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Objective: Healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in Africa, suffer from a lack of continuous bedside monitoring capability, adversely affecting timely detection of hemodynamic deterioration and the opportunity for life-saving intervention. Wearable device technologies can overcome many of the challenges of conventional bedside monitors and could be viable alternatives. We assessed clinicians' perspectives on the use of a novel experimental wearable device ("biosensor") to improve bedside monitoring of pediatric patients in two West African LMICs., Methods: Focus groups were conducted in 3 hospitals (2 in Ghana and 1 in Liberia), in both urban and rural settings and of variable size, to elucidate clinicians' attitudes about the biosensor and to identify potential implementation needs. The focus group sessions were coded using a constant comparative method. Deductive thematic analysis was applied to pair themes with Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) contextual factors and domains., Results: Four focus groups were conducted in October 2019, and included 9 physicians, 20 nurses, and 20 community health workers. Fifty-two codes in four thematic areas were linked to 3 CFIR contextual factors and 9 domains. Key themes were durability and cost of the biosensor, hospital setting, and staffing concerns, which were related to the "Inner Setting" and "Characteristics of the Intervention" CFIR contextual factors. Participants, who recognized the limitations of current vital sign monitoring systems, further identified 21 clinical settings in which a biosensor could potentially be useful and expressed willingness to implement the biosensor., Conclusion: Clinicians who provide care to pediatric patients in two West African LMICs suggested multiple uses of a novel experimental wearable biosensor and expressed willingness to use it for continuous bedside vital sign monitoring. They identified device design (e.g., durability, cost), hospital setting (rural vs urban), and staffing as important factors to consider during further development and implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pulmonary nodules that are deep within lung parenchyma and/or small in size can be challenging to localize for biopsy. This study describes current trends in performance of image-guided localization techniques for pulmonary nodules in pediatric patients., Methods: A retrospective review was performed on patients < 21 years of age undergoing localization of pulmonary nodules at 15 institutions. Localization and resection success, time in interventional radiology (IR), operating room (OR) and total anesthesia time, complications, and technical problems were compared between techniques., Results: 225 patients were included with an average of 1.3 lesions (range 1-5). Median nodule size and depth were 4 mm (range 0-30) and 5.4 mm (0-61), respectively. The most common localization techniques were: wire + methylene blue dye (MBD) (28%), MBD only (25%), wire only (14%), technetium-99 only (11%), coil + MBD (7%) and coil only (5%). Localization technique was associated with institution (p < 0.01); technique and institution were significantly associated with mean IR, OR, and anesthesia time (all p < 0.05). Comparing techniques, there was no difference in successful IR localization (range 92-100%, p = 0.75), successful resection (94-100%, p = 0.98), IR technical problems (p = 0.22), or operative complications (p = 0.16)., Conclusions: Many IR localization techniques for small pulmonary nodules in children can be successful, but there is wide variability in application by institution and in procedure time., Level of Evidence: Retrospective review, Level 3., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the association between prolonged in-hospital time to appendectomy (TTA) and the risk of complicated appendicitis., Summary Background Data: Historically, acute appendicitis was treated with emergency appendectomy. More recently, practice patterns have shifted to urgent appendectomy, with acceptable in-hospital delays of up to 24 hours. However, the consequences of prolonged TTA remain poorly understood. Herein, we present the largest individual analysis to date of outcomes associated with prolonged in-hospital delay before appendectomy in children., Methods: Data from patients who underwent appendectomy within 24 hours of hospital presentation were obtained from the American College of Surgeons Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Procedure Targeted Appendectomy database from 2016 to 2018. Appendectomy within 16 hours of presentation was considered early, whereas those between 16 to 24 hours were defined as late. The primary outcome was operative findings of complicated appendicitis. Secondary outcomes included 30-day complications and resource utilization., Results: This study consisted of 18,927 patients, with 20.6% undergoing late appendectomy. The rate of complicated appendicitis was significantly higher in the late group (Early: 26.3%, Late: 30.3%, P < 0.05). Additionally, the late group had longer operative times, increased need for postoperative percutaneous drainage, antibiotics