Echocardiography Learning by Pediatricians While Screening Congenital Heart Disease with the Aid of Telemedicine.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects 1% of all newborns and is a major public health problem. Most children with CHD benefit from early diagnosis to optimize management. However, in many places there are no specialized professionals to do so. Introduction: A screening method for CHD was developed between two states in Northeast Brazil. It was based upon the performance of an echocardiogram by local pediatricians with support of pediatric cardiologists through telemedicine. Objective: To determine if the continuous performance of examinations together with online supervision increased the level of understanding of the pediatricians about the echocardiograms. Methods: Pediatricians received online support to perform echocardiograms for 7 years (2012-2018). Although the project aimed to teach them to acquire images and send to the cardiologists for analysis and interpretation, they were encouraged to describe their own diagnostic impressions. The level of agreement between pediatricians and cardiologists was calculated. Results: A large number (n = 3,951) echocardiograms was analyzed. From them, 2,818 were classified as abnormal, inconclusive, or normal by both the pediatricians and the cardiologists. The 7-year analysis demonstrated an overall agreement of 63.7%. As for the final diagnosis, it was possible to compare 1,457 echocardiograms. The combined analysis of the 7 years demonstrated agreement in 62.2%. Discussion: The screening of CHD under online support led to more in-depth learning of echocardiography by the pediatricians. This approach potentialized the accuracy of the screening through the years. Conclusion: By enrolling in a telemedicine-based screening program, the pediatricians' degree of understanding of echocardiography increased considerably.

A Arte no Ensino da Cardiologia: Relato da Experiência do Uso de Massas Moldáveis no Aprendizado da Anatomia Normal e Patológica do Coração / Learning Cardiology through Art: Modeling Hearts to Understand Normal and Abnormal Anatomy

RESUMO INTRODUÇÃO A anatomia e a fisiologia do coração humano há muito tempo despertam curiosidade, dada a complexidade da morfologia cardíaca, a sua importância para a manutenção da vida e seu grande valor simbólico. O entendimento da fisiologia cardíaca e sua representação nas diversas modalidades artísticas têm ajudado até hoje na formação de profissionais de saúde que trabalham com cardiologia e também na comunicação com familiares. Este artigo apresenta a experiência de um especializando em um serviço de referência no ensino de cardiologia pediátrica, na construção de modelos de corações normais e patológicos em massa de modelar e massa de biscuit, e as implicações no processo de ensino-aprendizagem do grupo de preceptores e residentes da instituição. RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA Um residente do primeiro ano de cardiologia pediátrica, sem treinamento ou experiência prévia com artes plásticas, foi estimulado pela preceptoria do programa a moldar corações normais e com cardiopatias congênitas para fins de aprendizado da anatomia interna e externa do órgão. Os materiais utilizados foram massa de modelar e massa de biscuit. RESULTADOS Dez peças foram produzidas ao longo de um ano de especialização, com melhora progressiva nos aspectos artísticos e anatômicos. Entre os modelos patológicos, foram produzidas peças representativas de tetralogia de Fallot, transposição dos grandes vasos, persistência do canal arterial e comunicação interventricular. CONCLUSÃO A experiência proporcionou três efeitos positivos constatados pela equipe: maior entendimento da anatomia cardíaca normal e patológica por parte do especializando envolvido, o qual se refletiu, por exemplo, em melhor compreensão de imagens médicas, como ecocardiografia, tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética cardíacas, maior aproximação dos residentes do programa com as artes plásticas em uma especialidade que sempre teve uma relação muito estreita com o desenho e a escultura, e produção de modelos em três dimensões de estruturas normais e patológicas que podem ser usadas em aulas e encontros científicos para discussão da disciplina.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION The anatomy and physiology of the human heart has long captivated the curiosity of human beings, due to its complexity, its importance for maintaining life, and its great symbolic value. The understanding of cardiac physiology and its representations in different art forms has assisted in the training of health professionals, particularly those working in cardiology, as well as communication with families.This article presents the experience of a pediatric cardiology resident using modeling clays to build normal and abnormal heart models, and discusses the implications of this practice in the teaching-learning process among staff and trainees of the institution. CASE REPORT A first year paediatric cardiology resident, with no previous training or experience in the plastic arts, was encouraged by Head of Department to mould hearts with normal anatomy and with congenital heart disease for the purpose of teaching the internal and external anatomy of the organ. The materials used were plasticine and cold porcelain clay. RESULTS Ten anatomical pieces were produced over a one-year period, with progressive improvements in artistic and anatomical aspects. Among the pathological models, there were pieces demonstrating the tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great vessels, patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect. CONCLUSION The experience lead to three positive effects noted by the medical team: a better understanding of normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy by the residents, evidenced by their rapid improvement in interpreting medical images such as echocardiography, computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance images; greater access of residents to the plastic arts, in a medical specialty that has always benefited from close proximity with drawings and sculpture; and the production of very low-cost 3D models of normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy that can be used for lectures, clinical-surgical and scientific meetings, and teaching future students.

