Shoshin Beriberi and Severe Accidental Hypothermia as Causes of Heart Failure in a 6-Year-Old Child: A Case Report and Brief Review of Literature.

Severe accidental hypothermia has been demonstrated to affect ventricular systolic and diastolic functions, and rewarming might be responsible of cardiovascular collapse. Until now, there have been only a few reports on severe accidental hypothermia, none of which involved children. Herein, we describe here a rare case of heart failure in a 6-year-old boy admitted to the emergency unit owing to severe hypothermia and malnutrition.

Repetitive ventricular tachycardia in a syncopal child: Cause or incidental finding ?

A 15-year-old girl suffered recurrent syncopal episodes during 7 years. Events were precipitated by exercise or emotional stress, leading to the diagnosis of reflex syncope. Exercise testing induced recurrent salvos of nonsustained right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

Paediatric presentation of cardiac involvement in hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Eosinophilic endomyocarditis is extremely rare in paediatrics. This case report aims to present the sequential changes from thrombotic to fibrotic stages of the cardiac involvement in a child with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Endomyocardial fibrosis progressively aggravated the severity of the mitral regurgitation.

Managing Ventricular Septal Defect with Associated Aortic Regurgitation: Two Decades of Experience.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) with aortic regurgitation (AR) is a well-known association. However, there is still no agreement about its management, particularly regarding the technical details of its operative treatment. The study aim was to describe all components of the syndrome and to evaluate the various techniques used with regards to its anatomical and functional features.

The role of exercise testing in pediatric cardiology.

Exercise testing for cardiac disease in children differs in many aspects from the tests performed in adults; their cardiovascular response to exercise presents different characteristics, which are essential for the interpretation of hemodynamic data. Moreover, diseases that are associated with myocardial ischemia are very rare in young patients, and the main indications for exercise testing are evaluation of exercise capacity and identification of exercise-induced arrhythmias. This article describes the specificity of exercise testing in pediatric cardiology, in terms of techniques, indications and interpretation of data.

Long-term conservative management of a giant cardiac fibroma.

A giant cardiac fibroma was discovered during evaluation for a soft systolic murmur in an asymptomatic 2-week-old girl. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a large intraventricular solid mass developed at the expense of the left ventricular lateral wall. Tumour progression resulted in failure to thrive and ventricular arrhythmia between 2 and 18 months of age.

Effects of flecainide therapy on inappropriate shocks and arrhythmias in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

We report the case of a child with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, who had inappropriate electric shocks by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and from recurrence of arrhythmias despite an appropriate β-blocking treatment. An additional treatment by flecainide completely suppressed inappropriate shocks due to sinusal tachycardia and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. We briefly discuss the potentially interesting effect of flecainide in this specific arrhythmia.

Relation between red cell distribution width and clinical outcome after surgery for congenital heart disease in children.

Recent studies have reported a strong association between increased red cell distribution width (RDW) and the risk of adverse outcomes for adults with heart failure. This study investigated the association between preoperative RDW and postoperative clinical outcomes for children with cardiac disease. The relation between preoperative RDW and the length of postoperative stay was tested with 688 consecutive children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD).

Long-term electrocardiographic follow-up after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Fallot patients with conduction disturbances are prone to sudden cardiac death. However, knowledge about long-term electrocardiographic changes after Fallot repair is limited.

Methods: Measurements were performed on electrocardiograms recorded preoperatively, postoperatively, and during annual follow-up in 35 Fallot patients included in three groups: G1 if they received no patch (n = 7), G2 if they received a transannular patch (n = 13), and G3 if they received a pulmonary homograft (n = 15).

Pericarditis as a rare complication of pneumococcal pneumonia in a young infant.

Purulent pericarditis is an exceptionally rare complication of pneumococcal pneumonia in infants but a rapidly fatal disease if left untreated. A previously healthy 4-month-old boy presented at our emergency department with a 10-day history of fever and non-productive cough. No signs of heart failure or cardiac friction rub were evidenced.

Prevalence of preoperative arrhythmias in children with delayed treatment of severe congenital heart disease.

Aim: Our aim was to determine the real importance of rhythm and conduction disorders in children with unoperated severe congenital heart disease.

Methods: Consecutive children with delayed treatment of severe congenital heart disease were prospectively studied for the occurrence of arrhythmias before any invasive investigation or surgical procedure was performed.

Results: All 168 children were in sinus rhythm.

Chronotropic impairment after surgical or percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect.

Background: In previous studies, an attenuated heart rate response to exercise has been noted in patients after surgical closure of atrial septal defect. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of chronotropic impairment after surgical and percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect.

Methods: Thirty-eight pediatric patients who underwent a surgical (group A, n = 18) or transcatheter closure (group B, n = 20) of atrial septal defect in our institution were prospectively included in the study.

Workload of ambulatory activities in a tertiary paediatric cardiac centre.

Background: Few data are available on the evolution in the number of referrals and the spectrum and frequency of issues addressed in paediatric cardiac outpatient clinics.

Aim: To assess the volume and range of symptoms and diagnoses in patients, referred to a paediatric cardiac outpatient clinic in an academic hospital setting.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively over 6 months.

Congenital heart disease in 111 225 births in Belgium: birth prevalence, treatment and survival in the 21st century.

Aim: To investigate the birth prevalence, treatment modalities and short-term survival of children with congenital heart disease who were born in 2002.

Methods: We undertook a retrospective review of medical records of all patients who were born in 2002, and were diagnosed, treated and/or followed-up in one of the seven-paediatric cardiology programmes in Belgium.

Results: In 111 225 births, 921 children with congenital heart disease were detected, yielding a birth prevalence of 8.

Epidemiology of heart failure in a tertiary pediatric center.

Background: In contrast to the adult age group, epidemiologic studies on heart failure (HF) in the pediatric population are lacking. The aim of this prospective study was to analyze the epidemiology of HF during infancy and childhood.

Methods: Of the 1,196 children with congenital and acquired heart diseases, primarily diagnosed during a 10-y period in one hospital, we identified those patients who developed HF.