at discharge, parenteral nutrition, and an extended hospital length of stay (P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, late appendectomy remained a predictor of complicated disease (odds ratio 1.17 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.27])., Conclusions: A significant proportion of pediatric patients with acute appendicitis experience prolonged in-hospital delays before appendectomy, which are associated with modestly increased rates of complicated appendicitis. Although this does not indicate appendectomy needs to be done emergently, prolonged in-hospital TTA should be avoided whenever possible., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine whether procedure-specific provider volume is associated with outcomes for patients undergoing repair of pectus excavatum at tertiary care children's hospitals., Study Design: We performed a cohort study of patients undergoing repair of pectus excavatum between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2019, at children's hospitals using the Pediatric Health Information System database. The main exposures were the pectus excavatum repair volume quartile of the patient's hospital and the pectus excavatum repair volume category of their surgeon. Our primary outcome was surgical complication, identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes from Pediatric Health Information System. Secondary outcomes included high-cost admission and extended length of stay., Results: In total, 7183 patients with an average age of 15.2 years (SD 2.0), 83% male, 74% non-Hispanic White, 68% no comorbidities, 72% private insurance, and 82% from metro areas were analyzed. Compared with the lowest-volume (≤10 cases/year) quartile of hospitals, patients undergoing repair of pectus excavatum at hospitals in the second (>10-18 cases/year), third (>18-26 cases/year), and fourth (>26 cases/year) volume quartiles had decreased odds of complication of OR 0.52 (CI 0.34-0.82), 0.51 (CI 0.33-0.78), and 0.41 (CI 0.27-0.62), respectively. Patients with pectus excavatum who underwent repair by surgeons in the second (>1-5 cases/year), third (>5-10 cases/year), and fourth (>10 cases/year) volume categories had decreased odds of complication of OR 0.91 (CI 0.68-1.20), OR 0.73 (CI 0.51-1.04), and OR 0.55 (CI 0.39-0.76), respectively, compared with the lowest-volume (≤1 case/year) category of surgeons., Conclusions: Procedure-specific case volume is an important factor when considering providers for elective surgery, even among specialized centers providing comprehensive patient care., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Many children gained insurance with the 2014 Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid Expansion (ME), yet its impact on access to pediatric tertiary surgical care remains unknown. We examined the effect of ME on rates of elective, ambulatory surgery (EAS), especially among publicly-insured and ethnoracial-minority patients., Methods: Surgical patients ≤18 years between 2012 and 2018 were identified using the Pediatric Health Information System. Interrupted time series analyses were conducted to predict the monthly proportion of publicly-insured patients and EAS rates in ME and nonexpansion states., Results: 3,270,842 patients were included. Nonexpansion states demonstrated a 1.10% (p<0.05) increase in the proportion of publicly-insured patients at ACA implementation, which then plateaued. No immediate change was observed in ME states, but there was an annual 1.08% (p<0.01) decrease in subsequent years. Publicly-insured EAS rates decreased by 1.09% (p<0.01) in nonexpansion states; no change was observed in ME states. A 3.36% (p<0.01) increase in EAS rates was observed in nonexpansion and ME states. The gap in EAS rates increased between private and publicly-insured patients in nonexpansion, but not ME states., Conclusions: Increased coverage for children in ME states was not associated with more access to tertiary pediatric surgical care; however, while nonexpansion states saw an increase in insurance-based disparities, ME states did not. Though insurance coverage is critical to access, other factors may be contributing to persistent disparities in access to pediatric surgical care., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The first-line treatment for intussusception is radiologic reduction with either air-contrast enema (AE) or liquid-contrast enema (LE). The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between self-reported institutional AE or LE intussusception reduction preferences and rates of operative intervention and bowel resection., Methods: Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) hospitals were contacted to assess institutional enema practices for intussusception. A retrospective study using 2009-2018 PHIS data was conducted for patients aged 0-5 y to evaluate outcomes. Chi-squared tests were used to test for differences in the distribution of surgical patients by hospital management approach., Results: Of the 45 hospitals, 20 (44%) exclusively used AE, 4 (9%) exclusively used LE, and 21 (46%) used a mixed practice. Of 24,688 patients identified from PHIS, 13,231 (54%) were at exclusive AE/LE