Starting Pediatric VAD Program: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities; A Case Series of a Single Center.

Background: The prevalence of heart failure is constantly increasing in both children and adults. End-stage heart failure in children unresponsive to medical therapy has limited treatment options. Surgical options include heart transplantation or implantation of durable ventricular assist devices (VADs).

Aortic Dissection and COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Pregnant Woman at 34 Weeks of Gestation.

Between 0.1% and 0.3% of all aortic dissections occur during pregnancy.

Outcomes of acute kidney injury in critically ill children who need renal replacement therapy.

Aim To determine an outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill children (CIC) who needed renal replacement therapy (RRT) and were admitted to the Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PICU and NICU) at the Paediatric Clinic, University Clinical Centre Sarajevo (UCCS). Methods The research included 81 children with AKI. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria to define AKI was used.

The Causes of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children Who Needs Renal Replacement Therapy.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the result of various causes and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as long-term renal sequelae in pediatric patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to determine the causes of AKI in pediatric patients who needed renal replacement therapy (RRT) and were admitted to the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PICU and NICU) at the Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center Sarajevo (UCCS).

Methods: Our research included 81 children with AKI who needed RRT.

Supracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return Repair in a 7-Month-Old Infant.

Total anomalous pulmonary venous return is a congenital heart malformation characterized by anomalous pulmonary venous inflow to the right atrium. Surgical repair typically occurs during the first month of life, and survival beyond that age in untreated patients is unlikely. We report an extreme case of supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous return in an infant who survived 7 months despite atypical anomalous inflow without atrial-level communication and with right-to-left shunting only through a patent ductus arteriosus.

Pediatric Cardiac Service Development in Croatia.

This article describes the establishment of a pediatric cardiac service program in a limited resource country. According to national epidemiological studies about 330 children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are born every year in Croatia. As a part of the former Yugoslavia, there was not an organized strategy for the pediatric cardiac service.

Rescue extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in pediatric patients: a nine-year single-center experience in Zagreb, Croatia.

Aim: To investigate the risk factors and the outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in pediatric patients treated at the University Hospital Center Zagreb, the largest center in Croatia providing pediatric ECMO.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled all the pediatric patients who required E-CPR from 2011 to 2019. Demographic data, cardiac anatomy, ECMO indications, ECMO complications, and neurodevelopmental status at hospital discharge were analyzed.

Unexpected adrenal pheochromocytoma associated with a generalized tonic-clonic seizure in a prepubertal boy: A case report.

Rationale: Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. Most pediatric PHEOs are functional tumors, and clinical manifestations are related to catecholamine hypersecretion and/or tumor mass effects.

Patient Concerns: We report here a case of a 10-year-old boy with a highly functional adrenal PHEO detected after the evaluation of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure in the patient.

Food (Matrix) Effects on Bioaccessibility and Intestinal Permeability of Major Olive Antioxidants.

Background: olive pomace extract (OPE) is a rich source of health promoting polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol (HTS) and tyrosol (TS)) and can be used as a nutraceutical ingredient of dietary supplements and functional foods. Its adequate bioavailability is a prerequisite for excreting biological activity and can be significantly and specifically affected by different food matrices.

Methods: in order to investigate food effects on polyphenol bioaccessibility, OPE was co-digested with different foods according to internationally harmonized in vitro digestibility method.

Acute glans ischemia after circumcision successfully treated with low-molecular-weight heparin and topical dihydrotestosterone: A case report.

Rationale: Circumcision like any other surgical procedure is not devoid of complications. Serious complications are rare and include iatrogenic hypospadias, glans ischemia/necrosis, and glans amputation, all of which require an emergent treatment.

Patient Concerns: We report here a case of 6 months-old-boy with a superficial glans ischemia following circumcision.

Thrombosis of a biological pulmonary valve in a young patient on anticoagulant therapy with rivaroxaban: a case report.

Background: Patients with repaired tetralogy Fallot often develop severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and need surgical or catheter valve replacement/implantation. Early valve failure is not expected and thrombosis of a biological valve in a mid-term period after surgery on pulmonary position is rare.

Case Summary: We report a 33-year-old female patient, who presented with heart failure, 18 months after surgical implantation of a biological valve on pulmonary position for severe PR, after previous complete repair.

[CROATIAN POPULATION AND CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE (1995-2011): THE USE OF ABC SCORE AND RACHS-1 CARDIOSURGICAL MODEL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF TREATMENT OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE].

Aim: 1. To present an epidemiological (population and clinical) study of congenital heart defects (CHD) in Croatia in a 16-year period (1995-2011). 2.

Central venous catheter as vascular approach for hemodialysis - our experiences.

