Daniel L. Lodwick

Effectiveness of Patient Choice in Nonoperative vs Surgical Management of Pediatric Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis

IMPORTANCE Current evidence suggests that nonoperative management of uncomplicated appendicitis is safe, but overall effectiveness is determined by combining medical outcomes with the patients and familys perspective, goals, and expectations. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of patient choice in nonoperative vs surgical management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis in children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective patient choice cohort study in patients aged 7 to 17 years with acute uncomplicated appendicitis presenting at a single pediatric tertiary acute care hospital from October 1, 2012, through March 6, 2013. Participating patients and families gave informed consent and chose between nonoperative management and urgent appendectomy. INTERVENTIONS Urgent appendectomy or nonoperative management entailing at least 24 hours of inpatient observation while receiving intravenous antibiotics and, on demonstrating improvement of symptoms, completion of 10 days of treatment with oral antibiotics. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the 1-year success rate of nonoperative management. Successful nonoperative management was defined as not undergoing an appendectomy. Secondary outcomes included comparisons of the rates of complicated appendicitis, disability days, and health care costs between nonoperative management and surgery. RESULTS A total of 102 patients were enrolled; 65 patients/families chose appendectomy (median age, 12 years; interquartile range [IQR], 9-13 years; 45 male [69.2%]) and 37 patients/families chose nonoperative management (median age, 11 years; IQR, 10-14 years; 24 male [64.9%]). Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The success rate of nonoperative management was 89.2% (95% CI, 74.6%-97.0%) at 30 days (33 of 37 children) and 75.7% (95% CI, 58.9%-88.2%) at 1 year (28 of 37 children). The incidence of complicated appendicitis was 2.7% in the nonoperative group (1 of 37 children) and 12.3% in the surgery group (8 of 65 children) (P = .15). After 1 year, children managed nonoperatively compared with the surgery group had fewer disability days (median [IQR], 8 [5-18] vs 21 [15-25] days, respectively; P < .001) and lower appendicitis-related health care costs (median [IQR],

High failure rate of nonoperative management of acute appendicitis with an appendicolith in children

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Sacral nerve stimulation allows for decreased antegrade continence enema use in children with severe constipation

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Current surgical management of intestinal rotational abnormalities.

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Screening practices and associated anomalies in infants with anorectal malformations: Results from the Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium

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Factors affecting pediatric patient transfer in testicular torsion

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Patient characteristics associated with differences in radiation exposure from pediatric abdomen-pelvis CT scans: a quantile regression analysis

5482], respectively; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE When chosen by the family, nonoperative management is an effective treatment strategy for children with uncomplicated acute appendicitis, incurring less morbidity and lower costs than surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01718275.

How to identify high radiation burden from computed tomography: an example in obese children

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of nonoperative management of acute appendicitis in children with an appendicolith identified on preoperative imaging. STUDY DESIGN We performed a prospective nonrandomized trial of nonoperative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis with an appendicolith in children aged 7 to 17years. The primary outcome was the failure rate of nonoperative management, defined as having undergone an appendectomy. Early termination was set to occur if the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval of the failure rate was greater than 20% at 30days or 30% at 1year. RESULTS Recruitment for this study was halted after enrollment of 14 patients (N=5 nonoperative; N=9 surgery). The failure rate of nonoperative management was 60% (3/5) at a median follow-up of 4.7months (IQR 1.0-7.6) with a 95% CI of 23%-88%. None of the three patients that failed nonoperative management had complicated appendicitis at the time of appendectomy, while six out of nine patients who chose surgery had complicated appendicitis (0/3 vs. 6/9, p=0.18). The trial was stopped for concerns over patient safety. CONCLUSIONS Nonoperative management of acute appendicitis with an appendicolith in children resulted in an unacceptably high failure rate.

Sclerotherapy for Splenic Cysts in Children

BACKGROUND Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) can be beneficial for children with constipation, but no studies have focused on children with constipation severe enough to require antegrade continence enemas (ACEs). Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of SNS in children with constipation treated with ACE. METHODS Using a prospective patient registry, we identified patients <21years old who were receiving ACE prior to SNS placement. We compared ACE/laxative usage, PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptom Scale (GSS), Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQL), Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI), and Vancouver Dysfunctional Elimination Syndrome Score (DES) at baseline and progressive follow-up time intervals. RESULTS Twenty-two patients (55% male, median 12years) were included. Median ACE frequency decreased from 7 per week at baseline to 1 per week at 12months (p<0.0001). Ten children (45%) had their cecostomy/appendicostomy closed. Laxative use, GSS, FIQL, and DES did not change. FISI improved over the first 12months with statistical significance reached only at 6months (p=0.02). Six (27%) children experienced complications after SNS that required further surgery. CONCLUSIONS In children with severe constipation dependent on ACE, SNS led to a steady decrease in ACE usage with nearly half of patients receiving cecostomy/appendicostomy closure within 2years. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.

455 Sacral Nerve Stimulation Allows for Decreased Antegrade Enema Use in Children With Intractable Constipation

Purpose of review At present, there is a debate as to the management of malrotation in pediatric patients. This review highlights recent literature including the role of laparoscopy, and the management of asymptomatic patients with and without congenital cardiac disease. Recent findings Symptomatic patients are still recommended to undergo open Ladds procedure. Laparoscopic Ladds procedure in asymptomatic patients confers a shorter time to tolerating feeds, shorter length of stay, and a decreased rate of bowel obstruction and other complications. It may, however, carry a higher risk of postoperative volvulus. Diagnostic laparoscopy is recommended in asymptomatic patients in whom the diagnosis is uncertain on upper gastrointestinal imaging. Asymptomatic patients with congenital heart disease may be managed with initial observation or operation, based upon individualized risk benefit assessment. If an elective Ladds procedure is performed, it should take place after palliative cardiac operations have resulted in stable cardiac function. Screening upper gastrointestinal studies in heterotaxy patients may be unnecessary as the reported rates of volvulus in recent studies are low. Summary Laparoscopic Ladds procedure may be an acceptable alternative to an open procedure for asymptomatic patients. Observation of asymptomatic patients with congenital cardiac disease is a reasonable alternative in selected patients.