Clinical Utility of Respiratory Scores at Admission for Estimating the Definitive Microbiological Diagnosis in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Infants.

We aimed at determining the clinical utility of respiratory scores and the durations of wheezing or respiratory distress during hospitalization in infants with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) at admission for estimating the definitive microbiological diagnosis. We obtained data from a study population of 201 patients, 79 girls and 122 boys. There was a significant divide in the causative agents of LRTI among patients younger and older than 6 months of age (P = .002), and significantly different respiratory score findings were determined in infants with viral LRTI: a low respiratory score in a younger-than-6 month infant suggests Adenovirus as the causative agent and a high respiratory score suggests Parainfluenza 1 or 2; as for infants of 6 months of age or older, a low respiratory score indicates Influenza A or B or a mixed infection, whereas a high respiratory score is likely an indication of Parainfluenza 3 or RSV.

Effect of Breastfeeding and Preterm Births on the Severity of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections and Associated Risk of Hospitalization in Infants and Toddlers.

We studied the effect of duration of breastfeeding and history of prematurity on the duration of hospitalization in infants with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) because these may reflect the severity of illness as well as sizable direct and indirect healthcare costs. One hundred twenty-five patients (49 girls, 76 boys; aged 1-24 months) were hospitalized for LRTI during a period of 102 days and studied prospectively. We found a significant difference (P = .045) between the durations of hospitalization of the 92 patients breastfed for at least six months, compared to the other group of 33 patients who were breastfed for less than six months. The durations of hospitalization among the groups with and without a history of prematurity were not statistically different (P = .78). A history of breastfeeding for more than six months had significant effect on the duration of hospitalization, but this was not true for children with a history of preterm birth.

The role of cardiac troponin T in detection of cardiac damage and long term mortality in children with chronic renal disease.

Karadas U, Özdemir Karadas N, Bak M, Serdaroglu E, Yilmazer MM, Mese T. The role of cardiac troponin T in detection of cardiac damage and long term mortality in children with chronic renal disease. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 873-878. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in detecting myocardial involvement in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to investigate whether it contributes to predicting cardiac involvement and mortality at follow-up. Echocardiographic evaluations were performed on a sample of 69 patients, of which 33 (47.8%) were female, with grade 3, 4 and 5 chronic renal failure and end-stage renal failure. Patients with normal cTnT levels and patients with high cTnT levels were compared. cTnT levels were observed to be high in 13 (19%) of the 69 patients. The comparison between the patients with normal cTnT levels and patients with high cTnT levels with regards to the echocardiographic findings revealed that in the latter group, the average ejection fraction and fractional shortening levels were lower (p=0.003 and p=0.013, respectively), the detection rate of left ventricular systolic dysfunction was 5.5 times higher and the rate of detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was 3 times higher (p=0.004, p=0.011). In this study, it was shown that it is possible to obtain information about cardiac effects by examining the serum cTnT level before clinical symptoms occur in children with CKD, and that cTnT can be used for screening purposes.

Echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac functions in newborns of mildly preeclamptic pregnant women within postnatal 24-48 hours.

The aim of this study is to detect preeclampsia-related cardiac dysfunction within 24-48 hours of delivery in newborns born from preeclamptic mothers. Forty newborns from mildly preeclamptic mothers formed the study group and the control group was formed by 40 healthy newborns. Cardiac function for the groups were evaluated using conventional echocardiography and myocardial performance index (MPI) within the first 24-48 hours of their lifetime and the results of both groups were compared. A significant difference between the groups was observed especially in the PW Doppler MPI measurements (the left ventricle MPI 0.37 ± 0.09 and 0.26 ± 0.11, p < .001; the right ventricle MPI 0.29 ± 0.08 and 0.26 ± 0.07, p < .035) for the control group and the study group. Elongation in the left and right ventricle MPI was detected to be more significant in terms of comparing systolic and diastolic functions to determine preeclampsia-related cardiac injury in newborns from preeclamptic mothers within the first 24-48 hours of their lifetime. Impact statement Today, the methods which may detect cardiac injury earlier than conventional echocardiographic methods are used for evaluating cardiac functions. Among them, myocardial performance index (MPI) measurement with PW Doppler is the most common ones. While studies are available in the literature evaluating foetal cardiac functions with MPI in foetuses of preeclamptic women, studies evaluating cardiac functions with MPI index within the first 24-48 hours in postnatal period are not available. This is the first study to detect cardiac injury by measuring cardiac functions of the newborns of preeclamptic babies using conventional echocardiography (EF, SF, mitral and tricuspid E/A) and myocardial performance index within the first 24-48 hours of life and compare these values with those of a control group composed of healthy newborns with similar demographic characteristics. According to the results of the study, elongation in right and left ventricle MPI was detected to be more significant compared to systolic and diastolic functions for determining preeclampsia-related cardiac injury in newborns of preeclamptic mothers within 24-48 hours of delivery. Ventricle functions of the newborns of preeclamptic mothers should also be evaluated with MPI measurement besides conventional echocardiographic measurements.

Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and stressful life events in non-cardiac adolescent chest pain: a comparative study about the hidden part of the iceberg.

