Neurostatus-SMARTCARE clinical trial: Enabling health care professionals to assess EDSS for decentralized trials in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Neurostatus-Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the standard measure used to assess impairment and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) trials but requires trained expert neurologists.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the concordance of Neurostatus-EDSS assessments from specially trained health care professionals (HCPs) and standardized trained neurologists.

Methods: A Swiss multicenter, randomized, cross-over study with 100 people with MS.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Effects on Behavior in Switzerland The Swiss Heart Foundation HerzCheck(®)/Cardio-Test(®).

Background: "CardioTest (®) " is a tool for cardiovascular risk assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate if this test used in Swiss pharmacies provides risk stratification and if it had impact on individual behaviour.

Methods: Individuals were evaluated (blood pressure, body waist circumference, random blood samples and coronary artery disease risk factors).

How to evaluate physical fitness without a stress test?

To assess cardiorespiratory fitness (CF), usually a stress test is necessary. Our aims were to assess CF in a patient population with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) based on a questionnaire (quest); to compare estimated CF with achieved workloads, and to evaluate its prediction of stress modality (physical/pharmacologic). Consecutive 612 patients undergoing myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) completed quest.

Coarctation of the aorta: pre and postoperative evaluation with MRI and MR angiography; correlation with echocardiography and surgery.

Aims: To compare MRI and MRA with Doppler-echocardiography (DE) in native and postoperative aortic coarctation, define the best MR protocol for its evaluation, compare MR with surgical findings in native coarctation.

Materials And Methods: 136 MR studies were performed in 121 patients divided in two groups: Group I, 55 preoperative; group II, 81 postoperative. In group I, all had DE and surgery was performed in 35 cases.

Time course of appearance of markers of arrhythmia in patients with tetralogy of Fallot before and after surgery.

Sudden death and ventricular tachycardia are known to occur late after correction of tetralogy of Fallot. Abnormal dispersion of the QT interval, ventricular late potentials, and prolongation of the QRS complex, alone or in combination, are useful markers of the risk for such complications. Our present prospective study investigates the time course of appearance of two markers, dispersion of QT and JT, and ventricular late potentials, before and after corrective surgery.

24-hour electrocardiogram before and during cisapride treatment in neonates and infants.

We studied prospectively the effects of cisapride on heart rate and rhythm using standard ECG and 24-hour ECG recordings in term and preterm neonates and infants. We studied subjects with gastroesophageal reflux disease (apparent life-threatening events, apneas, bradycardias) before and 3 days after starting cisapride (0.8 mg/kg/day in 4 doses).

Balloon aortic valvoplasty in paediatric patients: progressive aortic regurgitation is common.

Objective: To evaluate immediate and midterm results after balloon valvoplasty in a paediatric population with congenital aortic stenosis, giving special consideration to aortic regurgitation.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Two tertiary referral centres for paediatric cardiology.

[Clinical course following partial cavo-pulmonary bypass: the Geneva experience from 1985 to 2000].

Partial cavo-pulmonary bypass (termino-lateral anastomosis between the superior vena cava and one of the pulmonary arteries) is an alternative to total cavo-pulmonary bypass because of a lower morbid-mortality, or a first step to this procedure. The authors report a retrospective study of 35 patients who underwent partial cavo-pulmonary bypass between November 1985 and October 1999 at the Geneva Children's Hospital with an average follow-up of 4 years. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 6.

[False aneurysm complicating ligation of patent ductus arteriosus operated on successfully].

Postoperative aneurysm of ductus arteriosus is a rare complication but may be lethal without treatment. It is less frequent than spontaneous aneurysm of ductus arteriosus. We report the case of 5 years-old girl who underwent a ligation of patent ductus arteriosus complicated, 6 months later, with a false aneurysm of ductus arteriosus and endocarditis of the ductus and the aortic valve.

How to diminish reoperation rates after initial repair of tetralogy of Fallot?

Background: Complete correction of tetralogy of Fallot has good long-term results. Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and pulmonary insufficiency occur which require reintervention. The present study evaluated the efficacy of reoperation following complete correction of tetralogy of Fallot, the sites of recurrences and impact of techniques used at first operation.

Effects of cisapride on ventricular depolarization-repolarization and arrhythmia markers in infants.

