Functional Echocardiographic and Serum Biomarker Changes Following Surgical and Percutaneous Atrial Septal Defect Closure in Children.

Background Ventricular performance is temporarily reduced following surgical atrial septal defect closure. Cardiopulmonary bypass and changes in loading conditions are considered important factors, but this phenomenon is incompletely understood. We aim to characterize biventricular performance following surgical and percutaneous atrial septal defect closure and to relate biomarkers to ventricular performance following intervention. Methods and Results In this multicenter prospective study, children scheduled for surgical or percutaneous atrial septal defect closure were included. Subjects were assessed preoperatively, in the second week postintervention (at 2-weeks follow-up), and 1-year postintervention (1-year follow-up). At each time point, an echocardiographic study and a panel of biomarkers were obtained. Sixty-three patients (median age, 4.1 [interquartile range, 3.1-6.1] years) were included. Forty-three patients underwent surgery. At 2-weeks follow-up, right ventricular global longitudinal strain was decreased for the surgical, but not the percutaneous, group (-17.6±4.1 versus -27.1±3.4; P<0.001). A smaller decrease was noted for left ventricular global longitudinal strain at 2-weeks follow-up for the surgical group (surgical versus percutaneous, -18.6±3.2 versus -20.2±2.4; P=0.040). At 1-year follow-up, left ventricular performance returned to baseline, whereas right ventricular performance improved, but did not reach preintervention levels. Eight biomarkers relating to cardiovascular and immunological processes differed across study time points. Of these biomarkers, only NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) correlated with less favorable left ventricular global longitudinal strain at 2-weeks follow-up. Conclusions Right, and to a lesser degree left, ventricular performance was reduced early after surgical atrial septal defect closure. Right ventricular performance at 1-year follow-up remained below baseline levels. Several biomarkers showed a pattern over time similar to ventricular performance. These biomarkers may provide insight into the processes that affect ventricular function. Registration URL: https://www.trialregister.nl/; Unique identifier: NL5129.

Left and Right Ventricular Impairment Shortly After Correction of Tetralogy of Fallot.

Surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is usually performed in the first months of life with low early postoperative mortality. During long-term follow-up, however, both right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) performances may deteriorate. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle tracking echocardiography (ST) can unmask a diminished RV and LV performance. The objective of the current study was to assess the cardiac performance before and shortly after corrective surgery in ToF patients using conventional, TDI and ST echocardiographic techniques. Thirty-six ToF patients after surgery were included. Transthoracic echocardiography including TDI and ST techniques was performed preoperatively and at hospital discharge after surgery (10 days to 4 weeks after surgery). Median age at surgery was 7.5 months [5.5-10.9]. Regarding the LV systolic function there was a significant decrease in interventricular septum (IVS) S' at discharge as compared to preoperatively (pre IVS S' = 5.4 ± 1.4; post IVS S' = 3.9 ± 1.2; p < 0.001) and in global longitudinal peak strain (GLS) (pre = - 18.3 ± 3.4; post = - 14.2 ± 4.1; p = 0.003); but not in the fractional shortening (FS). Both conventional and TDI parameters showed a decrease in diastolic function at discharge. Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion and RV S' were significantly lower before discharge. When assessing the RV diastolic performance, only the TDI demonstrated a RV impairment. There was a negative correlation between age at surgery and postoperative LV GLS (R = - 0.41, p = 0.031). There seems to be an impairment in left and right ventricle performance at discharge after ToF corrective surgery compared to preoperatively. This is better determined with TDI and ST strain imaging than with conventional echocardiography.

Pandemic H1N1 influenza-associated hospitalizations in children in Madrid, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children hospitalized with 2009 pandemic influenza (pH1N1) in Madrid, Spain. PATIENTS/METHODS: We included patients less than 14 years of age admitted to one of 18 hospitals in Madrid, Spain, between May 1 and November 30, 2009 and diagnosed with pH1N1 by polymerase chain reaction. A retrospective chart review was conducted and data were compared by age, presence of high-risk medical conditions, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. RESULTS: A total of 517 pH1N1 cases were included for final analysis. One hundred and forty-two patients (27·5%) had predisposing underlying illnesses, with immunosuppression (36 children, 7%) and moderate persistent asthma (34, 6·6%) being the most common ones. Patients with underlying medical conditions had longer hospital stays [median 5, interquartile range (IQR) 3-8 days, versus median 4, IQR 3-6, P < 0·001] and required intensive care (20·4% versus 5·9%, P < 0·001) and mechanical ventilation more frequently than previously healthy children. Globally, intensive care was required for 51 patients (10%) and invasive mechanical ventilation for 12 (2%). Pediatric intensive care unit admission was significantly associated with abnormal initial chest X-ray [Odds Ratio (OR) 3·5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5-8·5], underlying neurological condition (OR 3·1, CI 1·2-7·5) and immunosuppression (OR 2·9, 1·2-6·8). Five patients (0·9%) died; two with severe neurological disease, two with leukemia, and one with a malignant solid tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Children with underlying medical conditions experienced more severe pH1N1 disease. Risk factors for admission to the PICU included underlying neurological conditions, immunosuppression and abnormal initial chest X-ray.