[Staphylococcal sepsis due to ventricular septal defect patch infection 14 years after its closure]. / Posocznica gronkowcow w wyniku zakazenia laty na ubytku przegrody miedzykomorowej 14 lat po jego zamknieciu.

We report the case of a 17 year-old girl who developed sepsis due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccocus Epidermidis (MRSE) infection of Dacron patch 14 years after ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure and 4 years after pacemaker implantation. Although MRSE grew in many cultures taken and proper antibiotic regimen was administered, no improvement in patient's clinical status was observed. Disseminated intravascular coagulation and multi-organ failure developed. An operation, at which perforated Dacron VSD-patch was replaced with a new Gore-Tex one, was performed by cardiac surgery team. The patient's clinical status improved immediately after the procedure. The girl remained well 12 months after discharge.

Aortoventriculoplasty and left ventricle function: long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Depressed cardiac function after aortoventriculoplasty is well known during the postoperative period. Little data exist concerning the long-term follow-up. The aim of this study is to determine whether septal incision has any permanent effect on the left ventricle function. METHODS: From 1988 to 2002, 45 patients received aortic mechanical prosthesis. These patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 26 patients 5-18 years old, who underwent simple aortic valve replacement. Group B consisted of 19 patients 4-20 years old, who underwent the Konno procedure. Systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle were analyzed using echocardiography. For the systolic function, the following parameters were assessed: pressure gradient between left ventricle and ascending aorta, shortening and ejection fraction of the left ventricle. For the diastolic function, left ventricle-filling parameters were assessed: ratio of early to late filling velocity, deceleration slope of the early filling velocity and left ventricular isovolumetric relaxation time. Furthermore the percentage fraction of the aortic valve index (AOVI%) was calculated and compared between these two groups. RESULTS: After the surgery in group A, AOVI% dropped from 110+/-21 to 98+/-11%, while in group B it increased from 82+/-16 to 114+/-11%. As a result a higher residual pressure gradient across the aortic valve was noted in group A: 21.26+/-15 as compared to 11.17+/-5 mmHg in group B. A mean pressure above 30 mmHg appeared in group A 2 years after the surgery, while in group B this was obtained after 6 years. As for the diastolic function no significant difference was noted between these two groups. Overall there was one late death in group A, and in group B two early deaths, two reoperations because of excessive drainage and in two patients permanent pacemakers had to be implanted. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement of the systolic function after the surgery was noted in both groups. In patients with low AOVI%, postsurgical pressure gradient, either residual or recurrent, appeared during the follow-up. As for the septal incision, it may have some transient effects on the left ventricle function in the postoperative period, but no permanent sequelae were observed in the long-term follow-up.

Arterial switch operation in neonates with complex congenital heart defects.

The aim of the study was to analyze short-term results of the arterial switch operation in 29 neonates with simple transposition of the great arteries (group A) and 18 (group B) with complex heart defects: transposition with a ventricular septal defect (10), coarctation of the aorta (5), or Taussig-Bing anomaly (3). The operations were usually performed on the 7th day of life (2nd-30th day), after a Rashkind procedure when necessary. The mean weight was 3,530 +/- 780 g, body surface area was 0.219 +/- 0.032 m(2). Delayed sternal closure was necessary in 7 patients from group A (24%) and 8 from group B (44%) because of hemodynamic instability after weaning from extracorporeal circulation; these neonates had significantly lower body weights and smaller body surface areas. Perioperative mortality was 13.8% (4 patients) in group A and 27.8% (5 patients) in group B. Correction of complex transposition tends to be associated with a higher operative risk than simple transposition, but the difference was not significant.

Does contegra xenograft implantation evoke cellular immunity in children?

The aim of the study was to search for changes in subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes and in their activation as the manifestation of cellular immunity against xenograft in recipients of bovine valved conduit used for right ventricle outflow tract reconstruction. Between 24-06-1999 and 19-10-2000 35 children were operated in ECC, 19 had a xenograft implanted, the rest entered the control group. Immunophenotype of lymphoid cells and T cells activation was evaluated with use of flow cytometer: preoperatively and 3, 6 and 12 months after the operation in both groups. There were no differences in numbers of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and natural killer cells between groups. A significant rise of B-cells percentages (from 15.5% to 23%) between 3rd and 6th month was noted. The T-lymphocyte activation study revealed higher numbers of CD69+ (0.17 vs. 0.09 G/l) and CD71+ (0.23 vs. 0.11 G/l) cells one year after the implantation in xenograft recipients. Difference between groups in number of CD69+ and CD71+ cells in 12th month may suggest mild activation (<10%) of these subgroups in xenograft recipients. This data may hint the presence of cellular reactivity. Changes in numbers of B-cells may evidence humoral immunity activation. Influence of these phenomena on graft survival remains to be established.

Infection risk factors in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Cardiac operations were preformed in 499 children from January 1998 through December 1999. Their median age was 263 days. A positive culture from blood, bronchoalveolar lavage, wound, or central catheter was obtained in 110 patients (22%). Age, sex, presence of pulmonary hypertension, body surface area, ratio of body surface area to oxygenator surface area, whether heart surgery was open or closed, and the duration of the operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, intubation, and intensive care were analyzed. Patients who developed infections were significantly younger, with smaller body surface areas and disparity with the oxygenator surface area, longer operative and bypass times, extended intubation, and prolonged intensive care. There was a significant correlation between infection and pulmonary hypertension. Sex and type of operation were not predictors of infection.