Treatment of 21 pediatric patients with pulmonary artery sling combined with tracheal stenosis / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective Total 21 pulmonary artery sling( PA sling)combined with tracheal stenosis children who received treatment in our hospital were reviewed. The feasibility of treatment strategy including left pulmonary artery( LPA)re-implantation without tracheoplasty was discussed in this study. Methods From April 2009 to November 2015,a total of 21 pediatric patients received surgical treatment due to PA sling with tracheal stenosis. Six patients received LPA re-implantation and trachea intervention simultaneously. The other 15 patients received LPA re-implantation alone to relieve the trachea compression without tracheoplasty. The postoperative strategy including early extubation and CPAP ventilation was employed in PICU. Results A total of 21 PA sling with tracheal stenosis children who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital were recruited. There were 9 females and 12 males. Ages of these children were from 1 months to 10 years old,and body weights were from 2. 9 kg to 25. 0 kg. Five patients needed mechanical ventilation for severe respiratory symptoms preoperatively. Six patients received LPA re-implantation and tracheal interven-tion simultaneously. Among them,3 patients received slide tracheoplasty,and one was discharged after recov-ery. The remaining 3 patients received tracheal stent implantation,but finally died. The survival rate was 16. 7% in these patients. Fifteen patients received LPA re-implantation alone,and slide tracheoplasty was per-formed in 2 patients for extubation failure who finally died of air leakage. The survival rate of 15 patients who received LPA re-implantation alone was 86. 7%. Conclusion The strategy in LPA re-implantation alone to relieve the trachea compression without tracheoplasty and early extubation and CPAP ventilation postoperative may be an ideal treatment for the pediatric patients with PLA sling combined with tracheal stenosis.

Where does the pulmonary artery catheter float: Transesophageal echocardiography evaluation.

Background: Pulmonary artery (PA) catheter provides a variety of cardiac and hemodynamic parameters. In majority of the patients, the catheter tends to float in the right pulmonary artery (RPA) than the left pulmonary artery (LPA). We evaluated the location of PA catheter with the help of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to know the incidence of its localization. Three views were utilized for this purpose; midesophageal ascending aorta (AA) short‑axis view, modified mid esophageal aortic valve long‑axis view, and modified bicaval view. Methods: We enrolled 135 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery where both the PA catheter and TEE were to be used; for this prospective observational study. PA catheter was visualized by TEE in the above mentioned views and the degree of clarity of visualization by three views was also noted. Position of the PA catheter was further confirmed by a postoperative chest radiograph. Results: One patient was excluded from the data analysis. PA catheter was visualized in RPA in 129 patients (96%) and in LPA in 4 patients (3%). In 1 patient, the catheter was visualized in main PA in the chest radiograph. The midesophageal AA short‑axis, modified aortic valve long‑axis, and modified bicaval view provided good visualization in 51.45%, 57.4%, and 62.3% patients respectively. Taken together, PA catheter visualization was good in 128 (95.5%) patients. Conclusion: We conclude that the PA catheter has a high probability of entering the RPA as compared to LPA (96% vs. 3%) and TEE provides good visualization of the catheter in RPA.

A Case Report of Non-surgical Removal of Fragmented Remnant of Umbilical Vein Catheter Using an Intravascular Snare / 대한주산의학회잡지

Umbilical catheters have been used in NICUs for drawing blood samples, measuring blood pressure, and administering fluid and medications for more than 50 years. When the patient does not need the umbilical catheter or complications associated with umbilical catheters have risen, the catheter must be removed. In this process, the catheter may snap or be cut off and the fragment may migrate to a near vessel or to the heart and cause infection, thrombosis, or arrythmia. We report a case where in the process of removing an umbilical vein catheter, the catheter was stuck to the dried umbilical cord and pulling at it caused the catheter to snap. An immediate roentgenogram showed the fragmented catheter had migrated to the left pulmonary artery. Using an intravascular snare with a femoral approach, we were able to collect the remaining catheter and remove it from the patient's body without any complications.

Reliability of Diastolic Flow Velocity of the Left Pulmonary Artery for the Diagnosis of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants

PURPOSE: Diagnosis of a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) that should be treated is difficult to determine by clinical and echocardiographic examination. The purpose of this study is to clarify the usefulness of diastolic flow velocity (DFV) of the left pulmonary artery (LPA) determined by echocardiography in the assessment of significant PDA in preterm infants. METHODS: Clinical and echocardiographic findings, including DFV in LPA, of PDA were evaluated at 24 hours, 48-72 hours of age and after indomethacin treatment in thirty-nine infants ranging from 25 to 34 gestational weeks of age. DFVs of the study group (N=13) with significant PDA were compared with those of healthy control group (N=26) without significant PDA. RESULTS: DFVs in healthy preterm infants were high in the first few days and were significantly decreased after spontaneous ductal closure. DFVs in preterm infants with significant PDA who underwent indomethacin treatment were significantly higher than that of healthy control infants. After indomethacin treatment, DFVs in this study group remained high with continuing significant PDA and markedly decreased with disappearance of significant PDA. Until ductus arteriosus closed, DFVs showed a significant correlation with the magnitudes of ductal shunt. A cutoff value for DFV of 30 cm/sec showed a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 92% as a predictor of significnat PDA in preterm infants. CONCLUSION: Measurement of DFV in LPA by echocardiography is a useful method for assessing the significnat PDA which may require treatment in preterm infants.

LPA Occulusion Due to the Erroneous Ligature of Patent Ductus Arteriosus: a report of 3 cases / 대한흉부외과학회지

Confusion of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) for the descending thoracic aorta is a fatal error occurring occasionally in infants or neonates. As a result, the left pulmonary artery (LPA) may be misconceived as the PDA, and ligated. This surgical mishap of other hospital leads to serious congestive heart failure and loss of left lung function due to the underdevelopment in the peripheral vascular and alveolar structures in neonates and premature infants. In this report, 3 cases of LPA ligation and subsequent treatment are presented.