title: Childhood intussusception: 17-year experience at a tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review all paediatric patients with intussusception over the last 17 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary centre in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children who presented with intussusception from January 1997 to December 2014 were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The duration of symptoms, successful treatment modalities, complication rate, and length of hospital stay were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 173 children (108 male, 65 female) presented to our hospital with intussusception during the study period. Their median age at presentation was 12.5 months (range, 2 months to 16 years) and the mean duration of symptoms was 2.3 (standard deviation, 1.8) days. Vomiting was the most common symptom (76.3%) followed by abdominal pain (46.2%), per rectal bleeding or red currant jelly stool (40.5%), and a palpable abdominal mass (39.3%). Overall, 160 patients proceeded to pneumatic or hydrostatic reduction, among whom 127 (79.4%) were successful. Three (1.9%) patients had bowel perforation during the procedure. Early recurrence of intussusception occurred in four (3.1%) patients with non-operative reduction. No recurrence was reported in the operative group. The presence of a palpable abdominal mass was a risk factor for operative treatment (relative risk=2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-2.2). Analysis of our results suggested that duration of symptoms did not affect the success rate of non-operative reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-operative reduction has a high success rate and low complication rate, but the presence of a palpable abdominal mass is a risk factor for failure. Operative intervention should not be delayed in those patients who encounter difficult or doubtful non-operative reduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Carol W Y
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ivy H Y
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Patrick H Y
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Lawrence C L
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Wendy W M
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kenneth K Y
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Paul K H
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Tam
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D007443:Intussusception / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Child; Intussusception/surgery