OBJECTIVES: In young childhood, intestinal intussusception (IS) is the most common cause of small bowel obstruction. A lead point such as Meckel diverticulum, polyps, tumors, enlarged lymph nodes, cystic fibrosis, and Schoenlein-Henoch purpura are recognized causes. Association between celiac disease (CD) and IS has been well recognized in adults but rarely in children. Data on causes and outcome of intussusception among Saudi children are lacking in the literature. Our objectives were to characterize the pattern of IS among Saudi children and investigate the frequency, clinical presentation, and outcome of intussusception among children with CD. METHODS: We searched the hospital's picture archiving and communications system for abdominal imaging studies (ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan, and barium contrast studies), performed between 2008 and 2019, using "intussusception" as a search key word. The hospital medical records of the identified cases of intussusception (aged 0-14 years) were then retrospectively reviewed to collect demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging findings, management, and outcome. RESULTS: During the study period, 57 cases were identified as confirmed IS (31 boys, median age 1.95 years, range 0.33-11 years). Abdominal ultrasound was the diagnostic imaging study in 93%. An underlying cause (secondary IS) could be identified in 19 (33.3%) cases: CD in 6, malignancy and Henoch-Schoenlein purpura, 5 each, and Meckel diverticulum in 3; the remaining 38 (66.6%) cases of IS were idiopathic (primary IS). The presence of hypoalbuminemia and abdominal distension were significantly associated with secondary IS as compared with primary IS (P < 0.001, P = 0.006, respectively). All of the 6 cases of IS associated with CD resolved spontaneously, but 3 were recurrent. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary causes contributed to a large proportion of IS in our study cohort (33%) as compared with 5% to 10% in the literature. Celiac disease is an underrecognized cause of IS among children. A child with IS and hypoalbuminemia, anemia, or chronic diarrhea needs to be investigated for CD to avoid unnecessary surgery.

INTRODUCTION: In testicular torsion (TT), delayed emergency scrotal exploration (ESE) increases the risk of orchidectomy. Transfer of a patient with suspected TT from a district general hospital (DGH) to a paediatric surgical centre (PSC) delays ESE and potentially puts them at increased risk of testicular loss. Prior to 1st January 2017, all boys under aged <16 years presenting to a DGH within the East Midlands Clinical Network (EMCN) would be referred to the PSC. From this date, it was agreed within the EMCN that boys aged ≥5 years with suspected TT presenting to a network DGH would be managed locally, barring exceptional circumstances. Boys aged <5 years would be referred to the PSC for management. AIM: This study aimed to assess the impact of decentralisation of ESE for suspected TT on orchidectomy rates in the EMCN. METHODS: All patients who underwent ESE under the care of paediatric surgery in the PSC, and all patients <16 years old who underwent ESE in 4 EMCN DGHs between January 2017 and December 2019 were identified. Neonatal cases and inpatient referrals were excluded. Comparison was made with published data on ESE performed in the PSC over the 9 years 2008-2016 prior to decentralisation. RESULTS: In the 9 years prior to decentralisation, there were 110 cases of TT in the PSC. In the subsequent 3 years, there were 40 in the PSC and 37 in the DGHs. The orchidectomy rate of boys with TT presenting to DGHs and undergoing exploration locally (16%, 6/37) contrasts with the rate in those transferred from DGHs to the PSC for exploration (58%, 15/26). The difference is highly significant (p = 0.00059, RR 0.28 [95% CI 0.13-0.63]) and indicates that in the EMCN, avoiding hospital transfer and performing ESE at the presenting DGH reduces the risk of orchidectomy by 72%. CONCLUSION: Decentralisation of the provision of ESE in boys with TT has resulted in a significantly lower orchidectomy rate in boys undergoing ESE in the presenting hospital than when transferred to the PSC. This study reinforces existing literature that demonstrates the effect of delayed ESE on orchidectomy rate, and supports the recommendations of national guidelines in the UK that transfer of boys to a PSC for ESE should only occur in exceptional circumstances.

Since the detection of COVID-19 in December 2019, the rapid spread of the disease worldwide has led to a new pandemic, with the number of infected individuals and deaths rising daily. Early experience shows that it predominantly affects older age groups with children and young adults being generally more resilient to more severe disease (1-3). From a health standpoint, children and young people are less directly affected than adults and presentation of the disease has shown different characteristics. Nonetheless, COVID-19 has had severe repercussions on children and young people. These indirect, downstream implications should not be ignored. An understanding of the issues is essential for those who hope to advocate effectively for children to prevent irreversible damage to the adults of the future. This article reviews some of the evidence of harm to children that may accrue indirectly as a result of pandemics. It explores the physical and psychological effects, discusses the role of parenting and education, offering practical advice about how best to provide support as a health care professional.

