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With the advancement of computers and access to the Internet, surveys using the web are becoming increasingly popular. Such surveys save money by eliminating postage costs and save time by providing immediate access to returned surveys and improved data processing. This primer describes some considerations and suggestions related to the use of web surveys. In addition to issues of sampling error, question writing, and question sequencing, successful use of web surveys requires determining if a web survey is appropriate, determining the desired level of security and confidentiality, selecting design options that enhance the survey, conducting rigorous pilot testing, and implementing strategies to maximize response rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort design. OBJECTIVES: To determine in a sample of collegiate cross-country athletes (1) the percentage of athletes with history of exercise-related leg pain (ERLP) associated with running, (2) the incidence of ERLP during 1 season, (3) if factors including years of collegiate running, training distance, and gender are associated with ERLP, and (4) if there is a relationship between foot type and ERLP. BACKGROUND: ERLP is a common overuse pain syndrome, but little evidence exists regarding the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors. METHODS AND MEASURES: Eighty-eight collegiate cross-country athletes (44 male, 44 female) from 5 Midwest universities consented to participate, Prior to the season, athletes completed a questionnaire and 3 measures of foot type were performed: navicular drop, medial longitudinal arch angle, and visual assessment of foot type. Athletes completed a postseason questionnaire regarding the season incidence of ERLP Statistical analyses of differences (t test, proportion test) and relationships (chi-square, relative risk) were conducted. RESULTS: Prior to the season, 60 of the 88 athletes (68%) reported a history of ERLP with bilateral medial leg pain the most common ERLP presentation. Over 50% of the athletes with a history of ERLP reported that the pain had interfered with cross-country participation. Of the 67 postseason respondents, 38.8% reported ERLP incidence during the season. Most athletes (80.8%) who reported season incidence of ERLP had a previous history of ERLP There were no differences between athletes with and without a history of ERLP or season incidence of ERLP regarding years of collegiate running, training distance, gender, and foot measures. CONCLUSION: ERLP history and season incidence was common among these cross-country athletes. The only risk factor identified for season incidence of ERLP was a history of ERLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research addressing the perspectives of physical therapists recently mandated to engage in continuing education (CE) is limited. The purpose of this investigation, therefore, was to identify physical therapy clinicians' and managers' views on its role and effectiveness. Participants were 23 physical therapists practicing at six different hospitals in Illinois. Qualitative methodology included participant interviews, document analysis, and field journals. Three major themes were identified: (1) attitudes toward CE and mandatory CE, (2) variables contributing to effective CE experiences, and (3) cautious optimism regarding the role of mandatory CE in the promotion of professional competence. This investigation details the need for evidence-based, clinically relevant, interactive CE presentations; ongoing discussion regarding the plausibility of increased national involvement in CE; and focused attention on overcoming obstacles associated with ineffective CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Residual neuromuscular block, defined as a quantitatively measured train-of-four ratio (TOFr) <0.9, is common postoperatively. Using a pragmatic trial design, we hypothesized that qualitative and/or clinical assessment of neuromuscular block would inadequately detect residual block following antagonism with neostigmine or sugammadex. Method After IRB approval and written informed consent, 74 children (aged 2-17 years), undergoing elective surgery and receiving rocuronium, were prospectively enrolled in the study at Children's Hospital Colorado and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Routine clinical practice at both institutions consisted of clinical signs and/or qualitative assessment with peripheral nerve stimulators. Children at the Colorado hospital routinely received sugammadex antagonism; whereas children at the Atlanta hospital received neostigmine. Residual neuromuscular block was assessed postoperatively using quantitative electromyography. If TOFr was <0.9, patients received sugammadex until TOFr ≥0.9. Result Qualitative and clinical assessment failed to detect residual block in 29.7% of patients in the neostigmine reversal cohort (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 29.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.7 to 5,559.5, p-value = 0.002). No residual block was detected in the sugammadex reversal cohort. A correlation between increasing patient weight and incidence of postoperative residual block was observed in the neostigmine cohort (aOR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.10, p-value = 0.002). Conclusion Qualitative and/or clinical assessment of neuromuscular block inadequately detects residual block following neostigmine antagonism., Competing Interests: Patent applications for the design of a neuromuscular monitor and related skin electrodes., (Copyright © 2024, Faulk et al.)

Background: Children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), after liver transplantation, frequently require analgesia and sedation in the immediate postoperative period. Our objective was to assess trends and variations in sedation and analgesia used in this cohort., Methods: Multicenter retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System from 2012 to 2022., Results: During the study period, 3963 patients with liver transplantation were admitted to the PICU from 32 US children's hospitals with a median age of 2 years [IQR: 0.00, 10.00]. 54 percent of patients received mechanical ventilation (MV). Compared with patients without MV, those with MV were more likely to receive morphine (57% vs 49%, p < .001), fentanyl (57% vs 44%), midazolam (45% vs 31%), lorazepam (39% vs. 24%), dexmedetomidine (38% vs 30%), and ketamine (25% vs 12%), all p < .001. Vasopressor usage was also higher in MV patients (22% vs. 35%, p < .001). During the study period, there was an increasing trend in the utilization of dexmedetomidine and ketamine, but the use of benzodiazepine decreased (p < .001)., Conclusion: About 50% of patients who undergo liver transplant are placed on MV in the PICU postoperatively and receive a greater amount of benzodiazepines in comparison with those without MV. The overall utilization of dexmedetomidine and ketamine was more frequent, whereas the administration of benzodiazepines was less during the study period. Pediatric intensivists have a distinctive opportunity to collaborate with the liver transplant team to develop comprehensive guidelines for sedation and analgesia, aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided to these patients., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose The diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS) has significant implications for the perioperative period that may persist for generations. Anesthetic medication options are reduced, anesthetic workstations require preparation to reduce exposure to inhaled volatile anesthetics, and patients may be excluded from surgery at ambulatory centers. In this study, we sought to better characterize the etiology of MHS diagnoses in our health system and the downstream effects of this diagnosis on anesthetic care. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 55 patients with a documented concern for MHS who received care at University of Florida (UF) Health between 2014 and 2020. We characterized the etiology of the patient's MHS diagnosis, whether this diagnosis was supported by formal genetic or muscle contracture testing, and the details of the recorded anesthetics that were delivered to these patients. Results The 55 patients with suspected MHS were evenly split between those with a family history of malignant hyperthermia (MH) (28/55) and those with a concern for MHS in their personal medical history (27/55). Of the 28 patients with a family history of MH, 16 reported that the affected family member was a first-degree relative, and two of these 16 reported that the affected family member had undergone confirmatory muscle contracture testing. Of the 27 patients with a personal history suspicious for MHS, two had undergone confirmatory genetic testing, and two patients had anesthetic records available for review where intraoperative MH was suspected and treated with dantrolene. An additional four patients were told of a concern about MHS due to another underlying diagnosis. No patients with a personal history suspicious of MHS had undergone confirmatory muscle contracture testing. These 55 patients underwent 87 anesthetics, and exclusively non-triggering anesthetic techniques were utilized in nearly all cases. In pediatric patients, some perioperative challenges were identified, related to the avoidance of mask inhalational induction. Only six of these 87 anesthetics occurred at our ambulatory surgery centers, a proportion (6.9%) lower than that of the general surgical population at UF Health (20.0%). Conclusions Among patients suspected to be MH susceptible in our health system over a six-year period, a minority (8/55) were supported by clear records of a prior MH event, confirmatory genetic or muscle contracture testing, or an underlying diagnosis closely linked to MH. The vast majority had limited documentation supporting their MH risk but continued to be treated with non-triggering anesthetics and were less likely to have surgery at an ambulatory surgery center than our overall surgical population. Among pediatric patients, some anesthetic challenges related to delivering non-triggering anesthetics were identified. Improving the documentation of index cases of MH and increasing referrals to clinical geneticists and genetic testing may be a viable route to decreasing the proportion of suspected MHS patients with a poorly characterized risk profile., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Edwards et al.)

Background Preoperative anxiety is common in children undergoing surgery. When anxiety is identified or suspected, there are several strategies typically used to manage it. Perhaps the most common is anxiolytic premedication or parental presence at induction. Medications such as midazolam have been associated with adverse effects, such as a slower wakeup, and require timing of administration, while parental presence can be disturbing to the parent and divert the attention of the operating room team. A more recent option is distraction via electronic tablets. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate and quantify any change in the use of midazolam, the most common anxiolytic approach at our institution, and any change in the length of time in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) following the introduction of tablet computers to a pediatric ambulatory surgical center. Methods We conducted an IRB-approved retrospective chart review of 13,790 pediatric patients ages one to 18 undergoing outpatient elective surgeries at the University of Florida (UF) Children's Surgical Center over a five-year period. A univariate analysis was conducted using the Fisher's Exact test and interrupted time series analysis to determine differences between midazolam administration and PACU times, with interruption occurring at tablet implementation. A multivariable analysis and sensitivity analyses were performed to confirm the findings of the univariate analysis. Results On univariate analysis, tablet availability was associated with both a decreased preoperative oral midazolam administration (odds ratio (OR) 0.158, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.140 to 0.179, P-value <0.001) and a decreased PACU length of stay (-17.4 min, 95% CI: -19.6 to -15.3 min, P-value <0.001). The association with decreased preoperative midazolam administration held after multivariable analysis (adjusted OR 0.207, 95% CI: 0.154 to 0.278, P-value <0.001), but PACU length of stay was not statistically significant (-9.1 min, 95% CI: -20.6 to 2.4, P-value = 0.12). These results were confirmed on sensitivity analysis, with tablet availability continuing to be associated with decreased preoperative oral midazolam administration but not with reduced PACU length of stay. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that computer tablets were associated with a significant decrease in the frequency of midazolam administration and consequently may reduce preoperative pediatric anxiety. We did not find an associated change in PACU length of stay following the introduction of tablets. Tablets present a unique distraction alternative to chemical anxiolysis for institutions seeking to reduce medication use in pediatric patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Farlie et al.)

Purpose: Pediatric dog bite injuries are one of the most common nonfatal injuries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children stayed at home more than pre-pandemic. The effect of the pandemic on severity of dog bites to the face in children has not been examined. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of dog bite injuries to the face in children during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when compared to the previous year., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted for children with dog bite injuries to the head and neck region who presented to the emergency department at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta from March 2019 to March 2021. The predictor variable was the time of injury, and this was divided into pre-lockdown [control group (March 15, 2019, to March 15, 2020), ie pre-L] and lockdown (March 15, 2019, to March 15, 2020), ie post-L. The outcome variable was severity of dog bite defined as one or more of the following: 1) patient required sedation or general anesthesia for repair, 2) 3 or more regions in the head and neck were involved, and/or 3) surgical consultation took place. The investigators used a two-sample t-test, multivariable linear regression models, and modified analysis of variance and multivariate ANOVA tests to analyze the data (P-value < .05 determined significance)., Results: 712 children (370 males) with an average age of 6 years old (range, 7 months-18 years) fit the inclusion criteria. There were 381 cases in the pre-L and 331 in the post-L period. There were more cases on average per month pre-L (31.8 cases/month) than post-L (27.6 cases/month) (P-value = .26). There were 183 pre-L surgical consults compared to 75 post-L (48 vs 22.8% of cases, respectively; P-value ≤ .001). There were 52 pre-L cases that had 3 or more sites in the head and neck compared to 28 during the post-L period (P-value = .032)., Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there may have been a decrease in the severity of dog bite injuries. This trend may demonstrate a consequence that is not a direct result of the virus., (Copyright © 2022 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The environmental impact of inhaled anesthetics is a subject of increasing research. However, little attention has been paid to optimizing high-concentration volatile anesthetics during the inhalational (mask) inductions that begin most pediatric anesthetics., Methods: The performance of the GE Datex Ohmeda TEC 7 sevoflurane vaporizer was analyzed at different fresh gas flow (FGF) rates and two clinically relevant ambient temperatures. We found that an FGF rate of 5 liters per minute (LPM) is likely optimal for inhalational inductions, rapidly achieving dialed sevoflurane concentrations at the elbow of an unprimed pediatric breathing circuit while minimizing waste associated with higher FGF rates. We began educating our department regarding these findings, first with QR code labels on anesthetic workstations, then with targeted e-mails to pediatric anesthesia teams. We analyzed peak induction FGF in 100 consecutive mask inductions at our ambulatory surgery center at three different periods - baseline, post-labels, and post-emails - to assess the efficacy of these educational interventions. We also analyzed the time from induction to the start of myringotomy tube placement in a subset of these cases to determine if reducing mask induction FGF was associated with any change in the speed of induction., Results: Our institution's median peak FGF during inhalational inductions decreased from 9.2 LPM at baseline to 8.0 LPM after labels were placed on anesthetic workstations to 4.9 LPM after targeted e-mails. There was no associated decrease in the speed of induction., Conclusion: Total fresh gas flow can be limited to 5 LPM during pediatric inhalational inductions, decreasing anesthetic waste and environmental impact without slowing the speed of induction. Educational labels on anesthetic workstations and direct e-mails to clinicians were effectively used in our department to enact change in this practice., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Edwards et al.)

