Articles: pediatrics.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2018
Review Meta AnalysisFrequency of medication error in pediatric anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analytic estimate.
Clinical evidence shows that pediatric anesthesia patients are subject to a higher rate of life-threatening medical errors than their adult counterparts. Medication error in adult anesthesia is estimated to occur to 1 in 133 anesthetic administrations, but such a figure has not been determined for pediatric anesthesia patients. Individual studies of medication error in pediatric anesthesia have ranged from rates of 0.01% to 1.92% of anesthetic uses. The present study is a systematic review that employs a meta-analytic estimate to determine the rate of medication error in pediatric anesthesia. ⋯ The present systematic review revealed a medication error rate of 1 per 1250 anesthetic administrations in pediatric anesthesia. This result is significantly lower than would be expected given reported rates of medication error in adult anesthesia, which raises questions regarding the validity of research methods and reporting of medication error in pediatric anesthesia. Future investigations of medication error should employ methodologies other than self-reporting of error, such as retrospective chart review.
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Meta Analysis
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in the Primary Prevention of Eczema in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Current guidelines recommend the use of probiotics to reduce the risk of eczema. It remains unclear which strain(s) to use. We systematically evaluated data on the efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation prenatally and/or postnatally for the primary prevention of eczema. ⋯ There was also no consistent effect on other allergic outcomes. This meta-analysis shows that LGG was ineffective in reducing eczema. It does not support the general recommendation to use probiotics for preventing eczema, unless specific strains would be indicated.
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Journal of ultrasound · Sep 2018
Meta AnalysisLung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pneumonia is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age worldwide. In pediatrics, both the accuracy and safety of diagnostic tools are important. Lung ultrasound (LUS) could be a safe diagnostic tool for this reason. We searched in the literature for diagnostic studies about LUS to predict pneumonia in pediatric patients using systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ LUS seems to be a promise tool for diagnosing pneumonia in children. However, the high heterogeneity found across the individual studies, and the absence of a reliable reference standard, make the finding questionable. More methodologically rigorous studies are needed.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2018
Meta AnalysisDexamethasone as an Adjuvant for Caudal Blockade in Pediatric Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Caudal block is commonly used to provide postoperative analgesia after pediatric surgery in the lower abdomen. Typically administered as a single-shot technique, 1 limitation of this block is the short duration of analgesia. To overcome this, dexamethasone has been used as an adjuvant to prolong block duration. However, there are concerns about steroid-related morbidity and the optimal route of dexamethasone administration (eg, caudal or intravenous) is unknown. ⋯ Caudal and intravenous dexamethasone are similarly effective for prolonging the duration of analgesia from caudal blockade, resulting in a doubled to tripled duration. Given the off-label status of caudal dexamethasone, intravenous administration is recommended-although only high intravenous doses (0.5 mg/kg up to 10 mg) have been studied.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison of lateral entry with crossed entry pinning for pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures: a meta-analysis.
The standard treatment for severe displaced pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture (SCHF) is closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation. However, controversy persists concerning the optimal pin fixation technique. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy on the configuration of lateral entry only with crossed entry pin fixation for SCHF, including Gartland type II and type III fractures in children. ⋯ In consideration of the contradictoriness of lateral entry with two pins only (possible risk of poor functional consequence of elbow) and crossed entry pins (risk of iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury), the recommended strategy for the treatment of SCHF is the lateral entry technique with introducing divergent three pins which can provide a stable configuration and avoid the injury of the ulnar nerve. And additional protective measures for the ulnar nerve should be taken by surgeons that wish for the more stable structure with the crossed entry technique.