Anesthesia and Sedation Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants Undergoing Congenital Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Children undergoing complex cardiac surgery are exposed to substantial cumulative doses of sedative medications and volatile anesthetics and are more frequently anesthetized with ketamine, compared with healthy children. This study hypothesized that greater exposure to sedation and anesthesia in this population is associated with lower neurodevelopmental scores at 18 months of age. METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted of infants with congenital heart disease who participated in a prospective observational study of environmental exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes to assess the impact of cumulative volatile anesthetic agents and sedative medications. Cumulative minimum alveolar concentration hours of exposure to volatile anesthetic agents and all operating room and intensive care unit exposures to sedative and anesthesia medications were collected before administration of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley III), at 18 months of age. RESULTS: The study cohort included 41 (37%) single-ventricle and 69 (63%) two-ventricle patients. Exposures to volatile anesthetic agents, opioids, benzodiazepines, and dexmedetomidine were not associated with abnormal Bayley III scores. At 18-month follow-up, after adjusting for confounders, each mg/kg increase in ketamine exposure was associated with a 0.34 (95% CI, -0.64 to -0.05) point decrease in Bayley III motor scores (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Total cumulative exposures to volatile anesthetic agents were not associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants with congenital heart disease undergoing various imaging studies and procedures, whereas higher ketamine doses were associated with poorer motor performance.

Role alteration predicts anxiety and depressive symptoms in parents of infants with congenital heart disease: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Parents of infants born with critical congenital heart disease are at risk for adverse mental health symptoms. The purpose of this study was to identify infant-, parent-, and environmental-based stressors for mothers and fathers after their infants' cardiac surgery, and to explore relationships between stressors and mental health symptoms of anxiety and depression. METHODS: This study enrolled 28 biological mother-father dyads from families admitted to the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit for cardiac surgery at one free-standing children's hospital in the Northeast. Paired t-tests were used to examine group differences between mothers and fathers on perceived stressors and mental health symptoms, while linear mixed effects modelling was used to explore the predictive relationship between perceived stressors, personal factors, and mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Mothers reported higher perceived stressor scores of parental role alteration (t = 4.03, p < 0.01) and infant appearance and behaviour (t = 2.61, p = 0.02), and total perceived stress (t = 2.29 p = 0.03), compared to fathers. Mothers also reported higher anxiety (t = 2.47, p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (t = 3.25, p < 0.01) than fathers. In multivariable analysis, parental role alteration significantly predicted anxiety (t = 5.20, p < 0.01, d = 0.77) and depressive symptoms (t = 7.09, p < 0.01, d = 1.05) for mothers and fathers. The consensus subscale of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale also significantly predicted depressive symptoms (t = -2.42, p = 0.02, d = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Parents were distressed during their infant's admission for surgical repair for critical congenital heart disease. Parental role alteration was significantly associated with parental anxiety and depressive symptoms, while poor relationship quality was associated with depressive symptoms, highlighting areas for potential nursing-led psychosocial led interventions.

Skin-to-Skin Care Is a Safe and Effective Comfort Measure for Infants Before and After Neonatal Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of skin-to-skin care on stress, pain, behavioral organization, and physiologic stability of infants with critical congenital heart disease before and after neonatal cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A baseline response-paired design was used, with infants acting as their own controls before, during, and after skin-to-skin care at two distinct time points: once in the preoperative period (T1) and once in the postoperative period (T2). SETTING: Cardiac ICU and step-down unit in a large metropolitan freestanding children's hospital. SUBJECTS: Convenience sample of 30 infants admitted preoperatively for critical congenital heart disease. INTERVENTIONS: Eligible infants were placed into skin-to-skin care for 1 hour with their biological mothers once each at T1 and T2. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Measurements of stress (salivary cortisol), pain and behavior state (COMFORT scale), and physiologic stability (vital signs) were assessed immediately before skin-to-skin care, 30 minutes into skin-to-skin care, and 30 minutes after skin-to-skin care ended.At both T1 and T2, infant pain scores were significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) and infants moved into a calmer behavior state (p < 0.0001) during skin-to-skin care as compared to baseline. At T1, infants also had significantly reduced heart rate (p = 0.002) and respiratory rate (p < 0.0001) and increased systolic blood pressure (p = 0.033) during skin-to-skin care. At both T1 and T2, infant cortisol remained stable and unchanged from pre-skin-to-skin care to during skin-to-skin care (p = 0.096 and p = 0.356, respectively), and significantly increased from during skin-to-skin care to post-skin-to-skin care (p = 0.001 and p = 0.023, respectively). Exploratory analysis revealed differences in cortisol reactivity for infants with higher baseline cortisol (> 0.3 µg/dL) versus lower (≤ 0.3 µg/dL) prior to skin-to-skin care. Infants with higher baseline cortisol at T2 experienced significantly reduced cortisol during skin-to-skin care (p = 0.025). No significant differences in demographics or baseline variables were found between infants in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Skin-to-skin care is a low-cost, low-risk intervention that promotes comfort and supports physiologic stability in infants before and after neonatal cardiac surgery.

