Caregiver reported long-term outcomes in children with major trauma and traumatic brain injuries: A single-centre retrospective study.

Introduction: We aim to investigate the functional outcomes and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with major trauma associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method: We performed a retrospective review of records among patients >2 and ≤16 years old in a tertiary paediatric hospital between January 2014 and October 2019 with major trauma (Injury Severity Score of ≥16) and TBI of all severities. We recorded each child's Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended Pediatric Version (GOS-E Peds) at 12 months post-injury and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) scores at 6 and 12 months post-injury based on the parent proxy-report scales. Results: We included 53 patients with a median age of 9.0 years old (interquartile range 2.3-15.5). Most injuries were due to falls (30, 56.6%) or road traffic collisions (15, 28.3%); 41 patients (77.3%) required intensive care while 30 patients (56.6%) underwent neurosurgical intervention. Most patients (43, 81.1%) had GOS-E Peds scores of ≤2 at 12 months post-injury. We reported a significant mean difference between the 6- and 12-month parent-reported scores for physical functioning (6.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3-12.8, P=0.041), psychosocial functioning (4.1, 95% CI 1.0-7.2, P=0.012) and overall scores (5.0, 95% CI 1.4-8.7, P=0.008). Compared with the validated PedsQL scores, our mean scores were higher across all domains at 12 months. Conclusion: With current standard of care, parents of children with major trauma and TBI reported gains in quality of life, physical, psychosocial and overall function between 6 and 12 months post-injury.

Polyhydramnios Secondary to Esophageal Atresia - Cervical Cerclage and Serial Amnioreduction to Prolong Gestational Age in Select Cases.

Esophageal atresia (OA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula affects approximately 1 in 4000 births and commonly presents with polyhydramnios. This appears to be the first report regarding the utility of cervical cerclage with serial amnioreduction to prolong the gestational age of a neonate with OA, thereby improving outcomes for reconstructive surgery.

Inguinal Hernia in Premature Infants: To Operate Before or After Discharge from Hospital?

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to find out the optimal timing for herniotomy for premature infants with inguinal hernia (IH): early during hospitalisation or delayed after hospital discharge. METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on premature infants diagnosed with IH during their initial hospitalization between 2015 and 2020. Demographic data and clinical outcomes were compared between infants undergoing herniotomy before discharge ("early") and those who were discharged without herniotomy ("delayed"). Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of 219 premature infants, 189 (86.3%) underwent early herniotomy, while 30 were discharged with unoperated IH. In the delayed group, 15 (50%) underwent planned delayed herniotomy, and the remaining 15 experienced spontaneous resolution (absence of inguinal bulge over at least 1-year follow-up). The gestational age and birth weight of both groups were similar. At surgery, the delayed group median (interquartile range) was significantly older (42.1[38-49] vs 37.7 [36-40] weeks, p < 0.001) and heavier (3.27 [2.21-4.60] vs 2.22 [2.00-2.70] kg, p < 0.001). Two infants (1%) in the early group presented with incarcerated IH requiring urgent operation. In the delayed group, no infant developed incarcerated IH while awaiting elective operation (time from diagnosis to operation 44 [21-85] days). There was no statistically significant difference in respiratory and surgical complications between the two groups, although the delayed group had lesser surgical complications (0% vs 9.5%). CONCLUSION: Deferring herniotomy after discharge for premature infants is safe with close monitoring and associated with a chance of spontaneous resolution. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, treatment study.

Blood Lost: A Retrospective Review of Blood Wastage from a Massive Transfusion Protocol in a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The paediatric massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is activated in the paediatric population for both trauma and non-trauma related indications. While it helps to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the delivery of blood products, it can also result in increased wastage. We aimed to evaluate the wastage rates from our paediatric MTP activations from 2013 to 2018. METHOD: As part of an audit, we retrospectively reviewed the records of the paediatric patients who had MTP activations. We collected the following data: reason for MTP activation, weight of patient, number of cycles of MTP required, blood products used, blood products wasted, deviation from our institution's recommended MTP blood product ratio, and reason for wastage. RESULT: We had 26 paediatric MTP activations within the audit period. There was an overall wastage rate of 1.5%, with wastage occurring in 3 out of 26 patients. The reason for all wastage was demise of the patient. Most patients' transfusion ratios deviated from our institution's MTP protocol. CONCLUSION: Our wastage rates are low likely because of clear MTP activation guidelines and a flexible MTP workflow.