A telemedicine network for remote paediatric cardiology services in north-east Brazil.

PROBLEM: Providing health care for children with congenital heart diseases remains a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. APPROACH: In October 2011, the Government of Paraíba, Brazil, established a paediatric cardiology network in partnership with the nongovernmental organization Círculo do Coração. A cardiology team supervised all network activities, using the Internet to keep in contact with remote health facilities. The network developed protocols for screening heart defects. Echocardiograms were performed by physicians under direct online supervision of a cardiologist; alternatively, a video recording of the examination was subsequently reviewed by a cardiologist. Cardiovascular surgeons came to a paediatric hospital in the state capital once a week to perform heart surgeries. LOCAL SETTING: Until 2011, the State of Paraíba had no structured programme to care for children with heart disease. This often resulted in missed or late diagnosis, with adverse health consequences for the children. RELEVANT CHANGES: From 2012 to 2014, 73,751 babies were screened for heart defects and 857 abnormalities were identified. Detection of congenital heart diseases increased from 4.09 to 11.62 per 1000 live births (P < 0.001). Over 6000 consultations and echocardiograms were supervised via the Internet. Time to diagnosis, transfers and hospital stays were greatly reduced. A total of 330 operations were carried out with 6.7% (22/330) mortality. LESSONS LEARNT: Access to an echocardiography machine with remote supervision by a cardiologist improves the detection of congenital heart disease by neonatologists; virtual outpatient clinics facilitate clinical management; the use of Internet technology with simple screening techniques allows resources to be allocated more efficiently.

Which growth criteria better predict fetal programming?

OBJECTIVE: To test whether customised (ct) growth criteria are more reliable than standard (st) ones to predict intrauterine insult. PATIENTS: 32 mothers and their singleton term neonates selected as small for gestational age (st-SGA=8) or appropriate for gestational age (st-AGA=24). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nitric oxide, high-sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), uric acid, blood lipids and protein levels were analysed in maternal and cord blood. RESULTS: Applying customised criteria yielded 16 ct-AGA, 13 ct-SGA and 3 ct-LGA (large for gestational age) babies. Both st-SGA and ct-SGA babies had higher nitric oxide and hs-CRP levels. Their mothers had lower albumin fractions. st-SGA babies also had higher triglyceride and cholesterol levels. ct-LGA babies and mothers had higher uric acid levels, and the mothers had higher triglyceride levels. CONCLUSIONS: Customised growth criteria better identify babies submitted to unfavourable intrauterine environments. The authors suggest that combined with maternal biochemistry, these growth criteria can be used to screen for adverse fetal programming.

Manuseio da atresia tricuspide em neonatos: relato de tres casos e revisao da literatura / Management of tricuspid atresia in neonates: report of three cases and review of literature

O presente artigo descreve o manuseio de tres neonatos portadores de atresia tricuspide com circulacao pulmonar carnal-dependente, encaminhados ao Instituto do Coracao de Pernambuco durante o mes de novembro de 1992. Uma breve revisao da literatura sobre a patologia foi adicionada. O diagnostico completo foi estabelecido com ecocardiografia na UTI neonatal; todos foram entubados, ventilados mecanicamente e iniciados em infusoes continuas de prostaglandina E1 e Dopamina. Num periodo de 10 a 24 horas apos internamento, todos se submeteram a cirurgia. Um paciente veio a obito no terceiro dia pos-operatorio e os outros dois receberam alta hospitalar em boas condicoes clinicas. Apesar da pequena amostragem, nossa experiencia demonstra que o manuseio clinico-cirurgico das atresias tricuspides canal-dependentes pode atingir resultados satisfatorios em nosso meio, desde que haja um reconhecimento precoce da cardiopatia congenita cianotica por parte do pediatra, com transferencia do neonato para centro de referencia em cardiologia pediatrica em tempo habil

Atrioseptostomia em unidade de terapia intensiva sob monitorizaçäo ecocardiográfica: experiência inicial do Instituto do Coraçäo de Pernambuco / Atrialseptostomy at the Intensive Care Unit Under Echorcardiographic Control. Initial Experience in the Instituto do Coração de Pernambuco

É descrita a experiência inicial do Instituto do Coraçäo de Pernambuco, na unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal, com realizaçäo de septostomia Rashkind, sob monitorizaçäo ecocardiográfica, através de acesso percutâneo (punçäo da veia femoral), sob anestesia local, constando dos três primeiros casos, sendo dois neonatos com transposiçäo das grandes artérias e um com atresia tricúspide. Em dois pacientes, obteve-se sucesso tanto na técnica quanto na melhora hemodinâmica após o procedimento. No 3§ paciente com 36 dias de vida, o septo atrial encontrava-se rijo näo permitindo ampliaçäo satisfatória. Nenhum dos procedimentos apresentou complicaçöes significantes durante a sua realizaçäo. Apesar da pequena amostragem, nossa experiência demonstrou que esta nova abordagem para a realizaçäo da atrioseptostomia Rashkind é exeqüível, sem maiores complicaçöes para o neonato, e com benefícios sobre a técnica convencional