"Take it or leave it": Analysis of pediatric heart offers for transplantation in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: There is a shortage of donor hearts in Switzerland, especially for pediatric recipients. However, the rate and reason for refusals of pediatric donor hearts offered in Switzerland has not been systematically analyzed. METHODS: The national transplant database, Swiss Organ Allocation System, was searched for all hearts from Swiss and foreign donors younger than 16 years from 2015 to 2020. The numbers of accepted and refused hearts and early outcome were assessed, and the reasons for refusal were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 136 organs were offered to the three Swiss pediatric heart centers and foreign donor procurement organizations. Of these, 26/136 (19%) organs were accepted and transplanted: 18 hearts were transplanted in Switzerland, and 13 of these were foreign. Reasons for refusal were (1) no compatible recipient due to blood group or weight mismatch, 89.4%; (2) medical, meaning organ too marginal for transplantation, 7.4%; (3) logistic, 1.4%; and (4) other, 1.8%. Five organs were refused in Switzerland by one center but later accepted and successfully transplanted by another center. Hearts from outside Switzerland were transplanted significantly less than Swiss hearts (n = 16/120 vs. 10/16, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The most common reason for refusing a pediatric donor heart is lack of compatibility with the recipient. Few hearts are refused for medical reasons. A more generous acceptance seems to be justified in selected patients. Switzerland receives a high number of foreign offers, but their rate of acceptance is lower than that of Swiss donations.

COVID-19 infection in patients with history of pediatric heart transplant in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

COVID-19 is a heterogenous infection-asymptomatic to fatal. While the course of pediatric COVID-19 infections is usually mild or even asymptomatic, individuals after adult heart transplantation are at high risk of a severe infection. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter survey of 16 pediatric heart transplant centers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to evaluate the risk of a severe COVID-19 infection after pediatric heart transplantation between 02/2020 and 06/2021. Twenty-six subjects (11 male) with a median age of 9.77 years at time of transplantation and a median of 4.65 years after transplantation suffered from COVID-19 infection. The median age at time of COVID-10 infection was 17.20 years. Fourteen subjects had an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. The most frequent symptoms were myalgia/fatigue (n = 6), cough (n = 5), rhinitis (n = 5), and loss of taste (n = 5). Only one subject showed dyspnea. Eleven individuals needed therapy in an outpatient setting, four subjects were hospitalized. One person needed oxygen supply, none of the subjects needed non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. No specific signs for graft dysfunction were found by non-invasive testing. In pediatric heart transplant subjects, COVID-19 infection was mostly asymptomatic or mild. There were no SARS-CoV-2 associated myocardial dysfunction in heart transplant individuals.

Lead and generator dysfunction in children and adolescents with epicardial pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator systems: The challenge of early recognition.

BACKGROUND: A major issue of cardiac implantable electronic device therapy in pediatric patients is the high incidence of lead dysfunctions and associated reinterventions. This study aims to analyze the timing and mode of generator and lead dysfunction. METHODS: Retrospective single-center analysis of 283 children and young adults with an epicardial pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy from 1998 to 2018. RESULTS: Mean age at implant was 6.1 years (SD ± 5.8 years) and median follow-up 6.4 years (IQR, 3.4-10.4 years) with a total of 1998.1 patient-years of cardiac device therapy. A total of 120 lead-related complications were observed in 82 patients (29.0%). They were detected by device interrogation (n = 86), symptoms (n = 13), intraoperative findings (n = 7), routine chest radiography (n = 5), routine ECG (n = 4), patient alert sound by device (n = 3), and physical examination (n = 2). It was possible to find the date of the event on the device memory in 21 out of 120 lead dysfunctions (18%) with a median time interval between occurrence and detection of 1.3 months (IQR, 0.2-5.0 months). Moreover, 20 generator-related complications were found in 13 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Early recognition of lead and generator dysfunction remains challenging in pediatric patients. As symptoms are relatively rare conditions in the context of PM and ICD dysfunction, close patient monitoring is mandatory, even in asymptomatic patients with a good clinical course. To further improve the safety of pediatric pacing systems, more durable epicardial electrodes are desirable.