Introduction: Posterior spinal fusion (PSF) represents a large physiologic challenge for children with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS). Perioperative complications are numerous with many occurring in the post-operative period due to pain and relative immobilization. This study assessed the impact of steroids on patients undergoing PSF for NMS., Methods: A retrospective review of consecutive patients managed at a single center with PSF for NMS was reviewed. Clinical and radiographic analysis was used to evaluate baseline demographics, curve characteristics, and post-operative course., Results: Eighty-nine patients who underwent PSF for NMS were included. Fifty-seven of these patients did not receive post-operative steroids (NS) while 32 patients were treated with post-operative steroids (dexamethasone, WS) for a median of 3 doses (median 6.0 mg/dose every 8 h after surgery). The demographic variables of the cohorts were similar with no difference in curve magnitude, number of vertebrae fused, number of osteotomies, or EBL between groups. A 70% decrease in the median post-operative morphine equivalents was observed in the steroid cohort (0.50 mg/kg WS vs 1.65 mg/kg NS, p value < 0.001). There was an association between post-operative morphine equivalents and length of stay (Spearman's rho = 0.22, p value = 0.04). There was no difference in wound healing, infection, and pulmonary or gastrointestinal complications between groups. No difference was found in pain at discharge, 30-day ED returns, or 30-day OR returns between groups., Conclusions: Post-operative dexamethasone resulted in a 70% decrease in morphine equivalent use after PSF for NMS without any increase in perioperative wound infections., Level of Evidence: Level 3: case-control series., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Purpose: Blood loss (BL) during posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) may be estimated using a variety of unproven techniques. Patient care and research on BL are likely impacted by a lack of standardization. A novel FDA-approved blood volume (BV) analysis system (BVA-100 Blood Volume Analyzer) allows rapid processing with > 97% accuracy. The purpose of this study was to investigate common methods for BL estimation., Methods: BV assessment was performed with the BVA-100. After obtaining a baseline sample of 5 mL of blood, 1 mL of I-131-labeled albumin was injected intravenously over 1 min. Five milliliter blood samples were then collected at 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 min post-injection. Intravenous fluid was minimized to maintain euvolemia. Salvaged blood was not administered during surgery. BL was estimated using several common techniques and compared to the BV measurements provided by the BVA-100 (BVABL)., Results: Thirty AIS patients were prospectively enrolled with major curves of 54° and underwent fusions of 10 levels. BL based on the BVA-100 (BVABL) was 519.2 [IQR 322.9, 886.2] mL. Previously published formulas all failed to approximate BVABL. Multiplying the cell saver volume return by 3 (CS3) approximates BVABL well with a Spearman correlation coefficient and ICC of 0.80 and 0.72, respectively. An extrapolated cell salvage-based estimator also showed high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Spearman coefficients with less bias than CS3., Conclusion: Published formulaic approaches do not approximate true blood loss. Multiplying the cell saver volume by 3 or using the cell salvage-based estimator had the highest correlation coefficient and ICC., Level of Evidence: Prospective cohort Level 2., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Background: There is limited evidence describing the relationship between calcaneal bone mineral density (cBMD) and activity level, menstrual history, or the development of bone stress injury (BSI)., Hypothesis/purpose: The purposes of this study were to: 1) examine the influence of physical activity on cBMD in healthy college students (HCS), 2) determine if there is an association between cBMD, body mass index (BMI), sex, menstrual history, and history of BSI in HCS, and 3) compare the cBMD of HCS to cBMD data collected on intercollegiate athletes (ICA) from a previous study., Study Design: Cross-sectional design., Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of HCS at one institution. Subjects provided self-reported injury and menstrual history, completed a physical activity questionnaire, and cBMD and BMI measures were obtained. Descriptive statistics, statistical analyses of relationships (Chi-square and relative risk), logistic regression, and differences (t-tests) were used in the statistical analyses., Results: One hundred three HCS (82 female, 21 male; age 21.9 ± 1.13) consented to participate. The composite score for work, leisure, and sport activity ranged from 5.6 to 11.1 (7.9 ± 1.1) for HCS subjects. There was no significant correlation between cBMD and physical activity in HCS, however, a significant correlation was found between reported age of onset of menstruation and left and right cBMD (r = -0.22 and r = -0.23; p < 0.05) and history of secondary amenorrhea and history of BSI (r = 0.32; p < 0.05). There was no difference in cBMD between the male ICA and male HCS, but highly significant differences in cBMD between the female ICA and female HCS groups (p < 0.000)., Conclusions: Age of menarche and secondary amenorrhea are significantly associated with cBMD and history of BSI in HCS subjects, respectively. Differences in cBMD among the HCS subjects were not related to activity level. cBMD was significantly lower in female HCS as compared to female ICA. This difference in cBMD between ICA and HCS may be activity related., Level of Evidence: Level 3., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts to disclose

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the personal and professional lives of all health care workers. Anesthesiologists frequently perform virus-aerosolizing procedures (eg, intubation and extubation) that place them at increased risk of infection. We sought to determine how the initial COVID-19 outbreak affected members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) on both personal and professional levels. Specifically, we examined the potential effects of gender and age on personal stress, burnout, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, assessed job satisfaction, and explored financial impact., Methods: After receiving approval from the SPA Committees for Research and Quality and Safety and the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board, we e-mailed a questionnaire to all 3245 SPA members. The survey included 22 questions related to well-being and 13 questions related to effects of COVID-19 on current and future practice, finances, retirement planning, academic time and productivity, and clinical and home responsibilities. To address low initial response rates and quantify nonresponse bias, we sent a shortened follow-up survey to a randomly selected subsample (n = 100) of SPA members who did not respond to the initial survey. Response differences between the 2 cohorts were determined., Results: A total of 561 (17%) members responded to the initial questionnaire. Because of COVID-19, 21.7% of respondents said they would change their clinical responsibilities, and 10.6% would decrease their professional working time. Women were more likely than men to anticipate a future COVID-19-related job change (odds ratio [OR] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.63; P = .011), perhaps because of increased home responsibilities (OR = 2.63, 95% CI, 1.74-4.00; P < .001). Additionally, 14.2% of respondents planned to retire early, and 11.9% planned to retire later. Women and non-White respondents had higher likelihoods of burnout on univariate analysis (OR = 1.75, 95% CI, 1.06-2.94, P = .026 and OR = 1.82, 95% CI, 1.08-3.04, P = .017, respectively), and 25.1% of all respondents felt socially isolated. In addition, both changes in retirement planning and future occupational planning were strongly associated with total job satisfaction scores (both P < .001)., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the personal and professional lives of pediatric anesthesiologists, albeit not equally, as women and non-Whites have been disproportionately impacted. The pandemic has significantly affected personal finances, home responsibilities, and retirement planning; reduced clinical and academic practice time and responsibilities; and increased feelings of social isolation, stress, burnout, and depression/anxiety., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Purpose: Guidelines regarding parental leave in oral and maxillofacial surgery do not exist. This inconsistency may contribute to gender disparities and an increase in resident burnout. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions and attitudes of oral and maxillofacial surgery residents toward parental leave., Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which an anonymous 26-item questionnaire was electronically mailed to all current oral and maxillofacial surgery residents in the United States during August 2020. The survey consisted of 5 sections: 1) resident information, 2) residency program information, 3) parental policy information, 4) attitudes regarding parental leave, and 5) attitudes regarding early parenthood., Results: Surveys were sent to 860 oral and maxillofacial surgery residents; 220 completed the questionnaire (25.6%). Majority of respondents were male between the ages of 26 and 30. Half of the respondents did not know whether their oral and maxillofacial surgery program had a formal parental leave policy. Almost a third of residents reported that their program did not have a policy regarding parental leave. Only some programs had a policy regarding parental leave. Most programs allotted 2 days to 2 weeks for parental leave. Parenthood did not prevent pursuit of fellowship training. The majority of co-residents indicated that parenthood had a neutral impact on the performance of their colleagues. Lactation facilities and/or childcare services were not present in all programs., Conclusions: Most oral and maxillofacial surgery residents support parental leave despite the lack of a formal policy in their residency program. Residents who had a child during residency received up to 2 weeks as parental leave. Residents felt that their programs were supportive of parental leave. Parenthood did not prevent the pursuit of fellowship training., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused delays in medical and surgical interventions in most health care systems worldwide. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) delayed operations to protect themselves, patients, and staff. This article (1) presents one institution's experience in the management of pediatric craniomaxillofacial trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) suggests recommendations to decrease transmission., Methods: This was a retrospective review of children aged 18 years or younger who underwent surgery at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in Atlanta, GA, between March and August 2020. Patients (1) were aged 18 years old or younger, (2) had one or more maxillofacial fractures, and (3) underwent surgery performed by an OMS, otolaryngologist, or plastic surgeon. Medical records were reviewed regarding (1) fracture location, (2) COVID-19 status, (3) timing, (4) personal protective equipment, and (5) infection status. Descriptive statistics were computed., Results: Fifty-eight children met the inclusion criteria. The most commonly injured maxillofacial location was the nose. Operations were performed 50.9 hours after admission. Specific prevention perioperative guidelines were used with all patients, with no transmission occurring from a patient to a health care worker., Conclusions: With application of our recommendations, there was no transmission to health care workers. We hope that these guidelines will assist OMSs during the COVID-19 pandemic., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Circumcision is one of the most common urologic procedures performed at pediatric ambulatory centers. Emerging data on the short- and long-term effects of perioperative opioid administration has highlighted the importance of an opioid-free anesthetic regimen. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an opioid-free anesthetic in pediatric circumcision and its correlation with ambulatory surgery center efficiency. Patients, 3 years of age and younger, who underwent circumcision or circumcision revision by two surgeons pre and post introduction of an opioid-free anesthetic fast-track regimen at an outpatient surgical center were included. There were 100 patients included in this analysis, with 50 patients in each cohort. On univariate analysis, fast-tracking was associated with a decrease in median combined in-room and post-anesthesia care unit times (102.5 vs. 129.0 min, p -value < 0.001). This difference continued after multivariable analysis with an adjusted median combined in-room and post-anesthesia care unit time difference of -15.6 min (95% CI -34.2 to -12.7 min, p -value 0.018). In addition, the fast-track cohort received less intraoperative morphine equivalents without an increase in post-operative analgesic administration or change in postoperative questionnaire score. This demonstrates that opioid-free anesthesia may be used effectively in pediatric circumcision while also allowing for significant time savings for surgical centers.

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased anxiety among the general population. The purpose of this project was to investigate attitudes and anxiety among oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residents during the early COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. OMS residents were sent electronic invitations to answer a survey. The survey was sent in April and May 2020. Residents enrolled in OMS residency programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation were included. Predictor variable was attitudes of OMS residents toward the pandemic. The outcome variable was anxiety levels of OMS residents due to the pandemic according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-A. Other variables were demographic characteristics, general knowledge regarding the pandemic, and attitudes of OMS residents toward the pandemic. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression (P < .05)., Results: We received 275 responses. The majority of respondents were males (74.5%) aged 26 to 30 (52.7%). Residents reported different levels of anxiety (i.e., mild 58.2%, severe 41.8%). Based on multivariate analysis, moderate or severe anxiety was associated with being female (P = .048) and a senior resident (P = .049). Factors such as potential deployment to other services, availability of personal protective equipment, and unclear disease status of patients contributed to anxiety., Conclusion: Our study found that during the early COVID-19 pandemic, all residents experienced some anxiety. Senior OMS residents and female OMS residents experience higher anxiety levels than other residents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Information regarding burnout in academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) in the United States (US) does not exist. The purpose of this project was to answer the following question: "Does burnout exist in academic OMSs in the United States?", Materials and Methods: A 15-question anonymous survey was created based on Expanded Physician Well-Being Index (WBI, MedEd Web Solutions). The survey was sent electronically to fellows of the American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons (AACMS) consisting of demographics, professional obligations, wellness indicators (burnout, emotional hardening, depression, anxiety, fatigue, overwhelmed), and overall quality-of-life statements. Responses were quantified according to a scaled scoring system specific for WBI. Multivariable logistic regression was then used to create a predictive model of being "at risk" of burnout., Results: Surveys were sent to 180 active AACMS fellows; 110 completed the questionnaire (61.1%). One hundred eight active fellows met inclusion criteria. Majority were males between the ages of 41 and 50. About a quarter spent more than 20 years in an academic setting. Activities concentrated on patient care, teaching, and/or administrative duties. More than half of respondents felt emotionally hardened, anxious/irritable, and/or overwhelmed. About a third had adequate time for personal and family life. Most felt that their work was meaningful. Using WBI, the average score was 2.21, meaning that as a whole oral-maxillofacial surgery academicians are not considered at risk for burnout. Risk factors for burnout were age >40 years old, female gender, patient care more than 55 hours per week, call more than 10 times per month, and majority of time spent on teaching responsibilities., Conclusions: According to WBI, OMSs as a group are not at risk for burnout. Certain traits (age, gender, more than 55 weekly hours and/or more than 10 call shifts per month, high percentage of time teaching responsibilities) are at higher risk for burnout., (Copyright © 2021 The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) pathways have been shown to decrease length of stay (LOS) after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The aim of this study was to compare immediate post-operative outcomes following an ERAS pathway with a traditional pathway for AIS., Methods: A prospective dual-center study of patients treated using an ERAS pathway (203 patients) or a traditional discharge (TD) pathway (73 patients) was performed with focus on pain at discharge, quality of life at one month, and return to school/work., Results: LOS was 55% less in the ERAS group (4.8 days TD vs. 2.2 days ERAS, p < 0.001). Length of surgery (4.8 h TD vs. 2.8 h, p < 0.001) and EBL (500 cc vs. 240 cc, p < 0.001) were greater in the TD group, likely related to larger curve magnitudes ((62.0° TD vs. 54.0° ERAS, p < 0.001), a higher percentage of patients undergoing osteotomies (94% vs. 46%, p < 0.001) and more levels fused (11.4 ± 1.6 vs. 10.1 ± 2.6, p < 0.001) in the TD group. Regression analysis showed no difference in Visual Analog Score (VAS) score at discharge or quality of recovery using the QOR9 instrument between groups at follow up. There was no difference in return to school (p = 0.43) and parents' return to work (p = 0.61) between the groups., Conclusion: Patients managed with an ERAS pathway had similar pain scores at discharge than those managed with a TD pathway. Both groups showed evidence of rapid return to normalcy by the first follow up visit., (© 2021. Scoliosis Research Society.)