hospitals and 11,457 (46%) were at mixed practice hospitals. Patients at AE/LE hospitals underwent operative procedures at lower rates than at mixed practice hospitals (14.8% versus 16.5%, P< 0.001) and were more likely to undergo bowel resection (31.1% versus 27.1%, P= 0.02)., Conclusions: Practice variation exists in hospital-level approaches to radiologic reduction of intussusception and mixed practices may impact outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We conducted a scoping review to identify existing conceptual frameworks of postoperative recovery (PR) and assess their content., Background: PR is increasingly recognized by providers and third-party payers as a multidimensional phenomenon. Efforts to optimize PR and reduce complications and readmissions continue to evolve through changes in care (i.e., enhanced recovery protocols) and financial incentives. Delineating all factors affecting PR using a conceptual framework should aid in the design of effective interventions., Methods: Web of Science and PubMed were queried to identify articles, between January 1980 and August of 2019, about conceptual frameworks of PR, using the search terms: "concept," "model," "framework," "recovery after surgery," "conceptual framework" "postoperative," "surgery," and "children." Articles considering PR as a concept rather than an outcome were included. Articles were examined in accordance with Walker and Avant's method for the concept analysis. Concepts identified across articles were classified as domains and subdomains of PR., Results: The search yielded 183 unique articles; 8 met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Most articles defined PR as a period of days to weeks (n = 7) rather than days (n = 1). PR was mostly conceptualized as a process involving the patient and the health care system (n = 4) rather than the patient alone (n = 2). Physiological recovery (n = 8), activities of daily living (n = 8), pain (n = 5), cognitive/psychological recovery (n = 4), social recovery (n = 2), and patient perspective (n = 1) were the identified domains. Existing patient-reported outcome measures were used to assess most PR domains; however, definitions of domains and subdomains differed. None of the PR conceptual frameworks included were specific to children., Conclusions: There are few conceptual frameworks of PR in adults, and the definitions of PR differ. No framework was specific to children. Consensus on a conceptual framework of PR in adults and development of a conceptual framework of PR specific to children are needed., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Despite the frequency of acute appendicitis in children, there is no evidence-based consensus surrounding the urgency of the operation if a diagnosis is made after regular business hours. Although a modest delay in time to operation does not increase disease severity, postponing cases to the next calendar day may be associated with higher resource utilization. We aimed to evaluate the trend of delaying appendectomies to the next calendar day and its associated outcomes., Methods: We queried the Pediatric Health Information System to analyze appendectomy patients younger than 18 y of age from 2010 to 2018. Same-day appendectomy and next-day appendectomy cohorts were created using admission hour and operative day. Healthcare cost, length of stay, surgical complications, and 30-day readmission rates were collected. Bivariate analyses and multivariable regressions were used to evaluate groups stratified by time of presentation., Results: During the study period, 113,662 appendectomies were performed, comprising 88,715 (78.1%) same-day appendectomies and 24,947 (21.9%) next-day appendectomies. A higher proportion of same-day appendectomies (80.5%) were performed during hours 12:00am to 5:00pm and 19.5% were performed during hours 6:00pm to 11:00pm. The trend of next-day appendectomies increased during the study period from 13.9% to 20.2%. This was primarily evident in the 6:00pm to 11:00pm period. The 5:00pm cutoff was most predictive of a next-day appendectomy. Next-day appendectomies had similar rates of surgical complications; however, they were associated with higher costs, longer lengths of stay, and higher readmission rates., Conclusion: As the understanding of appendicitis urgency has changed, a more tempered approach of delivering surgical care has trended. Although short delays appear safe, postponement to the next calendar day is associated with higher resource utilization., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In infants and toddlers, gastrostomy tube placement (GT) is typically accompanied by consideration of concomitant Nissen fundoplication (NF). Historically, rates of NF have varied across providers and institutions. This study examines practice variation and longitudinal trends in NF at pediatric tertiary centers., Methods: Patients ≤ 2 years who underwent GT between 2008 and 2018 were identified in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Patient demographics and rates of NF were examined. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the variation in the proportion of GT with NF at each hospital, by volume and over time., Results: 40,348 patients were identified across 40 hospitals. Most patients were male (53.8%), non-Hispanic white (49.5%) and publicly-insured (60.4%). Rates of NF by hospital varied significantly from 4.2 to 75.2% (p < 0.001), though were not associated with geographic region (p = 0.088). Rates of NF decreased from 42.8% in 2008 to 14.2% in 2018, with a mean annual rate of change of - 3.07% (95% CI - 3.53, - 2.61). This trend remained when stratifying hospitals into volume quartiles., Conclusion: There is significant practice variation in performing NF. Regardless of volume, the rate of NF is also decreasing. Objective NF outcome measurements are needed to standardize the management of long-term enteral access in this population.