Background: Non-attendance in clinics has major economic impact in the national health service. Literature review indicates that main reason for non-attendance is forgetfulness and reminders reduce the non-attendance rate (NAR). Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the NAR at the paediatric outpatient clinics after implementation of telephone reminders. Patients and Methods: NAR was reviewed for 6 months (February-July 2013) and compared with the NAR for similar duration in 2014 (before and after implementation of telephone reminders). Within 2014 data, comparison was also made for patients who confirmed attendance during telephone reminders versus those left a voice message and patients who were not contactable. Results: Total number of patients in 6 months were 4156 [2674 follow-up (F/U), 1482 New] in 2013 and 4732 [3100 F/U, 1632 New] in 2014. Overall NAR in 2014 was significantly lower (5.1%) than in 2013 (P = < 0.001)). The difference for follow up appointments was 6.9% (P = < 0.001), and 1.75% for new appointments (P = 0.147). Patients who confirmed attendance were more likely to attend their appointment (97.9%) compared with those left a voice message (91.4%) and those that were not contactable (82.1%). Conclusions: Our results validate that telephonic confirmation of clinic appointment plays a significant role in reducing the NAR in paediatric out-patient clinic setting.

Enteral nutritional supplementation is widely used in preterm babies on Neonatal Units (NNUs). There is little published evidence on appraising their long-term efficacy. We evaluated the current practice of enteral nutritional supplementation in 96 level II and III NNUs in England. 96%, 98%, 98% and 56% units use breast milk fortification (BMF), iron, multivitamins and folic acid supplementation respectively. Iron, multivitamins and folic acid supplements are routinely commenced in babies < 35 weeks gestation by 73%, 68% and 39% NNUs respectively. Seventy eight percent NNUs only use BMF for babies that are not gaining weight. Continuing variable practice of enteral nutritional supplementation and current use of anecdotal evidence and best guess recommendations highlights the need for a unified approach and collaborative multinational research to produce standardised guidelines.

Parents often bring children with a fever to primary and emergency care settings. This article uses a case study to explore the assessment of children with a fever in pre-hospital settings using the three-minute toolkit, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fever guidelines and the baby check score. It also highlights some educational resources for parents, designed to help them recognise when to seek clinical advice for their children.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Alvarado score in reducing the rate of negative appendicectomy at Queen's Hospital, a small district general hospital in England. Methodology The retrospective, analytical study included all children who were <=16 years old with a preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicitis undergoing appendicectomy subsequently. Children with other causes of acute abdominal pain were excluded from the study. A total of 118 patients were included. Based on their calculated Alvarado scores, they were stratified into two groups: Group A (Alvarado score <6) and Group B (Alvarado score >=6). Alvarado scores were compared with the histopathology reports, the gold standard for diagnosing acute appendicitis. The data gathered was then subjected to statistical analysis to measure our objective. Results Out of the 118 patients (85 males, 33 females), 46 belonged to Group A and 72 to Group B. Final diagnosis of acute appendicitis from histopathology reports was confirmed in 94 cases (79.6%). The overall sensitivity and positive predictive value of Alvarado score for acute appendicitis were 92% and 94% respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9 indicating a highly accurate test. The sensitivity was only slightly higher for males with a score of <6 than females (94.9% vs. 89.5%, p < 0.05). However, for scores >=6, sensitivity among males was significantly higher than females (79% vs. 62.6%; p < 0.05). A multivariate analysis revealed that anorexia, right iliac fossa tenderness and rebound tenderness are significantly correlated with a correct diagnosis of acute appendicitis (p = 0.025, 0.037 and 0.026 respectively). Conclusion The presence of a high Alvarado score (>=6) is highly predictive of acute appendicitis. In women of childbearing age and Alvarado scores of <6, other pathologies that mimic appendicitis must be considered. An US scan of abdomen and pelvis should be considered in a woman of child-bearing age before proceeding to a surgical intervention.

Assessment of pain is a challenge in neonatal setting. Visual, behavioural and physiological pain scales are not always reliable in premature infants. Few studies with limited sample size have been published on the reliability and efficacy of Skin Conductance Algesimeter (SCA) in monitoring pain in infants and children. Aim To identify the clinical usefulness of SCA as a reliable and valid measure of pain intensity and stress response in preterm infants. Methods Parents of all preterm infants admitted to the neonatal unit were invited to participate in the study. The usefulness of SCA was compared with simultaneous measurement of 'Premature Infant Pain Profile' (PIPP) and 'Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC) scores during invasive and/or painful procedures. Results 85 measurements were recorded. PIPP and FLACC scores started low, increased during the procedure and decreased afterwards. For all SCA measurements, there was an increase in score pre-pro and a decrease in score pro-post. However, the standard deviation for variations was wider for some measurements than for others. Paired t-test comparing Delta pre-pro with Delta pro-post for all measurements {PIPP, FLACC, Area (small) and Peaks/sec} individually showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). For Area (small), there was no significant correlation between SCA data and PIPP/FLACC scores. Conclusions SCA, PIPP and FLACC scores increased during the painful procedures. Although the SCA, PIPP and FLACC data is mathematically correlated, at a clinical level, the correlation is too imprecise to use the SCA to predict or measure behavioural responses to noxious stimuli in neonates.