Stress echocardiography: a useful tool for children with aortic stenosis.

The development of echocardiographic ventricular wall motion abnormalities and ST segment changes with exercise may enhance the detection of myocardial ischemia in children with aortic valve stenosis (AS). This study aimed to assess the relationship between the exercise wall motion index (WMIe), ST segment depression (STd), and overall functionality in asymptomatic children with isolated AS. A prospective interpretation of collected stress echocardiographic images was performed. The 98 children who met the inclusion criteria had a mean age of 12.8 years and a male/female ratio of 4/1. Group 1 (mild AS) was composed of 70 children, and group 2 (moderate or severe AS) was composed of 28 children. Abnormal WMIe was seen in 8 patients (5 in group 1 and 3 in group 2), and significant STd was observed in 13 children (3 in group 1 and 10 in group 2). Four (50 %) of the eight patients with abnormal WMIe also had significant STd. Severity of stenosis was associated with STd (odds ratio [OR], 12.0; 95 % CI 3.0-49.0), logistic regression). A significant association also existed between abnormal WMIe and STd (OR, 9.0; 95 % CI 1.9-42.0, logistic regression). Exercise duration was significantly shorter in group 2 (12 ± 4.52 min) than in group 1 (13 ± 5.28 min) (p = 0.02, analysis of covariance). The appearance of wall motion abnormalities and STd during exercise may be helpful in detecting inducible, functionally important myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic children with AS. Stress echocardiography may be a useful adjunct to more traditional exercise testing in risk stratifying asymptomatic children with AS.

Exercise stress echocardiography after childhood Ross surgery: functional outcome in 26 patients from a single institution.

Adult studies suggest a better functional outcome after aortic valve replacement with a pulmonary autograft compared with mechanical or homograft valves. Little is known about functional results after Ross surgery in growing children. This study reports formal exercise stress echocardiographic data from 26 pediatric Ross patients. A retrospective cohort study analyzed stress echocardiographic data of patients who underwent Ross surgery as a child (<17 years old). All patients were operated by a single surgeon and underwent a Bruce protocol stress echocardiogram on the treadmill. Twenty-six patients (4 girls) were 9.3 ± 5.0 years at surgery and 14.9 ± 3.5 years (range 6.6-19.7 years) at follow-up. Mean follow-up was 5.4 ± 3.7 years (median 4.2). All were asymptomatic. The exercise time was normal in 87% of cases at 12.8 ± 2.5 min. On stress echocardiography, the mean right-ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) gradient increased from 38 ± 22 mmHg at rest to 82 ± 33 mmHg after exercise, but this did not correlate with exercise times. Stress echocardiography is useful in evaluating patients after childhood Ross surgery for aortic valve disease. In this pediatric cohort, most patients achieved normal exercise capacity. The presence of mild or moderate RVOT obstruction had no significant impact on exercise capacity.

Coronary artery occlusion after arterial switch operation in an asymptomatic 15-year-old boy.

A 15-year-old boy with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and neonatal arterial switch operation (ASO) presented with complete occlusion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA). Intra-operatively, an intramural left coronary artery was identified. Therefore, since age 7 years he had a series of screening exercise stress tests. At 13 years old, he had 3 to 4 mm ST segment depression in the infero-lateral leads without symptoms. This progressed to 4.2 mm inferior ST segment depression at 15 years old with normal stress echocardiogram. Sestamibi myocardial perfusion scan and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was inconclusive. Therefore, a coronary angiogram was obtained which showed complete occlusion of the LMCA with ample collateralization from the right coronary artery system. This was later confirmed on a computed tomogram (CT) angiogram, obtained in preparation of coronary artery bypass grafting. The case illustrates the difficulty of detecting coronary artery stenosis and occlusion in young patients with rich collateralization. Coronary CT angiogram and conventional angiography were the best imaging modalities to detect coronary anomalies in this adolescent with surgically corrected TGA. Screening CT angiography may be warranted for TGA patients, particularly for those with known coronary anomalies.

Managing the morbidity associated with respiratory viral infections in children with congenital heart disease.

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for increased morbidity from viral lower respiratory tract infections because of anatomical cardiac lesions than can worsen an already compromised respiratory status. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains an important pathogen in contributing toward the morbidity in this population. Although the acute treatment of RSV largely remains supportive, the development of monoclonal antibodies, such as palivuzumab, has reduced the RSV-related hospitalization rate in children with CHD. This review highlights the specific cardiac complications of RSV infection, the acute treatment of bronchiolitis in patients with CHD, and the search for new therapies against RSV, including an effective vaccine, because of the high cost associated with immunoprophylaxis and its lack of reducing RSV-related mortality.

Endovascular stenting for native coarctation of the aorta is an effective alternative to surgical intervention in older children.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the early and intermediate results with respect to blood pressure control in older children undergoing endovascular stenting for native coarctation of the aorta. DESIGN: Eleven hypertensive patients (10 +/- 3 years of age) underwent endovascular stenting via standard techniques for native coarctation of the aorta as an alternative to surgical repair. Resting and exercise assessment of blood pressure control with Doppler echocardiography was performed pre- and poststenting. RESULTS: All 11 patients underwent successful stenting without complications and were able to be weaned off antihypertensive medications within a short period of time. At latest follow-up (34 +/- 26 months), all patients are normotensive at rest and during treadmill exercise stress testing. Two patients underwent uncomplicated additional stent dilation at follow-up cardiac catheterization. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stenting for native coarctation of the aorta in older children is a reasonable alternative to surgical correction. During early follow-up, stenting effectively alleviates the aortic arch obstruction with normalization of the systemic blood pressure both at rest and during maximal exercise.

Efficacy of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and out-of-hospital automated external defibrillation as life-saving therapy in commotio cordis.

We report a child who sustained commotio cordis after being struck by a baseball, and offer documentation of the advantages of having readily available access to bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated external defibrillator (AED). We suggest that communities and school districts reexamine the need for accessible AEDs and CPR-trained coaches at organized sporting events for children.