A high survival rate of 85% with a 13% incidence of symptomatic CDH recurrence was demonstrated. Potentially, improved selection of cases for thoracoscopic repair and concentrating the thoracoscopic technique amongst a dedicated team of experienced thoracoscopic surgeons may reduce the rate of recurrence of CDH.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a 10-week lockdown on children with asthma aged 4–17 years in terms of presentations to the emergency department (ED), frequency of admissions, compliance with medications and changes in pulmonary function testing results.Design and settingA questionnaire-based cross-sectional study using Google Forms to collect parents’ and caregivers’ responses after they consented to participation.ResultsA total of 374 parents/caregivers were contacted and 297 (79%) responded. The majority of the children were male (188 or 63%) and 49.8% were aged 7–12 years. More than half of the participants (194 or 65%) reported improved compliance with medications and spacer use. There was a significant reduction in the number of presentations to the ED from 137 to 80 and admissions to hospital from 56 to 24 during the 10-week lockdown period compared with the same time period in the previous year (p≤0.0001). Around 25% of the participants used telemedicine by phone and social media applications for communication with their treating physician and 59 (80%) described it as easy and smooth.ConclusionThe national lockdown in Jordan due to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a fall in emergency presentations and hospital admissions for acute asthma exacerbations. Parental responses indicate that fears focused around COVID-19 were associated with enhanced compliance with use preventer medications during the lockdown.

Objectives After corrective surgery for scoliosis, postoperative pulmonary complications lead to increases in morbidity, length of hospital stay (LOS) and mortality. This study aimed to identify associations with such respiratory complications, and to assess the utility of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in children with severe scoliosis Methods This retrospective cohort study included all children aged ≤17 years who underwent spinal surgery for scoliosis between January 2009 and January 2012 at a quaternary pediatric hospital. Data were collated regarding polysomnography (PSG) and NIV use, before and after corrective surgery. Factors associated with severely compromised pulmonary function (SCPF) were established and correlations with the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications and LOS were identified. Results Altogether, 133 children had corrective surgery for scoliosis, aged 12.7 (range: 2‐17) years at operation. Scoliosis causes were identified as: idiopathic (39.8%), neuromuscular disease (32.2%), syndrome (15.7%), and congenital (12%). Correlates with SCPF (forced vital capacity [FVC] <40% predicted, n = 10) included markers of sleep hypoventilation, including serum bicarbonate ≥29 mmol/L, morning pCO2 > 50mm Hg (P = .003), and overnight, episodic CO2 retention of >7 mm Hg. Using these parameters an additional eight children with SCPF were identified making a total of 18 out of 133 (13.5%) of the patients. Postoperative pulmonary complications were seen in 24 children (18%) and their occurrence correlated with higher Cobb angle (>90°), lower pulmonary function (FVC), higher serum bicarbonate and underlying neuromuscular disease. Amongst the 18 children with SCPF, regular use of NIV preoperatively was associated with reduced rate of postoperative pulmonary complications (P = .02) and reduced LOS by 6.4 days (P = .01). Conclusion Nocturnal hypoventilation on PSG identifies children with SCPF. Use of NIV in children with SCPF was linked to fewer postoperative pulmonary complications and reduced duration of hospital stay.

Food allergy is an immune-mediated disease that can result in considerable morbidity and even mortality, with a significant negative impact on patients' quality of life. It is characterized by allergic symptoms that can occur shortly after a relevant food allergen ingestion, or can be delayed or chronic, which make it more difficult for diagnosis. The symptoms of this disease can range from mild to severe, and rarely can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. The prevalence of non-immunoglobulin E (IgE)mediated food allergy is poorly established outside of cow's milk allergy, with an adjusted incidence ranging between 0.13% and 0.72%. Several disorders are classified as non-immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies that predominantly affect the gastrointestinal tract including food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP), food protein-induced allergic enteropathy (FPE), and food protein-induced dysmotility disorders (GORD and constipation). Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is listed in this group, even though it considered by some authorities to be mixed reaction with both IgE and cell-mediated immune response to be involved in the reaction. The most common types of non-IgE-mediated food allergy are food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) and food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP). These disorders typically present in infancy and are often triggered by cow's milk protein. Patients with FPIES present with profuse emesis and dehydration, while FPIAP patients present with hematochezia in otherwise healthy infants. Since there are no specific confirmatory non-invasive diagnostic laboratory tests, the diagnosis is usually made clinically when typical symptoms improve upon the removal of the culprit food. Food reintroduction should be attempted, when possible, with documentation of symptoms of relapse to confirm the diagnosis. The management includes dietary avoidance, supportive treatment in the case of accidental exposure, and nutritional counseling. This review focuses on the clinical manifestations, epidemiology, management, and recent guidelines of the most common non-IgEmediated food hypersensitivity disorders (FPIES, FPIAP, and FPE).