A combination of data obtained from billing and administrative systems and review of electronic medical records were recorded and compiled in a database for statistical analysis.

Results: Three air-tracking complications (2 pneumothoraces and 1 pneumomediastinum) were identified in our population of 421 pediatric patients, for an AZD7762 solubility dmso incidence of 0.71% (95% Cl: 0.1-2.0%). No

significant relationships were found between the incidence of air-tracking complication and surgical specialty, patient age, or type of procedure (elective, urgent/emergent).

Conclusions: Our study identified a low rate of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum following pediatric tracheostomy. In all three cases, the pneumothorax was suspected clinically. This finding suggests that postoperative chest radiography should be reserved for cases where there is suspicion of a complication on the basis of intraoperative findings or clinical parameters. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: There are many clinical decision rules

for adults with minor head injury, but it is unclear how they compare in terms of diagnostic accuracy. This study aimed to systematically identify clinical decision rules for adults with minor head injury and compare the estimated diagnostic accuracies for any intracranial injury and injury requiring neurosurgical intervention.

Methods: Several electronic bibliographic databases covering biomedical, scientific, and gray literature Dorsomorphin cost were searched from inception to March 2010. At least two independent reviewers determined the eligibility of cohort studies that described a clinical decision rule to identify adults with minor head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score, 13-15) at risk of intracranial injury or injury requiring neurosurgical intervention.

Results: Twenty-two Selleckchem ERK inhibitor relevant studies were identified. Differences existed in patient selection, outcome definition, and reference standards

used. Nine rules stratified patients into high-and moderate-risk categories (to identify neurosurgical or nonsurgical intracranial lesions). The Canadian Computed Tomography Head Rule (CCHR) high-risk criteria have sensitivity of 99% to 100% with specificity of 48% to 77% for injury requiring neurosurgical intervention. Other rules such as New Orleans criteria, National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study II, Neurotraumatology Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, Scandinavian, and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network produce similar sensitivities for injury requiring neurosurgical intervention but with lower and more variable specificity values.