Introduction: Bleeding is an infrequent, but important, complication after circumcision. Our aim was to examine postoperative bleeding events after circumcision comparing patients managed with a circumferential wrap to ointment alone., Methods: Boys ≤18 years of age who underwent circumcision at a tertiary children's hospital were retrospectively reviewed between 2017 and 2018. Postoperative bleeding was defined by phone calls, clinic or Emergency Department visits, or return to the operating room. Outcomes were examined by univariate association and multivariable modeling., Results: Of 681 boys undergoing circumcision, 503 (74%) patients received a wrap dressing and 178 (26%) only ointment. There were 28 (4%) patients who had a postoperative bleeding event: 14/503 (2.7%) among wrap dressings and 14/178 (7.8%) among ointment alone (p < 0.01). The majority of events were phone calls related to bleeding (75%). Univariate analysis demonstrated no association between postoperative bleeding and surgeon specialty (p = 0.72), age at circumcision (p = 0.44) or technique type (p = 0.09). After controlling for age, technique type, and surgeon specialty, dressing type remained significantly associated with postoperative bleeding (OR = 2.81, p < 0.01)., Conclusion: This single-center, retrospective review found circumferential wrap dressings are associated with a decrease in bleeding events after circumcision., Level of Evidence: III - retrospective case-control study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optimal management of neutropenic appendicitis (NA) in children undergoing cancer therapy remains undefined. Management strategies include upfront appendectomy or initial nonoperative management. We aimed to characterize the effect of management strategy on complications and length of stay (LOS) and describe implications for chemotherapy delay or alteration., Methods: Sites from the Pediatric Surgery Oncology Research Collaborative performed a retrospective review of children with NA over a 6-year period., Results: Sixty-six children, with a median age of 11 years (range 1-17), were identified with NA while undergoing cancer treatment. The most common cancer diagnoses were leukemia (62%) and brain tumor (12%). Upfront appendectomy was performed in 41% of patients; the remainder had initial nonoperative management. Rates of abscess or perforation at diagnosis were equivalent in the groups (30% vs 24%; P = .23). Of patients who had initial nonoperative management, 46% (17 of 37) underwent delayed appendectomy during the same hospitalization. Delayed appendectomy was due to failure of initial nonoperative management in 65% ( n = 11) and count recovery in 35% ( n = 6). Cancer therapy was delayed in 35% ( n = 23). Initial nonoperative management was associated with a delay in cancer treatment (46% vs. 22%, P = .05) and longer LOS (29 vs 12 days; P = .01). Patients who had initial nonoperative management and delayed appendectomy had a higher rate of postoperative complications ( P < .01)., Conclusions: In pediatric patients with NA from oncologic treatment, upfront appendectomy resulted in lower complication rates, reduced LOS, and fewer alterations in chemotherapy regimens compared to initial nonoperative management., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background/purpose: Thoracoscopic excision of pulmonary nodules is often required for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, however subpleural and sub-centimeter nodules can be difficult to visualize. Various CT-guided localization techniques have been described, though there is minimal published pediatric data regarding the use of microcoils. We hypothesize that microcoil localization facilitates thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules in children., Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective review of children who underwent preoperative CT-guided localization of lung nodules was conducted from 2012 to 2019. A combination of methylene blue dye (MBD), wires, and microcoils were utilized for CT-guided localization. When microcoils were utilized, fluoroscopy assisted in lesion identification and resection., Results: Eighteen patients (mean age 13 years, range 2-21 years) underwent thoracoscopic resection of 24 preoperatively localized pulmonary nodules. Mean size and depth of the lesions were 5.5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. Microcoil placement was successful 95% of the time and