title: A decision analysis tool for the assessment of posterior fossa tumour surgery outcomes in children--the "Liverpool Neurosurgical Complication Causality Assessment Tool".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complications may occur following posterior fossa tumour surgery in children. Such complications are subjectively and inconsistently reported even though they may have significant long-term behavioural and cognitive consequences for the child. This makes comparison of surgeons, programmes and treatments problematic.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have devised a causality tool for assessing if an adverse event after surgery can be classified as a surgical complication using a series of simple questions, based on a tool used in assessing adverse drug reactions. This tool, which we have called the "Liverpool Neurosurgical Complication Causality Assessment Tool", was developed by reviewing a series of ten posterior fossa tumour cases with a panel of neurosurgery, neurology, oncology and neuropsychology specialists working in a multidisciplinary paediatric tumour treatment programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated its use and hope that it may improve reliability between different assessors both in evaluating the outcomes of existing programmes and treatments as well as aiding in trials which may directly compare the effects of surgical and medical treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ, UK. rzakaria@nhs.net
authors.forename: Rasheed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellenbogen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pizer
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mallucci
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D020546:Fourth Ventricle / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015192:Infratentorial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome