Infective endocarditis developing early after percutaneous closure of a patent ductus arteriosus in a child using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder II.

A 10-month-old girl underwent patent ductus arteriosus closure with an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II. After 1 week, she was admitted to our emergency room with tachypnoea, fatigue, and fever. Consecutive blood cultures yielded vancomycin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was already receiving vancomycin, but the fever did not respond to this treatment. The device was successfully removed via left lateral thoracotomy.

Cardiac function in children with premature ventricular contractions: the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation.

BACKGROUND: Premature ventricular contractions are accepted as benign in structurally normal hearts. However, reversible cardiomyopathy can sometimes develop. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have anti-arrhythmic properties in animals and humans.AimWe evaluated left ventricular function in children with premature ventricular contractions with normal cardiac anatomy and assessed the impact of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on left ventricular function in a prospective trial. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with premature ventricular contraction, with more than 2% premature ventricular contractions on 24-hour Holter electrocardiography, and 30 healthy patients were included into study. All patients underwent electrocardiography, left ventricular M-mode echocardiography, and myocardial performance index testing. Patients with premature ventricular contraction were given omega-3 fatty acids at a dose of 1 g/day for 3 months, and control echocardiography and 24-hour Holter electrocardiography were performed. Neither placebo nor omega-3 fatty acids were given to the control group. RESULTS: Compared with the values of the control group, the patients with premature ventricular contraction had significantly lower fractional shortening. The myocardial performance index decreased markedly in the patient groups. The mean heart rate and mean premature ventricular contraction percentage of Group 2 significantly decreased in comparison with their baseline values after the omega-3 supplementation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, premature ventricular contractions can lead to systolic cardiac dysfunction in children. Omega-3 supplementation may improve cardiac function in children with premature ventricular contractions. This is the first study conducted in children to investigate the possible role of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on treatment of premature ventricular contractions.

An unusual form of intracardiac thrombosis and fibrinolytic process in a child with dilated cardiomyopathy.

A twelve-year-old girl presented with tachypnoea, cough and fatigue existing for 3 weeks, which subsequently proved to be caused by dilated cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography showed an echogenic mass with echolucent centre attached to the inferolateral wall of the left ventricle. There was prominent systolic dysfunction. Dilated cardiomyopathy is associated with an increased risk of intracardiac thrombosis. The intracardiac thrombi usually appear as a solid mass on the echocardiogram. The case was presented to emphasize the unususal echocardiographic appearance of an intracardiac thrombus associated with dilated cardiomyopathy.