Pulmonary hemodynamics before and after pediatric heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) may limit the outcome of pediatric heart transplantation (pHTx). We evaluated pulmonary hemodynamics in children undergoing pHTx. METHODS: Cross-sectional, single-center, observational study analyzing pulmonary hemodynamics in children undergoing pHTx. RESULTS: Twenty-three children (female 15) underwent pHTx at median (IQR) age of 3.9 (.9-8.2) years with a time interval between first clinical signs and pHTx of 1.1 (.4-3.2) years. Indications for pHTx included cardiomyopathy (CMP) (n = 17, 74%), congenital heart disease (CHD) (n = 5, 22%), and intracardiac tumor (n = 1, 4%). Before pHTx, pulmonary hemodynamics included elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) 26 (18.5-30) mmHg, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) 19 (14-21) mmHg, left ventricular enddiastolic pressure (LVEDP) 17 (13-22) mmHg. Transpulmonary pressure gradient (TPG) was 6.5 (3.5-10) mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance (Rp) 2.65 WU*m2 (1.87-3.19). After pHTx, at immediate evaluation 2 weeks after pHTx PAP decreased to 20.5 (17-24) mmHg, PCWP 14.5 (10.5-18) mmHg (p < .05), LVEDP 16 (12.5-18) mmHg, TPG 6.5 (4-12) mmHg, Rp 1.49 (1.08-2.74) WU*m2 resp.at last invasive follow up 4.0 (1.4-6) years after pHTx, to PAP 19.5 (17-21) mmHg (p < .05), PCWP 13 (10.5-14.5) mmHg (p < .05), LVEDP 13 (10.5-14) mmHg, TPG 7 (5-9.5) mmHg, Rp 1.58 (1.38-2.19) WU*m2 (p < .05). In CHD patients PAP increased (p < .05) after pHTx at immediate evaluation and decreased until last follow-up (p < .05), while in CMP patients there was a continuous decline of mean PAP values immediately after HTx (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: While PH before pHTx is frequent, after pHTx the normalization of PH starts immediately in CMP patients but is delayed in CHD patients.

Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia: Multiple Clinical Presentations of a Genetically Determined Disease.

BACKGROUND: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare, inherited heart rhythm disorder that is caused by variants in genes responsible for cardiac calcium homeostasis. The aim of this study was to analyze different genotype-specific clinical manifestations of this disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed five CPVT cases from our institution in the context of specific patient characteristics and genotype-phenotype correlations. In this cohort, three of the index patients were male. The median age at diagnosis was 11 (11-30) years, and median age at disease onset was 12 (12-33) years. Four index patients suffered from syncope, while one female index patient suffered from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Two index patients experienced concomitant atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. Three patients received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and one patient received an event recorder. All index patients had causative genetic variants in the RYR2-gene. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents various phenotypic presentations of patients with CPVT harboring different pathogenic variants in the RYR2 gene, some of which have not previously been described in published studies. Syncope was the most prevalent symptom on admission. Adjustment of beta-blocker therapy may be necessary due to side effects. Moreover, our work further highlights the common occurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias in these patients.

Swiss Latin Airway Guidelines: a holistic approach for improving airway management.

Airway management is a core competency for many different medical specialties. Despite continuous improvements in equipment, clinical understanding, education and training, airway management complications remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several international airway management guidelines already exist, but there has never been a national consensus document for Switzerland. The Fondation Latine des Voies Aériennes (FLAVA) has developed a new set of airway management guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence and the authors' extensive clinical experience. These recommendations are intended to guide and assist clinicians in managing a wide array of airway situations. They are applicable to the daily routine management of anticipated and unanticipated airway difficulties. The new 2022 FLAVA Airway Guidelines (FLAGs) combine cognitive aids for using the latest technical skills and non-technical skills. Specially-designed key mnemonics and ergonomic tools complement these guidelines, including a colour-coded airway cart.

