytosis. Further evaluation for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia revealed positivity for Donath Landsteiner Antibody, hence establishing a diagnosis of PCH. During the hospital stay, the child required multiple red blood cells, crossmatched although “P” antigen untyped transfusions. Child gradually improved and became transfusion independent within one week. The child has been under regular follow-up since last six months and all his laboratory parameters are within normal limits.

Introduction: Tuberculous pericarditis continues to be a leading cause of chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) in developing countries. Echocardiography plays a key role in the assessment and diagnosis. Methods: Twelve patients who underwent pericardiectomy for CCP in last 18 months of the study period were subjected to clinical and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class assessment along with comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation. The data were compared with their preprocedural status. Results: Significant reduction was noted in the incidence of inferior vena cava (IVC) congestion(P < 0.001) and mean left atrial (LA) size from 43.75 ± 4.43 mm to 31.58 ± 3.03 mm (P < 0.001), post pericardiectomy.Respiratory variation of 34.17 ± 8.76 % in the mitral E velocity was significantly reduced to 17 ± 3.69 % (P < 0.001) after surgery. Similarly, respiratory variation in tricuspid E velocities showed significant reduction from 62.17 ± 13.16 % to 32.58 ± 4.7 % (P < 0.001).Prior to pericardiectomy, medial e’ and lateral e’ mitral annular velocities was 15.5±1.24 cm/sec and13.08 ± 1.08 cm/sec, respectively. Following surgery, the medial e’ and lateral e’ was 12.5±1.17 cm/sec(P = 0.001) and 15.42±1.83 (P = 0.004), respectively. Conclusion: Echocardiography provides useful insight in pericardial constriction hemodynamics and worthwhile effects of pericardiectomy.

Introduction: Aorto-iliac Occlusive Disease (AIOD) involves the infra-renal aorta and the iliac arteries. Recent studies advocate endovascular management in TASC C and D lesions also. It involves balloon angioplasty with or without stent deployment.5 The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the results of endovascular balloon angioplasty and primary stenting in patients of AIOD. Methods: Twenty-five patients with Aorto-iliac occlusion disease who met the inclusion criteria during 1-year study period were included. Patients with acute thrombosis, abdominal aorta or iliac artery aneurysm and additional common femoral artery occlusion were excluded. The TASC II classification was used to define the characteristics of the lesions. The baseline data, procedural details and follow-up results were analysed. Results: Amongst 25 patients studied, age ranged from 40-75 years. Self-expanding metallic stent was employed in all patients. Technical success following primary stenting was achieved in all patients. Procedural times for TASC-II A, B, C and D lesions were 90+ 30, 110+ 40, 135+35 and 155+ 45 minutes, respectively. During follow-up, the cumulative primary patency rates at 1 month and 6 months were 100%. Cumulative primary patency rates at 1 year were 91.67%. Conclusion: Short- term outcomes of balloon angioplasty and stenting for Aorto-iliac artery occlusions in terms of primary patency rates were excellent.

Introduction: Unique characteristics of vascular injuries in children such as pronounced vascular spasm and lack of tissue support over small, thin-walled vessel make vascular repair challenging. This retrospective study was done to evaluate the management and outcome of pediatric and adolescent peripheral vascular trauma. Methodology: Fifteen patients with peripheral vascular trauma who met the inclusion criteria during the study period (August 2019-July 2020) were included. Data were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Majority, 12( 80%) of patients suffered blunt trauma. Primary repair in 13(86.66%) patients was the most common surgical technique employed. All the patients had associated long bone fracture dealt with internal fixation. Four (26.66%) cases had median nerve injury which was amenable to direct repair. Associated venous injury in 5 (33.33%) was also repaired. No mortality, re-operations, or amputation was noted. Conclusion: Excellent limb salvage rate was achieved. Initial revascularization without delay should be the norm. Associated neurological involvement determines postoperative functional outcome. Clinical evaluation with Doppler assessment saves time and crucial in vascular injuries prone to spasm.

