Familial Profile of Pediatric and Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease in Heart Transplantation.

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, and heart transplantation is the main treatment of choice. As genetic causes can be identified in a considerable proportion of cases, investigation of possible family cardiac history is essential. We analyzed the profiles of pediatric heart transplant recipients in terms of family history of heart disease. This single-center retrospective study included pediatric patients who underwent heart transplantation at a tertiary hospital between 2013 and 2023. Out of 170 patients, 13 had a family history relevant to congenital heart disease, with an emphasis on the etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy and the occurrence of the same heart disease in siblings. These results can impact the management of patients with congenital heart disease.

Serologic Evaluation for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Pediatric Heart Transplantation Recipients and Patients on a Pediatric Heart Transplantation Waiting List in a Quaternary Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global reality for longer than 3 years. Serologic studies have great importance for understanding the virus's behavior in populations, as it can suggest the status of the epidemic in a community. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the serologic profile for COVID-19 in patients before and after pediatric heart transplantation. METHODS: Serology data on IgG and IgM antibodies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were collected in patients of the Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases unit of a Brazilian hospital between January and August 2022. A total of 174 patients were recruited, including 28 on the transplantation waiting list and 146 heart transplant recipients. Information for each patient, including demographics (age, sex, state of origin), type of heart disease (congenital or acquired), and time after transplantation, was analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 72 patients had a positive serology for anti-N antibodies (48.0%), including 62 heart transplant recipients and 10 patients on the transplantation waiting list, The positivity rates in these 2 groups were 48.1% and 47.6%, respectively. Positivity rates for previously infected individuals were 62.5% and 62.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-half of our study sample had IgM or IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Serologic studies on the duration and level of protection provided by these antibodies are relevant public health tools for health promotion of vulnerable groups and can be useful for future studies on antibody behavior.

Challenges of Congenital Heart Surgery in Brazil: It is Time to Designate Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery Subspecialty.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects eight to ten out of every 1,000 births, resulting in approximately 23,057 new cases in Brazil in 2022. About one in four children with CHD requires surgery or other procedures in the first year of life, and it is expected that approximately 81% of these children with CHD will survive until at least 35 years of age. Professionals choosing to specialize in CHD surgery face numerous challenges, not only related to mastering surgical techniques and the complexity of the diseases but also to the lack of recognition by medical societies as a separate subspecialty. Furthermore, families face difficulties when access to services capable of providing treatment for these children. To address these challenges, it is essential to have specialized hospitals, qualified professionals, updated technologies, sustainable industry, appropriate financing, quality assessment systems, and knowledge generation. The path to excellence involves specialization across all involved parties. As we reflect on the importance of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery and Congenital Heart Diseases establishing themselves as a subspecialty of Cardiovascular Surgery, it is essential to look beyond our borders to countries like the United States of America and United Kingdom, where this evolution is already a reality. This autonomy has led to significant advancements in research, education, and patient care outcomes, establishing a care model. By following this path in Brazil, we not only align our practice with the highest international standards but also demonstrate our maturity and the ability to meet the specific needs of patients with CHD and those with acquired childhood heart disease.

Myocardial tissue expression of mRNA and preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in children undergoing congenital heart surgery.

Background: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easily accessible and inexpensive biomarker that has been shown to predict morbidity and mortality in congenital cardiac surgery. However, its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to compare and correlate the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) with the NLR in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and ventricular septal defect (VSD). Methods: A prospective translational study was conducted on 10 children with ToF and 10 with VSD, aged between 1 and 24 months. The NLR was calculated from the blood count taken 24 hours before surgery. The expression of these mRNAs was analyzed in the myocardial tissue of the right atrium prior to cardiopulmonary bypass. Results: Patients with ToF exhibited a higher NLR [ToF 0.46 (interquartile range; IQR) 0.90; VSD 0.28 (IQR 0.17); P=0.02], longer mechanical ventilation time [ToF 24 h (IQR 93); VSD 5.5 h (IQR 8); P<0.001], increased use of vasoactive drugs [ToF 2 days (IQR 1.75); VSD 0 (IQR 1); P=0.01], and longer ICU [ToF 5.5 (IQR 1); VSD 2 (IQR 0.75); P=0.02] and hospital length of stays [ToF 18 days (IQR 17.5); VSD 8.5 days (IQR 2.5); P<0.001]. A negative correlation was found between NLR and oxygen saturation (SaO2) (r=-0.44; P=0.002). In terms of mRNA expression, the ToF group showed a lower expression of IL-10 mRNA (P=0.03). A positive correlation was observed between IL-10-mRNA and SaO2 (r=0.40; P=0.07), and a negative correlation with NLR (r=-0.27; P=0.14). Conclusions: Patients with ToF demonstrated a higher preoperative NLR and lower IL-10 mRNA expression by what appears to be a pro-inflammatory phenotype of cyanotic patients.