Analysis of Cholangitis Rates with Extended Perioperative Antibiotics and Adjuvant Corticosteroids in Biliary Atresia.

PURPOSE: There is no consensus regarding adjuvant therapies following Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) for biliary atresia (BA). This study aimed to analyze the effect of extended perioperative intravenous antibiotics (PI-Abx) and adjuvant corticosteroid on cholangitis and jaundice clearance rates in the 3 years post-KP in children with BA. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent KP between 1999-2018 at a single center were retrospectively analyzed. Group A (1999-2010) received PI-Abx for 5 days, Group B (2010-2012) received PI-Abx for 5 days plus low-dose prednisolone (2 mg/kg), and Group C (2012-2017) received PI-Abx for 14 days plus high-dose prednisolone (5 mg/kg). RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were included with groups A, B, and C comprising 25, 9, and 20 patients, respectively. The number of episodes of cholangitis was 1.0, 1.6, and 1.3 per patient (p=NS) within the first year and 1.8, 2.3, and 1.7 (p=NS) over 3 years in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. The jaundice clearance rate at 6 months was 52%, 78%, and 50% (p=NS), and the 3-year native liver survival (NLS) rate was 76%, 100%, and 80% (p=NS) in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. A near-significant association was observed between the incidence of cholangitis within the first year and decompensated liver cirrhosis/death at 3 years post KP (p=0.09). Persistence of jaundice at 6 months was significantly associated with decompensated cirrhosis/death at 3 years (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The extended duration of PI-Abx and adjuvant corticosteroids was not associated with improved rates of cholangitis, jaundice clearance, or NLS in patients with BA.

The use of negative-pressure wound therapy over a cultured epithelial autograft for full-thickness wounds secondary to purpura fulminans in an infant.

Purpura fulminans is a serious condition that can result in severe morbidity in the pediatric population. Although autologous skin grafts remain the gold standard for the coverage of partial- to full-thickness wounds, they have several limitations in pediatric patients, including the lack of planar donor sites, the risk of hemodynamic instability, and the limited graft thickness. In Singapore, an in-house skin culture laboratory has been available since 2005 for the use of cultured epithelial autografts (CEAs), especially in burn wounds. However, due to the fragility of CEAs, negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) dressings have been rarely used with CEAs. With several modifications, we report a successful case of NPWT applied over a CEA in an infant who sustained 30% total body surface area full-thickness wounds over the anterior abdomen, flank, and upper thigh secondary to purpura fulminans. We also describe the advantages of using NPWT dressing over a CEA, particularly in pediatric patients.

Home-Initiated-Programme-to-Prepare-for-Operation: evaluating the effect of an animation video on peri-operative anxiety in children: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospital admissions and surgical operations commonly trigger anxiety in young children. Despite employing numerous support measures in our hospital, such as a pre-operative play room, the encouragement of parental companionship during induction of anaesthesia and distraction therapy, allaying the anxiety of our young surgical patients remains a challenge. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Home-Initiated-Programme-to-Prepare-for-Operation (HIPPO) on emotional manifestation and anxiety in children undergoing surgery. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS: One hundred and thirty children were randomly assigned to either control or intervention group between February 2018 and April 2019 in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Singapore. INTERVENTION: In addition to our standard pre-operative workflow, the intervention group received an additional home preparation kit consisting of an animated video on preoperative preparation and age-specific preoperative preparation activity sheets. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Children's Emotional Manifestation Scale score to evaluate behaviour and emotion in the children before and during induction of anaesthesia. Secondary outcomes evaluated anxiety levels in parents and children, the child's behaviour and degree of co-operation using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Children scores, the Induction Compliance Checklist scores, the Visual Analogue Scale scores for anxiety and the feedback questionnaire. RESULTS: The difference between the Children's Emotional Manifestation Scale score in control and intervention groups was not statistically significant. A promising difference was however observed in one of the secondary outcomes where the state-State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Children scores of 7 to 10-year olds in the intervention group almost reached significance; P = 0.067. CONCLUSION: Despite being a child-friendly, easily accessible and affordable tool for patient education, HIPPO did not reduce anxiety experienced by children in the pre-operative waiting area or during induction of anaesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04271553.