Fistulography of a Patent Hemodialysis Access: When Not to Treat and Implications for Establishing a Nontreatment Rate.

PURPOSE: To establish a rate of nonintervention in patients referred for hemodialysis access fistulography and to report clinical and fistulographic variables associated with nonintervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Encounters for fistulography were reviewed from 2001 to 2016 to determine annual rates of nontreatment over 15 years. Next, an access database was used to retrospectively identify patients undergoing fistulography from 2010 to 2016. Patients who underwent fistulography without intervention (angioplasty or stent placement) served as the nontreatment group (NTG; n = 76). Patients who underwent fistulography with intervention served as the control group (CG; n = 77). Patients with thrombosed accesses were excluded. Clinical indications for intervention and physical examination findings were correlated with fistulography. Need for subsequent percutaneous intervention was recorded. RESULTS: Annual nontreatment rates ranged from 3% to 14% (median, 10%). Preprocedure thrill was encountered in 45 patients in the NTG (59%) vs 6 in the CG (7.8%; P < .01). Aneurysm as indication for fistulography was more common in the NTG than the CG (19 [25%] vs 4 [5%]; P < .01). The NTG had a higher proportion of aneurysms noted on fistulography as well (38 [50%] vs 19 [25%]; P < .01). The CG had a higher proportion of patients needing subsequent percutaneous intervention vs the NTG (73 [96%] vs 38 [50%]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A suggested nonintervention rate for hemodialysis access fistulography is 10%. Patients in the NTG were more likely to have a thrill on physical examination or to present with aneurysms as the clinical indicator. NTG patients were less likely to require subsequent percutaneous intervention.

Persistence in Coil-Embolized Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations with Feeding Artery Diameters of 3 mm or Less: A Retrospective Single-Center Observational Study.

PURPOSE: To assess persistence in coil-embolized pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) with feeding artery diameters ≤ 3 mm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients (21 male, 37 female; mean age, 43 y; range, 13-71 y) with 141 simple-type PAVMs treated from 2004 to 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were one or more PAVMs with feeding artery diameters ≤ 3 mm ("small PAVMs"), treatment with coil embolization, and presence of a follow-up chest computed tomographic (CT) angiogram at approximately 6 months. Feeding artery diameter, total coil length, and coil nest-to-PAVM sac distance were measured on arteriographic images. Coil packing density was estimated. Persistence was defined as less than 70% reduction in PAVM sac size and was assessed for each PAVM with respect to previous arteriogram or CT angiogram. Each variable was statistically tested for association with persistence. RESULTS: On follow-up CT arteriography, 111 of 141 PAVMs (79%) showed a 70% or greater reduction in size of the sac and were deemed not persistent. The remaining 30 (21%) with unchanged or minimally reduced sac sizes were classified as persistent. Feeding artery diameter, coil size, quantity of coils, shape of coils, coil nest length, compaction, and visible packing density did not affect persistence, but coil nest-to-sac distance was directly correlated with persistence (P < .006). This result held true even with nest-to-sac distances of less than 1 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Small PAVMs have a high persistence rate after coil embolotherapy. Most previously described risk factors for PAVM persistence do not seem to apply to these PAVMs, with the exception of coil nest-to-sac distance.