assisted in lesion localization in 88% of cases. Wire localization was not a durable technique, as 3 of 5 wires became dislodged upon lung  isolation., Conclusions: Preoperative CT-guided localization with microcoils can assist in fluoroscopic-guided resection of pulmonary nodules in children. This technique avoids the pitfall of wire dislodgement, and provides surgeons an additional technique to localize sub-centimeter, subpleural nodules., Type of Study: Retrospective Review., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Clinical History. A 4.4 kg male was born to a 25-year-old, G2P1, nondiabetic woman at 39 and 5/7 weeks. Delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia requiring forceps-assisted vaginal delivery, resulting in left arm Erb's palsy secondary to left brachial plexus injury. He was born with low muscle tone and bradycardia and subsequently required intubation for poor respiratory effort. He was extubated on day one of life but continued to be tachypneic and have borderline oxygen saturation, requiring intensive care. Chest radiographs demonstrated a progressive clearing of his lung fields, consistent with presumptively diagnosed meconium aspiration. However, a persistent elevation of the right hemidiaphragm was noted, and his tachypnea and increased work of breathing continued. Focused ultrasound of the diaphragm was performed, confirming decreased motion of the right hemidiaphragm. Following a multidisciplinary discussion, thoracoscopic right diaphragm plication was performed on the 33rd day of life. He was extubated postoperatively and subsequently weaned to room air with a notable decrease in tachypnea over 48 hours. He was discharged on postoperative day 12 and continues to thrive at 6 months of age without respiratory embarrassment. Purpose . Ipsilateral phrenic nerve injury with diaphragm paralysis from shoulder dystocia during vaginal delivery is a recognized phenomenon. Herein, we present a case of contralateral diaphragm paralysis in order to draw attention to the clinician that this discordance is possible. Key Points. According to Raimbault et al., clinical management of newborns who experience birth injury is a multidisciplinary effort. According to Fitting and Grassino, though most cases of phrenic nerve injuries are ipsilateral to shoulder dystocia brachial plexus palsy, contralateral occurrence is possible and should be considered. According to Waters, diaphragm plication is a safe and effective operation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Audra J. Reiter et al.)

Background: Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have been used to improve patient outcomes and resource utilization after surgery. These evidence-based interventions include patient education, standardized anesthesia protocols, and limited fasting, but their use among pediatric populations is lagging. We aimed to determine baseline recovery practices within pediatric surgery departments participating in an ERP implementation trial for elective inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) operations., Methods: To measure baseline ERP adherence, we administered a survey to a staff surgeon in each of the 18 participating sites. The survey assessed demographics of each department and utilization of 21 recovery elements during patient encounter phases. Mixed-methods analysis was used to evaluate predictors and barriers to ERP element implementation., Results: The assessment revealed an average of 6.3 ERP elements being practiced at each site. The most commonly practiced elements were using minimally invasive techniques (100%), avoiding intraabdominal drains (89%), and ileus prophylaxis (72%). The preoperative phase had the most elements with no adherence including patient education, optimizing medical comorbidities, and avoiding prolonged fasting. There was no association with number of elements utilized and total number of surgeons in the department, annual IBD surgery volume, and hospital size. Lack of buy-in from colleagues, electronic medical record adaptation, and resources for data collection and analysis were identified barriers., Conclusions: Higher intervention utilization for IBD surgery was associated with elements surgeons directly control such as use of laparoscopy and avoiding drains. Elements requiring system-level changes had lower use. The study characterizes the scope of ERP utilization and the need for effective tools to improve adoption., Level of Evidence: Level III., Type of Study: Mixed-methods survey., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The presence of pain may interrupt sleep and impede normal postoperative recovery; however, no prior studies have quantified sleep loss due to pain in children undergoing inpatient surgery. Wearable accelerometers objectively measure sleep patterns in children. We aimed to quantify sleep loss associated with patient reported pain scores after a Modified Nuss operation., Methods: Ten patients undergoing Modified Nuss operations were recruited during their inpatient stay. Children wore an Actigraph GT3X-BT accelerometer postoperatively during their hospital stay. Hourly sleep minutes were recorded using the Actigraph between 10 pm and 6 