Epidemiology of Pedestrian-Motor Vehicle Fatalities and Injuries, 2006-2015.

INTRODUCTION: Pedestrian road safety remains a public health priority. The objective of this study is to describe trends in fatalities and injuries after pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions in the U.S. and identify associated risk factors for pedestrian fatalities. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of U.S. pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions from 2006 to 2015 (performed in 2017). Pedestrian fatality and injury data were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System. Frequencies of fatalities, injuries, and associated characteristics were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was performed for risk of fatality, controlling for demographic and crash-related factors. RESULTS: There were 47,789 pedestrian fatalities and 674,414 injuries during the 10-year study period. Fatality rates were highest among the elderly aged 85 years and older (2.95/100,000 population), whereas injury rates were highest for those aged 15-19 years (35.23/100,000 population). Predictors associated with increased risk for death include the following: male sex (AOR=1.36, 95% CI=1.15, 1.62), age ≥65 years (AOR=3.44, 95% CI=2.62, 4.50), alcohol involvement (AOR=2.63, 95% CI=1.88, 3.67), collisions after midnight (AOR=5.21, 95% CI=3.20, 8.49), at non-intersections (AOR=2.76, 95% CI=2.21, 3.45), and involving trucks (AOR=2.15, 95% CI=1.16, 3.97) and buses (AOR=5.82, 95% CI=3.67, 9.21). CONCLUSIONS: Potentially modifiable factors are associated with increased risk of death after pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. Interventions including elder-friendly intersections and increasing visibility of pedestrians may aid in decreasing pedestrian injuries and deaths.

Development of an isotopic stream index connecting physiographic characteristics of montane catchments.

This study is to develop an isotopic catchment-effect index (CEI) connecting the physiographic characteristics of stream catchments. A CEI, describing the extent of difference in stable water isotopic compositions (δ values) between stream water and local precipitation at any given sampling site, can help in judging whether water resource management should be focused on upstream regions of streams or local hydrology issues. To establish the isotopic CEI, this study measured δ values of stream water and derived δ18 O of local precipitation based on regional isotopic altitude gradient at montane catchments of various sizes. Results indicate that the CEI is strongly related to catchment physiographic characteristics, such as length of main stream, mean area, mean elevation, perimeter, and slope. These characteristics are considered important indices of streamflow. Based on mathematical regression modeling describing the relationships between CEI and respective physiographic factors, CEI values can predict respective physiographic factors and vice versa. Moreover, according to the multiple equations derived in this study, catchments of larger size and steeper slope give elevated CEI values while greater stream length reduces the CEI's value. A greater CEI value indicates that local stream water is principally sourced from upstream reaches rather than contributions from local precipitation. In addition, CEI values are greater in winter than in summer resulting from monsoon effect. Consequently, this study establishes CEI as a useful descriptor of the physiographic characteristics of catchments.

Prehospital Transport for Pediatric Trauma: A Comparison of Private Transport and Emergency Medical Services.

