OBJECTIVES. This study focuses on the pattern of incidence, mechanisms, and circumstances of accident and injury in a series of pediatric patients who sustained dog bites.METHODS. In our retrospective survey, the medical charts of all children who were younger than 17 years and sought medical attention after a dog bite between 1994 and 2003 were reviewed. To obtain the total number of each dog breed in the administrative district, we analyzed 5873 files from the community dog registers. For establishment of a risk index, the representation of a dog breed among the total canine population was divided by the frequency of dog bites from this breed.RESULTS. A total of 341 children (mean age: 5.9 years) were identified. The annual incidence of dog bites was 0.5 per 1000 children between 0 and 16 years of age. Incidence was highest in 1-year-old patients and decreased with increasing age. The relative risk for a dog attack by a German shepherd or a Doberman was ϳ5 times higher than that of a Labrador/retriever or cross-breed. The vast majority (82%) of the dogs were familiar to the children. Most (322; 94%) of the children had injuries to 1 body region; in the remaining 19 (6%) children, up to 3 body regions were injured. Of 357 injuries, the face, head, and neck region was the leading site affected (50%). Inpatient treatment was required in 93 (27%) patients.CONCLUSIONS. Dog bites in children are frequent and influenced by the breed-related behavior of dogs, dog owners, children, and parents. Therefore, prevention strategies should focus on public education and training of dogs and their owners. Children who are younger than 10 years represent the high-risk group for dog attacks.www.pediatrics.org/cgi

The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive method for the correction of pectus excavatum, with several centers reporting its successful application. Complications related to the Nuss procedure are not uncommon and life-threatening complications have been reported. This study focuses on the incidence and management of complications in a series of 167 children and adults with funnel chest corrected by Nuss procedure. Guidelines and strategies to avoid the most common and typical complications are proposed. All patients with funnel chest, operated between April 2000 and 2006 were evaluated prospectively. Our surgical approach involved the submuscular insertion of the pectus bar under right-sided thoracoscopic control. The bar was secured in most cases with one stabilizer on the right side on the underlying rib to prevent bar displacement. Postoperative pain was primarily managed by epidural catheters. All data in the patient report forms was prospectively entered in a database. All complications were documented and classified into major or minor complication. A major complication was noted, if an organ injury occurred or if a significant surgical intervention became necessary. A minor complication was documented, if either an endoscopy or an evacuation of fluid or gas from the thorax by puncture were necessary. One hundred and sixty seven patients (136 males and 31 females) with a mean age of 16.3 (range 5-40 years) were included in this study. Major complications occurred in seven patients (4.2%) and consisted of one intraoperative heart perforation, one piercing of the liver with the trocar, bar infections (n = 2) and significant bar displacement (n = 3). Minor complications were seen in 122 patients (73.1%) and consisted of breakage of wires used to secure the lateral stabilizer plate (n = 48), pleural effusions (n = 28), intraoperative rupture of the intercostal muscle (n = 15), pericardial tears without clinical significance (n = 7) and lung atelectasia (n = 4). Major complications related to the Nuss procedure were rare but preventable and could mainly be attributed to the learning curve. Most minor complications can be avoided by changing the technique, e.g. fixation of the bar and the stabilizer onto the underlying rib, use of PDS cords instead of metal wires to fix the bar and the stabilizer, entrance into and exit of the thorax medial to the rim of the pectus excavatum, etc. Some complications are related to the technique, such as minor pleural effusion or remaining gas in the thorax. Clear guidelines in regard to the technique are presented to prevent the majority of complications and thereby shorten the learning curve.

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Early diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated intestinal duplications by means of prenatal sonographic screening and laparoscopic-assisted resection, respectively, are desirable in this congenital malformation. Resection of the duplication with or without minimal resection of the adjacent normal intestine should be mandatory.

We conclude that the Nuss procedure was beneficial in adult patients. Dislocation of the pectus bar can be prevented by submuscular placement. The use of corticosteroids may be helpful in case of repeated, uncontaminated pleural effusions. Patient satisfaction and the acceptable number and kind of complications are encouraging.