Twin Pregnancy in Patient With Fontan Circulation and Homozygous Mutation.

Singleton pregnancy in Fontan patients is burdened by a significant maternal cardiovascular and obstetric risk. The cardiac workload in a twin pregnancy is greater and could place Fontan-palliated patients at an increased risk of complications. We report a case of a woman with Fontan circulation and homozygous mutation who had a twin pregnancy.

Performance and Failure of Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit in Congenital Heart Disease.

Surgical implantation of a right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit is an important component of congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery, but with limited durability, leading to re-intervention. The present single-center, retrospective, cohort study reports the results of surgically implanted RV-PA conduits in a consecutive series of children and adults with CHD. Patients with CHD referred for RV-PA conduit surgical implantation (from October 1997 to January 2022) were included.

Complete Isolation of Left Innominate Artery in a Patient With CHARGE Syndrome: Case Presentation and Review of Reported Cases.

We report a rare case of complete isolation of the left innominate artery in a child with CHARGE (coloboma, heart defects, atresia choanae, growth retardation, genital abnormalities, and ear abnormalities) syndrome. This anatomical cluster had been undetected for a relatively large period of time and the patient was referred to us with an incomplete diagnosis even after multiple medical evaluations and a thoracic surgery during the neonatal period. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a complete isolation of left innominate artery treated with a transcatheter approach.

Candidacy for heart transplantation in adult congenital heart disease patients: A cohort study.

Objective: The object of the present study is to evaluate factors precluding heart transplantation (HTx) in adult congenital heart disease patients (ACHD) with end-stage heart failure (HF) referred for HTx evaluation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled consecutive ACHD patients considered for HTx in our institution between 2014 and 2020 and patients receiving HTx between 2001 and 2013. HTx refusal due to poor candidacy status for excess risk of mortality after transplantation served as the main study outcome.

[The last 50 years of pediatric cardiology (1971-2021): from Fontan operation to the present time].

Pediatric cardiology has matured profoundly over the last 50 years, paralleled by a similar development in pediatric cardiac surgery and cardiac anesthesia. This field of medicine provides structured and effective care for a very heterogeneous group of diseases including congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies and heart failure, myocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, inherited and acquired arrhythmias, Kawasaki disease and more recently multisystemic inflammatory syndrome of children related to primary infection by SARS-CoV-2. This review summarizes achievements and results in selected topics of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery with focused attention to the diagnosis and management of congenital heart diseases.

The value of ECG changes in risk stratification of COVID-19 patients.

Background: There is growing evidence of cardiac injury in COVID-19. Our purpose was to assess the prognostic value of serial electrocardiograms in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We evaluated 269 consecutive patients admitted to our center with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Preliminary Experience With Low Molecular Weight Heparin Strategy in COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Heparin administration in COVID-19 patients is recommended by expert consensus, although evidence about dosage, duration and efficacy are limited. We aim to investigate the association between different dosages of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and mortality among COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Methods And Results: Retrospective study of 450 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to Sant'Orsola Bologna Hospital from March 01 to April 10, 2020.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Cardiac Computed Tomography and 18-F Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Cardiac Masses.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac computed tomography (CT) and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in defining the nature of cardiac masses.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac CT and F-FDG PET/CT in identifying the nature of cardiac masses has been analyzed to date only in small samples.

Methods: Of 223 patients with echocardiographically diagnosed cardiac masses, a cohort of 60 cases who underwent cardiac CT and F-FDG PET/CT was selected.

Secondary Prevention Medical Therapy and Outcomes in Patients With Myocardial Infarction With Non-Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a heterogeneous entity with relevant long-term major cardiovascular events. Several trials have demonstrated that dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), β-blocker, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor and statin therapy improve the prognosis in patients with obstructive myocardial infarction (ob-MI). However, evidence on the best medical therapy for secondary prevention in MINOCA patients is lacking.

Impact of coronary bypass or stenting on mortality and myocardial infarction in stable coronary artery disease.

Background: To assess whether coronary bypass (CABG) or stenting reduce the risk of mortality and myocardial infarction (MI) compared with optimal medical therapy (OMT) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis of contemporary randomized controlled trials comparing OMT, CABG and different stent types in stable CAD. All-comer trials were included if the rate of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was≤20%.