OBJECTIVES: We describe the demographics of pediatric patients with trauma transferred using private transport (PT) versus emergency medical services (EMS) and evaluate the potential impact on their treatment and outcome. METHODS: We accessed data from our national trauma registry, a prospectively collected database. Data were extracted on all patients with trauma admitted to our institution between January 2011 and June 2013, with injury severity score (ISS) higher than 8. We categorized unstable injuries as head injuries, spinal injuries, or proximal long bone fractures. Major trauma was defined as the presence of any of the following: ISS of 16 or higher, intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. RESULTS: Ninety children were studied, including 27 major trauma and 66 unstable injuries; 69 patients (77%) used PT. Most patients with major trauma (17/27, 63%) and unstable injuries (50/66, 76%) used PT. Compared with EMS patients, PT patients were younger, smaller, took longer for emergency department physician review and stayed longer in the emergency department. Rates of ICU admission were similar in both groups, but length of stay in ICU and total hospital stay were shorter in the PT group despite similar proportions of major trauma and unstable injuries as well as median ISS. Each group had 1 mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Most children with major trauma and unstable injuries were brought by PT, risking deterioration en route. Nevertheless, this does not seem to translate to worse outcomes overall.

Seventeen years of Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia in a single Southeast Asian paediatric centre.

AIM: Biliary atresia (BA) has preponderance in Asian populations with Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) regarded as the first-line standard of care. Yet reports from Southeast Asia remain scant. This study reviews the demographics, short- and medium-term outcomes for our cohort, and evaluates prognostic factors for outcome. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with BA between January 1997 and December 2013 were included. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Jaundice clearance was defined as total bilirubin < 20 µmol/L within 6 months after KP. Two-year and 5-year native liver survival (NLS) were determined. Prognostic factors examined included gender, ethnicity, associated anomalies, age at KP, post-KP cholangitis and clearance of jaundice within 6 months. RESULTS: Of 58 patients studied, 31(53.4%) were male. Median age at time of KP was 53 days (range: 28-127). Ethnic distribution showed 32 (55.2%) Chinese, 16 (27.6%) Malays and 10 (17.2%) others. Twenty-one (36.2%) patients achieved jaundice clearance by 6 months. Two-year NLS rate was 36 out of 50 (72%), while 5-year NLS rate was 16 out of 35 (45.7%). Only clearance of jaundice within 6 months had a significant association with NLS (P = 0.006). All other factors showed no significant impact on outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our short- and medium-term outcomes after KP for BA are comparable with those reported by most international centres. However, prognostic factors such as age at KP, cholangitis episodes and associated anomalies did not show significant correlation; only clearance of jaundice within 6 months was significantly predictive of NLS.

Factors Predicting Testicular Atrophy after Testicular Salvage following Torsion.

INTRODUCTION: Testicular atrophy (TA) is a significant complication in patients who undergo salvage procedures for testicular torsion. Studies on outcome focus on factors predicting testicular viability during scrotal exploration but few assess factors predicting TA in patients who undergo salvage procedures. We assess the incidence of TA after salvage and identify associated factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With ethical approval, we reviewed patients who underwent salvage for testicular torsion in our institution from 2001 to 2013. Data was collected on patient demographics, duration of pain, sonographic findings, postoperative complications, and follow-up assessment of TA (defined as difference in testicular volume > 50% compared with the contralateral testis, based on measurement by Prader orchidometer or by ultrasound). We excluded patients with torted undescended testis, those under 1 month, and those with follow-up < 6 months. Chi-square or Mann-Whitney U tests were used as appropriate with significance level < 0.05. RESULTS: Of 85 patients who had scrotal exploration for testicular torsion, 53 had testicular salvage. Overall, 16 patients defaulted or had < 6 months follow-up, leaving 37 patients who were studied, median age 12 years (range, 0.5-16.0 years) at presentation. Median follow-up was 12.5 months (range, 6-88 months). A total of 20 patients (54%) developed TA. Median duration to TA was 12.5 months (range, 2-88 months). All had clinical evidence of atrophy by 14 months, except two who initially defaulted follow-up, but were diagnosed with TA at 35 and 88 months postoperatively when presenting with unrelated complaints. Factors associated with TA were duration of pain > 1 day (p = 0.004) and heterogeneous echogenicity on ultrasound (p = 0.001). Sonographic evidence of reduced vascularity was not predictive. Of 11 that had pain > 1 day, 10 (91%) had TA. No testes survived when pain ≥ 3 days. CONCLUSION: Half of patients with testicular torsion undergoing salvage surgery will develop testicular atrophy, even when intraoperatively assessed as viable, and should be counseled accordingly. Duration of pain > 1 day and sonographic heterogeneous echogenicity are predictive. Salvage rates are dismal when duration of symptoms exceeds 1 day.

