Right ventricular postsystolic shortening: Resolution after opening a totally occluded right coronary artery.

Acute myocardial ischemia induces reduced systolic shortening and causes postsystolic shortening (PSS). Right ventricular (RV) PSS in coronary artery disease has been less studied. We present here the case of a 51-year-old woman admitted with a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and significant PSS in the RV free-wall segments on two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, suggesting ongoing ischemia.

Respiratory morbidity through the first decade of life in a national cohort of children born extremely preterm.

Background: Advances in perinatal care have markedly increased the prospects of survival for infants born extremely preterm (EP). The aim of this study was to investigate hospitalisation rates and respiratory morbidity from five to 11 years of age in a prospective national cohort of EP children born in the surfactant era.

Methods: This was a national prospective cohort study of all children born in Norway during 1999 and 2000 with gestational age (GA) < 28 weeks or birth weight < 1000 grams, and of individually matched term-born controls recruited for a regional subsample.

Children Born Preterm at the Turn of the Millennium Had Better Lung Function Than Children Born Similarly Preterm in the Early 1990s.

Objective: Compare respiratory health in children born extremely preterm (EP) or with extremely low birthweight (ELBW) nearly one decade apart, hypothesizing that better perinatal management has led to better outcome.

Design: Fifty-seven (93%) of 61 eligible 11-year old children born in Western Norway in 1999-2000 with gestational age (GA) <28 weeks or birthweight <1000 gram (EP1999-2000) and matched term-controls were assessed with comprehensive lung function tests and standardized questionnaires. Outcome was compared with data obtained at 10 years of age from all (n = 35) subjects born at GA <29 weeks or birthweight <1001 gram within a part of the same region in 1991-92 (EP1991-1992) and their matched term-controls.

Respiratory illness contributed significantly to morbidity in children born extremely premature or with extremely low birthweights in 1999-2000.

Aim: This study investigated respiratory morbidity and risk factors during the first five years of life after extremely preterm birth.

Methods: Paediatric assessments and parental questionnaires were obtained at two and five years of age in this national prospective cohort of 372 Norwegian children born during 1999-2000 at a gestational age of <28 weeks or birthweight <1,000 grams.

Results: Paediatric assessments were obtained for 100% and 82% of the children at two and five years of age and completed questionnaires for 71% and 76%, respectively.