Findings and Outcome of Transcatheter Right Ventricular Endomyocardial Biopsy and Hemodynamic Assessment in Children with Suspected Myocarditis or Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective is assessing findings and outcome in children with suspected cardiomyopathy (CMP) or myocarditis undergoing cardiac catheterization with transcatheter right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (RV-EMB). METHODS: All consecutive children undergoing cardiac catheterization with RV-EMB for suspected CMP/myocarditis between 2002-2021 were analysed regarding clinical presentation, cardiac biomarkers, periprocedural management, hemodynamic, histological/immunohistological findings, and outcome. RESULTS: Eighty-five RV-EMBs were performed in 81 patients at a median age of 6.8 (IQR 9.9) years and a bodyweight of 20 (32.2) kg. Histological/immunohistological findings of RV-EMB revealed dilated CMP in 10 (12%), chronic myocarditis in 28 (33%), healing myocarditis in 5 (6%), acute myocarditis in 9 (11%), other heart muscle diseases in 23 (27%) (7 restrictive CMP, 5 hypertrophic CMP, 4 toxic/anthracycline-induced CMP, 4 endocardfibroelastosis, 1 arrhythmogenic right ventricular CMP, 1 laminin CMP, 1 haemangioma), no conclusive histology in 7 (8%), and normal histology in 3 (4%) patients. Median LVEDP was 17 mmHg (IQR 9), LAP 15 mmHg (10), and PVR 1.83 (1.87) Wood Units/m2. There were 3 major complications (3%), all patients recovered without any sequelae. At follow-up (median 1153, IQR 1799 days) 47 (59%) patients were alive, 11 (13%) dead, 15 (18%) underwent cardiac transplantation, and 8 (9%) were lost to follow-up. Death/cardiac transplantation occurred within 3 years from RV-EMB. All patients with an acute myocarditis survived. NT-pro-BNP, echo parameters, and invasive hemodynamics correlate independently with death/cardiac transplant. CONCLUSION: Hemodynamic invasive data and morphological findings in RV-EMB complete clinical diagnosis in children with suspected CMP/myocarditis and provide important information for further clinical management.

Inducibility of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and ectopic atrial tachycardia in children under general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: In children, invasive electrophysiological studies (EPS) and radiofrequency catheter ablations (RFA) of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) are often performed under general anesthesia. Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT) must be inducible during EPS as reliable diagnosis and subsequent therapy are not possible in sinus rhythm. This study aims to assess the problem of noninducible AVNRT and EAT under general anesthesia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Anesthesia protocols of 166 patients undergoing EPS were retrospectively analyzed. 122 AVNRT patients were compared to 22 whose tachycardia was not inducible but probably due to an AVNRT mechanism. Another 16 patients with inducible EAT were compared to 6 whose EAT appeared on surface ECG but not during EPS. Demographic characteristics were similar among all groups. Inducibility did not differ (p = .42) between AVNRT patients with inhalational anesthesia (sevoflurane and/or nitrous oxide) and patients with intravenous anesthesia (propofol with/without remifentanil). The EAT group exhibited lower inducibility under intravenous anesthesia (64%) than under inhalational (88%), however without significance (p = .35). CONCLUSION: Tachycardia induction succeeds with similar frequency under both inhalational and intravenous general anesthesia in children with AVNRT. In children with EAT, inhalational anesthesia is associated with a trend towards better inducibility.

Cardiac rhythm devices in pediatric patients: Impact on family functioning and parent's health-related quality of life.

This study compares the impact of children's cardiac rhythm devices and health status on their parents with that of healthy controls. Furthermore, it aims to ascertain whether sociodemographic characteristics and medical data are associated with parent-reported impacts. This cross-sectional study is part of a comprehensive single-center study of long-term psychosocial outcomes in pediatric patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. The study includes 69 patients with their parents: 69 mothers and 57 fathers. Parents responded to the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module and to open-ended questions assessing impact on family life and treatment satisfaction. Parents reported more negative impact on family life than healthy controls in all three summary scores. Among fathers, presence of a child's congenital heart disease and female sex is associated with lower family function. No group differences emerged regarding device type. Positive and negative cognitive aspects predominated for patients' mothers and fathers. However, one substantial difference is that mothers reported more positive and negative emotional impact than fathers. We conclude that parents' well-being should be addressed in clinical contexts, especially through emotional and practical support and open communication focused on parents' worries and concerns.