For many years main stay of treatment for sickle cell anaemia was transfusion therapy. But repeated transfusions put the patient at risk of iron overload. Automated red cell exchange is an evolving and newer technique which rapidly removes the sickle cells and has benefit in decreasing sickle cell load and related complications. Red cell exchange is a therapeutic procedure in which the patient’s whole blood is processed centrifugally in cell separator. Patient’s red cells are separated from other blood components and removed and replaced with donor red cells and colloids. We report our first experience of automated red cell exchange in 24-year-old female diagnosed case of sickle cell anaemia presented to us with acute chest syndrome with septic shock. Red cell exchange was planned to tide over the acute sickle cell crisis and provide symptomatic improvement. We also highlight that compound heterozygous thalassaemia could be associated with sickle cell disease which could make the diagnosis difficult. New generation automated Apheresis equipment’s provides better monitoring of the procedure that can be useful in severely ill patients also.

Background: In the context of different grafts being used for dorsal augmentation, diced cartilage with glue has gained worldwide acceptance. Aims: To develop a system of tools to objectively evaluate the desired dimensions of the required graft for dorsal augmentation and to prepare a corresponding customized-glued-diced cartilage construct. Materials and Methods: A modification of the diced cartilage glue technique called Autogenous control augmentation system (ACAS) was used in ten patients. Results: Of the ten patients, in which this technique was used, eight underwent primary rhinoplasties and two underwent secondary rhinoplasties between July 2017 and December 2017 with a follow-up ranging from 3 to 8 months. In all the cases, the dorsum is straight, and height is maintained. Conclusion: The technique has all the advantages of the diced cartilage glue. The shape resembles alloplastic implant with height and width varying from radix to tip. There is tapering of the cephalic and caudal ends for more natural results. The brow tip aesthetic lines are better defined. The limitation of this study is short follow up.

Context: Irreversible airway obstruction is important sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) that might contribute to a significant proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). India has the highest TB burden in the world. However, there are limited data on the prevalence and presentation of TB-associated COPD from this region. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of TB-associated COPD among COPD patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Settings and Design: It was a case–control study conducted in a tertiary care hospital. Subjects and Methods: Stable COPD patients presenting to chest OPD and an equal number of healthy controls were enrolled. COPD patients were subjected to detailed clinical evaluation and lung function test. History of pulmonary TB was evaluated from both groups through self-reporting and/or checking previous records. TB-associated COPD patients were identified and their prevalence and distinguishing features evaluated. Results: Of 74 COPD patients, 24 (32.4%) had previous history of pulmonary TB. The odds of having a previous TB in COPD patients was 3.96 (95% confidence interval: 1.64–9.55; P = 0.002) as compared to controls. Patients with TB-associated COPD were younger (P = 0.02), had lesser pack-years of smoking (P = 0.027) but had more number of hospitalizations (P = 0.01). The airflow limitation was similar in both groups. Conclusions: TB-associated COPD constitutes a significant proportion of COPD patients. It is a distinct clinical entity with preponderance in young. It may be associated with frequent hospitalizations as compared to other COPD patients.

The association of aortopulmonary (AP) window with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) has so far not been reported. We report a unique case of an 8-month-old child who presented with congestive cardiac failure and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. Initial echocardiography revealed supracardiac TAPVC. Cardiac computed tomography showed the presence of Type I AP window along with the TAPVC. In the presence of severe pulmonary hypertension and dilated right ventricle, AP window may easily be missed if not actively looked for.

