Medical staff dose estimation during pediatric cardiac interventional procedures.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the occupational doses (eye lens, extremities and whole body) in paediatric cardiac interventional and diagnostic catheterization procedures performed in a paediatric reference hospital located in Recife, Pernambuco. For eye lens dosimetry, the results show that the left eye receives a higher dose than the right eye, and there is a small difference between the doses received during diagnostic (D) and therapeutic (T) procedures. The extrapolated annual values for the most exposed eye are close to the annual limit. For doses to the hands, it was observed that in a significant number of procedures (37 out of 45 therapeutic procedures, or 82%) at least one hand of the physician was exposed to the primary beam. During diagnostic procedures, the physician's hand was in the radiation field in 11 of the 17 catheterization procedures (65%). This resulted in a 10-fold increase in dose to the hands. The results underscore the need for optimization of radiation safety and continued efforts to engage staff in a radiation safety culture.

Occlusion of the perimembranous ventricular septal defect using CERA® devices.

BACKGROUND: High incidence of atrioventricular (AV) block has been the major limitation of percutaneous closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PMVSD). METHODS: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study including 55 patients who were submitted to 56 procedures from March 2010 to November 2010. Inclusion criteria were PMVSD with diameter ≥ 5 mm or if ≤5 mm with hemodynamic significance and age ≥ 1 year. Exclusion criteria were fixed pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated congenital heart disease needing surgical repair. Procedures were performed under general anesthesia and monitored by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The device choice was based on left ventricle (LV) angiography and on TTE images. PMVSDs were crossed by retrograde approach. RESULTS: Mean age was 9.3 ± 7.5 years, and mean weight was 29.1 ± 15.9 kg. Thirty-five (63.6%) patients were females. Mean pulmonary arterial mean pressure, mean LV diastolic diameter, and mean Q(p) /Q(s) were 24.0 ± 6.5 mm Hg, 43.0 ± 5.9 mm, and 2.2 ± 0.8, respectively. Associated nonsurgical malformations were present in 9 (16.3%) patients, and PMVSDs were multifenestrated in 16 (46.2%) cases. Mean PMVSDs diameter was 5.8 ± 1.8 mm by angiography and 6.8 ± 2.3 mm by TTE. New rhythm disturbance without clinical significance was observed in 29% of the patients and was reversible in 87.5%. After procedure, trivial residual shunt was present in 5 (8.9%) patients and moderate residual shunt in other 5 (8.9%). At late FU (mean of 298.7 ± 88.9 days), 91% of the patients had no residual shunts. Third-degree AV block and severe aortic regurgitation occurred in one patient each. CONCLUSIONS: In this experience, PMVSD closure with CERA® devices showed to be safe and effective with low incidence of complications at immediate and mid-term FU.

Occlusion of the perimembranous ventricular septal defect using CERA devices

Background: High incidence of atrioventricular (AV) block has been the major limitationof percutaneous closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PMVSD). Methods:Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study including 55 patients who weresubmitted to 56 procedures from March 2010 to November 2010. Inclusion criteriawere PMVSD with diameter 5 mm or if 5 mm with hemodynamic significance andage 1 year. Exclusion criteria were fixed pulmonary arterial hypertension and associatedcongenital heart disease needing surgical repair. Procedures were performedunder general anesthesia and monitored by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Thedevice choice was based on left ventricle (LV) angiography and on TTE images.PMVSDs were crossed by retrograde approach. Results: Mean age was 9.3 6 7.5years, and mean weight was 29.1 6 15.9 kg. Thirty-five (63.6%) patients were females.Mean pulmonary arterial mean pressure, mean LV diastolic diameter, and mean Qp/Qswere 24.0 6 6.5 mm Hg, 43.0 6 5.9 mm, and 2.2 6 0.8, respectively. Associated nonsurgicalmalformations were present in 9 (16.3%) patients, and PMVSDs were multifenestratedin 16 (46.2%) cases. Mean PMVSDs diameter was 5.8 6 1.8 mm by angiographyand 6.8 6 2.3 mm by TTE. New rhythm disturbance without clinical significance wasobserved in 29% of the patients and was reversible in 87.5%. After procedure, trivialresidual shunt was present in 5 (8.9%) patients and moderate residual shunt in other 5(8.9%). At late FU (mean of 298.7 6 88.9 days), 91% of the patients had no residualshunts. Third-degree AV block and severe aortic regurgitation occurred in one patienteach. Conclusions: In this experience, PMVSD closure with CERAVR devices showed tobe safe and effective with low incidence of complications at immediate and mid-termFU.