To study prospectively the effects of cisapride on ventricular repolarization, depolarization, and arrhythmia markers in neonates, we determined before and three days after starting cisapride (1 mg/kg/day): corrected QT interval (QTc) and QT dispersion (QTd) on standard ECGs, and duration of filtered QRS (fQRS) and of low amplitude (<40 microV) terminal signals (LAS40, ms) and root mean square of the last 40 ms (RMS40, microV) using high-gain signal-averaged ECG (SAECG). Twenty-four term and 11 preterm infants (gestational age 23-35 weeks) were studied at a median chronological age of 32 days. QTc and QTd were not different between term and preterm infants.

Transcatheter occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus with a single device technique: comparison between the Cook detachable coil and the Rashkind umbrella device.

Unlabelled: Transcatheter coil occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has become the interventional treatment option of choice. Immediate occlusion of any residual shunting results in excellent closure rates, but frequently requires multiple coil deployment.

Aims: To assess the efficacy and limitations of single Cook detachable coil PDA closure compared to a preceding series of Rashkind umbrella procedures.

[Non-surgical approach in congenital cardiopathy].

The treatment of congenital or acquired heart defects by transcatheter therapy has crossed a period of rapid expansion in the last 10 years and is now an important adjunct to surgery. Balloon valvuloplasty can be considered as the treatment of choice for pulmonic and aortic congenital valvar stenosis as well as closure of a patent ductus arteriosus. The short hospital stay and absence of a scar make this approach very attractive.

[Indications for pediatric cardiology evaluation].

Heart disease in infants and children may often lead to rapid decompensation. Early recognition by the primary physician is essential, since modern medicine and surgery can cure many heart defects. Main clinical signs are cyanosis, heart failure and/or abnormal auscultatory findings.

Inhaled nitric oxide versus aerosolized iloprost in secondary pulmonary hypertension in children with congenital heart disease: vasodilator capacity and cellular mechanisms.

Background: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been used to assess the vasodilator capacity of the pulmonary vascular bed in children with congenital heart disease and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. Inhaled iloprost is a pulmonary vasodilator for the long-term treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PHT). Because these 2 vasodilators act through different pathways (release of cGMP or cAMP, respectively), we compared the pulmonary vasodilator capacity of each.

Interventional catheterization in surgically treated patients with congenital heart disease.

Interventional catheterization is an alternative to surgery for some congenital heart defects. For other malformations, the surgeon and the interventionist will join in an effort to obtain an optimal result: the typical example is pulmonary atresia with VSD and aortopulmonary collaterals. In other cases, the cardiologist may be called upon to intervene with catheter techniques to correct sequelae or residual lesions after surgical correction, avoiding redo surgery.

Detection and quantification of valvular heart disease with dynamic cardiac MR imaging.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is rapidly gaining acceptance as an accurate, reproducible, noninvasive method for optimal assessment of structural and functional parameters in patients with valvular heart disease. The severity of valvular regurgitation can be evaluated with cine gradient-echo MR imaging, which allows measurement of the area of the signal void corresponding to the abnormal flow jet. Alternatively, this modality can be used to obtain ventricular volumetric measurements and calculate the regurgitant fraction, or velocity-encoded cine (VEC) MR imaging can be used to quantify regurgitant blood flow.

[Follow-up of patients treated by conduits between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery].

Between 1981 and 1998, 77 right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduits were implanted in 67 patients (37 boys, 30 girls, average age 6.3 years; range: 3 months to 17 years). The diagnoses were transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and obstruction of the pulmonary outflow tract (N = 22), tetralogy of Fallot (N = 16), truncus arteriosus (N = 9), double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis or atresia (N = 8) and agenesis of the pulmonary valve with pulmonary stenosis (N = 2).

[Nonsurgical occlusion of an atrial septal defect in childhood: initial Swiss experiences].

The initial experience with catheter closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) in children, performed at two Swiss centers is presented. The ASD closures were performed according to international multicenter study protocols. 14 children, aged 3.

Massive thromboembolism due to transcatheter ASD closure with ASDOS device.

Transcatheter occlusion of atrial septal defects (ASD) is currently being investigated as an attractive alternative to surgical correction. Thromboembolic events are rare in both techniques. However, we report a case of massive systemic embolization and residual left atrial thrombus after secundum ASD transcatheter closure by the ASDOS device (Atrial Septal Defect Occlusion System, Dr.

Normal values of signal-averaged electrocardiographic parameters and QT dispersion in infants and children.

Ventricular late potentials, and dispersion of the QT interval, are markers for risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Normal values for these parameters are well established in adults, but may not apply for children. This study has investigated the age dependency of signal averaged electrocardiographic parameters and QT dispersion in 111 normal children aged from 5 days to 16 years.