Mandibular distraction osteogenesis with a small semiburied device in neonates: report of 2 cases.

Distraction osteogenesis has recently assumed an important role in the correction of craniofacial anomalies, particularly for the treatment of potentially life-threatening, deformity-associated upper airway obstruction and respiratory dysfunction in neonates. Such deformities include Treacher Collins syndrome, Goldenhar's syndrome, Nager's syndrome, temporomandibular joint ankylosis, and Pierre Robin sequence. These conditions frequently require a tracheostomy to maintain airway patency. We report our experience with using mandibular distraction as a valid alternative to tracheostomy. Minimally invasive surgery is possible with small semiburied devices

Midline mandibular osteotomy in an asymmetric patient.

Abstract This case report shows the possibility of the application of a mandibular osteotomy to resolve mandibular asymmetry with independent and discordant movements of both bony segments. The authors report the case of a 25-year-old woman referred for mandibular asymmetry, with a transverse excess of the right hemi mandible and vertical defect of the left one. The patient underwent a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy, midline osteotomy, and genioplasty, which corrected the mandibular asymmetry with contraction of the entire right hemi mandible. A slight left vertical increase was also obtained through the surgically created lateral open bite. In the follow-up assessment, the patient's face appeared symmetrical with normalization of the bizygomatic-bigonial relationships, and the facial shape corresponded to ideal anthropometric features. This technique resulted in resolution of mandibular asymmetry. In addition, mandibular osteotomy permits the esthetic management of the shape of the entire mandibular body in relation to the other third of the face

Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Neonates and Children Undergoing Dental, Maxillo-Facial or Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Surgery: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study

Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a potential complication in surgical procedures, mainly because clean/contaminated surgery involves organs that are normally colonized by bacteria. Dental, maxillo-facial and ear-nose-throat (ENT) surgeries are among those that carry a risk of SSIs because the mouth and the first respiratory tracts are normally colonized by a bacterial flora. The aim of this consensus document was to provide clinicians with recommendations on surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in neonates (<28 days of chronological age) and pediatric patients (within the age range of 29 days-18 years) undergoing dental, maxillo-facial or ENT surgical procedures. These included: (1) dental surgery; (2) maxilla-facial surgery following trauma with fracture; (3) temporo-mandibular surgery; (4) cleft palate and cleft lip repair; (5) ear surgery; (6) endoscopic paranasal cavity surgery and septoplasty; (7) clean head and neck surgery; (8) clean/contaminated head and neck surgery and (9) tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Due to the lack of pediatric data for the majority of dental, maxillo-facial and ENT surgeries and the fact that the recommendations for adults are currently used, there is a need for ad hoc studies to be rapidly planned for the most deficient areas. This seems even more urgent for interventions such as those involving the first airways since the different composition of the respiratory microbiota in children compared to adults implies the possibility that surgical antibiotic prophylaxis schemes that are ideal for adults may not be equally effective in children

Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in Neonates and Children: Non-Pharmacological Measures of Prevention

A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs in the incision created by an invasive surgical procedure. Although most infections are treatable with antibiotics, SSIs remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery and have a significant economic impact on health systems. Preventive measures are essential to decrease the incidence of SSIs and antibiotic abuse, but data in the literature regarding risk factors for SSIs in the pediatric age group are scarce, and current guidelines for the prevention of the risk of developing SSIs are mainly focused on the adult population. This document describes the current knowledge on risk factors for SSIs in neonates and children undergoing surgery and has the purpose of providing guidance to health care professionals for the prevention of SSIs in this population. Our aim is to consider the possible non-pharmacological measures that can be adopted to prevent SSIs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide recommendations based on a careful review of the available scientific evidence for the non-pharmacological prevention of SSIs in neonates and children. The specific scenarios developed are intended to guide the healthcare professional in practice to ensure standardized management of the neonatal and pediatric patients, decrease the incidence of SSIs and reduce antibiotic abuse