Perfusion temperature, thyroid hormones and inflammation during pediatric cardiac surgery.

Objectives: During cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery there are several alterations in concentrations of thyroid hormones. Although hypothermia and inflammation have been implicated in the disturbed thyroid axis during CPB, these issues are far from clear.

Methods And Results: We measured serum/plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones and inflammatory mediators in children with body weight <10 kg, undergoing open heart surgery, randomized to mild (n=15, 32 degrees C) or moderate (n=15, 25 degrees C) hypothermia.

Effect of perfusion temperature on the inflammatory response during pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) triggers the whole body inflammatory response, and it has been suggested that the degree of hypothermia may influence these responses. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the inflammatory response in children undergoing CPB for repair of congenital heart defects, randomized to mild or moderate hypothermia.

Methods: We measured inflammatory markers in blood samples of thirty children with body weight less than 10 kg undergoing open heart surgery randomized to surgery at either mild (32 degrees C) or moderate (25 degrees C) hypothermia.

Repair of complex left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in children.

Background: Complex obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOTO) in children may be treated with surgical procedures like the Ross-Konno or Koncz-Konno procedures, or modifications thereof. We present our results from the last 10 years.

Material And Method: During the period from December 1991 to April 2002, 17 patients/children with complex LVOTO were operated on.

[A 54-year old man with severe circulatory collapse].

The frequent use of mechanical circulatory assistive devices in the treatment of patients in cardiogenic shock increases the need for advanced air and ground transport services. In this article we describe a critically ill patient with acute myocardial infarction. He was treated with intraaortic balloon pump at the local hospital before transfer to a university hospital by air.