Meta-analysis of current literature shows T&A offers prominent improvement in a variety of sleep parameters. Improvements in non-obese children exceeded those for obese children. Postoperative residual OSA remained in roughly half of the children, especially those with severe disease and obesity, making additional treatment strategies and/or long-term follow-up highly desirable.

There is a lack of population-level analysis of revision adenoidectomy in children. This study reveals the revision rates and factors associated with paediatric revision adenoidectomy in Taiwan. From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified all in-hospital children (age <18 years) who underwent adenoidectomy between 2000 and 2007. All children had received at least 5 years of follow-up from the index date, and the clinical records until 2012 were examined. Factors affecting the paediatric revision adenoidectomy were analysed using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 10,396 children were enrolled (mean age 7.3 years; 66% boys; mean follow-up period 8.7 years). Two hundred and seventy-five children underwent revision adenoidectomy, and the mean interval between primary adenoidectomy and revision surgery was 2.97 years. Only 58.5% of children underwent revision surgery at the initial hospital. The incidence of revision surgery was highest in the second year (0.69%), followed by the third year (0.53%) after primary adenoidectomy. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model revealed that young age [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.8], male gender (HR = 1.57), surgery at an eastern hospital (HR = 2.08), surgical indication of adenoid hypertrophy (HR = 1.51), and concurrent ventilation tube insertion (HR = 2.61) or nasal surgeries (HR = 4.84) were associated with revision adenoidectomy. The incidence of revision adenoidectomy in Taiwan was 2.6%. Male gender, young age, concurrent nasal or ventilation tube insertion, and surgery at an eastern hospital increased the risk of revision.

Age by itself is not a limiting factor for older patients with hearing impairment to benefit from digital hearing aids.

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This study revealed an increasing trend of pediatric inpatient adenoidectomy incidence rates during 1997-2012 in Taiwan. Moreover, surgical indications have shifted from infections to SDB.

SUMMARYThere is substantial evidence indicating that endogenous opioid peptides are involved in the pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. We measured the myocardial and peripheral concentrations of β-endorphin before and following myocardial ischemia and reperfusion during coronary angioplasty. The results indicate that in patients with coronary artery disease, there was an augmented myocardial concentration of β-endorphin. Moreover, there was an increased peripheral concentration of β-endorphin following myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. The data support the previous notion that endogenous opioid peptides are involved in the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease. (Jpn Heart J 2004; 45: 365-371)

We report an unusual case of cerebral embolization that occurred after intravenous thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction. Direct observation by serial echocardiograms in this patient confirmed that the thrombolytic treatment induced lysis and fragmentation of thrombus, and the subsequent dislodging and embolization of preexisting cardiac thrombi, which caused the cerebral infarction. It is suggested that an echocardiogram, if instantly available, be performed before considering thrombolytic therapy whenever acute anterior wall myocardial infarction is impressed.

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