Murali Mahadevan

Perioperative pharmacodynamics of acetaminophen analgesia in Children

BackgroundThere are no adequate pharmacodynamic data relating concentrations of acetaminophen in serum to analgesia.MethodsChildren undergoing outpatient tonsillectomy were administered acetaminophen either orally, 0.5-1.0 h preoperatively (n = 20), or per rectum at induction of anesthesia (n = 100)

Cervical lymphadenitis due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria: surgical treatment and review

A retrospective study was carried out on 57 children, presenting with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lymphadenitis of the head and neck, over a 12 year period. Cultures recovered 56 Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI), and one Mycobacterium kansasaii. Anti-mycobacterial agents were used in seven patients only. On the basis of the initial operation there were two groups. Group 1 (11 patients) had an excision, and Group 2 (46 patients) had incision and drainage (30 patients), incision and curettage (13 patients), or aspiration (three patients). There was no significant difference in the makeup of these two groups. However, Group 1 had significantly lower number of re-operations than Group 2, P<0.01, and achieved a significantly greater healing rate than Group 2, P<0.001. In Group 2 those who had an excision following failure of the first operation were significantly more likely to heal than those who did not, P<0. 005. Operative excision gives a lower rate of re-operation, and a higher rate of healing than other procedures. The treatment, natural history, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of NTM cervical lymphadenitis are discussed.

Paediatric pre- and post-septal peri-orbital infections are different diseases A retrospective review of 262 cases

OBJECTIVE Peri-orbital infections can be classified as pre-septal or post-septal depending upon the location of the focus of infection. The ability to differentiate between these two is frequently difficult at the initial presentation, with marked orbital edema and pain limiting the ophthalmic examination. Hence, it is important to identify all the features at presentation that will lead to an accurate and rapid diagnosis and treatment. Our retrospective review of peri-orbital infections identifies contrasting features between these two groups that will aid the clinician in the subsequent management of these infections. DESIGN AND SETTING A retrospective review over an 11-year period of children admitted to a tertiary childrens hospital for the treatment of peri-orbital cellulitis was undertaken. The two subgroups were identified, those suffering from a pre-septal infection and those with a post-septal infection. The groups were compared with respect to their presentation, clinical findings, findings on CT and surgical intervention. RESULTS Two hundred and sixty-two children were identified with peri-orbital infections, 227 pre-septal, and 35 post-septal. There were statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-septal groups with regards to the following: age (3.9 vs. 7.5 years, p<0.001), medical co-morbidities (19% vs. 0%, p<0.01), a history of trauma (40% vs. 11% of cases, p<0.003), clinical diagnosis of acute sinusitis (9% vs. 91% of cases, p<0.001), and fever (47% vs. 94%, p<0.001). Ophthalmologic examination identified diplopia (p<0.001), opthalmoplegia (p<0.001) and proptosis (p<0.001) as significant features of a post-septal infection. Intravenous antibiotics were successful in treating the majority of cases, with 5% of pre-septal, and 25% of post-septal infections requiring surgery. CONCLUSION When considering the management of a child with a peri-orbital infection, features from the history and examination such as trauma, medical co-morbidities and ophthalmic signs will guide management and delineate the indications for early CT imaging. In the absence of acute visual compromise or other signs of disease progression, initial management with intravenous antibiotics for 48 h to cover Staphylococcal aureus and Streptococcal pyogenes with nasal decongestant should be considered before surgical intervention is contemplated. A multi team approach is essential in obtaining the best outcome for the child.

A review of the burden of disease due to otitis media in the Asia-Pacific.

