Plasma IGF-1 levels are lower in malnourished children, and plasma ghrelin levels are decreased after acute oral food intake and are increased in cachexia and fasting. Therefore, increased serum IGF-1 levels, height and weight SDS values, and decreased ghrelin levels detected postoperatively are useful parameters that help to monitor the development of children with adequate oral intakes.

Deterioration of the right ventricular (RV) functions and the increase in the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) of children with moderate to severe adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) have been well described. In addition to these complications, this study aimed to investigate the influence of ATH on the conduction system. The study investigated 46 patients with a diagnosis of ATH and 46 healthy control subjects. Conventional echocardiography, P-wave dispersion (Pd), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) findings, and atrial electromechanical delay (AED) were compared between the patients and the control subjects before and after adenotonsillectomy. The maximum P-wave duration and Pd were significantly higher in the patients than in the control subjects (p < 0.001). The patient group showed significantly greater RV end-diastolic dimension (p = 0.01), right atrial area (p < 0.001), and mean PAP (p = 0.03) but lower E/A ratios for the mitral (p = 0.04) and tricuspid (p = 0.01) valves and a shorter pulmonary flow trace acceleration time (p = 0.03). The tricuspid annular-plane systolic excursion was similar between these groups (p = 0.21). In the patient group, TDI studies showed significantly lower E'/A' ratios for the tricuspid lateral (p = 0.006) and mitral septal (p = 0.003) segments than in the control group. The myocardial performance index was lower for the mitral lateral, mitral septal, and tricuspid lateral segments in patient group (p < 0.001). Similarly, AED was prolonged in the patient group at all three segments (p < 0.001). Also, the patient group showed a significantly longer interatrial (p = 0.03) and intraatrial (p = 0.04) electromechanical delay. However, all the electro- and echocardiographic parameters were similar between the patients and the control subjects after adenotonsillectomy (p > 0.05). The prolongations in P-wave duration, Pd, and inter- and intraatrial electromechanical delays were first shown in this population. The cardiac changes induced by ATH-associated hypoxia may facilitate arrhythmias during the long term.

Amaç: Postoperatif kusma genel anestezi sonrasında en sık karşıla-şılan problemlerden biridir. Etiyolojide pek çok faktörün tek başı-na veya birlikte etkili olduğu bilinmektedir. Akupunktur, Dünya Sağlık Örgütünün tamamlayıcı tedavi metodu olarak kabul ettiği bir medikal tekniktir. Burada çocuk hastalarda adenoidektomi ve/ veya tonsillektomi sonrasında görülen kusmanın tedavisi amacıyla Akupunktur deneyimimiz sunulmaktadır.Yöntemler: Çalışmaya genel anestezi altında adenoidektomi ve/ veya tonsillektomi uygulanan, 2-14 yaş arasında, ASA I-II, (n=70) hastalar dahil edildi. Hastalar çalışma ve kontrol grubu olarak, rastgele iki gruba ayrıldılar. Çalışma grubunda, akupunktur iğnesi intraoperatif dönemde 20 dakika P6 noktasında uygulandı. Gruplara postoperatif dönemde antiemetik herhangi bir tedavi verilmedi. Hastalar postoperatif dönemde grupları bilmeyen hemşireler tarafında takip edildi. Bulgular: Yaş, cinsiyet, girişim türü, anestezi süresi, girişim süresi, cerrahi uygulama ve ASA skorları göz önüne alındığında gruplar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık saptanmadı. Grupların kusma sayıları karşılaştırıldığında ise anlamlı farklılık olduğu saptandı. Akupunktur uygulanan grupta kusma sıklığının diğer gruba göre 0,28 kat daha az olduğu görüldü.Sonuç: Çalışmamızın sonuçları, akupunktur uygulamasının postoperatif kusmayı azaltmada açık bir etkinliği olduğunu gös-termektedir. Akupunkturun rutin kullanımı postoperatif hasta konforuna katkıda bulunmanın yanısıra tedavi veya profilaksi amacıyla ilaç kullanımını azaltacaktır.Anahtar kelimeler: Akupunktur, postoperatif kusma, adenoidektomi, tonsillektomi Objective: Postoperative vomiting (POV) is one of the most common problems following general anaesthesia, and many factors, either solely or in combination, may play a role in aetiology. Acupuncture is a technique that the World Health Organization has accepted as a complementary treatment. This study presents our experience with acupuncture for POV treatment in a study of paediatric tonsillectomy cases. Methods:The study included ASA I-II patients (n=70) aged 2-14 years who underwent tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy under general anaesthesia. The patients were randomly divided into the following two groups: control and study group. In the study group, an acupuncture needle was intraoperatively applied to the P6 acupuncture point for 20 min. Antiemetics were not administered to either group because of the standard applications in the preoperative period. The patients were postoperatively evaluated by nurses who were unaware about the techniques used in either group.Results: No statistically significant difference was determined between the groups with regard to age, sex, nature of the operation, duration of anaesthesia, duration of the operation, surgical method and ASA scores. A statistically significant difference was determined between the groups with respect to vomiting rates. The acupuncture group presented with 0.28-times fewer vomiting episodes than the control group. Conclusion:The results of the stud...

Objective: To analyze the indications, complications, and outcomes of pediatric tracheotomies. Material and methods: All tracheotomies performed in a tertiary referral center between January 2011 and December 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics of patients, types of referral to hospital, tracheotomy indications, preoperative evaluation findings, surgical technique, postoperative care and complications, discharge and follow-up results were analyzed. Results: A total of 152 pediatric patients underwent tracheotomy at our hospital during this five year period. The median age of patients at the time of tracheotomy was 15.8 months, ranging from 24 days to 17 years. Of the 152 patients, 91 had neurological diseases, 38 had cardiopulmonary diseases, 14 had craniofacial abnormalities, seven had upper airway obstruction, and two underwent tracheostomy for trauma. Eleven (7.2%) patients experienced early complications, and 15 (9.8%) experienced late complications. Twenty (13.1%) patients were decannulated during the follow-up period. Unfortunately, 9 patients (5.9%) died of primary disease and 3 patients (1.9%) died of tracheostomy-related complications Conclusions: The majority of procedures were performed for diseases leading to prolonged mechanical ventilator support such as neurological and cardiopulmonary diseases. This study demostrates the importance of tracheotomy indications, which are the main predictors of decannulation rates. The other significant predictor is pulmonary complications that may cause permanent dependence of mechanical ventilator support as a result of pulmonary failure.

An 8-year-old child diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder presented to our Department of Otolaryngology 4 days after suffering hearing loss, loss of balance, tinnitus, and fullness sensation of the left ear. Her symptoms occured with the first dose of methylphenidate. The medical history and physical examination revealed no other diseases associated with sudden hearing loss. The audiogram revealed a total hearing loss on the left ear. Stapedial reflexes, distortion product and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions were absent in left ear. The absence of clinical, laboratory and radiological evidence of a possible cause for complaints, an association between methylphenidate and sudden hearing loss was suggested. The patient received a standard course of oral corticosteroid and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Weekly otological and audiological examinations were performed. Conservative and medical treatments offered no relief from hearing loss. Sudden hearing loss is a serious and irreversible adverse effect of methylphenidate. Therefore, the risk of hearing loss should be taken into consideration when initiating methylphenidate therapy.