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To determine current perceptions of doctors, nurses and parents for the colour of a neonatal vomit which should prompt an urgent surgical review. A voluntary scoping survey of parents/guardians of patients and non-surgical healthcare professionals was conducted with respondents asked to choose from 8 different selections in a colour swatch from pale yellow to dark green. A control group consisted of 13 paediatric surgeons. Data were analysed using the paired t test, Fishers exact test. A p value of

Summary Objectives There is a lack of a standardised protocol for the investigation and non-operative management of paediatric multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK). Institutional protocols for non-operative management remain essentially ad hoc. The primary outcome of this systematic review is to establish the incidence of hypertension associated with an MCDK. The secondary outcome is to determine the malignancy risk associated with an MCDK. The tertiary outcome is to assess the rate of MCDK involution. Subsequent to these, an evidence-based algorithm for follow-up is described. Methodology A systematic review of all relevant studies published between 1968 and April 2017 was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were identified by specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, all of which included data relevant to the primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure greater than the 95th centile for gender, age and height centile. Subset analysis was performed for hypertension associated with an MCDK. Results The primary outcome measure revealed a 3.2% (27/838) risk of developing hypertension associated with an MCDK. The secondary outcome measure noted a 0.07% malignancy risk (2/2820). The tertiary outcome measure established that 53.3% (1502/2820) had evidence of involution of the dysplastic kidney. A total of 44 cohort studies (2820 patients) were analysed. Conclusion Given the low risk of hypertension and malignancy, which is similar to the general population, the current conservative non-operative pathway is an appropriate management strategy. An algorithm to help support clinicians with ongoing management is proposed.

Background There is ongoing debate concerning the use of peritoneal irrigation in the setting of complicated appendicitis (CA) in children. Our aim was to conduct a prospective randomized controlled trial for the treatment of CA during a laparoscopic appendicectomy in children. Methods Following ethical approval (REC10138B), pediatric patients (≤ 16 years old) were recruited from a single institution over a 3-year time period (2015–2018). Randomization occurred following intraoperative diagnosis of CA to either peritoneal lavage (PL) or suction only (SO). Primary outcome was the length of stay (LoS), and secondary outcomes were the presence of a postoperative intraabdominal abscess (IAA), wound infection (WI), or adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO). Data are reported as number of cases (%), median (range), odds ratio [OR] and analyzed using t-test and Fisher's exact test. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results A total of 100 pediatric patients were recruited into the trial. Sixteen were excluded owing to either recruitment or protocol violations, and therefore a total of 86 underwent final analysis: 44 PL and 42 SO. There was no significant difference in the LoS: 5.7 (PL) vs 5.6 (SO) days, p = 0.75. Only 1 IAA occurred in the PL group: 1/44(2.3%) vs 0/42(0%), p = 1.0. There was 1 ASBOs in the PL group (2.3%, p = 1.0) and no WIs in either of the groups. Conclusion This prospective randomized control trial has revealed equivalence in techniques for the treatment of complicated appendicitis. It has also revealed a low complication rate following pediatric LA with either PL or SO. Type of study Randomized controlled trial. Level of evidence Level I.

Congenital hernia of the umbilical cord (CHUC) is a rare, distinctive anomaly with variable presentation and conflicting terminology. We report two newborn infants who had fetal antenatal diagnosis as umbilical cord cyst and omphalocele, respectively, and were subsequently found to have hernia into the umbilical cord. The herniating mass in CHUC may vary greatly in size, making it difficult to differentiate with other conditions such as congenital umbilical cord cyst, cord hematoma, omphalocele, and gastroschisis. CHUC is prone to inadvertent cord clamping and injury to the gut. The failure of retraction of intestinal loops following physiological herniation has been postulated as the embryological basis of this entity. Overall prognosis is good.

Severe burns in the paediatric population are associated with high mortality and morbidity in any developing countries. Children with more than 40% total body surface area burns in Fiji will succumb from complications and as a direct result of inadequate treatment and lack of resources. The surgical treatment of any severely burnt patient is not only laborious but very costly to the Fiji health system and depletes existing resources with few options for skin coverage. This is the first case report of live sibling skin allograft for severe paediatric burns and one of only few patients to have survived more than 50% burns in Fiji. We describe the technique and the role of using live sibling skin allograft as an option to improve survival in patients with severe burns in a developing country.