Antiarrhythmic Medication in Neonates and Infants with Supraventricular Tachycardia.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common arrhythmia in neonates and infants, and pharmacological therapy is recommended to prevent recurrent episodes. This retrospective study aims to describe and analyze the practice patterns, effectiveness, and outcome of drug therapy for SVT in patients within the first year of life. Among the 67 patients analyzed, 48 presented with atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia, 18 with focal atrial, and one with atrioventricular nodal re-entrant. Fetal tachycardia was reported in 27%. Antiarrhythmic treatment consisted of beta-receptor blocking agents in 42 patients, propafenone in 20, amiodarone in 20, and digoxin in 5. Arrhythmia control was achieved with single drug therapy in 70% of the patients, 21% needed dual therapy, and 6% triple. Propafenone was discontinued in 7 infants due to widening of the QRS complex. After 12 months (6-60), 75% of surviving patients were tachycardia-free and discontinued prophylactic treatment. Patients with fetal tachycardia had a significantly higher risk of persistent tachycardia (p: 0.007). Prophylactic antiarrhythmic medication for SVT in infancy is safe and well tolerated. Arrhythmia control is often achieved with single medication, and after cessation, most patients are free of arrhythmias. Infants with SVT and a history of fetal tachycardia are more prone to suffer from persistent SVT and relapses after cessation of prophylactic antiarrhythmic medication than infants with the first episode of SVT after birth.

Paediatric and adolescent athletes in Switzerland: age-adapted proposals for pre-participation cardiovascular evaluation.

High-level sports competition is popular among Swiss youth. Even though preparticipation evaluation for competitive athletes is widespread, screening strategies for diseases responsible for sudden death during sport are highly variable. Hence, we sought to develop age-specific preparticipation cardiovascular evaluation (PPCE) proposals for Swiss paediatric and adolescent athletes (under 18 years of age). We recommend that all athletes practising in a squad with a training load of at least 6 hours per week should undergo PPCE based on medical history and physical examination from the age of 12 years on. Prior to 12 years, individual judgement of athletic performance is required. We suggest the inclusion of a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) evaluation for all post-pubertal athletes (or older than 15 years) with analysis in accordance with the International Criteria for ECG Interpretation in Athletes. Echocardiography should not be a first-line screening tool but rather serve for the investigation of abnormalities detected by the above strategies. We recommend regular follow-up examinations, even for those having normal history, physical examination and ECG findings. Athletes with an abnormal history (including family history), physical examination and/or ECG should be further investigated and pathological findings discussed with a paediatric cardiologist. Importantly, the recommendations provided in this document are not intended for use among patients with congenital heart disease who require individualised care according to current guidelines.

Motor and visuomotor function in 10-year-old children with congenital heart disease: association with behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Children with CHD are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental impairments. There is little information on long-term motor function and its association with behaviour. AIMS: To assess motor function and behaviour in a cohort of 10-year-old children with CHD after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. METHODS: Motor performance and movement quality were examined in 129 children with CHD using the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment providing four timed and one qualitative component, and a total timed motor score was created based on the four timed components. The Beery Test of Visual-Motor Integration and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were administered. RESULTS: All Zurich Neuromotor Assessment motor tasks were below normative values (all p ≤ 0.001), and the prevalence of poor motor performance (≤10th percentile) ranged from 22.2% to 61.3% in the different components. Visuomotor integration and motor coordination were poorer compared to norms (all p ≤ 0.001). 14% of all analysed children had motor therapy at the age of 10 years. Children with a total motor score ≤10th percentile showed more internalising (p = 0.002) and externalising (p = 0.028) behavioural problems. CONCLUSIONS: School-aged children with CHD show impairments in a variety of motor domains which are related to behavioural problems. Our findings emphasise that motor problems can persist into school-age and require detailed assessment and support.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia in a paediatric population: characteristics of tachycardia mechanisms in a subpopulation with early onset.

BACKGROUND: In children, the first episode of supraventricular tachycardia occurs at various ages. The aim of this study is to describe age-specific tachycardia mechanisms, clinical findings, and outcome in a contemporary cohort of paediatric patients with supraventricular tachycardia. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 531 consecutive patients with structurally normal hearts under the age of 18 years who underwent invasive electrophysiological study for supraventricular tachycardia. The study population was divided into two groups, early-onset group (n = 57) and late-onset group (n = 474), according to the age of the occurrence of the first tachycardia before or after the age of 12 months. RESULTS: Accessory pathway-mediated tachycardia was more common (82.5 versus 50.1%, p < 0.001) and the proportion of left-sided accessory pathways was more pronounced (74.5 versus 53.7%, p = 0.01) in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group. The antegrade and retrograde refractory periods of the accessory pathways were similar in both groups, but pre-excitation was more common in the early-onset group (50.9 versus 31.9%, p = 0.007). Typical atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia was more common (36.7 versus 7.0%, p < 0.001) in the late-onset group. There was no difference among the two groups regarding overall outcome. CONCLUSION: Accessory pathway-mediated re-entrant tachycardia is the most common mechanism of recurrent supraventricular tachycardia in infants with structurally normal hearts who are later referred to an electrophysiological study. These pathways often cause pre-excitation and tend to be located on the left side whereas their refractory period is not different from that of patients with late-onset tachycardia.

