DP is an occasional complication of cardiac surgery. High incidences of DP were seen after arterial switch operation, Fontan procedure and Blalock-Taussig shunt (BT). Respiratory insufficiency requires diaphragmatic plication in most infants with DP whereas older children may tolerate DP. Transthoracic diaphragmatic plication is an effective treatment of DP and achieves relief of respiratory insufficiency in most patients. Spontaneous recovery from postsurgical DP is rare.

Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord improves cerebral oxygenation in preterm infants in the first 24 hours.

Based on our study results cerebral tissue oxygenation readings by the NIRO 300 near-infrared spectrometer is influenced by central venous oxygen saturation, which partially explains intersubject variability of NIRS cerebral oxygenation readings.

The large range and the poor agreement of cerebral oxygenation values between the two oximeters makes it difficult to define a normal value. Cerebral oxygenation readings by these monitors, based on one single point measurement during anaesthesia, should be viewed with caution. Actually, there may be little indication for routine use of such monitoring during general anaesthesia.

Somatostatin is a therapeutic option for treatment of chylothorax and could reduce surgical intervention and hospitalization time, as well as allow earlier enteral feeding.