Surgically correctable fecal incontinence.

A significant percentage of children who are fecally incontinent are so from improper operation or failure to recognize a surgically correctable problem. Over the past five years, we have managed ten children who had operations for anorectal problems and two with anterior anus. Seven were seen after poorly positioned pull-through procedures for imperforate anus and had anal repositioning, four successfully. Gracilis sling was successful in two of the other three. In two children overflow after a Duhamel operation for Hirschsprung's disease was corrected by division of a persistent anorectal septum. The third child with a disrupted Duhamel procedure was cured by anolevatorplasty. In two children an anterior ectopic anus was made continent by posterior anoplasty. Primary and secondary deviations from proper anatomy of the anorectal region will result in incontinence, which may be recognized by physical examination and defecograms. Proper operation usually produces acceptable continence.

The effect of dopamine on postburn myocardial depression.

Myocardial performance is severely depressed following burns to more than 30% of the body surface area. Cardiac output in the immediate postburn period is dissociated from plasma volume. Many attempts have been made to improve early postburn hemodynamics with little success. Continuous infusion dopamine in low doses has recently been reported to improve at least one index of cardiac performance (LVSWI). We report the use of low-dose (5-10 mcg/kg X min) dopamine in the first 24 hours postburn in 20 seriously burned adults. Hemodynamic data are presented immediately preinfusion and after 1 hour of dopamine. Low-dose dopamine produced no change in cardiac index, arterial pressure, LVSWI, or any other hemodynamic parameter. We conclude that dopamine is of no benefit in treating the depressed myocardial function seen following major burns.