Risk Factors for Postprocedural Arterial Ischemic Stroke in Children With Cardiac Disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cardiac pathologies are the second most frequent risk factor (RF) in children with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to analyze RFs for AIS in children with cardiac disease and cardiac intervention. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Swiss Neuropediatric Stroke Registry. Patients with cardiac disease and postprocedural AIS registered from 2000 until 2015 were analyzed for the cause of cardiac disease and for potential RFs. RESULTS: Forty-seven out of 78 children with cardiac disease had a cardiac intervention. Of these, 36 presented a postprocedural AIS. Median time from cardiac intervention to symptom onset was 4 days (interquartile range, 2-8.5); time to diagnosis of AIS was 2 days (interquartile range, 0-5.8). Main RFs for postprocedural AIS were hypotension, prosthetic cardiac material, right-to-left shunt, arrhythmias, low cardiac output, and infections. CONCLUSIONS: In children with postprocedural AIS, time to diagnosis was delayed. Most patients presented multiple potentially modifiable RFs as hemodynamic alterations and infections.

Dysphagia and an aberrant subclavian artery: more than just a coincidence.

Aberrant subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) is the most common congenital malformation of the aortic arch in the general population. As patients are more often asymptomatic, indications for correcting this abnormality, even in those having dysphagia, are very vague. While presenting a case of a 10-year-old girl who suffered from dysphagia lusoria for 2 years before being cured by a simple surgical translocation, we review the literature and debate various aspects of its management from diagnosis to surgery and cosmesis.

Pacemaker Implantation in Neonates and Infants: Favorable Outcomes with Epicardial Pacing Systems.

The implantation of pacemakers (PM) in neonates and infants requires particular consideration of small body size, marked body growth potential, and the decades of future pacing therapy to be expected. The aim of this study is to quantify the complications of implantation and outcome occurring at our center and to compare these with other centers. Retrospective analysis of 52 consecutive patients undergoing PM implantation at a single tertiary care center within the first year of life. PMs were implanted at a median age of 3 months (range 0-10 months). Structural heart defects were present in 44 of 52 patients. During a median follow-up time of 40.4 months (range 0.1-114 months), measurements for sensing, pacing thresholds, and lead impedance remained stable. No adverse pacing effect was observed in left ventricular function or dimensions over time. There were 20 reoperations in 13 patients at a median time of 4.7 years (range 0.05-8.2 years) after implantation, for end of battery life (n = 10), lead dysfunction (n = 3), device dislocation (n = 3), infection (n = 3), and diaphragmatic paresis (n = 1). No PM-related mortality occurred. Epicardial pacemaker implantation in neonates and infants is an invasive but safe and effective procedure with a relatively low risk of complications. Our current implantation technique and the use of bipolar steroid-eluting electrodes, which we prefer to implant on the left ventricular apex, lead to favorable long-term results.

Muscle-sparing aortic coarctation repair.

OBJECTIVE: Surgery for aortic coarctation repair provides excellent hemodynamic results but may be complicated by musculoskeletal issues. The purpose of the study was to determine the midterm results of a muscle-sparing surgical approach to aortic coarctation repair, with special emphasis on the repair and on the musculoskeletal changes associated with a posterior thoracotomy. METHODS: We included all children with aortic coarctation operated on with our minimally invasive approach between June 2002 and October 2004, with a follow-up of ≥4.5 years. Patients were assessed clinically and echocardiographically. The spine, left chest, and shoulder were assessed clinically and radiographically. RESULTS: Thirty-one children were included. The age at operation ranged from 1 day to 15 months and weight ranged from 980 g to 10 kg. All patients underwent an extended end-to-end anastomosis coarctation repair through a minimal (n = 19) or total-muscle sparing (n = 12) or extrapleural (n = 18) approach. Five patients had an additional enlargement procedure on the aortic arch. 27 patients had no residual or recurrent gradient. Four patients exhibited restenosis, for which 1 underwent a percutaneous angioplasty and 2 underwent surgical reintervention. All patients were free of hypertension. One patient had borderline values. The musculoskeletal assessment was normal in all but 3 patients. Two patients who underwent other subsequent thoracic surgeries developed thoracogenic scoliosis of moderate severity. A third patient had a left winged scapula. No rib fusion or intercostal space enlargement was found. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a conventional approach, our minimally invasive surgical approach led to excellent musculoskeletal outcomes without compromising the hemodynamic results.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome during caesarean section.