am. Patient reported pain scores were abstracted from patient charts. Mixed linear regression models, adjusting for within-subject random effects, were estimated to quantify the association between hourly sleep minutes and patient reported pain scores., Results: Patients were 30% female, with an average age of 15.7 years (range 13-22). The majority (70%) of patients were white non-Hispanic. All patients received a patient controlled analgesic pump. Average postoperative length of stay was 4.8 days (range 4.0-6.0; SD = 0.8). A total of 240 sleep hours and associated pain scores were analyzed. Patients slept on average 48 min per hour. Mixed model analysis predicted that a 1-point increase in pain score was associated with 2.5 min per hour less sleep time., Conclusion: Increases in patient-reported pain scores are associated with sleep loss after a Modified Nuss operation. Objectively quantifying sleep loss associated with postoperative pain using accelerometer data may help clinicians better understand their patient's level of pain control. Our findings provide the basis for future studies aimed at more accurately titrating pain medication to optimize sleep and speed up recovery., Level of Evidence: Case Series Without Comparison Group, Level IV., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded the health benefits of circumcision during the neonatal period outweigh the risks. This study describes recent trends in male circumcision in freestanding children's hospitals in the United States., Methods: Using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), male patients <18 years of age who were circumcised without any additional procedures between the years 2010 and 2017 were identified. Data included age at procedure (neonate: 0-30 days, infant: 31-365 days, early childhood: ≥1 to <5 years, and older child: ≥5 to<18 years), cost, and specialty performing the circumcision., Results: Of the 171,680 circumcisions performed, 85,270 (50%) were during neonatal period, 29,060 (17%) during infancy, 30,276 (18%) early childhood, and 26,355 (16%) thereafter. Circumcision in neonates increased from 39% to 58% (p < 0.001), and the proportion performed during infancy decreased over time. System level cost for ambulatory circumcision averaged $32 million USD annually, and median cost per ambulatory circumcision was $2892 USD. Obstetricians and Pediatricians are performing proportionally more circumcisions., Conclusion: Since 2012, proportionally more neonates are undergoing circumcision in US children's hospitals. Perinatal specialties are performing an increasing proportion of circumcisions. Circumcision during the birth hospitalization in the neonatal period is more resource-effective than postponing until later in infancy., Type of Study: Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis., Level of Evidence: Level IV., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Image-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) is increasingly utilized to diagnose solid tumors. The objective of this study is to determine whether PCNB is adequate for modern biologic characterization of neuroblastoma., Procedure: A multi-institutional retrospective study was performed by the Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative on children with neuroblastoma at 12 institutions over a 3-year period. Data collected included demographics, clinical details, biopsy technique, complications, and adequacy of biopsies for cytogenetic markers utilized by the Children's Oncology Group for risk stratification., Results: A total of 243 children were identified with a diagnosis of neuroblastoma: 79 (32.5%) tumor excision at diagnosis, 94 (38.7%) open incisional biopsy (IB), and 70 (28.8%) PCNB. Compared to IB, there was no significant difference in ability to accurately obtain a primary diagnosis by PCNB (95.7% vs 98.9%, P = .314) or determine MYCN copy number (92.4% vs 97.8%, P = .111). The yield for loss of heterozygosity and tumor ploidy was lower with PCNB versus IB (56.1% vs 90.9%, P < .05; and 58.0% vs. 88.5%, P < .05). Complications did not differ between groups (2.9 % vs 3.3%, P = 1.000), though the PCNB group had fewer blood transfusions and lower opioid usage. Efficacy of PCNB was improved for loss of heterozygosity when a pediatric pathologist evaluated the fresh specimen for adequacy., Conclusions: PCNB is a less invasive alternative to open biopsy for primary diagnosis and MYCN oncogene status in patients with neuroblastoma. Our data suggest that PCNB could be optimized for complete genetic analysis by standardized protocols and real-time pathology assessment of specimen quality., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Phrenic nerve injury (PNI) from birth trauma is a recognized phenomenon, generally occurring with ipsilateral brachial plexus palsy (BPP). In severe cases, PNI results in diaphragm paresis (DP) and respiratory insufficiency. Surgical diaphragmatic plication (SDP) is a potential management strategy for patients with PNI and DP, but timing and outcomes associated with SDP have not been rigorously studied., Methods: Records from 49 tertiary United States pediatric hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System