[Hypnosis in transesophageal echocardiography. The experience in a Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease Unit].

Background: The purpose of this study was to use hypnosis in patients with congenital heart disease undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Methods: From January 2016 to July 2017, 50 adult patients undergoing TEE were randomly assigned to two groups: TEE in hypnosis (n = 23), TEE in sedation (n = 27). Vital parameters (heart rate [HR], blood pressure [BP], oxygen saturation [SO2] before, during and after the procedure) and drug administration were recorded.

Synthesis of new compounds with promising antiviral properties against group A and B Human Rhinoviruses.

The human common cold, which is a benign disease caused by the Rhinoviruses, generally receives palliative symptomatic treatments, since no specific therapy against any of these viruses currently exists. In this work, some original synthetic compounds were produced and tested, in order to find non-toxic substances with an improved protection index (PI) for infected cells, as compared to reference drugs such as Pirodavir. We designed a series of novel molecules with a double oxygen in the central hydrocarbon chain and some modifications of the lateral methylisoxazole and propoxybenzoate moieties of lead compound 6602 (ethyl 4-{3-[2-(3-methyl-1,2-isoxazol-5-yl)ethoxy]propoxy}benzoate).

[Informed consent in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery].

Background: A multidisciplinary study group was established to review and approve the informed consent froms in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

Methods: The work was carried out in several stages, starting with an analysis of what was already in use in several Italian Centers. Subsequently, shared forms for pediatric cardiac surgery and interventional catheterization procedures were developed, pointing to clarity of information, prediction of therapeutic options, quantification for verbal categories of risk associated with cardiac surgery procedures, and provision of information also to young patients.

Counseling and informed consent: the experience in a pediatric cardiology unit. How to communicate a pathological diagnosis.

The aim of our study was to create an operative scheme for conveying a pathological diagnosis with emphasis on communication strategies. In order to check the validity of the scheme, parents of 122 of our patients were contacted by an outside observer and were asked to answer anonymously to a questionnaire concerning their experience in our unit. The questionnaire has been structured in three parts in order to verify (1) the quality of the communication of the diagnosis, (2) the team-patient relationship and (3) the comparison between our unit and the others.

Morgagni's diaphragmatic hernia mimicking a severe congenital heart disease in a newborn: a case report.

Introduction: Morgagni's congenital diaphragmatic defect is a rare malformation, the diagnosis of which, as in our case report, may be problematic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this kind of hernia presenting with signs and symptoms of severe cardiac malformation.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a three-month-old Caucasian baby boy, who presented with heart failure and severe pulmonary hypertension.