Pedestrian injuries in children: who is most at risk?

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluates the demographics of paediatric pedestrian injuries with the aim of identifying the group of children who is most vulnerable and the risk factors for major trauma (MT). METHODS: Data was extracted from the integrated trauma system of a regional paediatric referral hospital. All paediatric cases involving road traffic accidents from January 2011 to December 2013 were studied. Demographics, injury mechanism, treatment and outcome were evaluated. Patients were categorised as MT or non-MT (NMT) based on their Injury Severity Score, admission to the intensive care unit, type of surgery (e.g. life/limb-saving) and death. Data analysis was done using nonparametric tests and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: A total of 261 children were admitted for pedestrian injuries during the study period. The median age was ten years (range 14 months-16 years) and the median weight was 42.4 (range 8.6-93.7) kg. Half (i.e. 50.2%) of the children were primary-schoolers. The majority of the accidents occurred on roads (i.e. 83.1%), between 12 pm and 6 pm (i.e. 52.8%). Among the 261 children, 177 (67.8%) were unaccompanied by an adult at the time of the accident; 17 (6.5%) children sustained MT, while 244 (93.5%) suffered NMT. MT patients were more likely to have lost consciousness (p < 0.001) and been flung (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Most paediatric pedestrian injuries involved primary-schoolers walking home from school unaccompanied by adults. This information should inform future road safety campaigns. Being flung and loss of consciousness predicted MT in children who sustained pedestrian injuries.

Pediatric trauma team activation: are we making the right call?

INTRODUCTION: A regionalized trauma system must be tailored to the trauma epidemiology and the trauma care resources of the population it serves. Pediatric trauma system in Singapore differs from others because of its geographic compactness and relatively low incidence of severe trauma. The scarcity of polytrauma highlights the need of a reliable screening system to identify injured children who necessitate urgent transport to emergency department (ED) with pediatric resuscitation capacity as well as activation of trauma team upon their arrival. In this study, the validity of Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS), Glasgow Come Scale (GCS), and respiratory rate (RR) in identifying pediatric patients with major trauma and receipt of resuscitation is evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective analysis was performed using data obtained from our trauma registry between January 2011 and December 2012. Information pertaining to the demographics, causative mechanism, and injury description, resuscitation, admitting disciplines, surgical intervention, and outcome were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity of PTS, GCS, and RR to predict outcomes of interest are calculated. RESULTS: A total of 92 patients were recruited. From the 92 patients, 26 sustained major trauma, and 21 patients received ED resuscitation. The mean age was 4 years 9 months. Sensitivity and specificity of PTS ≤ 8, GCS ≤ 10, and abnormal RR for predicting major trauma were 61.5, 77.3; 26.9, 100; and 53.8, 60.6%; respectively. When the reliability to identify patients received ED resuscitation was evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of PTS ≤ 8, GCS ≤ 10, and abnormal RR were 90.5, 83.1; 28.6, 98.6; and 76.2, 66.2%; respectively. CONCLUSION: The parameters of PTS need to be further refined to improve its accuracy and minimize the undertriage rate. If a combined physiologic and anatomic scoring system such as PTS is used, other physiologic parameters such as GCS and RR may become redundant. The evaluation of the validity of PTS, GCS, and RR in predicting pediatric major trauma indicated poor reliability.

Resection of an intra-operative ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma with continuous pringle maneuver and in situ hypothermic perfusion through the inferior mesenteric vein: a case report.

Intra-operative tumor rupture is a serious complication during resection of large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) leading to more blood loss. We report our experience in applying continuous Pringle maneuver with in situ hypothermic perfusion via inferior mesenteric vein catheterization to the portal vein of the remnant liver for resection during an extended left lobectomy of a large HCC which ruptured intraoperatively. Using this method, we successfully managed the patient without any further morbidity. This technique provides easier accessibility of in situ perfusion, decreases operative blood loss and prevents warm ischemic injury to the remnant liver during parenchymal transection. This method could be effective for the resection of large ruptured HCC.

