Diagnosis and treatment of early postoperative tachycardia in patients with congenital heart disease / 中国综合临床

Objective:To analyze and clarify the causes, types, risk factors and treatment principles of early postoperative tachycardia in children with congenital heart disease.Methods:A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 2 126 children with primary radical congenital heart surgical procedure in Shanghai Children′s Hospital from January 2014 to December 2020, including 1 322 cases of ventricular septal defect or ventricular septal defect combined with atrial septal defect, 421 cases of atrial septal defect, 194 cases of tetralogy of Fallot, D-transposition of the great artery or double outlets of right ventricle combined with pulmonary stenosis, and 189 cases of other complex congenital heart disease. The surgical method is a median sternal skin incision or a small right axillary skin incision, and cardiopulmonary bypass is established routinely. The age, body mass, disease type, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic occlusion time, vasoactive drug use, ECG monitoring and other indexes were observed and monitored.Results:There are 425 cases of early postoperative tachycardia in 2 126 children with congenital heart disease, with an incidence of 20.0%. The incidences of sinus tachycardia, borderline ectopic tachycardia, atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia were 14.8%(314/2 126), 4.5%(96/2 126), 0.8%(17/2 126) and 0.5%(10/2 126), respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the low age ( OR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.25-2.65, P<0.01), low weight ( OR=2.35, 95% CI:1.86-2.75, P<0.01), large ventricular septal defect ( OR=1.56, 95% CI:1.09-2.06, P=0.02), complex congenital heart disease ( OR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.57-2.52, P<0.01), long duration of cardiopulmonary bypass ( OR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.23-2.28, P<0.01), long aortic cross-clamp time ( OR=1.89, 95% CI:1.20-2.55, P<0.01), acidosis ( OR=1.63, 95% CI:1.11-2.14, P<0.01), and the combination usage of vasoactive drugs ( OR=1.86, 95% CI:1.23-2.48, P<0.01) were significantly associated with the occurrence of early postoperative tachycardias. Conclusion:This study has important clinical guiding value for predicting early postoperative tachycardia in children with congenital heart disease, clarifying its causes and types, and timely handling, so as to improve the postoperative survival rate of children.

A Tempo-geographic Analysis of Global COVID-19 Epidemic Outside of China

BackgroundUnderstanding the global epidemic trends, geographic distribution, and transmission patterns of COVID-19 contribute to providing timely information for the global response of the epidemic. This study aims to understand the global pandemic geospatial patterns and trends and identify new epicenters requiring urgent attention. MethodsData on COVID-19 between 31st Dec. 2019 and 14th Mar. 2020 was included. The epidemic trend was analyzed using joinpoint regressions; the growth of affected countries was by descriptive analysis; and the global distribution and transmission trend by spatial analysis. Findings: The number of new cases in the regions outside of China slowly increased before 24th Feb. and rapidly accelerated after 24th Feb. Compared to China, other affected countries experienced a longer duration of a slow increase at the early stage and rapid growth at the latter stages. The first apparent increase in the number of affected countries occurred from 23rd Jan to 1st Feb, and the second apparent increase started from 25th Feb. The fist COVID-19 cases reported by countries from 28th Feb. were mainly imported from Europe. The geographic distribution changed from single-center (13th Jan. - 20th Feb.) to multi-centers pattern (20th Feb. - 14th Mar.). More countries were affected with COVID-19 and developed local transmission. InterpretationThe joinpoint regression and geospatial analysis indicated a multi-center pandemic of COVID-19. Strategies to prevent the new multiple centers as well as prevent ongoing transmission are needed. FundingNIH.

Effect of right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy on the repair of ventricular septal defect in children / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To study the safety of right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy (RVIAT) in the repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD) and the optimal age for RVIAT. Methods    Between June 2014 and June 2018, 441 children underwent VSD repair via RVIAT in our hospital. According to the age, they were divided into four groups: a 4 months to 1 year old group (R1 group, n=123), a 1-2 years old group (R2 group, n=106), a 2-5 years old group (R3 group, n=166), a >5 years old group (R4 group, n=46). The clinical effects of the patients were compared. Results    All the operations were successfully performed and no serious complication was found in all groups. No statistical difference was observed in the operation time, blood loss during operation, thoracic drainage 24 h after operation among groups (P>0.05). The cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-blocking time and ICU stay time in the R1 and R2 groups were longer than those in the R3 and R4 groups (P<0.05). In the R1 group, the postoperative ventilating time and postoperative hospital stay time were longer, and the blood transfusion volume was more than those in the R3 and R4 groups (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications was higher in the R4 group than that in the R1 and R3 groups (P<0.05). Conclusion    VSD repair via RVIAT may be more effective in children >2 years old, and 2-5 years old may be the optimal age.