Predictors of in-ICU length of stay among congenital heart defect patients using artificial intelligence model: A pilot study.

Objective: This study aims to develop a predictive model using artificial intelligence to estimate the ICU length of stay (LOS) for Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) patients after surgery, improving care planning and resource management. Design: We analyze clinical data from 2240 CHD surgery patients to create and validate the predictive model. Twenty AI models are developed and evaluated for accuracy and reliability. Setting: The study is conducted in a Brazilian hospital's Cardiovascular Surgery Department, focusing on transplants and cardiopulmonary surgeries. Participants: Retrospective analysis is conducted on data from 2240 consecutive CHD patients undergoing surgery. Interventions: Ninety-three pre and intraoperative variables are used as ICU LOS predictors. Measurements and main results: Utilizing regression and clustering methodologies for ICU LOS (ICU Length of Stay) estimation, the Light Gradient Boosting Machine, using regression, achieved a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 15.4, 11.8, and 15.2 days for training, testing, and unseen data. Key predictors included metrics such as "Mechanical Ventilation Duration", "Weight on Surgery Date", and "Vasoactive-Inotropic Score". Meanwhile, the clustering model, Cat Boost Classifier, attained an accuracy of 0.6917 and AUC of 0.8559 with similar key predictors. Conclusions: Patients with higher ventilation times, vasoactive-inotropic scores, anoxia time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and lower weight, height, BMI, age, hematocrit, and presurgical oxygen saturation have longer ICU stays, aligning with existing literature.

Fifth "Jatene Lecture on Surgical Innovation": Innovation in Congenital Heart Surgery: Contributions From South America.

We present the fifth "Jatene Lecture on Surgical Innovation" on Innovation in Congenital Heart Surgery, given at the Eighth Scientific Meeting of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery and Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery in Washington DC in 2023. We highlight what surgical innovation is and how innovation was accomplished in cardiac surgery and particularly in congenital heart surgery. A brief history of the development of congenital heart surgery across the world is summarized and we finally illustrate the South American contributions to congenital heart surgery, acknowledging the great innovations of Adib Jatene and Guillermo Kreutzer to our field.

Performance Evaluation of Geometrically Different Pediatric Arterial Cannulae in a Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Bypass Model

ABSTRACT Objective: To define a reference chart comparing pressure drop vs. flow generated by a set of arterial cannulae currently utilized in cardiopulmonary bypass conditions in pediatric surgery. Methods: Cannulae from two manufacturers were selected considering their design and outer and inner diameters. Cannula performance was evaluated in terms of pressure drop vs. flow during simulated cardiopulmonary bypass conditions. The experimental circuits consisted of a Jostra HL-20 roller pump, a Quadrox-i pediatric oxygenator (Maquet Cardiopulmonary AG, Rastatt, Germany), and a custom pediatric tubing set. The circuit was primed with lactated Ringer's solution only (first condition) and with human packed red blood cells added (second condition) to achieve a hematocrit of 30%. Cannula sizes 8 to 16 Fr were inserted into the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit with a "Y" connector. The flow was adjusted in 100 ml/min increments within typical flow ranges for each cannula. Pre-cannula and post-cannula pressures were measured to calculate the pressure drop. Results: Utilizing a pressure drop limit of 100 mmHg, our results suggest a recommended flow limit of 500, 900, 1400, 2600, and 3100 mL/min for Braile arterial cannulae sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 Fr, respectively. For Medtronic DLP arterial cannulae sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 Fr, the recommended flow limit is 600, 1100, 1700, 2700, and 3300 mL/min, respectively. Conclusion: This study reinforces discrepancies in pressure drop between cannulae of the same diameter supplied by different manufacturers and the importance of independent translational research to evaluate components' performance.