Punção da artéria axilar para intervenções percutâneas em lactentes portadores de cardiopatias congênitas: "à procura de um caminho mais curto e mais seguro" / Axillary artery access for percutaneous interventions in infants with congenital heart disease: \"in search of a shorter and safer pathway"

INTRODUÇÃO: O acesso através da punção da artéria axilar (AAx) tem sido utilizado em adultos com bons resultados, porém seu uso em neonatos e lactentes jovens tem sido pouco relatado. Nosso objetivo foi relatar a experiência inicial com o uso desse acesso em diferentes intervenções nessa faixa etária de pacientes. Método: De janeiro de 2009 a setembro de 2010 foram incluídas 11 crianças submetidas a diferentes procedimentos intervencionistas realizados através de punção da AAx. O procedimento foi realizado com agulha 21 G, sendo utilizados introdutores 4 F ou 5 F pediátricos. Resultados: A média de idade foi de 26 + - 12 dias e o peso médio de 4,2 +- 1,7 kg. Os procedimentos intervencionistas realizados foram: implante de stent no canal arterial (6) valvoplastia aórtica (1) angioplastia aórtica (2), implante de stent em Blalock-Taussig (1), e redilatação do stent do canal arterial (!). A punção da AAx direita foi realizada com sucesso em todos os pacientes e sem dificuldade técnica. Os tempos médios do procedimento...

BACKGROUND: Axillary artery access (AxA) has been used in adults with good results, however, its use in neonates and infants has not been extensively reported. This study was aimed at reporting our initial experience using this access in different cardiac interventions in this age group. METHOD: From January 2009 to September 2010, 11 children were submitted to different cardiac interventions using AxA. The procedure was performed with a 21 G needle followed by the insertion of a 4 F or a 5 F pediatric sheats. RESULTS: Mean age was 26 ± 12 days and mean weight was 4.2 ± 1.7 Kg. The cardiac interventions performed were: stenting of the arterial duct (6), aortic valvoplasty (1), aortic angioplasty (2), stent implantation in a Blalock-Taussig shunt (1) and stent redilation in the arterial duct (1). Right AxA puncture was successfully obtained in all patients without technical difficulties. Mean procedure and fluoroscopy times were 52 ± 15 minutes and 13 ± 4 minutes, respectively. Pneumothorax without hemodynamic involvement was the single complication in one patient. The other patients did not have any abnormalities. There were no ischemic or neurologic complications in the ipsilateral limb. Mean time of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay was 48 ± 16 hours. There were no deaths during the interventional procedures and one patient died of sepsis at the ICU 5 days after the procedure. CONCLUSION: In our experience AxA proved to be a safe and effective alternative for different interventional procedures in neonates and infants with congenital heart diseases.

New transcatheter techniques for creation or enlargement of atrial septal defects in infants with complex congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a series of 8 consecutive infants (5 with transposition of the great arteries [TGA] and 3 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome [HLHS]) who underwent nonconventional septostomy techniques. BACKGROUND: For some complex congenital heart defects, an unrestrictive atrial septal defect (ASD) is essential to achieve an adequate cardiac output and/or systemic saturation. In some scenarios, the use of conventional septostomy techniques may be technically difficult, hazardous, and/or ineffective. METHODS: Use of transhepatic approach, cutting balloons, and radiofrequency perforation with stenting of the atrial septum. RESULTS: The size of the ASD and the oxygen saturation increased in all patients with no major complications. In those with TGA, the ASDs were considered to be of good size at the arterial switch operation. Two of the 3 patients with hybrid palliation for HLHS have developed some degree of obstruction within the interatrial stent over 2-3 months. At surgery, the stents were found to be secured within the septum with one showing significant fibrous ingrowth after uneventful removal. The other had some nonobstructive ingrowth. CONCLUSIONS: Creation or enlargement of ASDs in infants using new nonconventional transcatheter techniques is feasible, safe, and effective, at least in the short-to-mid-term follow-up. Infants with TGA seem to benefit the most because the procedure results in satisfactory clinical stability for subsequent early surgical intervention. In infants with HLHS palliated by a hybrid approach, stent implantation to the atrial septum seems to buy enough time to bring them to the phase II safely despite progressive in-stent obstruction.

An index for evaluating results in paediatric cardiac intensive care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery can be predicted, in children, using a new clinical and surgical index. STUDY DESIGN: Observational, retrospective, cross-sectional. METHODS: We reviewed 818 charts from children undergoing surgery between January, 2000, and December, 2004. The index was calculated by summing the scores from five variables, specifically age, nutritional state, the presence of associated clinical risk factors, surgical complexity, and use and time of cardiopulmonary bypass. Each variable was subdivided into categories of low, medium or high risk, with scores attributed as zero, one or two, respectively. Risks for death were calculated using the odds ratio. RESULTS: Our overall mortality was 14.7%, with our proposed index correlating strongly with mortality (p less than 0.0001). No patients died with scores of zero, but mortality increased from around 10% with a score of three, to close to 30% with scores of five and six, and to over 50% with a score of eight. No patients reached scores of 10, and more than three-fifths of all patients had scores between zero and three. We observed higher mortalities independently for each variable in association with the highest risk scores. CONCLUSIONS: We found that surgery undertaken in the neonatal period, weight below the 5th percentile, the presence of associated clinical risk factors, operations of higher complexity, and more than 90 minutes of cardiopulmonary bypass were all significantly associated with mortality. Our suggested new index showed a linear correlation with mortality, and in our current experience, has proved a valuable tool for predicting adverse outcomes.