Corrected QT Interval and Methadone Dose and Concentrations in Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

Background: Methadone is a standard treatment for opioid dependence in pregnancy; however, its impact on maternal corrected QT interval (QTc) has not been evaluated. We studied the association between methadone dose and enantiomer-specific plasma concentrations and QTc among pregnant and postpartum women and newborns. We assessed the relevance of QTc screening guidelines for pregnant women and infants.

Embedding patient simulation in a pediatric cardiology rotation: a unique opportunity for improving resident education.

Objective: High-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) has been used in medical education to bridge gaps in medical knowledge and clinical skills. Few studies have analyzed the impact of HFPS in subspecialty rotations for pediatric residents. We hypothesized that pediatric residents exposed to HFPS with a structured content curriculum would perform better on a case quiz than residents without exposure to HFPS.

Anesthetic care of parturients with single ventricle physiology.

Understanding the management of the parturient with single ventricle physiology starts with knowledge of the lesion, the patient's current stage of surgical palliation, her current functional status, and the impact of pregnancy and labor on her cardiac physiology. A multidisciplinary team approach, described in this article, is crucial to a positive outcome.

Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis are not osteoporotic.

Study Design: Case controlled study.

Objective: To explore the relative effects of body mass index (BMI) and the presence or absence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) on bone mineral density (BMD) as evidenced by Z-scores in adolescents.

Summary Of Background Data: Prior studies have identified adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis as having "osteoporosis" or "osteopenia," when only a small percentage of subjects in these studies actually had bone density that was clinically abnormal.

Computer-assisted navigation applied to fetal cardiac intervention.

Background: Prenatal cardiac interventions (PCI) for human fetal aortic valve (AoV) stenosis can reduce left ventricular hypoplasia and restore ventricular growth and function. However, 'freehand' needle delivery from the maternal skin through the uterine wall, fetal chest and ventricular apex to cross the fetal AoV remains technically challenging and time intensive, and is the rate-limiting step in the procedure.

Methods: We developed a computer-assisted navigation (CANav) system that tracks the position and orientation of a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image relative to the trajectory of an electromagnetic (EM) embedded needle and stylet.

Fetal echocardiographic findings are not predictive of death in twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether fetal echocardiographic findings are predictive of prognosis in recipient fetuses with twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Methods: A cohort of 30 pregnancies with TTTS between 1990 and 2001 was included. Diagnosis and staging of TTTS were made according to the Quintero system.