Background: Acute appendicitis remains a leading cause of emergency surgery globally. While laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has become the preferred technique in high-income countries due to reduced postoperative complications and shorter recovery times, its adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa is limited by resource constraints. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the safety, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of LA compared to open appendectomy (OA) in this region. Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, AJOL, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science from database inception to July 2025. Eligible studies included original research comparing LA and OA for acute appendicitis in Sub-Saharan Africa, with outcomes such as surgical site infection (SSI), operative time, hospital stay, and costs. Results: LA significantly reduced SSI risk [risk ratio 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23–0.69, P = 0.001, I ² = 0%] and hospital stay [mean defference (MD) 1.32 days, 95% CI: 1.64–0.99, P < 0.00001, I ² = 86%) compared to OA across 452 and 521 patients, respectively. Operative time was longer with LA (MD 13.79 minutes, 95% CI: 7.23–20.35, P < 0.0001, I ² = 78%). Cost data from two studies were inconclusive, with OA being less expensive in one ( P < 0.001) and LA showing a borderline advantage in another ( P = 0.049), with no significant difference in theatre costs (USD 634.92 versus USD 589.20, P = 0.264). Conclusions: LA offers significant safety and efficiency benefits over OA for acute appendicitis in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose of Review: Pediatric airway management in the Emergency Department is a critical intervention with high stakes and significant complication rates, including adverse events in 16–25% of intubations and first-attempt success rates of approximately 75%. This review examines the application of advanced digital technologies—artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), computer vision, deep learning, and predictive analytics—to address key gaps: unreliable prediction of difficult pediatric airways (with first-pass failure rates of 30–40%), variability in device selection and technique, and the absence of robust real-time decision support for clinicians. Recent Findings: Emerging AI tools demonstrate promise across three phases of airway management. For prediction, machine learning models analyzing patient data can identify difficult airways with accuracy approaching that of expert clinicians. During performance, deep learning algorithms applied to video laryngoscopy automatically recognize anatomical landmarks (e.g., vocal cords) and guide laryngoscope positioning, improving visualization and potentially first-attempt success. For monitoring, AI-based systems analyze real-time physiological signals - including heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory patterns - to detect subtle signs of airway difficulty or patient decompensation, showing improved hypoxia detection compared to standard monitoring. Summary: Integrating AI and advanced technologies could enable a future of “precision airway management,” tailoring interventions to individual patient anatomy, physiology, and risk factors to reduce failed intubations and complications. Realizing this potential requires ensuring equitable access to avoid disparities between centers, mitigating algorithmic bias, and fundamentally incorporating AI education—covering advanced airway technologies and human-AI collaboration—into Pediatric Emergency Medicine and anesthesia training programs.

Abdominal trauma is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), exacerbated by systemic deficiencies in prehospital care, limited hospital resources, and reliance on informal transport. Mobile triage units (MTUs) have emerged as a potential solution, providing rapid on-scene assessment, stabilization, and diagnostics. This narrative review synthesized evidence from PubMed, African Journals Online, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to evaluate MTU roles, effectiveness, implementation challenges, and strategies for sustainable deployment in SSA. Trauma-related deaths are substantial, with up to 50% occurring in the prehospital phase. MTUs equipped with portable ultrasound, hemorrhage control tools, fluid resuscitation kits, telemedicine, and drone-assisted supply delivery demonstrate the potential to reduce prehospital mortality by up to 30% and decrease transport times. Task-shifting models and community first responder programs enhance MTU reach in resource-limited areas. Implementation challenges include financial constraints, workforce shortages, logistical barriers, integration difficulties, and cultural acceptance. Addressing these requires targeted strategies: cost-effective and locally adapted designs to reduce financial barriers; scalable training programs and task-shifting to address workforce gaps; mobile and drone-assisted units to overcome logistical challenges; EMS integration to ensure coordinated care; and community engagement to foster acceptance. MTUs represent a transformative intervention for SSA, improving prehospital trauma care and timely access to definitive management. Further multicenter studies are needed to evaluate effectiveness, optimize operational protocols, and identify best practices for scalable MTU deployment across the region.

Purpose of Review: Pediatric hemorrhagic shock is a primary driver of preventable trauma mortality, often due to failures in early recognition and intervention. This review aims to define an actionable, pediatric-specific clinical framework for managing hemorrhagic shock by synthesizing pivotal advancements over the last decade into an evidence-to-practice guide for clinicians and policymakers. Recent Findings: Management has evolved significantly, with a shift away from crystalloid-based resuscitation toward early, blood-first strategies using whole blood or balanced component therapy. Advances in predictive analytics, including machine-learning-enhanced shock indices, have improved early detection. Furthermore, viscoelastic hemostatic assays are increasingly used to guide goal-directed therapy, particularly for fibrinogen replacement, while comprehensive care bundles and simulation-based training are being implemented to improve system-level performance and reduce mortality. Summary: Effective management of pediatric hemorrhagic shock requires a proactive, integrated approach. This includes early MTP activation guided by age-adjusted metrics, rapid hemostasis with blood-based resuscitation, targeted correction of coagulopathy using viscoelastic guidance, and diligent management of the "lethal triad." Critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly in prehospital prediction and defining optimal transfusion strategies, highlighting the need for high-quality, pediatric-specific clinical trials.