Introduction: Application of a central venous catheter (CVC), as a temporary or permanent vascular access for hemodialysis, has been continuous practice at the Sarajevo Pediatric Clinic, Department of Pediatric Intensive Care. The main goal of the article is to present our experiences with central venous catheters in the treatment of these patients.

Material And Methods: In the period from January 2009 to December 2014 a total of 41 patients were treated and a total of 56 catheters were placed.

[Coarctation of the aorta in children in the 10-year epidemiological study: diagnostic and therapeutic consideration].

Our study is a clinical epidemiological retrospective analysis of coarctation of the aorta in a 10-year follow-up (2001-2011). The study includes 201 children, 72 (35.82%) girls and 129 (64.

Croatian clinical epidemiological study (2008-2011): the use of standardised risk scores in paediatric congenital cardiac surgery for a case complexity selection and gradual progress of cardiosurgical model in developing countries.

Objective: By employing the widely used and accepted methodologies of case-mix complexity adjustment in congenital cardiac surgery, we tried to evaluate our performance and use the ABC scores for a case complexity selection that may have different outcomes in various centres.

Methods: We analysed outcomes of cardiac surgical procedures - with or without cardiopulmonary bypass - performed in our institution between January, 2008 and December, 2011. Data were collected from the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery database.

[The development of interventional catheterisation in the referral centre for pediatric cardiology of the Republic of Croatia--a retrospective study 1996-2009].

The goal of our study was to show an increase in the number of interventional heart catheterisations in the last 14 years in the Referral Centre for Pediatric Cardiology of the Republic of Croatia. From January 1996 to December 2009 2379 children (51% male and 49% female) underwent invasive diagnostic procedures (mean age 4.1+3.

Is mitral valve repair safe procedure in elderly patients?

The aim of this randomized, prospective, study was to evaluate postoperative hospital mortality and morbidity after mitral valve repair by comparing two surgical techniques for resolving mitral valve insufficiency in elderly patients. In comparison were: mitral valve repair vs. mitral valve replacement in patients older than 70 years.

Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: intermediate results of coronary elongation.

A two coronary system is preferred for correcting anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA); however, translocation is not always possible. In countries where neonatal arterial switch operations have not been perfected coronary transfer can be difficult. The purpose of this report is to describe the intermediate results using the coronary elongation and translocation technique in developing countries.

Off-pump versus on-pump--intermittent aortic cross clamping--myocardial revascularisation: single center expirience.

The aim of this randomised, prospective study was to evaluate hospital mortality and morbidity after myocardial revascularisation, comparing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) myocardial revascularisation versus off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) myocardial revascularisation in population with multivessels coronary artery disease. Sixty patients with multivessels coronary artery diseases were scheduled to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting from January 15, 2006 to June 30, 2007 in our institution. Patients were randomized to off-pump or on-pump surgery with intermittent cross-clamping of aorta and ventricular fibrillation, using the envelope method with random numbers.

Paediatric cardiac assistance in developing and transitional countries: the impact of a fourteen year effort.

Background: Paediatric cardiac services are poorly developed or totally absent in underdeveloped countries. Institutions, foundations and interested individuals in those nations in which sophisticated paediatric cardiac surgery is practised have the ability to alleviate this problem by sponsoring paediatric cardio-surgical missions to provide care, and train local caregivers in developing, transitional, and third world countries. The ultimate benefit of such a programme is to improve the surgical abilities of the host institution.

Comparison of stent graft, sirolimus stent, and bare metal stent implanted in patients with acute coronary syndrome: clinical and angiographic follow-up.

Aim: To compare polytetrafluoroethylene stent graft (PTFE) with sirolimus and bare metal stents in reducing in-stent restenosis in native coronary vessels in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: The study included patients who underwent stent implantation in acute coronary syndrome from January 2003 to May 2004. The patients (n=119) were randomized either to stent graft group (n=40), sirolimus eluting stent group (n=39), or bare metal stent group (n=40).

[Congenital lobar emphysema].

Background: Congenital lobar emphysema is characterized by overinflation of pulmonary lobe and is caused by localised bronchial obstruction. The disease may result in severe respiratory distress in early infancy.

Methods: Records of children, with congenital lobar emphysema, who were treated at our department between 1997-2003, were reviewed.

International pediatric cardiac assistance in Croatia: results of the 10 year program.

Aim: In an effort to help alleviate the lack of an adequate pediatric cardiac surgical service that existed in Croatia following 1991 the International Childrens Heart Foundation (ICHF) was asked to provide the necessary surgery. Initially, this project was undertaken as a humanitarian program to provide pediatric cardiac operations. After 5 years, the Republic of Croatia financially sponsored the program.