We describe the case of a 25-year-old parturient who presented sudden onset and short-lived severe headache caused by reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) during an emergency caesarean section. The syndrome was triggered by phenylephrine administered intravenously to correct arterial hypotension following spinal anaesthesia. RCVS is a clinical and radiological syndrome attributed to transient disturbance in the control of cerebral arterial tone resulting in vasospasms. The syndrome can be precipitated by several triggers, including vasoactive drugs, often used during spinal anaesthesia, illicit drugs, pregnancy and postpartum state. Diagnosis and management can be challenging during pregnancy, peripartum or post partum, since many medications commonly used during these periods must be avoided to prevent triggering RCVS. The aim of this report is to raise the awareness, particularly for anaesthesiologists and obstetricians, of this rare and potentially serious syndrome. We discuss diagnosis, triggers, pathogenesis, clinical course and complications, as well as coordinated multidisciplinary management plans.

Magnetic resonance imaging of patients with epicardial leads: in vitro evaluation of temperature changes at the lead tip.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the potential heating effects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the presence of epicardial leads, which are connected to a device or abandoned, using a series of in vitro measurements. METHODS: The heating effects of MRI in a 1.5-T scanner were measured at the lead tip in a gel-filled tank. First, a transvenous lead (5086-45 cm, Medtronic) was compared with an epicardial lead (4968-35 cm, Medtronic) with and without connection to an MR-conditional pacemaker. Then, experiments were conducted using various lengths of epicardial leads exposed to MRI. RESULTS: (1) A temperature rise of + 2.5 °C was observed for the transvenous lead attached to an MRI-conditional pacemaker. The epicardial lead attached to the same pacemaker showed four times higher heating. (2) The transvenous lead without pacemaker showed four times higher heating, and the epicardial lead without pacemaker showed 30 times higher heating. (3) The epicardial lead coiled to 20 cm length without pacemaker showed 9 times higher heating. (4) Experiments with various lengths of epicardial leads showed that the shorter the leads were, the smaller was the heating effect. CONCLUSION: Standard clinical MRI investigations may result in pronounced heating at the tip of epicardial electrodes. Epicardial leads, which are not connected to a pacemaker and thus mimicking abandoned leads, may even result in a more pronounced rise in temperature at the lead tip. Therefore, current epicardial pacing systems may carry a substantial risk of inducing thermal damage of the neighboring tissue during MRI scanning.

Health-related quality of life outcomes in pediatric patients with cardiac rhythm devices: a cross-sectional study with case-control comparison.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric patients with cardiac rhythm devices. This study aims to compare self- and proxy-reported HRQoL in patients with pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to that in sex- and age-matched healthy controls and to examine predictors for generic and disease-specific HRQoL. METHODS: The study included 72 PM and ICD patients (39% females) and 72 sex- and age-matched healthy controls from 3 to 18 years of age. HRQoL data was obtained by the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. Medical data was collected retrospectively from medical records. RESULTS: Patients had significantly lower self- and proxy-reported generic overall HRQoL and lower physical health than healthy controls, and ICD patients also had lower psychosocial health. On multivariate analyses, generic overall HRQoL and physical health was significantly predicted by current cardiac medication (ß = -.39, p = .02 for overall HRQoL, respectively ß = -.44, p = .006 for physical health). Disease-specific overall HRQoL was only marginally predicted by child age, device type, and the presence of a structural congenital heart disease (p < .10). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PM and ICD patients have lower HRQoL than healthy controls and that patients who need cardiac medication are seen by their parents at great risk for lower generic overall HRQoL. Our study also indicates a trend towards higher risk for low disease-specific HRQoL in younger patients, ICD patients, and patients with a structural congenital heart disease. Special attention should be given to these patients as they may benefit from a timely clinical evaluation in order to provide supportive interventions.