Epilepsy Surgery in Children: Why,When and How?

Epilepsy surgery is safe and effective treatment in children who fail to respond to antiepileptic medications. After failure of two appropriate antiepileptic medications, chances that the child will become seizure free with more or different medications is <5 %, and she should be diagnosed with “refractory epilepsy”. A consideration for surgical candidacy should be given to all children who fulfill the definition of refractory epilepsy. In appropriately selected children, epilepsy surgery offers a high chance of seizure freedom without incurring any new post-operative neurological deficits. No age is bar to epilepsy surgery. Even infants can safely have epilepsy surgery if they are surgical candidates. For most children, who are surgical candidates, a good history and physical examination, video EEG evaluation, and a high quality brain MRI are sufficient to make surgical decision. These tools are increasingly available all over the world. Better education of families, Pediatricians, Pediatric Neurologists and community care-givers is necessary to salvage children early from mortality and morbidity of untreated, sometimes life long, epilepsy.     

A Rare Case of Hemolytic Anemia in a Pediatric Patient Due to Ring Dehiscence After Mitral Valve Repair: Utility of Real-Time Three-Dimensional Imaging and Management

A rare case of hemolytic anemia in a 3-year-old child due to mitral valve ring dehiscence is described. The dehiscence of mitral valve ring was diagnosed utilizing real-time three-dimensional echocardiography. The patient subsequently underwent reoperation with successful resolution of hemolysis after replacement of the ring.     

Transport of infants with congenital heart disease: benefits of antenatal diagnosis

Infants with significant congenital heart disease (CHD) typically require transport from their birth centre to a regional paediatric cardiac centre. Antenatal diagnosis of CHD allows early pre-emptive stabilisation, and is associated with improved early clinical status. However, the effect of antenatal diagnosis on the transport characteristics of infants with CHD has not been previously investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the transport characteristics of infants with antenatal and postnatal diagnosis of CHD. This study is a retrospective cohort study of all infants of ≤10 days and ≥34 weeks of gestation with CHD admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne (RCH) over 5 years. Demographic, diagnosis, and transport data were recorded. Cases of complex CHD were included in this study. Of 320 infants with complex CHD, 198 (62 %) had antenatal diagnosis (ANdx) and 122 (38 %) had postnatal diagnosis (PNdx). There was no significant difference in sex, birth weight, or gestation between ANdx and PNdx groups. Average age of referral was 15 vs. 53.4 h in ANdx vs. PNdx groups. Aggregate transfer distance in the ANdx group was 2216 km and in the PNdx group was 10,274 km (P?<?0.0001). Of the infants, 39 % in the PNdx group required highest-acuity “time critical” transports compared to 6 % of ANdx infants (P?=?0.0001). Conversely, only 11 % of the infants in the PNdx group had lowest acuity “non-urgent” transfers, compared to 24 % of ANdx infants (P?=?0.003). PNdx was associated with significantly higher rates of invasive ventilation (36 vs 20 %; P?=?0.01) and higher rates of inotrope use (19 vs. 9 %; P?=?0.007) during transport. Conclusions: Improved antenatal detection would allow for safer, less resource intense transfers of infants with CHD.     

Presenting Symptoms of Nonerosive and Erosive Esophagitis in Pediatric Patients

Children and adolescents with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE) of grade ≥2 (n=45) or nonerosive esophagitis (NEE) (n=45) were assessed to determine the relationship between presenting symptoms, esophagitis severity, and patient age. Overall, regurgitation/vomiting, abdominal pain, and cough were the most frequent symptoms. The prevalence and severity of anorexia/feed refusal was significantly greater in EE versus NEE children; this symptom was also significantly more prevalent in younger (1–5 years) children (both NEE and EE groups) compared to older children. Cough was significantly less severe in NEE adolescents than in younger children. Cough, anorexia/feed refusal, and regurgitation/vomiting were more severe and heartburn was less severe in EE children aged 1–5 years compared with older patients. In conclusion, GERD in children manifests differently than that in adults and symptoms vary with patient age. Symptoms were not predictive of presence or lack of mucosal damage.