Background: The anatomical variability in patients with anomalous pulmonary venous connection to superior vena cava presents a surgical challenge. The problem is further compounded by the common occurrence of postoperative complications like arrhythmias and obstruction of the superior vena cava or pulmonary veins. We present our experience of managing this subset using the two patch and Warden's techniques. Patients and methods: Between June 2011 and September 2012, 7 patients with APVC to the SVC were operated in our institute. After delineating the anatomy, five of them had a two patch repair and two were managed with Warden's technique. Results: There was no in-hospital mortality or early mortality over a mean follow-up of 9.66 ± 3.88 months (range 6–15 months). All the patients on follow-up had unobstructed pulmonary venous and SVC drainage on echocardiography and all of them were in normal sinus rhythm. Conclusions: Anomalous pulmonary venous connection to superior vena cava is a challenging subset of patients in whom the surgical management needs to be individualized. The detailed anatomy must be delineated using echocardiography with or without CT angiography before deciding the surgical plan. This entity can be repaired with excellent immediate and early results. However, these patients must be closely followed up for complications like systemic and pulmonary venous obstruction and sinus node dysfunction.

Background: Tissue expansion is defined as the expansion of an area of the skin by progressive distension of an underlying balloon. Human tissue readily adapts to physiological expansion without excessive thinning of the overlying skin. Living tissue responds to gradual stress stimuli by increasing mitotic activity to maintain its thickness and protective integrity. This principle of tissue expansion is used for obtaining tissue to cover many defects. This article reviews the various aspects of tissue expanders including their parts, types and their planning with uses to cover the defects.

Introduction: The commonest complication following hypospadias repair is occurrence of urethrocutaneous fistula. The smaller fistulas (2 mm) with good vascular surrounding skin require a local skin flap closure for avoiding overlapping suture lines. For the recurrent/larger fistulas with impaired local surrounding skin - incidence of recurrence is significantly reduced by providing a waterproofing interposition layer. Aims : To study the effect of size, location, number of fistulas and surrounding tissues in selecting the procedure and its outcome. To identify various factors involved in the recurrence and to formulate a management in the cases where recurrence has occurred. Patients and Methods: This study of 35 cases of urethrocutaneous fistula repair was done from July 2006 to May 2009 to achieve better results in fistula management following hypospadias surgery. Statistical analysis used: χ2 test and Fisher′s exact test. Results : The overall success rate for fistula repair at first attempt was 89% with success rates for simple closure, layered closure and closure with waterproofing layer being 77%,89% and 100%, respectively. The second attempt success rate at fistula repair for simple closure and closure with waterproofing layer were 33% and 100%, respectively. At third attempt the two recurrent fistulas were managed by simple closure with a waterproofing interposition layer with no recurrence. All the waterproofing procedures in this study had a success rate of 100%. Conclusions: The treatment plan for a fistula must be individualized based on variables which has an effect on the outcome of repair and to an extent dictates the type of repair to be performed. The significantly improved success rates with the addition of a waterproofing layer suggests the use of this interposition layer should be done at the earliest available opportunity to prevent a reccurence rather than to reserve it for future options.

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) in pediatric age group is rare. We describe a successful thrombectomy and open drainage of a large left lobe ALA associated with thrombus in the hepatic veins and inferior vena cava extending into the right atrium in a 6-year-old boy.

Isolated annular dilatation is an extremely uncommon cause of congenital mitral regurgitation. We report a case of a 5-year-old child with idiopathic isolated annular dilatation causing severe congenital mitral regurgitation.

Introduction: Cardiac diseases occur in 2-4% of pregnancies and rheumatic mitral disease is the most common acquired heart disease in pregnancy. Cardiac surgery carries significant maternal and fetal complications. Cardiac operation during pregnancy is indicated only when medical management fails. Although emergency cardiac surgery during pregnancy increases fetal mortality, sometime urgent cardiac surgery is inevitable. Cardiac surgery can be performed with relative safety during pregnancy by adopting normothermic, high flow rate circulation and continuous fetal activity monitoring. Case Presentation: We reviewed English literature of a pregnant patient undergoing cardiac surgery during pregnancy. We presented a 25-year-old woman admitted with massive hemoptysis. Discussion: The patient underwent a successful mitral valve replacement during the third trimester. The aim of our study was to propose a practical guideline for similar situations.