Infliximab Plus Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Versus IVIG Alone as Initial Therapy in Children With Kawasaki Disease Presenting With Coronary Artery Lesions: Is Dual Therapy More Effective?

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that 80% of Kawasaki disease (KD) patients who develop coronary artery lesions (CALs) have them at diagnosis. We postulated that KD patients presenting with CALs represent a group that may benefit from more aggressive initial therapy. Infliximab has been shown to decrease inflammation in KD patients when added to standard therapy. We compared outcomes of KD patients with CALs initially treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) alone versus IVIG plus infliximab. METHODS: Medical records of KD patients from January 2009 to July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. CALs were defined as a left anterior descending or right coronary artery Z score ≥2.5. KD patients with CALs on initial echocardiogram treated with IVIG alone were compared with those treated with IVIG plus infliximab. Clinical characteristics were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, χ test and Fischer's exact tests; length of stay was analyzed using log-normal regression and need for additional therapy using logistic regression. Effect of treatment on CALs between groups was assessed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Sixty-nine KD patients with CALs at presentation were included. Fifteen of 34 (44%) patients treated with IVIG alone required additional therapy compared with 4 of 35 (11%) patients treated with IVIG plus infliximab (P = 0.003). There were no significant differences between treatment groups for length of stay, CALs or C-reactive protein fall. CONCLUSIONS: IVIG plus infliximab as initial therapy reduces the need for additional therapy in KD patients presenting with CALs. Intensified initial therapy, consisting of infliximab plus IVIG, could be considered for this group of KD patients.

The Impact of Maternal Self-Efficacy and Oral Health Beliefs on Early Childhood Caries in Latino Children.

OBJECTIVES: Latino children experience one of the highest rates of early childhood caries requiring interventions based on valid conceptual frameworks. The Health Belief Model has relevance as a predictor of compliance with health recommendations based on perceptions of a health condition and behaviors to avoid the condition. The model encompasses four perceptual constructs (susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers) and, for complex conditions, includes self-efficacy as an extended model. This study evaluated individual (self-efficacy and health beliefs) and cultural (acculturation status) level factors and the inter-relationship to determine if items assessed for the Extended Health Belief Model (EHBM) were valid measures of maternal factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 mother-child dyads at the Dental Center of Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA. Participating mothers completed a survey in English or Spanish with items from the Basic Research Factors Questionnaire encompassing sociodemographic characteristics, oral health knowledge and behavior, and psychosocial measures including the EHBM. Language preference was a proxy for maternal acculturation. Children were examined to measure decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces. Internal consistency reliability of each subscale was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Convergent validity was assessed using linear regression to evaluate the association of the EHBM subscales with oral health-related measures and language preference. RESULTS: The benefits and self-efficacy scales reflected good reliability. Maternal education was the strongest predictor of health beliefs with significant associations for barriers, benefits, and susceptibility. Perceived benefits increased with each additional year in the household. There was a significant association between maternal oral health knowledge and higher perceived benefits and increased self-efficacy, and the same was found for higher knowledge of dental utilization which was also associated with children perceived as having increased susceptibility to early childhood caries. Less acculturated participants perceived more barriers to behavioral adherence and fewer barriers as knowledge increased. As dental utilization knowledge improved for Spanish-speaking participants, they perceived greater benefits from adherent oral health behavior compared to English-speaking participants. CONCLUSION: Items assessed for the EHBM were valid as measures of maternal factors influencing children's oral health outcomes in a Latino population.

