Success and Failure for Children Born with Facial Clefts in Africa: A 15-Year Follow-up

Background: This study reviews the 15year program of our Department of Pediatric Surgery for the treatment and follow-up of children born with a cleft in Benin and Togo. Methods: We analyzed files of children born in Africa with a cleft. They were referred to us through a nongovernmental organization (NGO) between 1993 and 2008 and assessed in Africa by local pediatricians before and after surgery. Operations were performed by our team. Results: Two hundred files were reviewed: 60 cases of unilateral cleft lip, seven of bilateral cleft lip, 44 of unilateral cleft lip palate (UCLP), 29 of bilateral cleft lip palate (BCLP), 53 of cleft palate (CP), three of bilateral oro-ocular cleft, one of unilateral and two of median clefts (Binder), and one of commissural cleft. Sixty-nine (35%) of these cases were not operated in Africa: 25 (12.5%) had not shown up, 28 (15%) were considered unfit for surgery (Down's syndrome, HIV-positive, malnutrition, cardiac malformation), and 16 (7.5%) were transferred to Switzerland. Palatal fistula occurred in 20% of UCLP, 30% of BCLP, and 16% of CP. Evaluation of speech after palate surgery gave less than 50% of socially acceptable speech. Conclusions: Our partnership with a NGO and a local team makes it possible to treat and subsequently follow children born with a cleft in West Africa. Surgery is performed under good conditions. If aesthetic results are a success, functional results after palate surgery need further improvement to promote integration in school and social lif

Cardiorespiratory Alterations Following Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution in a Pediatric and an Adult Porcine Model: A Prospective Interventional Study

BACKGROUND: Acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) is considered as a blood-sparing intervention during the perioperative management. We aimed at comparing the cardiopulmonary consequences of ANH between adult pigs and weaned piglets to establish the effects of lowering hematocrit in these age groups, and thereby testing the hypothesis that difference in the age-related physiological behavior will be reflected in the cardiorespiratory changes following ANH. METHODS: ANH was achieved in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated adult minipigs and 5-week-old weaned piglets by stepwise blood withdrawal (10 mL/kg) with crystalloids replacement. Cardiorespiratory assessments consisted of measuring airway resistance, respiratory tissue elastance, effective lung volume, extravascular lung water, mean arterial pressure, pulmonary blood flow, and cardiac output. Respiratory and hemodynamic measurements were made at control conditions and following each ANH condition obtained with 5 to 7 steps. RESULTS: ANH induced immediate and progressive increases in airway resistance and tissue elastance in both groups, with more pronounced worsening in adults despite the similar decreases in hematocrit. The increases in extravascular lung water were significantly greater in the adult population with the differences in mean (DM) of 25.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3%-44.9%). Progressive ANH led to significant decreases in the DM of pulmonary blood flow (45.3%; 95% CI, 19.8%-70.8%) and mean arterial pressure (36.3%; 95% CI, 18.7%-53.9%) only in adults, whereas cardiac output increased significantly only in the piglets (DM, 51.6; 95% CI, 14.2%-89.0%). CONCLUSIONS: While ANH led to mild detrimental cardiorespiratory changes in weaned piglets, gradual developments of bronchoconstriction, lung tissue extravasation and stiffening, and deteriorations in systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics were observed in adults. ANH may exert age-dependent cardiorespiratory effect

Point-of-care hemostasis in children with congenital heart disease, the POCHEMO study : baseline reference values of thromboelastometry and impedance aggregometry

: Viscoelastic tests and impedance aggregometry allow coagulation evaluation at the bedside, but reference values are scarce in pediatrics. The aim of this study was to establish reference values of thromboelastometry and impedance aggregometry for this population and compare it between age groups. This prospective, single-center, observational study evaluates viscoelastic tests and impedance aggregometry in children with congenital heart disease. A total of 204 children were included with a median age of 3.6 years old. We provide references values for this population with median, percentile 2.5 and percentile 97.5. Infants demonstrate for extrinsic activity a shorter coagulation time (52 [49-55] vs. 56 [51-62] s, P = 0.007) and clot formation time (90 [71-118] vs. 113 [93-146] s, P < 0.0001) so as for intrinsic activity a shorter clot formation time (53 [44-69] vs. 75 [59-92] s, P < 0.0001). The maximal clot firmness was significantly stronger in infants for extrinsic (65 [61-69] vs. 59 [54-63] mm, P < 0.0001), intrinsic (68 [64-70] vs. 61 [57-65] mm, P < 0.0001), and fibrinogen (12 [9-16] vs. 10 [8-13] mm, P = 0.02) activities. Platelet aggregation was significantly higher in infants with an amplitude at 6 min of 28 [23-34] vs. 22 [15-27] Ω, P less than 0.0001, a maximum speed of 11 [9-13] vs. 7 [5-10] Ω/min, P less than 0.0001, and an area under the curve of 120 [92-135] vs. 86 [59-112] Ω min, P less than 0.0001. We provided the first reference values for impedance aggregometry and thromboelastometry in children with congenital heart disease. We showed that these infants tend to have accelerated coagulation and stronger clot firmness compared with older children, but this finding may have only minimal relevance when treating a bleeding child. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02387944)

MORFEO enters final design phase

MORFEO (Multi-conjugate adaptive Optics Relay For ELT Observations, formerly MAORY), the MCAO system for the ELT, will provide diffraction-limited optical quality to the large field camera MICADO. MORFEO has officially passed the Preliminary Design Review and it is entering the final design phase. We present the current status of the project, with a focus on the adaptive optics system aspects and expected milestones during the next project phase

Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective European multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12 g dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (≥week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE: To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN: A multicentre observational study. SETTING: The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. PATIENTS: The data included 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Inclusion criteria was a peri-operative red blood cell transfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the haemoglobin level triggering a transfusion for neonates in week 1, week 2 and week 3. Secondary endpoints were transfusion volumes, 'delta haemoglobin' (preprocedure - transfusion-triggering) and 30-day and 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Peri-operative red blood cell transfusions were recorded during 447 procedures (6.9%). The median haemoglobin levels triggering a transfusion were 9.6 [IQR 8.7 to 10.9] g dl-1 for neonates in week 1, 9.6 [7.7 to 10.4] g dl-1 in week 2 and 8.0 [7.3 to 9.0] g dl-1 in week 3. The median transfusion volume was 17.1 [11.1 to 26.4] ml kg-1 with a median delta haemoglobin of 1.8 [0.0 to 3.6] g dl-1. Thirty-day morbidity was 47.8% with an overall mortality of 11.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate lower transfusion-triggering haemoglobin thresholds in clinical practice than suggested by current guidelines. The high morbidity and mortality of this NECTARINE sub-cohort calls for investigative action and evidence-based guidelines addressing peri-operative red blood cell transfusions strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02350348

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries