Predictability of splenic salvage by computed tomography.

The recognition of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) has led to greater efforts to conserve splenic tissue in patients sustaining blunt torso trauma. Nonoperative management of splenic trauma has emerged as a means to enhance splenic salvage yet criteria to assure the safety of such an approach remain ill defined and controversial. Since severity of injury directly influences outcome, a need exists for identification of splenic injuries that require early operation and repair or removal. Using our recently reported classification of splenic trauma, 46 patients with blunt splenic trauma were evaluated preoperatively with computed tomography (CT). Injuries were graded I through IV and were described as capsular or subcapsular disruptions without parenchymal injury (four); capsular and parenchymal injuries not involving the major vessels or hilum (24); injuries involving major vessels and/or the hilum (17); and fragmentation/devascularizing injuries (one). Additional modifiers were added for associated intra-abdominal and/or extra-abdominal injuries. Sixteen patients had their splenic injuries managed nonoperatively and the remainder underwent operation for the splenic injury or associated injuries. The CT classification was confirmed in all patients and we believe early operation optimized splenic salvage. We conclude that: 1) CT is an accurate technique to determine the extent of splenic injury; 2) CT classification of splenic trauma has a high correlation with anatomic findings and need for operation; 3) early operation in patients with severe class II and all class III injuries affords optimal conditions for splenic salvage; and 4) early definitive management of splenic trauma significantly reduces late splenectomy and shortens hospitalization.

Beneficial use of an evocative test in chronic relapsing pancreatitis in children.

The true incidence and cause of chronic recurrent pancreatitis in children remains enigmatic because little is known about its early natural history, it is considered only infrequently, and diagnosis is difficult. Chronic recurrent abdominal pain in children continues to be common. To help evaluate the possibility that such pain is related to chronic recurrent pancreatitis, this study used the morphine-prostigmine pancreatic evocative test with the recent addition of concomitant pancreatic ultrasonography to evaluate ductal activity. Fourteen of 67 children studied had positive results and 13 underwent operation, which included 2 partial pancreatectomies and 12 sphincteroplasties in 12 patients. At last follow-up seven were asymptomatic, five were significantly improved, and one who had pancreatography only continued to have pain. The remaining patient, who has not yet operated on, continues to have pain. This series supports the use of the morphine-prostigmine test to determine which patients have abdominal pain that is potentially related to pancreatitis and which patients would benefit from operation.

Posterior sagittal anoplasty combined with ventricular peritoneal shunting: an unusual complication.

This report is intended to point out the potential difficulties in patients with the combined abnormalities of anorectal agenesis and central nervous system disorders requiring diversion of CSF. The potential accumulation of this diverted fluid in and around meticulously approximated pelvic musculature so important to continence was a real concern and prompted immediate reexploration and shunt conversion. It is recommended that future cases with these coexisting abnormalities should be carefully considered for shunt conversion prior to or at the time of posterior sagittal anorectoplasty, particularly if the peritoneum is inadvertantly entered.

Chronic relapsing pancreatitis in childhood.

Chronic intermittent abdominal pain in childhood, reported to afflict nine to 12 per cent of all children, is an enigma of such magnitude that more than 30 per cent of these patients reach adulthood with persistent problems and no definitive diagnosis. This report discusses 20 children with such pain (9 girls and 11 boys) in whom routine diagnostic evaluation failed to identify the etiology. Selected special diagnostic studies and considerable suspicion for chronic pancreatitis prompted surgical intervention in three patients. Two were unsuspected and identified at celiotomy as having pancreatitis. The morphine-neostigmine evocative test, modified in some cases to confirm its usefulness, was helpful, accurate, and definitive in all 13 patients on whom it was used. Eighteen patients were confirmed surgically to have pancreatic disease, and two patients are unoperated with continued pancreatic pain. Ductal pathology was believed present in all. Of 18 patients operated, 11 patients are asymptomatic, five patients are improved, and two patients are considered failures 6 months to 10 years following surgery.

A new technique for the placement of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheters in infants and small children.

The technique described herein is simple and straightforward. Strict attention to detail should result in a peritoneal catheter which will function indefinitely. Using this method of catheter placement, patients have not only had the renal disease controlled but have experienced improved dietary and caloric intake orally and, through the dialysate, increased protein utilization and subsequent accelerated weight gain and improved height velocity in centimeters per year. Patients and their parents have enhanced social and psychologic experiences at home with a reduction in therapy costs and eventual successful transplantation has been achieved.

Successful venomous snakebite neutralization with massive antivenin infusion in a child.

Intravenous antivenin requirements to neutralize venomous snake bites can be appropriately calculated based on accurate estimations of injury severity, and/or safely titrated if systemic symptoms are present. This report describes a case in a child given 13 10-ml vials of crotalidae antivenin before and during transfer, and tetanus prophylaxis, cephalosporin (200 mg IV q 6 h), and the titration of 62 additional 10-ml vials of antivenin within 14 hours, based on the child's response to therapy. By the tenth day all symptoms had resolved.

Esophageal reconstruction for benign disease: a long-term appraisal.

Replacement of all or part of the esophagus, for whatever reason, requires intimate familiarity with the advantages, disadvantages, and long-term results of various techniques of reconstruction. For benign esophageal disease, because of the expected longer natural history of such lesions, long-term results should be more informative. The Mayo Clinic experience with esophageal reconstruction for benign disease is reviewed for the 15-year period of July 1955 through July 1970, critically evaluating the long-term results of from 8 to 21 years. Thirty-nine patients, with a male-to-female ratio of two to one, underwent 44 operative reconstructions. Only 41 per cent had uncomplicated postoperative courses, with a five per cent operative mortality (two patients) and a 15 per cent late related mortality. The average duration of hospitalization was three weeks. Despite the morbidity and mortality, most patients report good to excellent results, confirmed by physician assessment.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide secreting tumors of childhood.

A 2-year-old boy with failure to thrive, watery diarrhea, abdominal distention, hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis, and episodes of hypertension and sweating was found to have a calcified right lower quadrant mass. Blood levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and norepinephrine (NE) were elevated. Presurgical management with phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride and metyrosine was associated with an absence of expected postoperative hypotension, and resection of a benign ganglioneuroma resulted in prompt relief of all symptoms and return to normal of VIP and NE levels. Evidence supports the theory that VIP is the substance responsible for the diarrhea that accompanies some neural crest tumors.

Transcutaneous oxygen (tcPO2) measurements as an aid to fluid therapy in necrotizing enterocolitis.

Impaired peripheral perfusion is a major problem in necrotizing enterocolitis with delayed recognition and definite documentation being primary factors. While blood pressure and other clinical measurements may improperly estimate the severity of the problem, changes in transcutaneous oxygen measurements and their relationship to arterial oxygen (the tcPO2/PaO2 ratio) potentially afford a sensitive measurement of peripheral perfusion. Experience in our unit confirms a close relationship between tcPO2/ and PaO2 being 0.97 +/- 0.04 (SE). Ten infants with birth weights of 640 to 1380 g, who subsequently developed necrotizing enterocolitis, had strikingly lower ratios initially (0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.17, 0.21, 0.43, 0.44, 0.48, and 0.56). Use of the tcPO2/PaO2 ratio to monitor fluid therapy was related to outcome, suggesting that this ratio is important in managing necrotizing enterocolitis.

Christmas bow tragedies.

Two cases of fatal accidents involving plastic buttons from Christmas bows are described. Although accidents are the commonest cause of death in children less than 3 years old, governmental mechanisms, properly enforced, can be instrumental in preventing such catastrophies.