Atypical perioperative management for duodenal obstruction in an infant with heterotaxy syndrome: a case report

Abstract Background Heterotaxy syndrome (HS) is characterized by a wide variety of cardiac and extra-cardiac malformations, including pulmonary valve stenosis, interruption of the inferior vena cava, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), asplenia, polysplenia, intestinal malrotation, and preduodenal portal vein (PDPV). We report the case of a heterotaxic infant with an infracardiac TAPVC and preduodenal portal vein who experienced repetitive hemodynamic instability during urgent laparotomy for duodenal obstruction. Case presentation A 3-day-old boy with HS was planned to undergo urgent laparotomy for duodenal atresia. Echocardiogram showed an interrupted inferior vena cava, single right ventricle, pulmonary valve stenosis, and infracardiac TAPVC. On exploratory laparotomy, intestinal malrotation characterized by Ladd’s band was found. During further exploration, repetitive severe hypotension and hypoxia occurred. Thorough examination revealed a greatly dilated PDPV crossing over and compressing the proximal duodenum externally. Finally, we considered the possibility that surgical manipulation directly compressed the dilated PDPV into which the TAPVC had pulmonary venous drainage, leading to repetitive pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO). Computed tomography, which was examined after laparotomy, indicated that the vertical vein from pulmonary venous confluence drained into the portal vein. Conclusion PDPV is a rare anomaly associated with HS. In case of intestinal malrotation and duodenal obstruction in HS with infracardiac TAPVC, both the presence of PDPV and the possibility of pulmonary venous drainage into the PDPV should be considered by pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists performing laparotomy to avoid catastrophic PVO

A study on the relationship between robotic movement with animacy and visual attention of young children

Socially assistive robots have been used successfully for improvement of communication skills of young children. Such robots need to attract children's attention and stimulate sustainable interactions. Many recent research studies propose various approaches for increasing of interaction effectiveness of such robots. In this study, we investigate the effect of robotic movements with animacy on the visual attention of young children. For the experiments, we used the TurtleBot robot. The effect of three different robot movement patterns were explored with the conducted tests: simple circle movement, inanimated movement, and animated movement. Thirty four children (21 males, 13 females, Mean of ages: 4.5) participated in an experiment. Results show that robot movement raises visual attention. Most of the children demonstrated increased interest toward animated robotic movement than simple motion. The animated movement that elicits much interest depends on children's age. The findings of this study contribute to effective use of interactive robots in education and therapy of young children and children with developmental disorder

Machine Learning Prediction for Supplemental Oxygen Requirement in Patients with COVID-19

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Alcohol does not increase in‐hospital mortality due to severe blunt trauma: an analysis of propensity score matching using the Japan Trauma Data Bank

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Recent Advances in Cell-Based Therapies for Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is the most prevalent cardiovascular disease worldwide, and is still one of the leading causes of death and disability. Stem cell-based therapy is actively being investigated as a new potential treatment for certain neurological disorders, including stroke. Various types of cells, including bone marrow mononuclear cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, dental pulp stem cells, neural stem cells, inducible pluripotent stem cells, and genetically modified stem cells have been found to improve neurological outcomes in animal models of stroke, and there are some ongoing clinical trials assessing their efficacy in humans. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent advances in cell-based therapies to treat stroke