Performance Evaluation of Geometrically Different Pediatric Arterial Cannulae in a Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Bypass Model.

OBJECTIVE: To define a reference chart comparing pressure drop vs. flow generated by a set of arterial cannulae currently utilized in cardiopulmonary bypass conditions in pediatric surgery. METHODS: Cannulae from two manufacturers were selected considering their design and outer and inner diameters. Cannula performance was evaluated in terms of pressure drop vs. flow during simulated cardiopulmonary bypass conditions. The experimental circuits consisted of a Jostra HL-20 roller pump, a Quadrox-i pediatric oxygenator (Maquet Cardiopulmonary AG, Rastatt, Germany), and a custom pediatric tubing set. The circuit was primed with lactated Ringer's solution only (first condition) and with human packed red blood cells added (second condition) to achieve a hematocrit of 30%. Cannula sizes 8 to 16 Fr were inserted into the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit with a "Y" connector. The flow was adjusted in 100 ml/min increments within typical flow ranges for each cannula. Pre-cannula and post-cannula pressures were measured to calculate the pressure drop. RESULTS: Utilizing a pressure drop limit of 100 mmHg, our results suggest a recommended flow limit of 500, 900, 1400, 2600, and 3100 mL/min for Braile arterial cannulae sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 Fr, respectively. For Medtronic DLP arterial cannulae sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 Fr, the recommended flow limit is 600, 1100, 1700, 2700, and 3300 mL/min, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study reinforces discrepancies in pressure drop between cannulae of the same diameter supplied by different manufacturers and the importance of independent translational research to evaluate components' performance.

Advocacy at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) will be held in Washington DC, USA, from Saturday, 26 August, 2023 to Friday, 1 September, 2023, inclusive. The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be the largest and most comprehensive scientific meeting dedicated to paediatric and congenital cardiac care ever held. At the time of the writing of this manuscript, The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery has 5,037 registered attendees (and rising) from 117 countries, a truly diverse and international faculty of over 925 individuals from 89 countries, over 2,000 individual abstracts and poster presenters from 101 countries, and a Best Abstract Competition featuring 153 oral abstracts from 34 countries. For information about the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, please visit the following website: [www.WCPCCS2023.org]. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the activities related to global health and advocacy that will occur at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.Acknowledging the need for urgent change, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring a common voice to the global community and issue the Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action on Addressing the Global Burden of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Diseases. A copy of this Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is provided in the Appendix of this manuscript. This Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the global burden, promoting the development of sustainable care systems, and improving access to high quality and equitable healthcare for children with heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease worldwide.

Case Report: The Challenge for Diagnosis of Myocarditis and Transplant Rejection After COVID Infection in a Heart-Transplanted Adolescent.

Patients who have undergone organ transplantation are immunosuppressed hosts, leaving them at a higher risk of infections. SARS-COV-2 has been shown to affect heart-transplanted patients. In this case report, we present the case of a 14-year-old heart transplant recipient who developed signs and symptoms of heart failure, along with fatigue, after a COVID-19 infection. An endomyocardial biopsy was performed to diagnose rejection and to evaluate whether this was myocarditis due to SARS-COV-2. The biopsy showed intense acute cellular rejection (3R) and antibody rejection PAMR1 H+ but was negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The patient received organ rejection therapy with high-dose methylprednisolone and human immunoglobulin. After treatment, her heart function recovered, with biopsy investigations showing a lower level of cellular rejection (1R).

Heart Transplantation in Children and Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: 3 Decades of Evolution.

Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for children and adults with congenital heart disease. We report the heart transplant single-center experience. The number of transplantations has increased over the last 3 decades. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves in the first, second, and third decades at 5 and 10 years were 69% and 59%, 62% and 52%, and 66% and 60%, respectively.

Mechanical Circulatory Assistance in Children: Clinical Outcome.