OBJECTIVE The burden of disease due to otitis media (OM) in Asia Pacific countries was reviewed to increase awareness and raise understanding within the region. METHODS Published literature and unpublished studies were reviewed. RESULTS In school-age children, OM prevalence varied between 3.25% (Thailand) and 12.23% (Philippines) being highest (42%) in Aboriginal Australian children. OME prevalence at school age varied between 1.14% (Thailand) and 13.8% (Malaysia). Higher prevalence was reported in children with hearing impairment, HIV, pneumonia and rhinitis. CSOM prevalence was 5.4% in Indonesia (all ages), 15% in Aboriginal Australian children and 2-4% in Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam (WHO estimate). OM prevalence/incidence and service utilisation were highest in children 2-5 years of age. The disease burden was substantially higher in Pacific Island children living in New Zealand (25.4% with OME), and was highest in indigenous Australians (>90% with any OM). Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae dominated as primary causes of AOM in all studies. Few studies examined pneumococcal serotype distribution. Health-related cost estimates for OM, when available, were substantial. In developing countries, significant investment is needed to provide facilities for detection and treatment of ear disease in children, if long term hearing deficits and other sequelae are to be prevented. CONCLUSION The available evidence suggests an important burden of disease and economic cost associated with OM in most Asia Pacific countries and a potential benefit of prevention through vaccination. Large, prospective community-based studies are needed to better define the prevalence of ear disease in children, and to predict and track pneumococcal conjugate vaccine impacts. AOM prevention through vaccination may also provide a means of reducing antibiotic use and controlling antibiotic-resistant disease in children. This review highlights the need for additional research, and provides a basis on which to build and develop regional guidelines for OM management.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial otomastoiditis in children: four cases and a literature review

Otomastoiditis due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is rare but increasingly being recognised. We present four cases and discuss the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment, with a review of previous case reports in the literature.

Serious injuries from dishwasher powder ingestions in small children.

Aims: To describe patterns and severity of caustic injuries sustained from dishwasher powder ingestion and highlight need for national safety standards.

OK-432 and lymphatic malformations in children: the Starship Children's Hospital experience.

Background:  Surgery has previously been the mainstay of treatment for lymphatic malformations but has attendant problems of marked scarring, high chance of recurrence and potential nerve damage. Alternative management for these lesions involves the intralesional injection of OK‐432. The present paper reviews OK‐432 use in lymphatic malformations in children.

What is behind the ear drum? The microbiology of otitis media and the nasopharyngeal flora in children in the era of pneumococcal vaccination

This study aims to describe the microbiology of middle ear fluid (MEF) in a cohort of children vaccinated with Streptococcus pneumoniae conjugate vaccine (PCV7) having ventilation tube insertion. Nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage of otopathogens in these children is compared with children without history of otitis media.

The prevalence of atopic symptoms in children with otitis media with effusion

Objective: To determine the prevalence of allergic symptoms in children with otitis media with effusion (OME). Study Design: A validated questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood was used to determine the prevalence of allergic symptoms in children. The questionnaire was completed by the parents of children with OME undergoing ventilation tube insertion, and the results were compared with a large reference group of school children of the same age. Subjects and Methods: Children aged 6 or 7 years old with OME confirmed intraoperatively during ventilation tube insertion between 2001 and 2005 (n = 89). The prevalence of allergic symptoms and nasal symptoms in children with OME was compared with an age-matched reference group. Results: There was no difference in the prevalence of allergic symptoms suggesting rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, or eczema between the OME and reference group. The prevalence of nasal symptoms, however, was greater in the children with OME than in the reference group 38.2 percent versus 23.5 percent (odds ratio = 2.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-3.10; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of allergic symptoms was similar in 6- to 7-year-old children with OME and the reference group, suggesting a limited effect of allergy in the pathogenesis of OME in this age group. Nasal symptoms were more common in the OME group, which may reflect a higher prevalence of adenoidal hyperplasia.

Postoperative analgesia using diclofenac and acetaminophen in children

Diclofenac dosing in children for analgesia is currently extrapolated from adult data. Oral diclofenac 1.0 mg·kg−1 is recommended for children aged 1–12 years. Analgesic effect from combination diclofenac/acetaminophen is unknown.