Cytokine response in children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease.

Pediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces a complex inflammatory response that may cause multiorgan dysfunction. The objective of this study was to measure postoperative cytokine production and correlate the magnitude of this response with intraoperative variables and postoperative outcomes. Serum samples from 20 children (median age, 15 months) undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB were obtained preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1-3.

Levels of recent thymic emigrant cells decrease in children undergoing partial thymectomy during cardiac surgery.

The human thymus is required for establishment of a T-cell pool in fetal life, but postnatal thymectomy is not known to cause immunodeficiency. T-cell emigration from thymus (thymic recent emigrants [TRECs]) is a continuous thymic-dependent process. We studied TREC levels pre- and post-partial thymectomy in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

An adolescent with chest pain-sequela of Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease, is an acute vasculitis of unknown etiology characterized by mucocutaneous involvement occurring in infants and young children, predominantly younger than 5 years of age. We present a case of a 19-year-old female with a prior history of Kawasaki disease as an infant who was seen in the emergency department with chest pain in the midsternal region lasting for 20 minutes with radiation to the left arm. An electrocardiogram revealed anterior repolarization abnormalities with normal echocardiogram (ECHO) findings.

Atrial fibrillation in an adolescent--the agony of ecstasy.

Ecstasy (MDMA), a popular drug of abuse among teenagers, is thought to be "relatively" safe. A case of atrial fibrillation following the ingestion of ecstasy in a previously well adolescent is presented. Emergency room physicians should consider ecstasy abuse in the differential diagnosis of young patients presenting with atrial fibrillation.