This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional support and growth velocity after abdominal surgery in neonates.

The electronic medical records of 45 neonates who underwent abdominal surgery in neonatal intensive care unit from 2012 to 2016 were collected to see how surgery and postoperative nutrition affect for the growth of neonate with abdominal surgery. The growth velocity was measured from the time of surgery to the time of discharge based on body weight.

In neonates who achieve their protein requirement on the first day after surgery, the growth velocity was better than that in neonates who did not achieve their protein requirement on the first day after surgery (4.31 vs. 15.21; p=0.004). Based on the type of surgery, length of bowel resection and surgical complications, this study showed better growth velocity in neonates who had no surgical complications (5.34 vs. 12.74; p=0.775), reoperation (5.25 vs. 22.19, p=0.987), or bowel resection (6.79 vs. 9.95, p=0.302). However, there was no statistically significant difference among these factors.

We concluded in this study that adequate protein supplement from the first day of surgery could have a positive effect on the growth velocity of neonates who underwent abdominal surgery.

Purpose
In the time of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, preoperative confirmation of COVID-19 infection in patients in need of surgery is critical for the safety of medical staff and patients. Our purpose in this study was to analyze the experience with preoperative COVID-19 screening tests on naso-pharyngeal swabs in pediatric patients requiring surgery.
Methods
From May 1st to December 31st, 2020, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients under 18 who had undergone elective and emergency pediatric surgery in Kangwon National University Hospital. During this period, all patients were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) preoperatively on their nasopharyngeal smears (Allplex™ 2019-nCoV Assay, Xpert^® Xpress SARS-CoV-2). Patients were divided into 2 groups before (group A) and after (group B) the introduction of Xpert^® Xpress SARS-CoV-2, and the COVID-19 positive rate was confirmed by classifying the patients into 4 groups according to the risk of COVID-19 infection as assessed by clinical judgment.
Results
We screened 45 patients, of whom 35 (77.8%) were asymptomatic patients, and 10 (22.2%) had a fever. Elective surgery was done after checking the screening results in all cases. For emergency surgery patients (n=25), before the introduction of Xpert^® , only 3 out of 13 (23%) patients had emergency surgery after the screening results were confirmed. However, after the introduction of Xpert^® , all patients had emergency surgery after the screening results were confirmed. All patients were confirmed negative.
Conclusion
Clinical judgment on the risk of COVID-19 infection and the introduction of the Xpert^® test for emergency surgery patients resulted in safe surgery for all patients without COVID-19 exposure.