Recent progress in histone methyltransferase (G9a) inhibitors as anticancer agents.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression without changing the DNA sequence - a change in phenotype without a change in genotype. Epigenetic abnormalities can lead to serious diseases such as cancer in organisms. Histone methylation is one of the several manifestations of epigenetics, and requires specific enzymes to catalyze, for example, G9a, which is a histone methyl transferase. G9a catalyzes the methylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) and histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27). In addition, G9a also plays an essential role in DNA replication, damage and repair, and gene expression by regulating DNA methylation. Moreover, G9a has been found to be overexpressed in many tumor cells and is associated with the occurrence and development of tumors. Because of its unique characteristics, G9a has become a very promising target for anti-cancer agents. Over the last decade, dozens of G9a inhibitors have been discovered as potential anticancer therapeutic agents. In this review, we summarize and classify current G9a inhibitors, the challenges and future direction are also discussed in detail.

Effect of hypothermia on endotracheal tube cuff pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass in pediat-ric patients with congenital heart disease / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of hypothermia on the endotracheal tube cuff pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass in the pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. Methods Forty pedi-atric patients of both sexes, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅱ-Ⅳ, aged 1 months-14 yr, weighing 3-58 kg, scheduled for elective surgery for congenital heart disease using cardiop-ulmonary bypass, were included in this study. All the pediatric patients were intubated with a cuffed endo-tracheal tube. After anesthesia induction and endotracheal intubation, the air was injected into the cuff to make the cuff pressure reach 20 cm H2 O ( baseline) . The endotracheal tube cuff pressure was recorded when the esophageal temperature was reduced to 34, 32, 30, 28 and below 28℃ and returned to 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 ℃. Results The cuff pressure was significantly decreased when the esophageal temperature was reduced to 30 and 28 ℃ and below 28 ℃ and returned to 28, 30, 32 and 34 ℃ as compared with the baseline ( P<0. 05) . Conclusion Hypothermia can reduce the endotracheal tube cuff pressure during car-diopulmonary bypass, and it is recommended to routinely monitor the cuff pressure in the pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

Application of lymphography in the location and treatment decision of chyle leakage: an analysis of 177 cases / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the value of lymphography in the location and treatment decision of chyle leakage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinic data of 177 patients suffered from chyle leakage admitted in 6 medical centers in Shanghai from February 1998 to December 2014 was analyzed retrospectively. There were 94 male and 83 female patients aging from 9 to 84 years with a mean of 49 years, including 128 cases of chyluria, 34 cases of primary chylothorax and 15 cases of other chyle leakage. All patients had failed to conservative treatment more than 2 weeks. Pedal lymphography was performed in every patient to investigate the site and range of chyle leakage. Effect of surgical or conservative management was compared according to the different results of lymphography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No serious complication was noticed. For all 177 patients, lymphography showed localized lymphatic diseases in 148 cases (83.6%), including 125 cases of lymphatic renal pelvic leaks, 14 cases of unilateral identified leak within thorax and 9 cases of chyle leakage in neck, heart, abdomen or scrotum. Among these patients, surgical treatment cured 129 and improved 3 patients but failed in 2 patients, while the remaining 14 cases had their leaks decreased after lymphography and cured by conservative management. For those 15 patients having disseminated lymphatic diseases or 14 with no abnormality under lymphography, surgery only cured 2 and improved 1 patient but failed in 8 patients (with 3 death), whereas continuous conservative treatment cured 11 patients, improved 5 patients but only failed in 2 patients (with one death). For localized leakage, surgical treatment showed better efficacy (98.5% vs. 3/11), whereas conservative treatment had significantly higher successful rate than surgical interventions in patients with disseminated lymphatic diseases or no abnormality under lymphography (16/18 vs. 3/11).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Lymphography could identify the location and range of complicate chyle leakage failed to primary conservative management. Patients with disseminated lymphatic diseases or no abnormality under lymphography would be better managed by continuous non-operative treatment partly due to therapeutic effect of lymphography, while surgical intervention could be a good option for patients having localized lymphatic etiology.</p>

The analysis and discussion of early cardiac arrhythmias in infants after open heart surgery with congenital heart diseases / 临床外科杂志

Objective To discuss the types,pathogenesis and treatment of early cardiac arrhyth-mias in infants after open heart surgery with congenital heart diseases. Methods 992 infants after open heart surgeries were divided into control group and arrhythmia group. Another junctionalectopictachycardia ( JET)group was separated from arrhythmia group. Various preoperative and postoperative data were com-pared. Results 197 infants suffered from cardiac arrhythmia within 3 days right after open heart surger-ies. After exactly the same surgery procedures,JET group was significantly different with control group in aortic cross-clamp time,cardiopulmonary bypass time and stay in CICU(p<0. 05). As for time of ventila-tion,no significant difference was found between the two groups. Conclusion Early diagnosis and treat-ment of cardiac arrhythmia can not only improve the success rate of open heart surgery,but also promote early recovery.