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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Surgery
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2024.1467215

Questionnaire-based subjective evaluation and analysis of factors influencing the effectiveness of treatment with the vacuum bell in children with pectus excavatum: A cross-sectional observational study

Provisionally accepted
Lihuan Zhou Lihuan Zhou 1Fang Deng Fang Deng 1Yunfei Tian Yunfei Tian 1Jiayi Lin Jiayi Lin 1Guihong Yang Guihong Yang 1Yunfei Li Yunfei Li 1Jos M. Latour Jos M. Latour 1,2Xicheng Deng Xicheng Deng 1*
  • 1 The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine ,Central South University（Hunan children’s hospital), Changsha, China
  • 2 School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Vacuum bell (VB) is a technique to treat pectus excavatum in children. Its effectiveness and influencing factors, however, remain under investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effect and its influencing factors of VB in children with pectus excavatum. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Parents of children with pectus excavatum who underwent treatment with a VB between January 2018 and December 2019 were recruited. A survey was designed based on previously related studies and delivered to the parents in September-October 2021. The therapeutic effect was analyzed using subjective experiences by parents. Factors related to effectiveness were analyzed through univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression.Results: Of the 77 surveys distributed, 65 (84%) were returned. The mean duration of VB was 23.20 (SD 9.86) months. Caregivers rated the effect of VB treatment as moderate (41.5%), good (46.2%), excellent (12.3%). There were 39 children (60%) who had at least one pause of using VB for more than two weeks. Univariate analysis showed no significant difference between age, height, weight, duration of VB (months) and the effectiveness of VB therapy as defined by caregivers (p>0.05) and significant difference were observed of the variables 'complication of petechiae' (p=0.034) and 'device returned to manufacturer for repair' (p=0.011). The multivariate logistic regression showed that the occurrence of complication petechiae (p=0.046) was an influential factor for the effectiveness of VB.Conclusions: The evaluations reported by the parents suggested that the VB treatment was effective, although with varying degrees. The complication of petechiae seems an influencing factor to successful VB treatment in children with pectus excavatum. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term outcome and effect of VB and to improve the device and to reduce complications in order to enhance compliance and improve effectiveness.

    Keywords: Pectus excavatum, Children, Vacuum Bell, Compliance, Caregivers

    Received: 19 Jul 2024; Accepted: 20 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhou, Deng, Tian, Lin, Yang, Li, Latour and Deng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xicheng Deng, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine ,Central South University（Hunan children’s hospital), Changsha, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.