Background: Although the package insert clearly states that "the safety and efficacy of sugammadex in pediatric patients have not been established," we hypothesized that sugammadex is used widely in pediatric anesthetic practice supplanting neostigmine as the primary drug for antagonizing neuromuscular blockade (NMB). Additionally, we sought to identify the determinants by which pediatric anesthesiologists choose reversal agents and if and how they assess NMB in their practice. Finally, because of sugammadex's effects on hormonal contraception, we sought to determine whether pediatric anesthesiologists counseled postmenarchal patients on the need for additional or alternative forms of contraception and the risk of unintended pregnancy in the perioperative period., Methods: We e-mailed a questionnaire to all 3245 members of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) requesting demographic data and attitudes regarding use of NMB agents, monitoring, and antagonism practices. To address low initial response rates and quantify nonresponse bias, we sent a shortened follow-up survey to a randomly selected subsample (n = 75) of SPA members who did not initially respond. Response differences between the 2 cohorts were determined., Results: Initial questionnaire response rate was 13% (419 of 3245). Overall, 163 respondents (38.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 34.2-43.8) used sugammadex as their primary reversal agent, and 106 (25.2%; 95% CI, 21.2-30.0) used it exclusively. Respondents with ≤5 years of practice used sugammadex as their primary reversal agent more often than those with ≥6 years of practice (odds ratio [OR]: 2.08; 95% CI, 1.31-3.31; P = .001). This increased utilization remained after controlling for institutional restriction and practice type (adjusted OR [aOR]: 2.20; 95% CI, 1.38-3.54; P = .001). Only 40% of practitioners always assess NMB (train-of-four), and use was inversely correlated with years of practice (Spearman ρ = -0.11, P = .04). Anesthesiologists who primarily used sugammadex assess NMB less routinely (OR: 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.90; P = .01). A slim majority (52.8%) used sugammadex for pediatric postmenarchal girls; those with less experience used it more commonly (P < .001). Thirty-eight percent did not discuss its effects on hormonal contraception with the patient and/or family, independent of anesthesiologist experience (P = .33) and practice location (P = .38). No significant differences were seen in demographics or practice responses between initial and follow-up survey respondents., Conclusions: Sugammadex is commonly used in pediatric anesthesia, particularly among anesthesiologists with fewer years of practice. Failure to warn postmenarchal adolescents of its consequences may result in unintended pregnancies. Finally, pediatric anesthesia training programs should emphasize objective monitoring of NMB, particularly with sugammadex use., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article., (Copyright © 2021 International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Background: Infants undergoing pyloromyotomy are at a high risk of aspiration, making rapid sequence induction the preferred method of induction. Since succinylcholine use in infants can be associated with complications, rocuronium is frequently substituted despite its prolonged duration of action., Aims: To examine the likelihood of non-reversibility to neostigmine at the end of surgery in laparoscopic pyloromyotomies and its correlation to both rocuronium dose and out of operating room time., Methods: Patients who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, received rocuronium, and were reversed with neostigmine were included. Bayesian multivariable logistic regression was utilized to determine the probability of non-reversibility, and Bayesian multivariable median regression was performed to ascertain the correlation between out of operating room time and non-reversibility., Results: 306 patients were analyzed with a median surgical duration of 19 min (interquartile range 16 to 23). 74% received succinylcholine for intubation followed by rocuronium, and the remaining received rocuronium alone. The median rocuronium dose was 0.41 mg/kg (interquartile range 0.27 - 0.56 mg/kg). Prolonged block occurred in 68 (22.2%) patients. There was a non-trivial probability of prolonged block with low rocuronium doses, and each 0.1 mg/kg increase in total rocuronium dose was associated with an odds ratio of 1.36 (95% credible interval: 1.17-1.58) of neostigmine non-reversibility at the end of surgery. Non-reversibility was correlated with a substantial increase in median out of operating room time (13.4 min, 95% credible interval: 5.5-20.8 min), which was compounded by high rocuronium dosing (2.2 min increase per 0.1 mg/kg for doses greater than 0.5 mg/kg, 95% credible interval: 0.7-3.6 min)., Conclusion: Prolonged blockade can occur from rocuronium administration in infants undergoing pyloromyotomy even at low doses. Therefore, consideration of appropriate rocuronium dosing or the use of sugammadex should be considered., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: The use of a vascularized free fibula graft (FFF) for the reconstruction of a mandible in a child with a mandibular tumor is infrequent. The purpose of this study is to report our protocol for resection of mandibular jaw tumors and immediate reconstruction using FFF in pediatric patients., Methods: This was a retrospective case series of children with a mandibular tumor, which was resected and immediately reconstructed with FFF. All patients were treated via the same staged protocol: 1) presurgical digital planning, 2) surgical intervention (resection and immediate reconstruction), 3) postoperative care in the pediatric intensive unit, and 4) prosthodontic dental rehabilitation. Outcomes were complications and recurrence. Medical records were reviewed to document demographic information, tumor details, surgical interventions, postoperative course, and prosthodontic rehabilitation., Results: Fifteen patients (10 males, average age of 13.7 years) met inclusion criteria. Ten patients had mandibular ameloblastoma. All patients were treated by a dedicated pediatric team and followed the same protocol. The average tumor size was 4.87 × 3.22 × 2.03 cm. Most fibulas (n = 12) had one osteotomy to reestablish mandibular continuity and create appropriate contour. The most common microvascular anastomosis was with a facial artery (n = 13) and the external jugular vein (n = 9). At an average follow-up of 15.5 months, there were only 3 minor donor site complications. Eight implants were placed without complications. No tumors recurred., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that pediatric mandibular tumors can be successfully treated using a specific protocol involving resection and immediate reconstruction using FFF with minimal complications and without recurrence., (Copyright © 2020 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Compared with the older pediatric population, neonates have greater perioperative morbidity and mortality. Difficulty with glucose regulation may be a contributing modifiable risk factor during perioperative anesthetic management. To mitigate the risk of hyperglycemia in neonates, some providers empirically halve the preoperative rate of dextrose-containing infusions during surgery., Aim: To assess the association between halving the preoperative maintenance dextrose rate and postoperative euglycemia in neonatal intensive care unit patients undergoing exploratory laparotomies., Methods: Neonatal intensive care unit patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy under general anesthesia from 1/1/2014 to 11/21/2019 were included in this analysis. Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia were defined as >150 mg/dL and <46 mg/dL. A calculated dextrose ratio was utilized to categorize patients into full and half intraoperative dextrose rate cohorts. Univariate analyses were performed with Fisher's exact test, the Wilcoxon rank sum test, or Spearman's correlation. Multivariable analyses with regression models were conducted after graphical evaluation of a predetermined set of independent variables., Results: 107 patients were included in the full dextrose rate cohort and 96 patients in the half dextrose rate cohort with postoperative hyperglycemia occurring in 47 and 28 patients, respectively. On univariate analysis, halving the preoperative dextrose rate was associated with decreased postoperative hyperglycemia (odds ratio: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.28-0.98, P = 0.041). This association continued in the regression model (adjusted odds ratio: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.25-0.80, P = 0.008) after controlling for preoperative dextrose rate, preoperative serum glucose, preoperative pH, surgical duration, postmenstrual age at surgery, and the presence of necrotizing enterocolitis. Only one patient was hypoglycemic postoperatively, and they were in the full dextrose cohort., Conclusion: Halving of preoperative dextrose rates intraoperatively during exploratory laparotomy in neonatal intensive care unit patients was associated with a decreased risk of postoperative hyperglycemia without substantially increasing the occurrence of postoperative hypoglycemia. The practice of halving preoperative dextrose rates may be an effective empirical approach for intraoperative glucose management in the high-risk neonatal population when blood glucose monitoring is challenging., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Background: Surgeons have hesitated to use steroids in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion because of the risk of wound complications. The literature has supported the use of postoperative steroids in other areas of orthopaedics on the basis of more rapid recovery and improved postoperative pain control. We hypothesized that a short course of postoperative dexamethasone following posterior spinal fusion for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) would decrease opioid usage without increasing wound-healing problems., Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for the treatment of AIS from 2015 to 2018 at a single hospital were included. A review of demographic characteristics, curve characteristics, surgical data, and postoperative clinic notes was performed. Opioid usage was determined by converting all postoperative opioids given into morphine milligram equivalents (MME)., Results: Sixty-five patients underwent posterior spinal fusion for the treatment of AIS without postoperative steroids (the NS group), and 48 patients were managed with 3 doses of postoperative steroids (the WS group) (median, 8.0 mg/dose). There was no difference between the groups in terms of curve magnitude, number of vertebrae fused, or estimated blood loss. There was a 39.6% decrease in total MME used and a 29.5% decrease in weight-based MME used in the group receiving postoperative steroids (82.0 mg [1.29 mg/kg] in the NS group versus 49.5 mg [0.91 mg/kg] in the WS group]; p < 0.001). This difference persisted after accounting for gabapentin, ketorolac, and diazepam usage; surgical time; curve size; levels fused; and number of osteotomies (median decrease, 0.756 mg/kg [95% CI, 0.307 to 1.205 mg/kg]; p = 0.001). Three patients in the NS group (4.6%) and 4 patients in the WS group (8.3%) developed wound dehiscence requiring wound care (p = 0.53). One patient in the NS group required surgical debridement for the treatment of an infection. Patients in the WS group were more likely to walk at the time of the initial physical therapy evaluation (60.4% versus 35.4%; p = 0.013)., Conclusions: A short course of postoperative steroids after posterior spinal fusion was associated with a 40% decrease in the use of opioids, with no increase in wound complications. Surgeons may consider the use of perioperative steroids in an effort to decrease the use of postoperative opioids following posterior spinal fusion for the treatment of AIS., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Background: Pyloromyotomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on otherwise healthy infants. Pyloric stenosis results in a hypochloremic, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis that is considered a medical emergency. This alkalotic state is believed to be associated with an increased incidence of apneic episodes. Because apnea tends to occur during anesthetic emergence, we sought to examine the association between the preoperative serum bicarbonate level and anesthetic emergence time after laparoscopic pyloromyotomy., Methods: Data were collected from patients who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomies from April 2014 to October 2018. To estimate the correlation between preoperative bicarbonate level and emergence time while accounting for the positive skew of emergence time and potential confounding variables, a weighted quantile mixed regression was used. Due to a nonlinear association with emergence time, preoperative serum bicarbonate was split into 2 continuous intervals (<24 and ≥24 mEq/L) and the slope versus outcome was fit for each interval., Results: A total of 529 patients who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy were analyzed in this study. After controlling for confounders, the preoperative serum bicarbonate interval of ≥24 mEq/L was linearly associated with median emergence time (median increase of 0.81 minutes per 1 mEq/L increase of bicarbonate; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-1.20; P < .001). Only 3 patients (0.6%) had apneic episodes after pyloromyotomy despite all having preoperative serum bicarbonate levels <29 mEq/L., Conclusions: Preoperative serum bicarbonate was positively associated with median anesthetic emergence time in a linear manner for values ≥24 mEq/L, although this correlation may not appear to be clinically substantial per 1 mEq/L unit. However, when preoperative serum bicarbonate levels were dichotomized at a commonly used presurgical threshold, the difference in median emergence time between ≥30 and <30 mEq/L was an estimated 5.4 minutes (95% CI, 3.1-7.8 minutes; P < .001).

Background: Neonatal patients are at higher risk in the perioperative period than older infants and children. Extubation as an early goal for noenatal intensive care unit patients presenting for surgery is undergoing a renaissance period, and an exploration of adverse events following selection for extubation immediately after general anesthesia has not specifically been undertaken in this population., Aims: The objective of this study is to determine the adverse events most commonly encountered in neonatal intensive care unit patients recovering from anesthesia in the post anesthesia care unit, quantify the risk of event occurrence, and identify risk factors that may increase the risk of postoperative adverse events., Methods: All neonatal intensive care unit patients presenting to the operating room 6/1/2014-5/31/2018 who recovered in the  post anesthesia care unit were included for analysis. Univariate analyses were conducted utilizing the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Fisher exact test. Due to the low event rate, a small-sample generalized estimating equation model was created with a major event composite as the outcome and explanatory variables with P values < .1 on univariate analysis. Statistically significant continuous variables were then dichotomized based on Youden index., Results: There were 707 operative cases in 607 patients. There were 81 total events recorded, and 64/81 were considered to be major events; all of which were respiratory. The risk of any postoperative event was 11.5%, major respiratory event requiring intervention by a nurse or provider was 9.1%, and reintubation was 0.8%. Birth weight < 1.58 kg (OR 3.71; 95% CI 2.11-6.53; P < .001) and postmenstrual age at surgery <41 weeks (OR 3.20; 95% CI 1.54-6.63; P < .001) were strongly associated with an increased risk of a major postoperative respiratory event., Conclusion: The most important factors associated with major events in the post anesthesia care unit following extubation of neonatal intensive care unit patients were birth weight < 1.58 kg and postmenstrual age at surgery < 41 weeks. A patient with both features has a 7-fold increase in the odds of a major respiratory event in the post anesthesia care unit. Careful consideration of the postoperative ventilation and monitoring strategy must be given to patients with low birth weight (<1.58 kg) or who are <41 weeks postmenstrual age at the time of surgery., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Open cranial vault reconstruction is frequently performed for craniosynostosis. These procedures often involve high volume blood loss that requires blood transfusion. Antifibrinolytics have been shown to decrease blood loss during these procedures but the optimal dose that maximizes benefits is not known., Aims: The primary aim was to evaluate the differences in calculated blood loss between a high infusion rate (40 mg/kg/h) and a low infusion rate (≤30 mg/kg/h) of epsilon aminocaproic acid after a 100 mg/kg loading dose. Secondary aims were to determine if a high infusion rate of epsilon aminocaproic acid was associated with decreased packed red cell transfusion volume and to determine the factors associated with blood loss., Methods: This was a retrospective study of children who underwent open cranial vault reconstruction. Using an electronic medical record, we identified patients that fit the inclusion criteria. Demographic, laboratory, transfusion, and perioperative data were collected and statistical analysis was performed., Results: Fifty-three patients were included into the study with twenty-three receiving higher infusion rate (40 mg/kg/h) epsilon aminocaproic acid. There was a 14.3 mL/kg (95% CI 6.6-23.9) decrease in calculated blood loss in the high-dose cohort., Conclusion: An EACA bolus of 100 mg/kg followed by an infusion of 40 mg/kg was associated with a lower calculated blood loss compared to the group who received 100 mg/kg EACA and ≤ 30 mg/kg infusion., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Pediatric anesthesiologists are exposed to ionizing radiation from x-rays on an almost