Laparoscopic management for non-traumatic colon perforation in children.

PURPOSE: Although recent reports have seen an increase in acceptance of laparoscopic surgery as treatment for traumatic colon injury, its role in the management of non-traumatic colon perforation in children has not been reported. In this study, we review our experience in laparoscopic non-resectional management for children who presented with non-traumatic colonic perforation. METHODS: Between October 2003 and May 2011, 15 children who had been diagnosed with colonic perforation and underwent laparoscopic surgery were included in the study. Their medical records were reviewed for analysis. RESULTS: The clinical manifestation of non-traumatic colon perforation in children was non-specific. The most likely aetiology was infective colitis. Solitary perforation at the caecum was the most common finding. The exact perforation site could not be identified in 3 patients. Nine patients had primary closure while 3 patients underwent wedge resection. The single trocar laparoscopic surgery was successful in 12 patients. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.3 days. CONCLUSION: For children presenting with suspected non-traumatic colon perforation, laparoscopic management is the desirable approach. The peritoneal lavage, wedge excision and primary repair can be performed with single trocar techniques and is associated with minimal morbidity. Future prospective studies are needed to compare this minimally invasive approach with conventional open surgery.

Intra-operative management of low portal vein flow in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

For pediatric living donor liver transplantation, portal vein complications cause significant morbidity and graft failure. Routine intra-operative Doppler ultrasound is performed after graft reperfusion to evaluate the flow of portal vein. This retrospective study reviewed 65 children who had undergone living donor liver transplantation. Seven patients were detected with suboptimal portal vein flow velocity following vascular reconstruction and abdominal closure. They underwent immediate on-table interventions to improve the portal vein flow. Both surgical and endovascular modalities were employed, namely, graft re-positioning, collateral shunt ligation, thrombectomy, revision of anastomosis, inferior mesenteric vein cannulation, and endovascular stenting. The ultrasonographic follow-up assessment for all seven patients demonstrated patent portal vein and satisfactory flow. We reviewed our experience on the different modalities and proposed an approach for our future intra-operative management to improve portal vein flow at the time of liver transplantation.

Implications of incidental finding of testicular microlithiasis in paediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To improve understanding of the implications of testicular microlithiasis (TM) in paediatric patients diagnosed incidentally on scrotal ultrasonography (US). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 31 boys aged 4-14 years diagnosed with TM based on US between February 2000 and September 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, indications for US, associated inguino-scrotal pathologies and follow-up data were collated. RESULTS: A total of 59 testes were evaluated. Fifty-four had TM at US. The most common indication for US was scrotal swelling (n = 17). Twenty patients (65%) had at least one associated inguino-scrotal pathology related to patent processus vaginalis, with cryptorchidism being the most frequently observed (39%). On follow up (mean 39.6 months), 6 patients documented decrease or resolution of TM, while 2 showed increase in TM density. No testicular malignancy was observed during follow up. CONCLUSIONS: TM is commonly diagnosed incidentally on US in paediatric patients. A literature review revealed few case reports on its association with testicular malignancy and a prevalence of 4.2% among asymptomatic boys. The spontaneous resolution of TM supports degeneration of seminiferous tubules as the possible cause and further questions its malignant implication. An appropriate surveillance scheme would require involvement of a well-informed patient and parent with good compliance on testicular self-examination.

Decomposition of benzene in air streams by UV/TiO(2) process.

Photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous benzene at room temperature was studied with a fixed-bed annular reactor using titania as the photocatalyst. The effects of humidity, UV light intensity and benzene concentration on the conversion and mineralization of benzene were presented. Experimental results can be adequately described by using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model. The concentration distribution of benzene in the annular reactors of various dimensions can be described by combining the reactor design equation with L-H kinetics. Deactivation of catalyst was observed and attributed to the adsorption of reaction intermediates on TiO2 surface. The deactivated TiO2 catalyst could be photochemically regenerated by ozone-purging in the presence of humidity.