Unmasking of Previously Asymptomatic Central Venous Stenosis following Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty of Hemodialysis Access.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of new-onset symptoms of central venous stenosis (CVS) after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of a hemodialysis access-related stenosis in patients with previously asymptomatic CVS and to identify risk factors for this phenomenon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was performed of patients treated with PTA for an access-related stenosis (excluding central vein interventions) between 2001 and 2016 who returned within 3 months with symptoms of CVS (ie, "unmasking"): 39 patients met these criteria. A control group of 122 patients who had untreated asymptomatic CVS and did not experience unmasking was selected. Fistulograms were graded for degree of CVS. A total of 51% of the unmasked group was male, with an average age of 65 years; 57% of the control group was male, with an average age of 63 years. RESULTS: The incidence of unmasking among patients with untreated asymptomatic CVS was 4.9%. A total of 90% of the unmasked group (35 of 39) had upper-arm access, compared with 77% of the control group (94 of 122; P = .017). A total of 28% of unmasked-group patients (11 of 39) underwent thrombectomy, vs 4% of controls (5 of 122; P < .0001). A total of 54% of unmasked-group patients (21 of 39) had significant brachiocephalic vein stenosis, vs 26% of controls (32 of 122; P = .001). A total of 8% of unmasked-group patients (3 of 39) had superior vena cava stenosis, vs none of the 122 controls (P = .01). A total of 64% of unmasked-group patients (25 of 39) had extensive collateral vessels, vs 24% of controls (29 of 122; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of unmasking of asymptomatic CVS is low. Prophylactic treatment of asymptomatic CVS therefore remains generally inadvisable. However, patients undergoing declotting with extensive collateral vessels might warrant treatment of asymptomatic CVS.

Central venous stenosis is more often symptomatic in hemodialysis patients with grafts compared with fistulas.

PURPOSE: To determine whether hemodialysis patients with central venous stenosis (CVS) are more frequently symptomatic if they have grafts versus fistulas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 500 consecutive discrete patients, half with fistulas and half with grafts, who had fistulograms performed over a 4-year period. All fistulograms were evaluated for CVS, which was graded into quartiles. The presence of collaterals was noted and graded. Patient records were analyzed for symptoms of CVS, including face, neck, breast, or limb swelling. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between access type, degree of stenosis, location of stenosis, and symptoms. RESULTS: Of 500 fistulograms, 31 were excluded because of inadequate or absent central imaging. Of the remaining 469 patients, 235 had fistulas and 234 had grafts. CVS was present in 51% of patients with fistulas (119 of 237) and 51% of patients with grafts (118 of 237). When CVS was present, 29% (35 of 119) of patients with fistulas were symptomatic versus 52% (62 of 118) of patients with grafts (P = .0005). Overall, only 15% of patients with fistulas in the entire cohort were symptomatic compared with 27% of patients with grafts (P = .002). Sex, access side, and transposition did not influence symptoms; however, patients with upper arm access were more likely than patients with forearm access to be symptomatic (P < .0001), independent of access type. CONCLUSIONS: CVS is more likely to be symptomatic in patients with grafts versus fistulas, and patients with upper arm access are more likely than patients with forearm access to be symptomatic.

Challenges and facilitators to adoption of a point-of-care electronic health record in home care.

Electronic health records (EHRs), intended to improve the clinical process, are understudied in home care. The researchers assessed clinician satisfaction, informed by workflow and patient outcomes, to identify EHR adoption challenges. The mixed methods study setting was a Philadelphia agency with 137 clinicians. Adoption challenges included: (a) hardware problems coupled with lack of field support; (b) inadequate training; and (c) mismatch of EHR usability/functionality and workflow resulting in decreased efficiency. Adoption facilitators were support for team communication and improved clinical data timeliness. Opportunities for improved adoption included sharing with front-line clinicians EHR data related to patient care and health outcomes.