Outcomes after combined phacoemulsification and trabecular microbypass stent implantation in controlled open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To study the effect of combined phacoemulsification cataract surgery and iStent (trabecular microbypass stent) implantation on intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication use in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients with a low mean preoperative IOP. SETTING: University of Colorado Health Eye Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Treatment outcomes analyzed included IOP, medication use, and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). Treatment success was defined as a 20% or more IOP reduction or discontinuation of at least 1 medication. RESULTS: Sixty-four eyes of 45 patients were included in the analysis. At 1 year, the mean IOP was significantly reduced from 14.7 ± 3.2 mm Hg (SD) to 13.2 ± 2.8 mm Hg (P < .01) and the mean medication use decreased from 1.81 ± 1.13 to 1.41 ± 1.48 (P = .0001). The estimated IOP reduction at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months was 3.5% (P = .23), 7.9% (P = .04), 9.7% (P = .01), and 12.2% (P = .002), respectively. Treatment success at 1 year was achieved in 76.1% of patients, and 41% of patients were medication free at 1 year. The CDVA was significantly improved from 0.4 ± 0.38 logMAR at baseline to 0.17 ± 0.35 at 1 year (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Combined cataract surgery and trabecular microbypass stent implantation was statistically effective in reducing IOP and/or medication burden in OAG patients with a low preoperative IOP. During the informed surgical consent process, the physician and patient should consider the clinical benefit of modest IOP lowering and/or a decrease in medication use. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Drs. Seibold, SooHoo, Pantcheva, and Kahook have received grant support from Glaukos Corp. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Feasibility and Safety of Using a Fused Echocardiography/Fluoroscopy Imaging System in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Fused real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy has been used in adult patients during percutaneous mitral valve and aortic valve procedures. The use of fused echocardiographic/x-ray fluoroscopic imaging (FEX) in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart disease catheterization has not been evaluated for feasibility and safety. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility and safety of FEX for interventional guidance and to perform a comparison of atrial septal defect (ASD) device closure using this technology with traditional guidance methods. METHODS: Prospective evaluation of FEX in congenital cardiac interventions was conducted. A subset of patients with ASD closures were compared with patients with historical ASD closures with and without FEX. The interventionalist and echocardiographer rated the anatomic quality of the fusion imaging as (1) excellent, (2) good, or (3) poor. In addition, the utility of FEX procedural guidance was graded as (1) superior, (2) no added benefit, or (3) inferior to that of standard guidance by fluoroscopy and transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: FEX was successfully used in 26 procedures on 25 patients with congenital heart disease from January 2013 to February 2015. The median age was 9 years (range, 3-26 years), and the median weight was 29 kg (range, 16-77 kg). Twenty-six procedures were performed, including ASD closure, Fontan fenestration closure, and transcatheter valve placement in the tricuspid valve position. There was reduced fluoroscopy time and radiation dose in patients with ASDs who underwent imaging using this new technology (P < .001 and P < .03, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in procedural times between the two groups. Anatomic definition was rated as excellent in 20 of 26 procedures, with the remaining six rated was good. Twenty-one of 26 procedures were graded as superior (81%), and five of 26 (19%) were graded as providing no added benefit. There were no complications in any of the procedures. CONCLUSIONS: In this early experience, FEX is feasible and safe in patients undergoing congenital heart disease catheterization and provides useful guidance in the majority of interventional procedures. There were relative reductions in fluoroscopy time and radiation dose with the use of FEX for ASD closure.

Left Ventricular Dilatation Increases the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Reduced Systolic Function.

BACKGROUND: Reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias; however, LV ejection fraction has a low sensitivity to predict ventricular arrhythmias. LV dilatation and mass may be useful to further risk-stratify for ventricular arrhythmias. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients from the Genetic Risk of Assessment of Defibrillator Events (GRADE) study (N=930), a study of heart failure subjects with defibrillators, were assessed for appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock and death, heart transplant, or ventricular assist device placement by LV diameter and mass. LV mass was divided into normal, mild, moderate, and severe classifications. Severe LV end-diastolic diameter had worse shock-free survival than normal and mild LV end-diastolic diameter (P=0.0002 and 0.0063, respectively; 2-year shock free, severe 74%, moderate 80%, mild 91%, normal 88%; 4-year shock free, severe 62%, moderate 69%, mild 72%, normal 81%) and freedom from death, transplant, or ventricular assist device compared with normal and moderate LV end-diastolic diameter (P<0.0001 and 0.0441, respectively; 2-year survival: severe 78%, moderate 85%, mild 82%, normal 89%; 4-year survival: severe 55%, moderate 64%, mild 63%, normal 74%). Severe LV mass had worse shock-free survival than normal and mild LV mass (P=0.0370 and 0.0280, respectively; 2-year shock free: severe 80%, moderate 81%, mild 91%, normal 87%; 4-year shock free: severe 68%, moderate 73%, mild 76%, normal 76%) but no association with death, transplant, or ventricular assist device (P=0.1319). In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis adjusted for LV ejection fraction, LV end-diastolic diameter was associated with appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks (hazard ratio 1.22, P=0.020). LV end-diastolic diameter was associated with time to death, transplant, or ventricular assist device (hazard ratio 1.29, P=0.0009). CONCLUSIONS: LV dilatation may complement ejection fraction to predict ventricular arrhythmias. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02045043.