Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with transperitoneal division of the hernia sac and purse string closure of the proximal peritoneum allows for a minimally invasive option for pediatric inguinal hernia repair that mimics open inguinal hernia repair. At medium term follow-up there have been no recurrences to date, high parent satisfaction, minimal scarring and good cosmetic results.

Cervical spondylosis and ankylosing hyperostosis of the cervical vertebrae are common findings. Although these hypertrophic changes can be completely asymptomatic, it is known that dysphagia may occur occasionally in the presence of massive cervical hyperostosis. Laryngotracheal symptoms due to cervical hyperostosis are less frequent and may be managed initially as tumors of the esophagus, trachea, or thyroid gland. The management of two severe cases of dyspnea due to cervical ankylosing hyperostosis are discussed.

The retrorectus repair with polyester mesh is an effective and durable repair for midline ventral hernias. The disadvantage of this repair is the large number of wound complications.

Summary. Objective: We sought to evaluate deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis compliance according to time of admission in a medical intensive care unit (MICU). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study at a closed tertiary MICU. We classified patients into three groups (week days, weekends, and week nights), according to time of admission. An unweighted risk factor score (RFS) was calculated from 20 known risk factors. We defined DVT prophylaxis compliance as any type of prophylaxis (mechanical or pharmacologic) for RFS £ 3 or both types of prophylaxis for RFS > 3. Noncompliance was defined as no prophylaxis or single-type prophylaxis for RFS > 3. Results: We analyzed 105 admissions. Eighty (76.19%) patients received compliant DVT prophylaxis, and 25 (23.81%) patients received non-compliant regimens of whom 11 (10.48%) were not on any prophylaxis. DVT prophylaxis compliance was not different across the three admission groups. The non-compliant DVT prophylaxis group had a higher RFS (3.48 ± 2.1 vs. 2.25 ± 1.5; P = 0.011), a trend towards fewer female patients (40% vs. 60%; P = 0.079), and a higher percentage of admissions by interns at the first postgraduate year (PGY) level (28% vs. 5.4%; P = 0.01). Logistic regression revealed that only RFS and PGY level were independent predictors for compliance (P = 0.015 and 0.005 respectively). Time of admission was not a significant factor. Conclusions: Time of admission did not influence DVT prophylaxis compliance. Compliance improved with higher PGY level and lower RFS. A higher level of knowledge probably explains the association with PGY level; however, we cannot explain the inverse relationship between RFS and compliance.

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