daily basis. Our goal was to determine the culture of safety in which they work and how they adhere to preventative strategies that minimize exposure risk in their daily practice., Methods: After Institutional Review Board waiver and approval of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia's research and quality and safety committees, an electronic e-mail questionnaire was sent to the Society's physician, nontrainee members and consisted of questions specific to provider use of protective lead shielding, the routine use of dosimeters, and demographic information. Univariate analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for ordinal variables, the Fisher exact test for categorical variables, and the Spearman test to analyze correlation between 2 ordinal variables, while a proportional odds logistic regression was used for a multivariable ordinal outcome analysis. P values of <.05 were considered statistically significant., Results: Twenty-one percent (674/3151) of the surveyed anesthesiologists completed the online questionnaire. Radiation exposure is ubiquitous (98.7%), and regardless of sex, most respondents were either concerned or very concerned about radiation exposure (76.8%); however, women were significantly more concerned than men (proportional odds ratio, 1.66 [95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.31]; P = .002). Despite this and independent of sex, level of concern was not associated with use of a radiation dosimeter (P = .85), lead glasses (odds ratio, 1.07 [95% confidence interval, 0.52-2.39]; P = 1.0), or a thyroid shield (P = .12). Dosimeters were rarely (13%) or never used (52%) and were mandated in only 28.5% of institutions. Virtually none of the respondents had ever taken a radiation safety course, received a personal radiation dose report, notification of their radiation exposure, or knew how many millirem/y was considered safe. Half of the respondents were female, and while pregnant, 73% (151/206) tried to avoid radiation exposure by requesting not to be assigned to cases requiring x-rays. These requests were honored 78% (160/206) of the time., Discussion: Despite universal exposure to ionizing radiation from x-rays, pediatric anesthesiologists do not routinely adhere to strategies designed to limit the intensity of this exposure and rarely work in institutions in which a culture of radiation safety exists. Our study highlights the need to improve radiation safety education, the need to change the safety culture within the operating rooms and imaging suites, and the need to more fully investigate the utility of dosimeters, lead shielding, and eye safety measures in pediatric anesthesia practice.

Background and Objectives: Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) decrease length of stay and postoperative morbidity, but it is important that these benefits do not come at a cost of sacrificing proper perioperative analgesia. In this retrospective, matched cohort study, we evaluated postoperative pain intensity in pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgeries before and after ERP implementation., Methods: Patients in each cohort were randomly matched based on age, diagnosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and surgical procedure. The primary outcome was average daily postoperative pain score, while the secondary outcomes included postoperative hospital length of stay, complication rate, and 30-day readmissions. Since our hypothesis was non-inferior analgesia in the postprotocol cohort, a non-inferiority study design was used., Results: After matching, 36 pairs of preprotocol and postprotocol patients were evaluated. ERP patients had non-inferior recovery room pain scores (difference 0 (-1.19, 0) points, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.26 points, p value non-inferiority <0.001) and 4-day postoperative pain scores (difference -0.3±1.9 points, 95% CI -0.82 to 0.48 points, p value non-inferiority <0.001) while receiving less postoperative opioids (difference -0.15 [-0.21, -0.05] intravenous morphine equivalents/kg/day, p<0.001). ERP patients also had reduced postoperative hospital stays (difference -1.5 [-4.5, 0] days, p<0.001) and 30-day readmissions (2.8% vs 27.8%, p=0.008)., Conclusions: Implementation of our ERP for pediatric laparoscopic colorectal patients was associated with less perioperative opioids without worsening postoperative pain scores. In addition, patients who received the protocol had faster return of bowel function, shorter postoperative hospital stays, and a lower rate of 30-day hospital readmissions. In pediatric laparoscopic colorectal patients, the incorporation of an ERP was associated with a pronounced decrease in perioperative morbidity without sacrificing postoperative analgesia., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Children undergoing posterior spinal fusion experience high blood loss often necessitating transfusion. An appropriately activated coagulation system provides hemostasis during surgery, but pathologic dysregulation can cause progressive bleeding and increased transfusions. Despite receiving antifibrinolytics for clot stabilization, many patients still require transfusions., Aims: We sought to examine the association of dilutional coagulopathy with blood loss and blood transfusion in posterior spinal fusion for pediatric scoliosis patients., Methods: A retrospective, single institution study of children undergoing posterior spinal fusion >6 levels with a standardized, prospective anesthetic protocol utilizing antifibrinolytics. Blood loss was evaluated using a hematocrit-based calculation. To evaluate transfusions, a normalized Blood Product Transfusion calculation was developed. Factors associated with blood loss and blood transfusions were determined by univariate analysis and multivariate regression modeling with multicollinearity and mediation analysis., Results: Patients received 73.7 mL/kg (standard deviation ±30.8) of fluid poor in coagulation factors. Estimated blood loss was 42.6 mL/kg (standard deviation ±18.0). There was a significant association between estimated blood loss and total fluids delivered (Spearman's rho = 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.65, P < 0.001). Factors significantly associated with normalized Blood Product Transfusion in this cohort included age, weight, scoliosis type, levels fused, total osteotomies, pelvic fixation, total fluid, maximum prothrombin time, and minimum fibrinogen. Regression modeling showed the best combination of variables for modeling normalized Blood Product Transfusion included patient weight, number of levels fused, total fluid administered, and maximum prothrombin time., Conclusion: Blood product transfusion remains a frustrating problem in pediatric scoliosis. Identifying and controlling dilutional coagulopathy in these patients may reduce blood loss and the need for blood transfusion., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Context: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common condition in active individuals and presents as diffuse pain along the posteromedial border of the tibia., Objective: To use cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies to identify significant MTSS risk factors., Data Sources: Bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, EBM Reviews, PEDRo), grey literature, electronic search of full text of journals, manual review of reference lists, and automatically executed PubMed MTSS searches were utilized. All searches were conducted between 2011 and 2015., Study Selection: Inclusion criteria were determined a priori and included original research with participants' pain diffuse, located in the posterior medial tibial region, and activity related., Study Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis., Level of Evidence: Level 4., Data Extraction: Titles and abstracts were reviewed to eliminate citations that did not meet the criteria for inclusion. Study characteristics identified a priori were extracted for data analysis. Statistical heterogeneity was examined using the I 2 index and Cochran Q test, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the meta-analysis when 2 or more studies examined a risk factor. Two authors independently assessed study quality., Results: Eighty-three articles met the inclusion criteria, and 22 articles included risk factor data. Of the 27 risk factors that were in 2 or more studies, 5 risk factors showed a significant pooled effect and low statistical heterogeneity, including female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; CI, 1.58-3.50), increased weight (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.24; CI, 0.03-0.45), higher navicular drop (SMD, 0.44; CI, 0.21-0.67), previous running injury (OR, 2.18; CI, 1.00-4.72), and greater hip external rotation with the hip in flexion (SMD, 0.44; CI, 0.23-0.65). The remaining risk factors had a nonsignificant pooled effect or significant pooled effect with high statistical heterogeneity., Conclusion: Female sex, increased weight, higher navicular drop, previous running injury, and greater hip external rotation with the hip in flexion are risk factors for the development of MTSS.

