A uniform strategy of primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot: Transventricular approach results in low reoperation rate in the first decade.

Objectives: To review outcomes after a uniform strategy of transventricular repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods: A total of 244 consecutive patients underwent transventricular primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot from 2004 to 2019. Median age at operation was 71 days; 57 (23%) patients were premature; 57 (23%) patients had low birth weight (<2.

Novel handheld ultrasound technology to enhance non-expert screening for rheumatic heart disease in the Republic of Palau: A descriptive study.

Aim: Non-expert training in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) detection is a valuable strategy in resource-limited settings. Here we present an innovative handheld ultrasound application featuring views of correct probe position, imaging protocol and echocardiographic loops of RHD pathology versus normal, accessible during real-time scanning.

Methods: This prospective study was implemented into a pre-existing school health screening programme at an elementary school in Koror, Palau.

Prevalence, Clinical Features and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Group A Streptococcal Skin Infections in School Children in Urban Western and Northern Uganda.

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) skin infections can lead to invasive sepsis, poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, and potentially rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Within a study to identify predisposing factors of RHD in Ugandan schoolchildren, we determined the prevalence of skin infections and assessed the clinical features and antibiotic susceptibility of GAS skin infection.

Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted at 3 urban primary schools in Western and Northern Uganda in March 2017.

Decreased Prevalence of Rheumatic Heart Disease Confirmed Among HIV-positive Youth.

Background: There is geographical overlap between areas endemic for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and those endemic for HIV. A recent pilot study demonstrated that children living with HIV might be at less risk for RHD development; however, the sample size was too small to make definitive conclusions. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of RHD among HIV-positive children in Uganda.

Intervening for RPA stenosis following Waterston shunt: Importance of anatomical definition of the coronary arteries.

Right pulmonary artery (RPA) stenosis following Waterston shunt is common. We report a case of RPA stenosis many years following tetralogy of Fallot repair with take-down of a Waterston shunt and demonstrate an unusual and important anatomic variant of proximity of the left coronary artery to the mid-portion of the RPA.

Cold tolerance, cold-induced hyperphagia, and nonshivering thermogenesis are normal in α₁-AMPK-/- mice.

Recent studies indicate that a substantial amount of metabolically active brown adipose tissue (BAT) exists in adult humans. Given the unique ability of BAT to convert calories to heat, there is intense interest in understanding the regulation of BAT metabolism in hopes that its manipulation might be an effective way of expending excess calories. Because of the established role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as a "metabolic master switch" and its extremely high levels of activity in BAT, it was hypothesized that AMPK might play a central role in regulating BAT metabolism.