Case Report Postobstructive Pulmonary Edema following Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy in a 2-Year-Old with Poland-Moebius Syndrome

A 2-year-old male with Poland-Moebius syndrome was transferred from a local hospital to the Pediatric ICU at Children's Hospital of Georgia for suspected postobstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) after tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy (T&A). The patient's respiratory status ultimately declined and he developed respiratory failure. Imaging suggested pulmonary edema as well as a leftsided pneumonia. Echocardiogram showed pulmonary hypertension and airway exam via direct fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia. He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and remained intubated for ten days. This case highlights the association between congenital upper body abnormalities with cranial nerve dysfunction and the development of POPE with delayed resolution of symptoms. Patients with upper body abnormalities as above are at great risk of postoperative complications and should therefore be managed in a tertiary-care facility

Postobstructive Pulmonary Edema following Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy in a 2-Year-Old with Poland-Moebius Syndrome

A 2-year-old male with Poland-Moebius syndrome was transferred from a local hospital to the Pediatric ICU at Children’s Hospital of Georgia for suspected postobstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) after tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy (T&A). The patient’s respiratory status ultimately declined and he developed respiratory failure. Imaging suggested pulmonary edema as well as a left-sided pneumonia. Echocardiogram showed pulmonary hypertension and airway exam via direct fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia. He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and remained intubated for ten days. This case highlights the association between congenital upper body abnormalities with cranial nerve dysfunction and the development of POPE with delayed resolution of symptoms. Patients with upper body abnormalities as above are at great risk of postoperative complications and should therefore be managed in a tertiary-care facility

Deletions and duplications of α or ζ globin genes in children with sickle cell anemia

DNA samples from 345 Black children, aged 0-18 years with SS, SC and Sβ+Thal were tested with restriction endonucleases and α or ζ globin DNA probes. A -3.7 kb type of α-Thal-2 (or -α/) was found in 34% with -α/αα and 4% with -α/-α (gene frequency= 0.20). None had the -4.2 kb type of α-Thal-2. The incidence of a-Thal-2 was the same among SS, SC and Sβ+Thal patients.peer-reviewe

Serum ferritin level changes in children with sickle cell disease on chronic blood transfusion are nonlinear and are associated with iron load and liver injury

Chronic blood transfusion is increasingly indicated in patients with sickle cell disease. Measuring resulting iron overload remains a challenge. Children without viral hepatitis enrolled in 2 trials for stroke prevention were examined for iron overload (STOP and STOP2; n = 271). Most received desferrioxamine chelation. Serum ferritin (SF) changes appeared nonlinear compared with prechelation estimated transfusion iron load (TIL) or with liver iron concentrations (LICs). Averaged correlation coefficient between SF and TIL (patients/observations, 26 of 164) was r = 0.70; between SF and LIC (patients/observations, 33 of 47) was r = 0.55. In mixed models, SF was associated with LIC (P = .006), alanine transaminase (P = .025), and weight (P = .026). Most patients with SF between 750 and 1500 ng/mL had a TIL between 25 and 100 mg/kg (72.8% ± 5.9%; patients/observations, 24 of 50) or an LIC between 2.5 and 10 mg/g dry liver weight (75% ± 0%; patients/observations, 8 of 9). Most patients with SF of 3000 ng/mL or greater had a TIL of 100 mg/kg or greater (95.3% ± 6.7%; patients/observations, 7 of 16) or an LIC of 10 mg/g dry liver weight or greater (87.7% ± 4.3%; patients/observations, 11 of 18). Although SF changes are nonlinear, levels less than 1500 ng/mL indicated mostly acceptable iron overload; levels of 3000 ng/mL or greater were specific for significant iron overload and were associated with liver injury. However, to determine accurately iron overload in patients with intermediately elevated SF levels, other methods are required. These trials are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00000592 and #NCT00006182