Objective: The quality of abstract reporting in physical therapy literature is unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline data for judging the future impact of the 2010 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement specifically referencing the 2008 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement for reporting of abstracts of randomized controlled trials across and between a broad sample and a core sample of physical therapy literature., Design: A cross-sectional, bibliographic analysis was conducted. Abstracts of randomized controlled trials from 2009 were retrieved from PubMed, PEDro, and CENTRAL. Eligibility was determined using PEDro criteria. For outcomes measures, items from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement for abstract reporting were used for assessment. Raters were not blinded to citation details., Results: Using a computer-generated set of random numbers, 150 abstracts from 112 journals comprised the broad sample. A total of 53 abstracts comprised the core sample. Fourteen of 20 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials items for both samples were reported in less than 50% of the abstracts. Significantly more abstracts in the core sample reported (% difference core - broad; 95% confidence interval) title (28.4%; 12.9%-41.2%), blinding (15.2%; 1.6%-29.8%), setting (47.6%; 32.4%-59.4%), and confidence intervals (13.1%; 5.0%-25.1%)., Conclusions: These findings provide baseline data for determining if continuing efforts to improve abstract reporting are heeded.

Study Objective: Bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement (BMT) is one of the most frequently performed pediatric outpatient procedures with 667,000 children receiving tympanostomy tubes annually. Because of this high volume, discovering the ideal analgesic regimen may lead to decreased overall postanesthesia care unit (PACU) costs while increasing patient and parent satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is any benefit in supplementing intranasal (IN) fentanyl with intramuscular (IM) ketorolac with regard to immediate recovery characteristics., Design: Retrospective, cohort study., Setting: University-affiliated teaching hospital., Patients: One thousand one hundred forty American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 and 2 pediatric patients scheduled for BMT., Interventions: No interventions were performed., Measurements: A propensity matched cohort of pediatric patients who underwent BMT at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital from 2011 to 2014 was analyzed. The authors compared PACU recovery time, rescue analgesic administration, maximal PACU pain scores, and maximal PACU agitation scores between subgroups of patients given either IN fentanyl and IM ketorolac or IN fentanyl alone intraoperatively., Main Results: After adjusting for patient demographics and fentanyl dose, the fentanyl/ketorolac group received rescue analgesics 4.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0%-7.5%) less often, displayed moderate to severe pain 4.7% (95% CI, 1.5%-8.0%) less often, and experienced emergence agitation 3.6% (95% CI, 1.5%-5.8%) less often than patients in the fentanyl-only group. This corresponded to a relative risk reduction of 127%, 76%, and 200%, respectively., Conclusions: Based on our retrospective analysis, adding IM ketorolac to IN fentanyl may be beneficial to pediatric patients undergoing BMT. However, these results should be confirmed with a prospective, double-blinded, randomized study., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

OBJECT Craniofacial reconstruction surgery (CFR) is often associated with significant blood loss, coagulopathy, and perioperative blood transfusion. Due to transfusion risks, many different approaches have been used to decrease allogeneic blood transfusion for these patients during the perioperative period. Protocols have decreased blood administration during the perioperative period for many types of surgeries. The object of this study was to determine if a protocol involving blood-sparing surgical techniques and a transfusion algorithm decreased intraoperative blood transfusion and blood loss. METHODS A protocol using transfusion algorithms and implementation of blood-sparing surgical techniques for CFR was implemented at Vanderbilt University on January 1, 2013. Following Institutional Review Board approval, blood loss and transfusion data were gathered retrospectively on all children undergoing primary open CFR, using the protocol, for the calendar year 2013. This postprotocol cohort was compared with a preprotocol cohort, which consisted of all children undergoing primary open CFR during the previous calendar year, 2012. RESULTS There were 41 patients in the preprotocol and 39 in the postprotocol cohort. There was no statistical difference between the demographics of the 2 groups. When compared with the preprotocol cohort, intraoperative packed red blood cell transfusion volume decreased from 36.9 ± 21.2 ml/kg to 19.2 ± 10.9 ml/kg (p = 0.0001), whereas fresh-frozen plasma transfusion decreased from 26.8 ± 25.4 ml/kg to 1.5 ± 5.7 ml/kg (p < 0.0001) following implementation of the protocol. Furthermore, estimated blood loss decreased from 64.2 ± 32.4 ml/kg to 52.3 ± 33.3 ml/kg (p = 0.015). Use of fresh-frozen plasma in the postoperative period also decreased when compared with the period before implementation of the protocol. There was no significant difference in morbidity and mortality between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggested that using a multidisciplinary protocol consisting of transfusion algorithms and implementation of blood-sparing surgical techniques during major CFR in pediatric patients is associated with reduced intraoperative administration of blood product, without shifting the transfusion burden to the postoperative period.

Background: The wastage of red blood cell (RBC) units within the operative setting results in significant direct costs to health care organizations. Previous education-based efforts to reduce wastage were unsuccessful at our institution. We hypothesized that a quality and process improvement approach would result in sustained reductions in intraoperative RBC wastage in a large academic medical center., Study Design and Methods: Utilizing a failure mode and effects analysis supplemented with time and temperature data, key drivers of perioperative RBC wastage were identified and targeted for process improvement., Results: Multiple contributing factors, including improper storage and transport and lack of accurate, locally relevant RBC wastage event data were identified as significant contributors to ongoing intraoperative RBC unit wastage. Testing and implementation of improvements to the process of transport and storage of RBC units occurred in liver transplant and adult cardiac surgical areas due to their history of disproportionately high RBC wastage rates. Process interventions targeting local drivers of RBC wastage resulted in a significant reduction in RBC wastage (p < 0.0001; adjusted odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.39), despite an increase in operative case volume over the period of the study. Studied process interventions were then introduced incrementally in the remainder of the perioperative areas., Conclusions: These results show that a multidisciplinary team focused on the process of blood product ordering, transport, and storage was able to significantly reduce operative RBC wastage and its associated costs using quality and process improvement methods., (© 2015 AABB.)