Hari Tunuguntla

State of the art review: Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in children

Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in adults and children is a topic with a growing interest in the cardiology literature. The ability to detect cardiac dysfunction in a timely manner is essential in order to begin adequate treatment and prevent further deterioration. This article aims to provide a review on the myocardial injury process, chemotherapeutic agents that lead to cardiotoxicity, the definition of cardiotoxicity, and the methods of timely detection and treatment.

Fatal cardiac arrest in pediatric heart transplant recipients: Query of the UNOS database

The incidence of death by CA after PHTx is unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence and factors for fatal CA after PHTx, and whether a PM affects survival. Retrospective cohort study utilizing the United Network of Organ Sharing registry of patients transplanted ≤18 years. Multivariable analyses in hazard‐function domain and Kaplan‐Meier analyses were performed for an outcome of death due to CA. There were 7719 PHTx patients queried. CA was the reported cause of death in 11%. Age ≥13 years at time of transplant, presence of a PM, and depressed EF were identified as significant factors for fatal CA. Death due to CA beyond 10 years post‐transplant was associated with depressed EF, CAV, and presence of a PM. Kaplan‐Meier analysis demonstrated higher likelihood of fatal CA in patients with CAV and in those with a PM vs those without. In total, 15% of patients with a PM died from CA. CA is a relatively common cause of death after PHTx. The benefit of a PM remains unclear, but its presence does not confer complete protection. Patients with associated factors warrant vigilant surveillance and consideration for retransplantation.

Acute humoral rejection in an infant without risk factors after heart transplantation

Graft rejection is the most common factor that limits graft survival after transplantation. During infancy, the humoral immune system is partially suppressed and humoral rejection of a cardiac allograft has not been reported in the absence of risk factors such as prior transplantation, blood transfusions, ventricular assist devices, and elevation of panel reactive antibodies. We present a case of an infant with dilated cardiomyopathy who developed multiple episodes of acute humoral rejection after heart transplantation in the absence of risk factors.

Cannulation strategy for centrifugal-flow ventricular assist device implantation late after arterial switch operation

The field of paediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) support is growing rapidly. Among paediatric patients, those with complex congenital heart disease represent a challenging population for VAD support. This report describes a patient with a remote history of an arterial switch operation for d-transposition of the great arteries who developed ischaemic cardiomyopathy necessitating centrifugal-flow VAD support as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. Because of the unique anatomy and the complicated vascular situation, implantation of the centrifugal-flow VAD and subsequent explantation for cardiac transplantation required modifications to the standard surgical approach. The details of surgical pitfalls encountered are described.