Publications by authors named "Hala Elmarsafawy"

Objective: To detect the efficacy of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the early prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted wherein 174 patients, aged 6 to 60 months, with congenital heart disease, undergoing CPB and who had a normal baseline renal function were enrolled. Plasma NGAL measurement was done preoperatively and serially at 2, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours post-CPB initiation.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children from developed countries, necessitating detailed studies within Arab nations to enhance diagnosis and care.
  • - Kawarabi is a collaborative initiative involving North American and Arab experts aimed at improving knowledge and management of KD and similar conditions, primarily initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic's emergence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.
  • - Founded in 2021, Kawarabi has identified gaps in awareness and resources concerning KD in Arab countries, and it has organized educational webinars and meetings to promote better understanding of the disease and its long-term outcomes.
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Background: The feasibility of percutaneous closure ventricular septal defects (VSD) in children has been previously proven. However, data on long-term outcomes are limited. We aim to evaluate the long-term outcome of our experience with percutaneous closure of VSD using various occluders.

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Background: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of the various clinical features and severity of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) and to assess predictors of AQP4-Ab positivity in jSLE. In addition, we assessed the relationship of AQP4-Abs with neuropsychiatric disorders and white matter lesions in jSLE.

Method: For 90 patients with jSLE, demographic data, clinical manifestations, and treatments received were recorded, and all of the patients were underwent clinical examinations, including assessments for the neurological manifestations of jSLE and neuropsychiatric disorders; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score evaluations; laboratory investigations, including serum AQP4-Ab assays; and 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Kawasaki Disease (KD) remains the leading acquired heart disease in children under five, with limited data available from Arab nations, prompting the creation of the KD Arab Initiative (Kawarabi) in 2021 to enhance research and access to care.
  • - A survey conducted across thirteen Arab countries revealed that while access to KD care was generally equal in urban and rural areas for over half of the countries surveyed, many rural areas still experienced significant disparities in healthcare access, especially in mid-size cities.
  • - The survey indicated a difference in the quality of medical services for KD, with urban children receiving better care, and highlighted that the availability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was critically low in rural and mid-size areas,
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Studies on the right ventricular dysfunction (RV) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are limited, particularly in the pediatric age group. The study aimed to identify subclinical RV alterations in childhood-onset SLE (c-SLE) using conventional and three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE). Forty SLE pediatric patients and 40 healthy controls were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LV-PsA) is a serious condition that can lead to death and often arises from complications of heart issues like heart attacks and surgery, but is rarely linked to pericarditis.
  • A case study discusses an infant with infectious pericarditis that led to pericardial tamponade, a serious fluid accumulation around the heart.
  • Following drainage of the fluid and medical treatment, a large LV-PsA was found, which was successfully treated by closing its neck with a Gore-tex patch.
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Article Synopsis
  • Studies on Kawasaki disease in Arab countries show limited data, leading to the formation of the KD Arab Initiative (Kawarabi) consortium for collaborative research.
  • An anonymous survey among 19 physicians from 12 institutions revealed that while 79% refer to American Heart Association guidelines, there are significant variations in treatment availability, particularly with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
  • The survey found low awareness of Kawasaki disease among the general population (median score 3) but relatively higher knowledge within the medical community (median score 7), highlighting the need for more proactive collaboration and education.
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Introduction: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a new emerging method for evaluation of the cardiac systolic performance. We characterized left ventricular (LV) systolic functions of hypocalcemic infants, and assessed the effects of calcium and vitamin D supplementations on LV systolic functions using two-dimensional STE.

Patients And Methods: A prospective controlled study was conducted in Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Egypt from 2015 to 2018 including 88 hypocalcemic infants (patient group) and 30 healthy controls.

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Background: Paediatric obesity is a worldwide health burden, with growing evidence linking obesity to myocardial function impairments. The study aims to evaluate left ventricular functions among prepubertal obese children to obesity-related clinical and metabolic parameters.

Methods: Between June 2019 and March 2020, 40 prepubertal children with obesity were recruited and compared to 40 healthy controls.

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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is responsible for significant lung disease in adults. Despite mild manifestations in most children, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 is well described in older children with cardiac manifestations. However, MIS-C-related cardiac manifestations are not as well described in younger children.

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Background: Patent ductus arteriosus stenting in duct-dependent pulmonary circulation is a challenging procedure. Percutaneous carotid artery access for ductal stenting has proven to be feasible; however, comparison with femoral artery access in terms of procedure details and complications either immediate or late is scarce. Therefore, we evaluated carotid artery access in comparison with femoral artery for stenting of patent ductus arteriosus.

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Pulmonary arteries' (PAs) growth can be promoted by stenting of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). This may result in better angle between the PDA and the PAs, allowing improved growth. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effect of PDA stenting on the growth of the pulmonary arteries by comparing their dimensions pre-stenting to their dimensions in the pre-second stage operations in patients with congenital heart diseases-duct-dependent pulmonary (CHD-DDP) circulation.

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Background: Increased interest is focused on the long-term adverse effects of bone marrow transplantation. Subclinical cardiac involvement appears common in adults, but only a few reports have examined pediatric patients.

Materials And Methods: A prospective case-control study of 19 children with normal cardiac function undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was performed.

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