Chest pain in adolescents is rarely associated with cardiac disease. Adolescents with medically unexplained chest pain usually have high levels of anxiety and depression. Psychological stress may trigger non-cardiac chest pain. This study evaluated risk factors that particularly characterise adolescence, such as major stressful events, in a clinical population. The present study was conducted on 100 adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain and 76 control subjects. Stressful life events were assessed by interviewing patients using a 36-item checklist, along with the Children's Depression Inventory and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children, in both groups. Certain stressful life events, suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety were more commonly observed in adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain compared with the control group. Moreover, binary logistic regression analysis showed that trouble with bullies, school-related problems, and depression may trigger non-cardiac chest pain in adolescents. Non-cardiac chest pain on the surface may point to the underlying psychosocial health problems such as depression, suicidal ideas, or important life events such as academic difficulties or trouble with bullies. The need for a psychosocial evaluation that includes assessment of negative life events and a better management have been discussed in light of the results.

The subclinical effect of celiac disease on the heart and the effect of gluten-free diet on cardiac functions.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of celiac disease (CD) on cardiac function in children by using conventional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). Forty-nine patients diagnosed with CD were enrolled into the study. Group 1 consisted of 26 (53%) patients who had recently been diagnosed and had not been on gluten-free diet whereas Group 2 consisted of 23 (47%) patients who had been on regular gluten-free diet for at least 10 months. 20 healthy children were enrolled into the study as the control group. The deceleration time (DT) and the left ventricle (LV) isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) were significantly shorter in Group 1 compared to Group 2 and the control group (p=0.002, p=0.015). Mitral valve E/E' ratio was significantly lower in Group 1 and 2 when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The study demonstrated that evaluation of these parameters by using TDE could be beneficial in the early diagnosis of cardiac involvement in children with CD.

Brain natriuretic peptide: the reason of respiratory distress is heart disease or lung disease?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma levels of amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) could differentiate between heart failure and lung disease among infants with acute bronchiolitis. METHODS: Sixty-eight infants (age range, 1-26 months; median age, 5.9 ± 5.0 months) who presented with respiratory distress underwent physical examination, plasma BNP measurement, and echocardiography within 24 hours after admission. Nineteen (28%) patients had congenital heart disease. The control group was consisted of 30 healthy infants. RESULTS: Although mean plasma BNP levels were 118.9 ± 219.5 pg/mL in patients with isolated bronchiolitis (n = 49), it was 841.2 ± 1475.8 pg/mL in patients with congenital heart disease (n = 19). Plasma BNP levels were significantly higher in infants with congenital heart disease (P = .001). CONCLUSION: It was shown that plasma BNP levels were affected much more in cardiac disease rather than lung disease. Among infants with respiratory distress, plasma BNP measurements can differentiate congenital heart disease and lung disease and can be used to monitor the effects of treatment for infants with heart failure. RESPONSE TO REVIEWERS: The comments were taken for consideration. The patient groups control BNP levels were attached to the results. As it was a clinical study and multiple factors (respiratory score, respiratory rate, treatment, etc) may effect on BNP levels, the tables could not be decreased to 1 table.

Vascular rings: presentation, imaging strategies, treatment, and outcome.

This study aimed to evaluate the presenting symptoms, the effectiveness of imaging methods, and the surgical treatment of vascular rings. Data for 44 patients (32 enrolled prospectively, 12 reviewed retrospectively) over a 10-year period in a tertiary referral center were analyzed. These patients comprised 25 patients with a left aortic arch and an aberrant right subclavian artery, 13 patients with a right aortic arch and a left subclavian artery originating from Kommerell's diverticulum, 1 patient with a right aortic arch and an aberrant left subclavian artery, 3 patients with a double aortic arch, and 2 patients with a pulmonary sling. Respiratory symptoms were found in 25 patients and dysphagia in 6 patients. Atypical symptoms such as reflex apnea, cyanosis, syncope episodes, and exercise-induced wheezing were noted in five patients. Associated congenital heart defects were detected in 41% of the patients. The diagnostic yield was 95.23% for barium esophagography, 54.54% for echocardiography, and 66.66% for computed tomography. The anatomy could be correctly identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 97.43% and by angiography in 90.5% of the patients. Of the 30 patients who underwent surgery, 80% were completely relieved of symptoms during a mean follow-up period of 25 ± 33.5 months. Vascular rings should not be overlooked in infants with atypical symptoms. The authors' diagnostic procedure of choice is MRI because it is superior to angiography for delineating the relationship between abnormal vascular structures, trachea, and esophagus.

Surgical treatment of cor triatriatum, ventricular septal defect in an infant with a giant omphalocele.

Cor triatriatum is a rare cardiac anomaly characterized by a membrane in the left atrium that separates the atrium into the proximal and distal chambers. Herein, we describe an unusual case of cor triatriatum combined with a ventricular septal defect in a newborn infant with a giant omphalocele and underwent a successful cardiac surgical repair. In this abnormality, there is a high incidence of associated congenital abnormalities; but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a combination of cor triatriatum and omphalocele has been reported in the literature.