Mental Health Symptoms in Parents of Infants 3 Months After Discharge Following Neonatal Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Parents of newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Few studies have examined whether modifiable factors that influence parents' mental health after discharge are present during postoperative care in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). OBJECTIVE: To describe mental health symptoms of parents of infants with CHD 3 months after PCICU discharge and to determine factors during the PCICU stay that are predictors of such symptoms. METHODS: A longitudinal cohort pilot study of 56 parents (28 mother-father dyads) of 28 infants with CHD. During the first postoperative week after cardiac surgery, parents completed questionnaires measuring factors potentially influencing mental health. Three months after discharge, 42 parents of 22 infants completed validated measures of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. RESULTS: Three months after discharge, 26% of parents had clinically elevated levels of anxiety symptoms, 21% had clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms, and 19% had posttraumatic stress symptoms. In multi-variable analysis, parental role alteration in the PCICU was predictive of anxiety (P = .002), depressive (P = .02), and posttraumatic stress (P = .02) symptoms 3 months after discharge. Higher education level was predictive of anxiety symptoms (P = .009). Postnatal CHD diagnosis was predictive of posttraumatic stress symptoms (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Parental role alteration perceived by parents during the PCICU stay is a modifiable stressor contributing to adverse mental health symptoms 3 months after discharge. Interventions targeting parental role alteration in the PCICU are critically needed.

Outpatient placement of subcutaneous venous access ports reduces the rate of infection and dehiscence compared with inpatient placement.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the inpatient versus outpatient status of patients at the time of port placement affects the infection rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through a quality assurance database, all patients undergoing port insertion by interventional radiology personnel at a single institution between 2001 and 2010 were identified (N = 2,112). From this cohort, 1,030 patients with a known reason for port removal were retrospectively analyzed. All ports were of the same design. Data were analyzed according to inpatient/outpatient status at insertion and indications for port placement, including solid or hematologic malignancy and access for total parenteral nutrition or pheresis. Effects of inpatient/outpatient status on the reason for, and total time until, catheter removal were determined. Infections were defined as culture-positive bacteremia or clinically suspected port pocket infection. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen in age (P = .32), sex (P = .4), or access site (P = .4) between groups. There was a significant difference in total infection-free catheter days between groups, with means of 241 days for inpatients and 305 for outpatients (P<.001). Inpatients had a significantly higher infection rate per 1,000 catheter-days versus outpatients (0.72 vs 0.5; P = .01). Similarly, there was a significant difference between inpatients and outpatients in time to port removal for infection or dehiscence, with the hazard of inpatients needing removal 45% greater than that of outpatients (P = .03). The increased hazard of inpatients needing port removal was significant even after accounting for placement indication (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Port placement in an outpatient setting results in longer infection-free survival for a wide variety of placement indications.

Objective and subjective assessment of physician labor and resource utilization in maintenance percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of nonthrombosed hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas versus arteriovenous grafts.

PURPOSE: To complement prior studies that have shown that arteriovenous fistula (AVF) thrombectomies require more time and equipment than arteriovenous graft (AVG) thrombectomies by measuring work via established instruments to determine whether there is also a difference in maintenance percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of nonthrombosed AVFs versus AVGs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PTA procedures performed on a consecutive cohort of 42 patients with AVFs and 27 patients with AVGs were prospectively compared. To quantify resource utilization, procedure time and disposable equipment were measured. Established instruments developed by the American Medical Association for Current Procedural Terminology code valuation were used to measure subjective "physician work," including mental effort and judgment, technical skill, physical effort, and psychological stress. These items were scored by 1 of 12 attending interventional radiology physicians performing the procedure. RESULTS: Mean PTA procedure time was 74 minutes (range, 18-183 minutes) for AVFs and 71 minutes (range, 28-204 minutes) for AVGs; hemostasis time was 12 minutes for AVFs and 11 minutes for AVGs. There was no significant difference in equipment use between groups. "Physician work" for AVFs scored significantly higher in four categories (P≤ .05). CONCLUSIONS: Using established subjective instruments, maintenance PTA of AVFs was scored as more cognitively, physically, and psychologically demanding than maintenance PTA of AVGs. However, there was no significant difference in resource utilization between maintenance PTA of AVFs versus AVGs, as has been previously shown with thrombectomy of thrombosed AVFs and AVGs.

