Elevated levels of trypsinogen-2 and trypsin-2-alpha1-antitrypsin in sera of infants and children after cardiac surgery.

Acute pancreatitis is a known complication of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass but amylase is not a reliable marker in infants. We evaluated whether the serum concentrations of trypsinogen-2 and trypsin-2-alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) can be used to study disturbances in pancreatic function in children and infants undergoing cardiac surgery. The study comprised 21 infants < 1 year and 25 children aged 1-16 years undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass at the Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital.

Evaluation of the relationship between preoperative risk scores, postoperative and total length of stays and hospital costs in coronary bypass surgery.

Objectives: Several risk indices have been developed for the prediction of postoperative mortality and morbidity in coronary artery bypass operations, in which the risk scores are currently recorded as routine praxis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the risk scores can be used to predict the hospital (LOS) and postoperative (POS) lengths of stay and total costs among coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients.

Methods: All first-time CABG patients (n=2104) treated at Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1997-1998 were preoperatively scored using the Cleveland Clinic preoperative model.

Delayed impairment of cerebral oxygenation after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in children.

Background: Clinical studies of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) have focused only on the immediate postoperative period. However, experimental findings suggest impairment of cerebral oxygenation at 2 to 8 hours after reperfusion.

Methods: In 10 children who had DHCA for heart operations, transcerebral differences of hemoglobin oxygen saturation and plasma hypoxanthine, xanthine, and lactoferrin concentrations were measured in concurrently obtained cerebral venous, arterial, and mixed venous samples up to 10 hours postoperatively.

Successful liver transplantation after induction chemotherapy in children with inoperable, multifocal primary hepatic malignancy.

Background: The prognosis for primary epithelial liver tumor in children in whom radical surgery cannot be performed after chemotherapy is poor. Orthotopic liver transplantation has resulted in mortality up to 50%, largely as a result of problems in determining the criteria for transplantation.

Methods: We report results on liver transplantation for primary epithelial liver malignancy in five children (mean age at transplantation: 6.

Graft function 5-7 years after renal transplantation in early childhood.

Background: Low recipient age is still a risk factor for graft failure after kidney transplantation (Tx). Detailed prospective reports on long-term graft function in small children after renal Tx are still lacking.

Methods: Forty-nine kidney allograft recipients who received transplants before the age of 5 years were followed prospectively.