BACKGROUND: In countries where organ donation is scarce, mortality in the pediatric heart transplant waiting list is high, and ventricular assist devices (VADs) are therapeutic alternatives in these situations. Berlin Heart EXCOR is currently 1 of the few VADs specific for children. METHODS: This retrospective study includes pediatric patients who underwent Berlin Heart EXCOR placement in a Brazilian hospital between 2012 and 2021. Clinical and laboratory data at the time of VAD implantation and the occurrence of complications and outcomes (success as a bridge to transplant or death) were analyzed. RESULTS: Eight patients, from 8 months to 15 years, were included: 6 with cardiomyopathy and 2 with congenital heart disease. Six were on Intermacs 1 and 2 on Intermacs 2. The most common complications observed were stroke and right ventricular dysfunction. Six were transplanted, and 2 died. Those submitted to transplant had a higher mean weight than those who died, with no statistically significant difference. The underlying disease had no impact on the outcome. The group undergoing transplant had lower brain natriuretic peptide and lactate values, but no laboratory variable showed a statistically significant difference in the outcome. CONCLUSION: A VAD is an invasive treatment with potentially serious adverse effects and is still poorly available in Brazil. However, as a bridge to transplant, it is a useful treatment for children in progressive clinical decline. In this study, we did not observe any clinical or laboratory factor at the time of VAD implantation that implied better outcomes.

Brain tuberculoma in pediatric heart transplant recipient.

INTRODUCTION: Heart transplantation is the standard treatment for end-stage heart disease. Despite advances in the field, patients remain under risk of developing complications, including opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis. We present the unprecedented case of cerebral tuberculoma in a 9-year-old heart transplant recipient. CASE SCENARIO: A 9-year-old female child, who underwent heart transplantation in December 2020, was admitted to the emergency department in September 2021 due to headache and vomiting. She had normal vital signs and a mild left hemiparesis. Laboratory findings included lymphopenia and a low C Reactive Protein and brain images showed expansive lesions. A biopsy of the intracranial lesion was performed and anatomopathological analysis was compatible with tuberculoma. After the diagnosis was established, treatment protocol for neurotuberculosis was initiated, the patient had a satisfactory clinical evolution and was discharged 22 days after admission. DISCUSSION: Clinical manifestation of tuberculosis usually occurs up to 6 months after transplantation, the findings are commonly atypical and symptoms may be mild. We could not find in medical literature any description of the disease in a heart transplant recipient as young as the one presented in this case report. We documented great response to treatment, even though conventional antituberculosis therapy may interfere with immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: Patients in the postoperative period following heart transplantation are at high risk for developing opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, which may present with atypical symptoms. Therefore the clinician must have a high index of suspicion in order to make the correct diagnosis and promptly start treatment.

Desmoid tumour of the chest wall in paediatric post-operatory of heart transplant.

We will report a case of a desmoid tumour (DT), which developed at the surgical site of the pacemaker after a late childhood heart transplant. Patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy followed up in the paediatric cardiology service. It evolved with the dissociation of ventricular rhythm caused by severe heart failure, which led to the implantation of a cardiac resynchronization device prior to heart transplantation. The progression to end-stage heart disease culminated in a heart transplant at 12 years old. One year after the transplant, at the age of 13 years, he presented a progressively growing mass on the generator site of the resynchronization device. The initial decision was to remove the device. During the removal surgery, there was no haematoma or fluid collection. However, there was a progression of the lesion. The lesion was biopsied with the anatomopathological diagnosis of a DT. Resection surgery happened 4 months after the start of the mass growth. At that time, the tumour reached 20 cm in diameter. The lesion infiltrated the pectoralis major muscle and this muscle was resected partially en bloc with the lesion. The defect had primary closure. The patient evolved without postoperative complications and was discharged on the 14th postoperative day. The surgical specimen came with negative circumferential margins. However, the deep margin was microscopically positive. Due to deep involvement, the patient underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. Currently, the patient is under clinical follow-up and has no evidence of tumour recurrence. DT is a rare tumour, with unpredictable courses. Surgery can be considered in the progression of lesions. Treatment is justified by long survival after a heart transplant and in DT patients. DT is a differential diagnosis to be considered in progressive growth lesions.

Surgical Correction of Ascending Aortic Aneurysm Without Coronary Dilatation After Kawasaki Disease in a 3-Year-Old Child

Abstract Kawasaki disease (KD) is an inflammatory condition that may affect genetically predisposed individuals in pediatric ages after infectious/environmental triggering. An infrequent finding associated with KD is ascending aortic aneurysm during or after the acute phase of the disease. In this Multimedia presentation, we describe a three-year-old girl submitted to surgical treatment.