The aim of this study was to assess myocardial performance of full-term infants with perinatal asphyxia using Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) and to correlate it with serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentrations. Twenty-five asphyxiated and 20 nonasphyxiated term infants were investigated. Serum cTnT concentrations were measured between 12 and 24 h of life. Conventional two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and DTI were done during the first 72 h of life. Right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) Tei indexes were significantly higher in asphyxiated neonates (mean +/- SD: 0.45 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.28 +/- 0.05, P < 0.001 and 0.51 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.04, P < 0.001, respectively). Mitral and tricuspid systolic (Sm) velocities were significantly lower in asphyxiated neonates (mean +/- SD: 5.06 +/- 0.89 vs. 6.89 +/- 0.94 cm/s, P < 0.001 and 5.78 +/- 0.58 vs. 6.69 +/- 0.87 cm/s, P < 0.001, respectively). cTnT concentrations were significantly higher in asphyxiated neonates [median (range): 0.17 (0.05-0.23) vs. 0.03 (0-0.07) microg/l, P < 0.001)], and they correlated positively with the LV Tei index (r = 0.67, P < 0.001) and the RV Tei index (r = 0.68, P < 0.001) and negatively with the mitral systolic (Sm) velocity (r = -0.68, P < 0.001) and tricuspid systolic (Sm) velocity (r = -0.41, P = 0.01). A higher cTnT was a significant predictor of mortality, whereas fractional shortening (FS) and DTI measurements did not show any significant predictive value. The DTI technique appears to be more sensitive than conventional echocardiography in the early detection of myocardial dysfunction induced by perinatal asphyxia in full-term infants.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy and outcome of transcatheter ductus arteriosus stenting in newborns and infants with ductal-dependent or decreased pulmonary circulation. Between September 2009 and December 2011, 33 newborns and infants were subjected to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting as an alternative to a surgical shunt. Of the 33 patients, 20 had pulmonary atresia (PA) with a ventricular septal defect, 4 had PA with an intact ventricular septum, 5 had PA with a double-outlet right ventricle, and 4 had critical pulmonary stenosis. The McGoon ratio ranged from 0.8 to 1.9 (median 1.27). The ages of the patients ranged from 3 to 56 days, and their weight ranged from 2.7 to 4.1 kg. The oxygen saturation ranged from 45 to 61 %, and the pH ranged from 7.13 to 7.27. Premounted coronary stents with diameters of 3, 3.5, and 4 mm were used to cover the whole length of the ductus. The PDA was tortuous in 23 patients and straight in 10 patients. The mean ductal length was 12.2 ± 3.7 mm (range 7.8-23 mm). The mean stent length was 14.3 ± 3.4 mm (range, 8-23 mm), and the mean narrowest ductal diameter was 1.9 ± 0.6 mm (range, 0.8-2.9 mm). Immediately after the procedure, the oxygen saturation was increased from a mean of 75.1 ± 13.2-91.5 ± 6.3 % (p < 0.0001), and the PDA diameter was increased from a mean of 1.9 ± 0.6-4.3 ± 0.8 mm (p < 0.0001). Stent redilation was necessary in two patients 8 days after the procedure, and their oxygen saturation increased 79-88 %. The mean fluoroscopy time was 39.4 ± 15.5 min. Stent dislocation to the left main pulmonary artery was seen in one patient, with another stent placed in the arterial duct. No procedure-related mortality occurred. Two neonates died a few days after the procedure due to sepsis related to the procedure. The surviving patients were discharged home 8-30 days (median, 9.5 days) after the procedure. Stent patency was achieved for 8-550 days. The McGoon ratio increased and ranged from 1.6 to 2.8 (median, 1.87) before the surgical intervention. Glenn anastomosis was possible for 18 patients at the age of 6-8 months. Nine patients experienced worsening of cyanosis about 4 months after stent placemen. Six of these patients required a Blalock-Taussig shunt, whereas stent dilation was possible for the remaining three patients. Four patients died of severe dehydration while awaiting a Glenn shunt. The findings show that PDA stenting can be a good alternative to surgery for initial palliation, especially in infants who will need multiple surgeries. It is safe and feasible but its efficacy gradually lessens after 6 months due to intrastent endothelial hyperplasia.

Perioperative lidocaine is safe and effective in attenuating the maternal stress response to surgery for cesarean delivery.

In infants with resolving respiratory distress syndrome, nasal continuous positive airway pressure can impede systemic and pulmonary venous return, but it does not compromise systemic arterial pressure or heart rate. It is not clear whether the degree of these hemodynamic changes can affect the success of weaning off nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic condition characterized by fibrosis and scarring of the cardiac valves and damage to the heart muscle, leading to congestive heart failure and death. This prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the possible relation between the levels of serum adhesion molecules and acute rheumatic fever (ARF) carditis, valvular insult severity, and residual valvular lesion after improvement of rheumatic activity. Serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin were assayed by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for 50 children with ARF carditis during activity and after improvement and for 50 healthy children as control subjects. After the acute attack, patients were followed up regularly to detect residual valvular lesion. The serum levels of these adhesion molecules were significantly higher in the patients than in the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, the levels of serum adhesion molecules were significantly higher in the patients with severe carditis than in the patients with mild to moderate carditis (p < 0.001). Among the severe carditis group, the level of serum adhesion molecules was significantly higher among the patients with heart failure than among the patients without heart failure (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the pretreatment serum levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly higher among the patients with residual valve lesion (p = 0.002) than among those without the lesion (p < 0.001). The cutoff values were obtained for the prediction of residual valvular lesion (ICAM-1, >1,032.3 μg/ml; VCAM-1, >3,662.3 μg/ml; E-selectin, >104.8 μg/ml). Finally, by combining the three adhesion molecules in a single prediction model, the highest area under the curve (AUC) ± standard error (SE) was obtained (0.869 ± 0.052), and the positive likelihood ratio for having a residual valvular lesion was increased (17.33). Levels of serum adhesion molecules could predict residual valvular lesions in RHD patients. The authors recommend that the serum level of adhesion molecules be measured in all cases of ARF carditis.

Purpose Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) appears effective for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Evaluation of prognostic factors is imperative for patient selection and improving treatment efficacy. This study aimed to assess sarcopenia as a predictor of the outcome of RFA in patients with HCC. Methods This prospective study included all patients with HCC on top of HCV-related cirrhosis who underwent RFA and followed up for a minimum of two years. CT scan was used to determine the skeletal muscle index at the psoas, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, transversus abdominis, external and internal obliques, and rectus abdominis muscles. Cross-sectional areas were calculated to obtain a lumbar skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI). Results A total of 97 patients were enrolled in the study. The L3-SMI was 46.2±12.1 cm 2 /m 2 . Older age was the only risk factor associated with sarcopenia (p = 0.001). The overall survival at two years for the whole group was 65.2%. Sarcopenia and MELD score were independent predictors of OS at two years with HR of 7.6 (95% CI: 3.1–18.7) and 2.2 (95% CI: 1.0–4.8), respectively. Recurrence-free survival was 84.1% at two years. Recurrence was not affected by all factors, including sarcopenia. Conclusion Sarcopenia is a surrogate predictor of overall survival at two years in HCC patients after RFA. Sarcopenia assessment might be an additional prognostic indicator with conventional biomarkers to optimize the selection criteria for receiving RFA for early-stage HCC.

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