Ana Paula de Carvalho Panzeri Carlotti

High-dose aprotinin does not affect troponin I, N-Terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptid and renal function in children submitted to surgical correction with extracorporeal circulation

OBJECTIVEnTo evaluate if the use of hemostatic high-dose aprotinin seems influence to myocardial, renal and metabolic functions in children submitted to surgical correction with extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Material and Methods A prospective randomized study was conducted on children aged 30 days to 4 years submitted to correction of acyanogenic congenital heart disease with ECC and divided into two groups: Control (n=9) and Aprotinin (n=10). In the Aprotinin Group the drug was administered before and during ECC and the myocardial and multiorgan dysfunctions were analyzed on the basis of clinical and biochemical markers. Differences were considered to be significant when P<0.05.nnnRESULTSnThe groups were similar regarding demographic and intraoperative variables, except for a greater hemodilution in the Aprotinin Group. The drug had no benefit regarding time of mechanical pulmonary ventilation, permanence in the pediatric postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) and length of hospitalization, or regarding the use of inotropic drugs and renal function. The partial arterial oxygen pressure/inspired oxygen fraction ratio (PaO2/FiO2) was significantly reduced 24h after surgery in the Control Group. Blood loss was similar for both groups. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase MB fraction (CKMB), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and the aminoterminal fraction of natriuretic peptide type B (NT-proBNP) did not differ significantly between groups. Post-ECC blood lactate concentration and metabolic acidosis was more intense in the Aprotinin Group. There were no complications with the use of aprotinin.nnnCONCLUSIONnHigh-dose aprotinin did not significant influence in serum markers troponin I, NT-proBNP and renal function, but did associated with hemodilution, blood lactate concentration and metabolic acidosis more intense.

Monitoring of protein catabolism in neonates and young infants post‐cardiac surgery

Aims:u2002 To evaluate cell catabolism by balance of nitrogen and phosphate, and creatinine excretion in children post‐cardiac surgery; to establish protein and energy requirements to minimize catabolism; and to assess nutritional therapy by following these parameters and serial anthropometric measurements.

Growth after ventricular septal defect repair: does defect size matter? A 10-year experience.

Aim:u2002 To evaluate whether the ventricular septal defect (VSD) size, along with the degree of preoperative growth impairment and age at repair, may influence postoperative growth, and if VSD size can be useful to identify children at risk for preoperative failure to thrive.

The Switch Back Ross Operation: Report of Two Cases With Good Medium-to-Long-Term Follow-Up

Submitted July 20, 2011; Accepted October 6, 2011. Neoaortic root dilatation and neoaortic valve regurgitation following the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries may ultimately require neoaortic root and/or neoaortic valve surgery. The ideal surgical approach to these lesions remains debatable. Hazekamp et al, in 1997, introduced the replacement of the neoaortic root by the neopulmonary autograft and named this procedure the switch back Ross operation. We report two patients who were successfully treated at our institution with the switch back Ross operation, with good results at, respectively, four- and five-year follow-up.

Role of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 for diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia after cardiac surgery: an observational study

BackgroundThe diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a challenge, particularly after cardiac surgery. The use of biological markers of infection has been suggested to improve the accuracy of VAP diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM)-1 in the diagnosis of VAP following cardiac surgery.MethodsThis was a prospective observational cohort study of children with congenital heart disease admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) after surgery and who remained intubated and mechanically ventilated for at least 24xa0hours postoperatively. VAP was defined by the 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Blood, modified bronchoalveolar lavage (mBAL) fluid and exhaled ventilator condensate (EVC) were collected daily, starting immediately after surgery until the fifth postoperative day or until extubation for measurement of sTREM-1.ResultsThirty patients were included, 16 with VAP. Demographic variables, Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) and Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS)-1 scores, duration of surgery and length of cardiopulmonary bypass were not significantly diferent in patients with and without VAP. However, time on mechanical ventilation and length of stay in the PICU and in the hospital were significantly longer in the VAP group. Serum and mBAL fluid sTREM-1 concentrations were similar in both groups. In the VAP group, 12 of 16 patients had sTREM-1 detected in EVC, whereas it was undetectable in all but two patients in the non-VAP group over the study period (pu2009=u20090.0013) (sensitivity 0.75, specificity 0.86, positive predictive value 0.86, negative predictive value 0.75, positive likelihood ratio (LR) 5.25, negative LR 0.29).ConclusionMeasurement of sTREM-1 in EVC may be useful for the diagnosis of VAP after cardiac surgery.

Multiple Cerebral Infarcts in a Young Patient Associated With Marijuana Use

: Cerebrovascular events associated with marijuana use have been reported previously. This association is plausible, but not well-established yet. A 14-year-old girl, long-term heavy cannabis user, presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and decreased level of consciousness a few hours after smoking cannabis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple areas of acute, subacute and chronic ischemic lesions in the left frontal lobe, basal ganglia, and corpus callosum. History of other illicit drug use and other known causes of stroke were ruled out. Cannabis might cause stroke through direct effects on the cerebral blood circulation, orthostatic hypotension, vasculitis, vasospasm, and atrial fibrillation. Long-term daily use of marijuana in young people may cause serious damage to the cerebrovascular system.