Outcomes of percutaneous interventions in transposed hemodialysis fistulas compared with nontransposed fistulas and grafts.

PURPOSE: To compare postpercutaneous intervention outcomes of autogenous venous-transposition arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) versus those of autogenous nontransposed AVFs (nAVFs) and prosthetic arteriovenous grafts (AVGs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 591 hemodialysis accesses (195 transposed AVFs [tAVFs], 205 nAVFs, 191 AVGs) in 522 patients (278 male; mean age, 57 y; range, 15­91 y) underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and/or mechanical thrombectomy (ie, declotting). Access characteristics, surgical history, percutaneous interventions, postinterventional primary and secondary access patency, and follow-up data were collected. Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses, Fisher exact tests, and χ2 tests were performed. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 32 months. Mean access ages at initial percutaneous intervention were 260 days (tAVF), 206 days (nAVF), and 176 days (AVG; P < .01). One-year postinterventional primary patency (PIPP) rates were 25% (tAVF), 24% (nAVF), and 14% (AVG). One-year postinterventional secondary patency (PISP) rates were 77% (tAVF), 61% (nAVF), and 63% (AVG). Median PIPP durations were 138 days (tAVF), 121 days (nAVF), and 79 days (AVG; P = .0001). Median PISP durations were 1,076 days (tAVF), 783 days (nAVF), and 750 days (AVG; P = .019). Total interventions needed to maintain PISP were 2.4 (tAVF), 1.3 (nAVF), and 3.2 (AVG) per patient-year (P < .001), which included 1.9, 1.2, and 1.4 PTAs (P < .01) and 0.45, 0.15, and 1.8 declotting procedures, respectively (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the number of percutaneous interventions needed to maintain PISP, these results confirm the current Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative access preference of nAVFs before tAVFs before AVGs. tAVFs offered superior postinterventional outcomes than AVGs. With additional interventions, tAVFs could even outperform nAVFs in terms of PISP.

Evaluating Consistency of Documented ICD Codes for Hospitalized Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Conducting health services research relies on consistent diagnosis code documentation; however, it is unknown if consistent documentation in claims data occurs among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and/or trait (SCT). The objective of this study was to examine the consistency of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code documentation for SCD/SCT and identify coding discrepancies between patients' hospitalizations. PATIENTS: A total of 80 031 hospitalization records across 528 hospitals belonging to 15 380 unique patients who had at least 1 documentation of SCD/SCT and 2 or more hospitalizations during the study period (April 2015-December 2016). METHODS: Secondary analysis of patient discharge abstracts in California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. ICD 9 and ICD 10 codes identified patients with SCD/SCT. Variations in documentation consistency across hospitals were examined. RESULTS: Only 51% of patients were consistently documented. There were statistically significant differences in whether a patient was or was not consistently documented based on: age, race/ethnicity, sex, insurer, and disease type. Twenty-five percent of hospitalization records were not consistently documented with an SCD code. Hospitalization records, for patients not consistently documented (49%), often included primary admitting diagnoses for conditions associated with SCD. Few hospitals (18%) were above average in consistently documenting SCD/SCT. CONCLUSIONS: Not consistent documentation for SCD/SCT occurs with variation among patients and across disease type and hospitals. These findings signal to researchers the importance of thoroughly identifying all hospitalizations when studying populations with chronic disease. Without accurate documentation, research relying on claims data may produce inaccurate findings.

Segregation Predicts COVID-19 Fatalities in Less Densely Populated Counties.

Aim It is well known that social determinants of health (SDoH) have affected COVID-19 outcomes, but these determinants are broad and complex. Identifying essential determinants is a prerequisite to address widening health disparities during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Methods County-specific COVID-19 fatality data from California, Illinois, and New York, three US states with the highest county-cevel COVID-19 fatalities as of June 15, 2020, were analyzed. Twenty-three county-level SDoH, collected from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHRR), were considered. A median split on the population-adjusted COVID-19 fatality rate created an indicator for high or low fatality. The decision tree method, which employs machine learning techniques, analyzed and visualized associations between SDoH and high COVID-19 fatality rate at the county level. Results Of the 23 county-level SDoH considered, population density, residential segregation (between white and non-white populations), and preventable hospitalization rates were key predictors of COVID-19 fatalities. Segregation was an important predictor of COVID-19 fatalities in counties of low population density. The model area under the curve (AUC) was 0.79, with a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 76%. Conclusion Our findings, using a novel analytical lens, suggest that COVID-19 fatality is high in areas of high population density. While population density correlates to COVID-19 fatality, our study also finds that segregation predicts COVID-19 fatality in less densely populated counties. These findings have implications for COVID-19 resource planning and require appropriate attention.