from 2004 to 2018 were analyzed. The study cohort included patients diagnosed with BPP from birth trauma who were documented to have PNI or DP. Patients who underwent congenital cardiac operations were excluded., Results: A total of 5832 patients were identified with BPP from birth trauma during the study period, 122 (2%) of whom were found to have concomitant DP. Of those, 65 (53%) were male, 39 (32%) were infants of diabetic mothers, 80 (65%) required mechanical ventilation, and 33 (27%) underwent SDP. SDP was performed at a median (range) age of 36 (7-95) days. Median (range) total and postoperative hospital lengths of stay (LOS) were 34 (6-180) and 15 (4-132) days, respectively. There was also an observed increase in post-operative LOS with increase in age at operation., Conclusion: Neonatal DP is rare and is managed with SDP in a minority of instances. Age at repair affects total and postoperative length of stay, proxies for resource utilization and morbidity. Repair prior to 45 days of life appears to result in a shorter postoperative hospital stay. This analysis will help guide surgeons with respect to indications and operative timing for infant DP., Type of Study: Retrospective Comparative Study., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is an increasing national trend toward initial venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for infants and children with respiratory disease; however, some proportion of patients initiated on VV ECMO will ultimately require conversion to venoarterial (VA) support for circulatory augmentation. The purpose of this work is to describe patients who required conversion from VV to VA ECMO and to highlight the increased mortality in this population., Materials and Methods: Demographic and disease-specific data on children who underwent VV-to-VA ECMO conversion were extracted from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry. Survival comparisons to age-matched patients undergoing unconverted ECMO runs were made using the 2016 Extracorporeal Life Support Organization International Summary report. The relative risk (RR) of death associated with VV-to-VA conversion was calculated, and statistical analysis of survival was performed using a chi-squared test with P < 0.05 for significance., Results: This study cohort consisted of 1382 patients who required VV-to-VA conversion. The overall hospital survival rate for neonates requiring conversion was 60%, compared with 83% for unconverted VV runs and 64% for unconverted VA runs (RR 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.34). Similarly, the survival of older children requiring conversion was 46% compared with 66% and 51%, respectively (RR 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.27)., Conclusions: VV-to-VA conversion does occur and is associated with increased mortality. The need for conversion from VV to VA ECMO may represent an early failure to recognize physiologic parameters or disease severity that would be better managed with initial VA support. Further research is needed to pinpoint the cause of increased mortality and to identify predictors of VV failure to optimize initial mode selection., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the midst of our national opioid crisis, recommendations have encouraged judicious stewardship of opioid prescription through the expanded use of non-opioid analgesic medications. This study aims to characterize trends in perioperative pain medication use for children undergoing ambulatory operations., Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective review was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System. Patients younger than 18 years of age who underwent ambulatory surgery during 2010 to 2017 by one of five surgical subspecialties (otolaryngology, general pediatric, plastic or reconstructive, orthopedics, and urology) were included. Medications were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes based on billing information for 18 commonly used analgesics along with the route of administration during their encounter., Results: A total of 1,795,329 patients with a median age of 10 years were identified, of whom 84.3% received an opioid or non-opioid analgesic. Opioid use in the perioperative setting for ambulatory procedures decreased during the study period from 74.9% to 66.9% as a proportion of total analgesic prescriptions. Among opioids commonly used, intravenous morphine decreased the most from 19.8% to 15.4%, and intravenous hydromorphone and oral oxycodone use remained largely unchanged. Conversely, non-opiate medications increased, specifically intravenous ketorolac from 8.4% to 13.6%, and intravenous acetaminophen use increased from 0% to 8.5%. Intravenous acetaminophen use more than doubled between 2013 and 2017 (3.4% to 8.2%) and was accompanied by a decrease in oral acetaminophen use (14.4% to 9.3%)., Conclusion: Overall, perioperative opioid utilization appears to be decreasing in favor of non-opioid analgesics. Other trends, such as increased intravenous acetaminophen, raise concerns for the cost effectiveness of perioperative analgesia and resource utilization., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)