Morphologic and functional factors can be used to predict optimal pathway and survival benefit in neonates with critical left ventricular outflow obstruction.

Extending the use of biventricular repair in properly selected patients with a small right ventricle and an atrioventricular septal defect is feasible. An atrial fenestration improves the physiologic tolerance to repair in selected patients. The use of biventricular repair in children with atrioventricular valve indexes of less than 0.50 requires caution.

The aim of this study was to evaluate N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptides (NT-pro-BNP), cardiac troponin T, and creatinine kinase, MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) in the determination of subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction by echocardiography in patients treated with doxorubicin. We performed a cross-sectional case study of systolic, diastolic function and tissue Doppler imaging by echocardiography in children with cancer who received a certain cumulative dose of doxorubicin. Blood levels for NT-pro-BNP, cardiac troponin T, and CK-MB were analyzed within 6 hours of the cardiac study. Of 30 patients, 5 (16.7%) had LV dysfunction with an abnormally high NT-pro-BNP level of 363 ± 78 pg/mL, whereas patients with normal LV function had an NT-pro-BNP level of 148 ± 173 pg/mL (P = 0.012). The NT-pro-BNP level not only inversely correlated with fractional shortening (r = -0.43, P = 0.017) and ejection fraction (r = - 0.45, P = 0.013) but also correlated with mitral deceleration time ( r = 0.41, P = 0.021) and a cumulative dose of doxorubicin (r = 0.44, P = 0.014). For tissue Doppler imaging, NT-pro-BNP correlated with a peak systolic velocity at the myocardial segment (Sm) (r = -0.40, P = 0.027). NT-pro-BNP is a sensitive test and has a moderate relationship with the LV systolic and diastolic function, thus making it a useful cardiac marker for the monitoring of early anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Decreased DT, increased PVAR-MVA duration, and increased E/Em ratio reliably reflected severe iron overload in pediatric patients with beta thalassemia. Systolic and diastolic LV function is preserved in patients who have serum ferritin <2500 ng/mL.

Scrub typhus is a zoonotic disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi in which humans are accidental hosts. It is a febrile illness which is confined to rural Asia and the Western Pacific islands. Severe complications are very rare. We report four cases of acute fulminant myocarditis in children with scrub typhus. This complication led to severe cardiogenic shock and death in two of them. We believe this is the first report of fulminant myocarditis complicating scrub typhus in children.

KD patients with reduced mean haemoglobin, increased AST level, increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and reduced platelet count should be considered for conjunctive therapy such as a corticosteroid in combination with standard treatment. Duration of fever ≥8 days and platelet count ≥550 × 10/L were predictors of CAA. To prevent cardiovascular complications, patients should be treated promptly after KD has been diagnosed.

HRV is depressed in TM patients. HRV was significantly correlated with Hb level, suggesting that anemia greatly influences the cardiac autonomic balance.

Our findings identify Slit-Robo as a significant pathway in human heart development and CHD.