Silicone and polyurethane tunneled infusion catheters: a comparison of durability and breakage rates.

PURPOSE: To examine the overall durability and breakage rates of dual-lumen silicone catheters in comparison with power-injectable dual-lumen polyurethane catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who received a 10-F dual-lumen silicone catheter or 9.5-F dual-lumen polyurethane catheter between January 2002 and July 2009 were identified through a quality assurance database. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 117 silicone and 94 polyurethane catheters were identified in 192 patients. Reasons for catheter placement and removal were recorded, as were cases of breakage and repairs. Catheter durability was compared; survival analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Breakage occurred in nine of 117 silicone catheters (8%) and none of 94 polyurethane catheters (P = .005). Most catheters were placed for malignancy (162 of 211; 77%); nonmalignant indications such as total parenteral nutrition accounted for 49 out of 211 catheters (23%). The mean silicone catheter dwell time was 99 days (11,612 total catheter-days), and the mean polyurethane catheter dwell time was 78 days (7,362 total catheter-days). There was no significant difference in overall duration of function (ie, survival) between silicone and polyurethane catheters (P = .12). The infection rates were 3.6 per 1,000 catheter-days for silicone catheters and 3.5 per 1,000 catheter-days for polyurethane catheters (P value not significant). CONCLUSIONS: There were fewer catheter fractures with the polyurethane catheter compared with the silicone catheter, although there was no difference in the total access site service interval for the two catheter types.

Skin-to-Skin Care is Associated with Reduced Stress, Anxiety, and Salivary Cortisol and Improved Attachment for Mothers of Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of skin-to-skin care (SSC) on biobehavioral measures of stress (anxiety and salivary cortisol) and attachment (attachment scores and salivary oxytocin) of mothers before and after their infants' neonatal cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A prospective interventional, baseline response-paired pilot study. SETTING: Cardiac center of a large, metropolitan, freestanding children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty women whose infants were hospitalized for neonatal cardiac surgery. METHODS: Participants acted as their own controls before, during, and after SSC at two time points: once before and once after surgery. We measured the stress response of mothers, as indicated by self-reported scores of anxiety and maternal salivary cortisol, and maternal-infant attachment, as indicated by self-reported scores and maternal salivary oxytocin. RESULTS: Significant reductions in self-reported scores of anxiety and salivary cortisol were found as a result of SSC at each time point, as well as increased self-reported attachment. No significant differences were found in oxytocin. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide initial evidence of the benefits of SSC as a nurse-led intervention to support maternal attachment and reduce physiologic and psychological stress responses in mothers of infants with critical congenital heart disease before and after neonatal cardiac surgery.

Parental role alteration strongly influences depressive symptoms in mothers of preoperative infants with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Mothers of infants with congenital heart disease are at risk for depression. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the influence on maternal depressive symptoms of several known factors for mothers in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, including perceived stressors, attachment, and anxiety. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of 30 mothers of infants awaiting cardiac surgery. Linear regressions were calculated to determine the relationships between perceived stressors, maternal attachment, anxiety, and maternal depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Nearly half of mothers reported depressive symptoms above the measure cut-off score, indicating they were at risk for likely clinical depression. Subscales of perceived stress explained 61.7% of the variance in depressive symptoms (F = 11.815, p<0.0001) with parental role alteration subscale as the strongest predictor (standardized beta=0.694, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of mental health screening and instituting nursing practices to enhance parental role for mothers of infants awaiting cardiac surgery.

