Clinical asthma phenotypes: is there an impact on myocardial performance?

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a systemic disease, which affects various body systems. We aimed to assess the impact of clinical asthma phenotypes on myocardial performance in asthmatic children using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). METHODS: We enrolled 58 children with moderate persistent asthma and 62 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Asthmatic children were classified according to clinical asthma phenotypes into shortness of breath group (n = 26) and wheezy group (n = 32). Pulmonary function tests, and conventional and TDI echocardiography were performed. RESULTS: TDI echocardiography assessment of the studied groups showed that asthmatic children as a group had significant left and right ventricular dysfunction when compared with healthy controls. Children in the shortness of breath group had a significant diastolic dysfunction of both ventricles in the form of lower tricuspid and mitral annular early myocardial diastolic velocity (Em), early to late myocardial diastolic velocity (Em/Am) ratio, and prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time when compared with wheezy group (P < 0.001). In the shortness of breath group, TDI-derived myocardial performance index (MPI) of both ventricles was significantly higher when compared with wheezy group (P < 0.001) reflecting global myocardial dysfunction. Conventional echocardiography of both ventricles showed RV diastolic dysfunction in the form of a significantly lower tricuspid E/A ratio in the shortness of breath group when compared with wheezy group. CONCLUSION: Clinical asthma phenotypes have an impact on myocardial function especially those presented with shortness of breath. Thus, measurement of MPI by TDI can detect subclinical changes in the cardiac performance in asthmatic children.

Normal saline is a safe initial rehydration fluid in children with diarrhea-related hypernatremia.

UNLABELLED: To demonstrate safety and efficacy of using normal saline (NS) for initial volume expansion (IVE) and rehydration in children with diarrhea-related hypernatremic dehydration (DR-HD), forty eight patients with DR-HD were retrospectively studied. NS was used as needed for IVE and for initial rehydration. Fluid deficit was given over 48 h. Median Na(+) level on admission was 162.9 mEq/L (IQR 160.8-165.8). The median average hourly drop at 6 and 24 h was 0.53 mEq/L/h (0.48-0.59) and 0.52 mEq/L/h (0.47-0.57), respectively. Compared to children not needing IVE, receiving ≥40 ml/kg IVE was associated with a higher average hourly drop of Na(+) at 6 h (0.51 vs. 0.58 mEq/L/h, p = 0.013) but not at 24 h (p = 0.663). The three patients (6.3%) with seizures had a higher average hourly drop of Na(+) at 6 and 24 h (p = 0.084 and 0.021, respectively). Mortality (4/48, 8.3%) was not related to Na(+) on admission or to its average hourly drop at 6 or 24 h. Children receiving ≥40 ml/kg IVE were more likely to die (OR 3.3; CI, 1.5-7.2). CONCLUSION: In children with DR-HD, NS is a safe rehydration fluid with a satisfactory rate of Na(+) drop and relatively low incidence of morbidity and mortality. Judicious use of IVE should be exerted and closer monitoring should be guaranteed for children requiring large volumes for IVE and for those showing rapid initial drop of serum Na(+) to avoid neurological complications and poor outcome.

Doxazosin versus tizanidine for treatment of dysfunctional voiding in children: a prospective randomized open-labeled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy and tolerability of tizanidine for the treatment of dysfunctional voiding in children compared with those of doxazosin. METHODS: A total of 40 children with dysfunctional voiding were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, 2-parallel group, flexible-dose study. The evaluations were performed in accordance with the International Children's Continence Society guidelines. The children were followed up after 1 week and then monthly for 6 months for the clinical, urine culture, and urodynamic parameters. The degree of improvement was assessed using a satisfaction scale that ranged from 0 (no improvement at all) to 10 (total improvement). RESULTS: A total of 40 patients with a mean±SD age of 7±2.6 years were enrolled. The clinical and urodynamic parameters were comparable between both groups. At the last follow-up visit, both groups had had similar improvement in the severity of symptoms, satisfaction scale, and noninvasive flowmetry parameters. In the doxazosin group, urge episodes was the only symptom that showed a significant reduction compared with the baseline values (P=.028). However, the incidence of nocturnal enuresis, urgency attacks, and daytime incontinence were significantly reduced compared with baseline in the tizanidine group (P=.003, P=.008, and P=.017, respectively). Adverse effects were recorded in 6 patients (15%). Epigasteric pain was reported in 2 children (10%) who received doxazosin. In the tizanidine group, a loss of appetite was noted in 2 children (10%), epigastric pain in 1 (5%), and headache in 1 (5%). CONCLUSION: Tizanidine could be a safe and effective treatment of children with dysfunctional voiding due to pelvic floor/skeletal sphincter dysfunction. More placebo-controlled trails with larger sample sizes are needed.

Comparison of intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange in treatment of mechanically ventilated children with Guillain Barré syndrome: a randomized study.

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory failure is a life threatening complication of Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS). There is no consensus on the specific treatment for this subset of children with GBS. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized study to compare the outcome of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasma exchange (PE) treatment in children with GBS requiring mechanical ventilation. Forty-one children with GBS requiring endotracheal mechanical ventilation (MV) within 14 days from disease onset were included. The ages of the children ranged from 49 to 143 months.Randomly, 20 children received a five-day course of IVIG (0.4 g/kg/day) and 21 children received a five-day course of one volume PE daily. Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed in 36 patients (18 in each group). RESULTS: Both groups had comparable age (p = 0.764), weight (p = 0.764), duration of illness prior to MV (p = 0.854), preceding diarrhea (p = 0.751), cranial nerve involvement (p = 0.756), muscle power using Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score (p = 0.266) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein (p = 0.606).Children in the PE group had a shorter period of MV (median 11 days, IQR 11.0 to 13.0) compared to IVIG group (median 13 days, IQR 11.3 to 14.5) with p = 0.037.Those in the PE group had a tendency for a shorter Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay (p = 0.094).A total of 20/21 (95.2%) and 18/20 (90%) children in the PE and IVIG groups respectively could walk unaided within four weeks after PICU discharge (p = 0.606).There was a negative correlation between CSF protein and duration of mechanical ventilation in the PE group (p = 0.037), but not in the IVIG group (p = 0.132). CONCLUSIONS: In children with GBS requiring MV, PE is superior to IVIG regarding the duration of MV but not PICU stay or the short term neurological outcome.The negative correlation between CSF protein values and duration of MV in PE group requires further evaluation of its clinical usefulness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT01306578.