Is cardiovascular evaluation necessary prior to and during beta-blocker therapy for infantile hemangiomas?: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although consensus guidelines for pretreatment evaluation and monitoring of propranolol therapy in patients with infantile hemangiomas (IH) have been formulated, little is known about the cardiovascular side effects. OBJECTIVES: We sought to analyze cardiovascular evaluations in patients with IH at baseline and during treatment with an oral beta-blocker. METHODS: Data from 109 patients with IH were retrospectively analyzed. Patient and family history, pretreatment electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, and blood pressure were evaluated before initiation of beta-blocker therapy. Blood pressure and standardized questionnaires addressing side effects were evaluated during treatment. RESULTS: Questionnaire analyses (n = 83) identified 3 cases with a family history of cardiovascular disease in first-degree relatives. ECG findings were normal in each case and no serious complication of therapy occurred. ECG abnormalities were found in 6.5% of patients but there were no contraindications to beta-blocker therapy and no major complications. Hypotension in 9 patients did not require therapy adjustment. In all, 88 parents (81%) reported side effects during beta-blocker treatment. LIMITATIONS: The relatively small patient cohort is a limitation. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment ECG is of limited value for patients with an unremarkable cardiovascular history and a normal heart rate and blood pressure. Hypotension may occur during treatment.

Treatment of infantile hemangiomas: therapeutic options in regard to side effects and adverse events - a review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: While options for treatment strategies for infantile hemangiomas (IH) are numerous, evidence-based information about agents, optimal dosage, adverse effects, treatment modality, pretreatment and treatment strategies remain limited. AREAS COVERED: To evaluate side effects and adverse events of medical treatment in children with infantile hemangioma, a comprehensive review of the literature was performed to provide information for daily practice. In total 254 studies were retrieved from medical databases and comprised 10,022 patients divided into 5 different treatment groups. Information about working mechanism, side effects and adverse events of therapies used as a single agent for IH are discussed and evaluated according to information from pharmacotherapeutic databases. Randomized controlled trials have only scarcely been performed for the many therapeutic options reported for IH. Short- and long-term side effects and adverse events, have not been systematically studied. Subsequently information about the medical treatment options and pharmacotheraputic databases for therapy in children with IH are incomplete. EXPERT OPINION: From the many therapeutic options, propranolol is the first-line approach for IH, predominantly based on clinical observation, efficacy and tolerability in the short-term. The unsolved ravels of possible short and long-term adverse events of propranolol used during early developmental stages of children need thorough review.

The (un)importance of cerebral microemboli.

BACKGROUND: The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with cerebral microemboli. Cognitive decline after cardiac surgery has therefore always been attributed to the use of CPB. However, randomized studies comparing coronary bypass surgery with and without CPB failed to establish a clear cognitive benefit of avoiding CPB. The aim of this analysis was to systematically review the studies that directly assessed the association between cerebral microemboli and cognitive decline after cardiac surgery. METHODS: The electronic database of PubMed of the National Library of Medicine from 1980 until 2009 was searched to identify relevant literature. Search terms related to "cardiac surgery," "microemboli," and "cognitive decline" were used. Studies were reviewed independently by 2 reviewers and relevant articles were included completely if they matched the selection criteria. This review included studies in adult cardiac surgical patients reporting both a measure of cerebral embolic load and cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 423 different titles, of which 22 met the selection criteria. All 22 studies used neuropsychological tests to determine cognitive outcome. Seven studies used postoperative (diffusion-weighted) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect cerebral emboli and 15 studies used intraoperative transcranial Doppler imaging. In 1 MRI study and 5 Doppler studies, an association was found between the number of cerebral emboli and the risk of postoperative cognitive decline. In 15 studies, such an association could not be established. One study did not assess the direct relation between microemboli and cognitive decline. CONCLUSION: This systematic review could neither confirm nor rule out a causal link between emboli from CPB and postoperative cognitive decline.