Risk factors for syncope in children with severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To explore the risk factors for syncope in children with severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Methods: Forty-four patients (age<18 years) with IPAH admitted to the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital between May 2011 and October 2021 were retrospectively included. Patients were devided into syncope group and non-syncope group. Clinical manifestation and hemodynamic parameters including echocardiography, blood tests, right heart catheterization and acute pulmonary vascular expansion test were compared between two groups. Comparisons between groups were performed with unpaired Student t test, or Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for parameters with statistically significant differences between groups and analyze the statistical correlation. Results: Among the 44 patients, 16 were males, the onset age was (7.2±3.9) years. Twenty-four (55%) children presented with 1 to 11 times of episodes of syncope, and 18 cases of whom induced by physical activity. Syncope group had a larger proportion of New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart function class Ⅲ-Ⅳ (67% (16/24) vs. 25% (5/20), χ2=7.59, P=0.006), higher brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) value ((251±39) vs. (61±40) pg/L, t=-2.18, P=0.035), higher pulmonary-to-aorta diameter ratio (1.6±0.4 vs. 1.4±0.2, t=-2.25, P=0.030) and larger pulmonary vascular resistance index ((22±11) vs. (16±7) WU/m2, t=-2.13, P=0.039) compared with non-syncope group. The proportion of patent foramen ovale (4% (1/24) vs. 45% (9/20), χ2=10.36, P=0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ((68±5)% vs. (72±8)%, t=2.23, P=0.031) and the positive rate of acute pulmonary vascular expansion test (8% (2/24) vs. 35% (7/20), χ2=4.77, P=0.029) of syncope group were significantly lower than those of non-syncope group. Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that NYHA heart function Ⅲ-Ⅳ (OR=6.787, 95%CI 1.445-31.880), pulmonary vascular resistance index (OR=1.247, 95%CI 1.020-1.525) and BNP (OR=1.036, 95%CI 1.007-1.066) were independent risk factors for syncope. The patent foramen ovale (OR=0.010, 95%CI 0.000-0.586) was a protective factor for syncope. Conclusions: NYHA cardiac function grade, pulmonary vascular resistance index and BNP are independent risk factors for syncope. Patent foramen ovale is a protective factor for syncope. Exercise is the main inducement of syncope in children with IPAH.

Survey on common pediatric drugs for renal diseases / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Development and use of better medicine for children is a worldwide problem recently, especially in China. The current situation of drugs for children's renal diseases is far from well-understood now. This survey focused on drugs for pediatric renal diseases including immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, diuretics, anticoagulants, hypotensives and antilipemic agents.Information regarding the dosage, form, precaution, usage and administration in inserts was collected in this study.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Drugs for pediatric renal diseases were selected according to the guidelines established by the Chinese Society of Pediatric Nephrology. The detailed information about the dosage, form of drugs was searched on the website of China-State Food and Drug (SFDA). The information of the precaution, usage and administration was obtained from the China Pharmaceutical Reference, the first edition.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In this study, there were 5 categories of medicine including immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, diuretics, anticoagulants, hypotensives and antilipemic agents, and 89 kinds of medicine for renal diseases. Among these medicines, 65.2% were found not suitable for children in terms of drug dosage and form, 19.1% did not indicate the precaution, 51.7% did not indicate clearly the safety and effectiveness for children, and 56.2% lacked the detailed information about the usage and administration for children. There were only 4 kinds of these medicines which were studied via clinical trials in children population.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There is a lack of drugs for children with renal diseases. Most of the time, the medicines used by doctors are not specially manufactured for children. The safety and efficacy of drugs that are currently used to treat pediatric renal diseases are not clear and definite.In addition, few clinical trials have been conducted for evaluation of drugs for pediatric renal diseases.In clinic, the situation of off-label drug treatment is very serious.</p>