Severe pertussis infection: A clinicopathological study

Abstract We aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features of pertussis in children admitted to a tertiary-care university hospital in Brazil. This was a retrospective cohort study of all pediatric hospital admissions with pertussis from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2014. We also reported the autopsy findings in children who died. Fifty-five patients admitted to the hospital over the study period had laboratorial confirmation of Bordetella pertussis infection, 17 (30.9%) needed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and 6 (10.9%) died. All patients who died were younger than 60 days old and unvaccinated for pertussis; 50% of them had coinfection with respiratory syncytial virus. Leukocyte count ≥40,000/mm3 at hospital admission was an independent risk factor for PICU admission. Mean heart rate during hospitalization ≥160u200abpm was an independent risk factor for death. A cut-off point of 41,200u200aleukocytes/mm3 at hospital admission had sensitivity of 64.7% and specificity of 89.5% to predict PICU admission (area under the curve 0.75) and sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 81.6% to predict death (area under the curve 0.93). Autopsy showed medial thickening of small pulmonary arteries in 80% of patients who had pulmonary hypertension; intravascular aggregates of leukocytes or pulmonary thrombosis were not observed. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue samples obtained at autopsy identified B pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary sites. Marked leukocytosis at presentation was associated with morbidity and mortality in children hospitalized with pertussis. Implementation of preventive strategies is crucial to diminish the incidence of the disease, especially in young unimmunized infants.

Methylene Blue for Refractory Shock in Polytraumatized Patient: A Case Report

BACKGROUNDnMethylene blue (MB) has been advocated for the treatment of shock refractory to standard measures. MB is proposed to increase blood pressure in shock by interfering with guanylate cyclase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Several studies have evaluated the vasoconstrictive and positive inotropic effects of MB in septic shock patients. However, there is a paucity of studies involving trauma patients.nnnCASE REPORTnA 4-year-old boy was hit by a truck while riding his bicycle and was treated with fluid resuscitation at the emergency department and then taken to the operating room for damage-control surgery. He had liver, diaphragm, rectal, and thoracic injuries. At the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), he remained hypotensive despite volume, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine infusion. A dose of 0.5xa0mg/kg of i.v. MB was administered. During the next 2xa0h after MB administration, we were able to wean him off norepinephrine, and doses of epinephrine and dopamine were reduced. Ultimately, he was discharged from the PICU 13xa0days later in good condition. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Trauma patients who have experienced bleeding and survived the initial insult are still at risk of dying from continuing systemic hypoperfusion and the resultant multiple organ dysfunctions. Use of a low dose of MB as an adjuvant to treat shock might improve survival of these patients.

Congenital systemic candidiasis without skin lesions presenting as septic shock in a late preterm infant

Congenital candidiasis is a rare condition and difficult to diagnose. We report a case of severe septic shock leading to death within six days of birth caused by disseminated candidiasis without cutaneous manifestations in a late preterm infant. We speculate that the use of drugs for treatment of gestational toxoplasmosis in a mother colonized by Candida species facilitated this occurrence.

Alveolar recruitment manoeuvre is safe in children prone to pulmonary hypertensive crises following open heart surgery: a pilot study

OBJECTIVESnTo test the tolerance and safety of an alveolar recruitment manoeuvre performed in the immediate postoperative period of corrective open heart surgery in children with congenital heart disease associated with excessive pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary arterial hypertension due to left-to-right shunt.nnnMETHODSnTen infants aged 1-24 months with congenital heart disease associated with excessive pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary artery hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥ 25 mmHg) were evaluated. The alveolar recruitment manoeuvre was performed in the operating theatre right after skin closure, and consisted of three successive stages of 30 s each, intercalated by a 1-min interval of baseline ventilation. Positive end-expiratory pressure was set to 10 cmH2O in the first stage and to 15 cmH2O in the two last ones, while the peak inspiratory pressure was kept at to 30 cmH2O in the first stage and at 35 cmH2O in the latter ones. Haemodynamic and respiratory variables were recorded.nnnRESULTSnThere was a slight but significant increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure from baseline to Stage 3 (P = 0.0009), as well as between Stages 1 and 2 (P = 0.0001), and 1 and 3 (P = 0.001), with no significant difference between Stages 2 and 3 (P = 0.06). Upon completion of the third stage, there were significant increases in arterial haemoglobin saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (P = 0.0009), arterial blood partial pressure of oxygen (P = 0.04), venous blood oxygen saturation of haemoglobin (P = 0.03) and arterial oxygen partial pressure over inspired oxygen fraction ratio (P = 0.04). A significant reduction in arterial blood partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P = 0.01) and in end tidal carbon dioxide also occurred (P = 0.009). The manoeuvre was well tolerated and besides a slight and transitory elevation in mean pulmonary artery, no other adverse haemodynamic or ventilatory effect was elicited.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe alveolar recruitment manoeuvre seemed to be safe and well tolerated immediately after open heart surgery in infants liable to pulmonary hypertensive crises.