Evaluating a child care-based social marketing approach for improving children's diet and physical activity: results from the Healthy Me, Healthy We cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Child care-based interventions offer an opportunity to reach children at a young and impressionable age to support healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Ideally, these interventions engage caregivers, including both childcare providers and parents, in united effort. This study evaluated the impact of the Healthy Me, Healthy We intervention on children's diet quality and physical activity. A sample of 853 three- to four-year-old children from 92 childcare centers were enrolled in this cluster-randomized control trial. Healthy Me, Healthy We was an 8-month, social marketing intervention delivered through childcare that encouraged caregivers (childcare providers and parents) to use practices that supported children's healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Outcome measures, collected at baseline and post-intervention, assessed children's diet quality, physical activity, and BMI as well as caregivers' feeding and physical activity practices. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to assess change from baseline to post-intervention between intervention and control arms. No significant changes were noted in any of the outcome measures except for small improvements in children's sodium intake and select parent practices. Despite the negative findings, this study offers many lessons about the importance and challenges of effective parent engagement which is critical for meaningful changes in children's health behaviors.

Large-bore tunneled central venous catheter insertion in patients with coagulopathy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of tunneled central venous catheter (TCVC) insertion in patients with an International Normalized Ratio (INR) of greater than or equal to 1.5 or a platelet count lower than 50,000/dL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our division's criteria for acceptable coagulation parameters in patients undergoing TCVC insertion is INR no greater than 2 and platelet count of at least 25,000/dL. Three-thousand one-hundred and eighty-eight TCVCs (8-14.5 F) placed between July 2001 and July 2008 were identified. After excluding incomplete records, 2,514 patients undergoing 3,170 TCVC placements were identified. The most current platelet count and INR at the time of TCVC insertion were identified. Bleeding complications were compared between patients with platelet counts lower than 50,000/dL and/or INR of at least 1.5 and published standards for complication rates for TCVC insertion. RESULTS: Of the total of 3,170 TCVCs placed, 428 were in patients whose most current platelet count was lower than 50,000/dL and 361 were in patients with an INR of 1.5 or greater. After exclusion of intercurrent blood product transfusion, 626 TCVCs placed in 567 patients with a platelet count lower than 50,000/dL and/or an INR of at least 1.5 were identified. There were 27 complications in the entire study population (0.85%); three were in patients with platelet counts lower than 50,000/dL and/or INR of at least 1.5. There were three bleeding complications in the study population (0.095%), none in patients with platelet count lower than 50,000/dL and/or INR of at least 1.5. CONCLUSIONS: Placement of TCVCs in patients with a platelet count between 25,000/dL and 50,000/dL and/or an INR between 1.5 and 2 is safe even without coagulation product transfusions.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon inflation with syringes: who needs an inflator?

PURPOSE: High pressures are important in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, particularly in hemodialysis access. Although many operators rely on commercially available inflators, small syringes can deliver high pressures, which might make inflators unnecessary. Recently introduced polycarbonate (PC) syringes may allow higher pressure delivery than traditional polypropylene (PP) ones, so the present study was performed to determine predictors of inflation pressures achievable with various syringe designs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two subjects participated: 12 residents, 12 interventional radiology fellows, 12 interventional radiology attending physicians, and six others. Each subject made three attempts to deliver maximum pressure with use of a calibrated gauge for each syringe type (1-, 3-, 5-/6-, 10-, and 20-mL PP and PC syringes). A control experiment was conducted to assess fatigue effects. Age, sex, grip strength measured on a dynamometer, and physical parameters (height, weight, body mass index [BMI]) were collected for each participant. RESULTS: Pressures of 40 atm or greater were achieved by more than 90% of subjects with 1-mL PC syringes (mean, 47 atm +/- 7 [SD]). Female subjects generated lower mean pressures with every syringe type (P value range, <.0001 to .025); this effect was least pronounced with 1-mL PC syringes. Grip strength was highly correlated with pressure generation across syringe types. Control experiments showed no significant fatigue effect. With rare exceptions, age, BMI, level of training, height, and weight did not correlate with pressure generation. CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of sex, grip strength, and BMI, 1-mL PC syringes can be used to generate pressures in excess of 40 atm. High correlation between grip strength and pressure generation may make it possible to predict the pressure an individual can generate with any syringe size or design.