Primer registro de procedimientos de intervencionismo cardiovascular pediátrico realizados en un laboratorio estatal de hemodinamia pediátrica en El Salvador / First record of pediatric cardiovascular interventional procedures performed in a state pediatric catheterization laboratory in El Salvador

Resumen Objetivo: Describir los tipos de cateterismo cardiaco que se realizan en el único laboratorio de hemodinamia pediátrica dentro de la red de salud pública de El Salvador, en colaboración con organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Material y método: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de corte transversal en el periodo entre mayo de 2022 a enero de 2023, revisando los expedientes de todos los pacientes que pasaron a cateterismo cardiaco. Resultados: Se realizaron 54 procedimientos dentro de la sala de hemodinamia, 37 pacientes de sexo femenino. El peso fue de 20.6 ± 14.5 kg, de los procedimientos, 47 (87%) fueron terapéuticos y 7 (13%) diagnósticos. La oclusión del conducto arterioso se realizó en el 46% de los pacientes. No se reportaron complicaciones, los pacientes fueron dados de alta luego de 12 horas, todos los insumos fueron donados por fundaciones sin fines de lucro. Conclusiones: Nuestro laboratorio de hemodinamia realiza procedimientos de complejidad variada sin reportar hasta el momento complicaciones mayores. Nos vemos limitados debido al costo alto de algunos dispositivos, a la baja frecuencia de la utilización de estos y a la imposibilidad para adquirirlos en el mercado nacional.

Abstract Objective: To describe the types of cardiac catheterization that are performed in the only pediatric catheterization laboratory within the public health network of El Salvador, in collaboration with non-profit organizations. Material and method: A descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the period from May 2022 to January 2023, reviewing the records of all patients who underwent cardiac catheterization. Results: 54 procedures were performed in the catheterization room, 37 female patients. The weight was 20.6 ± 14.5 kg, of the procedures, 47 (87%) were therapeutic and 7 (13%) diagnostic. Occlusion of the ductus arteriosus was performed in 46% of the patients. No complications were reported, the patients were discharged after 12 hours, all supplies were donated by non-profit foundations. Conclusions: Our catheterization laboratory performs procedures of varied complexity without reporting any major complications to date. We are limited due to the high cost of some devices, the low frequency of their use and the impossibility of acquiring them in the national market.

First record of pediatric cardiovascular interventional procedures performed in a state pediatric catheterization laboratory in El Salvador.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the types of cardiac catheterization that are performed in the only pediatric catheterization laboratory within the public health network of El Salvador, in collaboration with non-profit organizations. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the period from May 2022 to January 2023, reviewing the records of all patients who underwent cardiac catheterization. RESULTS: 54 procedures were performed in the catheterization room, 37 female patients. The weight was 20.6 ± 14.5 kg, of the procedures, 47 (87%) were therapeutic and 7 (13%) diagnostic. Occlusion of the ductus arteriosus was performed in 46% of the patients. No complications were reported, the patients were discharged after 12 hours, all supplies were donated by non-profit foundations. CONCLUSIONS: Our catheterization laboratory performs procedures of varied complexity without reporting any major complications to date. We are limited due to the high cost of some devices, the low frequency of their use and the impossibility of acquiring them in the national market.

OBJETIVO: Describir los tipos de cateterismo cardiaco que se realizan en el único laboratorio de hemodinamia pediátrica dentro de la red de salud pública de El Salvador, en colaboración con organizaciones sin fines de lucro. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de corte transversal en el periodo entre mayo de 2022 a enero de 2023, revisando los expedientes de todos los pacientes que pasaron a cateterismo cardiaco. RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 54 procedimientos dentro de la sala de hemodinamia, 37 pacientes de sexo femenino. El peso fue de 20.6 ± 14.5 kg, de los procedimientos, 47 (87%) fueron terapéuticos y 7 (13%) diagnósticos. La oclusión del conducto arterioso se realizó en el 46% de los pacientes. No se reportaron complicaciones, los pacientes fueron dados de alta luego de 12 horas, todos los insumos fueron donados por fundaciones sin fines de lucro. CONCLUSIONES: Nuestro laboratorio de hemodinamia realiza procedimientos de complejidad variada sin reportar hasta el momento complicaciones mayores. Nos vemos limitados debido al costo alto de algunos dispositivos, a la baja frecuencia de la utilización de estos y a la imposibilidad para adquirirlos en el mercado nacional.

FDXR Gene Expression after in Vivo Radiation Exposure of Pediatric Patients Undergoing Interventional Cardiology Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Ferredoxin reductase (FDXR) has already been reported as a promising biomarker for estimating radiation doses in radiotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the responsiveness of FDXR on pediatric population exposed to ionizing radiation (X-rays) during pediatric interventional cardiology (IC) procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood was collected by venipuncture from 24 pediatric donors before and 24 hours after the IC procedure. To estimate the effective dose, demographic data and Air Kerma-Area Product (PKA) were recorded for each patient. The relative quantification (RQ) of the FDXR gene in irradiated patient blood samples compared to the non-irradiated blood samples was determined using qPCR analysis. The relative values of FDXR were log- transformed. RESULTS: The effective dose ranged from 0.002 mSv to 8.004 mSv. Over this radiation exposure range, the FDXR gene expression varied randomly with the effective dose. Up-regulation in FDXR expression was observed in 17 patients and down-regulation in 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies in a larger cohort of pediatric patients along with the record of clinical data are needed to determine whether FDXR gene expression is an effective biomarker for radiation exposure estimation in pediatric imaging.

Registries, Risk Calculators, and Risk-Adjusted Outcomes: Current Usage, Limitations, and Future Prospects.

Small study sizes are a limiting factor in assessing outcome measures in pediatric cardiology. It is even more difficult to assess the outcomes of congenital catheterizations where the sample sizes are even smaller, particularly on a individual institutional level. The creation of multicenter registries is a method by which investigators can pool data to better assess quality and outcome measures of these procedures. No registry is perfect with several being available today, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. In addition, there are a multitude of methods currently used to assess quality and outcomes from the data contained in these registries, each having its own limitations as well. Nonetheless, multicenter registrities remain one of the best available options to improve the quality of care for pediatric interventional cardiac catheterization. Below, we provide an overview of the current state of quality assessment/improvement in pediatric interventional cardiology including a review of the available registrities and the metrics used to measure quality of care and outcomes.

Personalized Interventions: A Reality in the Next 20 Years or Pie in the Sky.

There is no better representation of the need for personalization of care than the breadth and complexity of congenital heart disease. Advanced imaging modalities are now standard of care in the field, and the advancements being made to three-dimensional visualization technologies are growing as a means of pre-procedural preparation. Incorporating emerging modeling approaches, such as computational fluid dynamics, will push the limits of our ability to predict outcomes, and this information may be both obtained and utilized during a single procedure in the future. Artificial intelligence and customized devices may soon surface as realistic tools for the care of patients with congenital heart disease, as they are showing growing evidence of feasibility within other fields. This review illustrates the great strides that have been made and the persistent challenges that exist within the field of congenital interventional cardiology, a field which must continue to innovate and push the limits to achieve personalization of the interventions it provides.

Novel device-based interventional strategies for advanced heart failure.

While heart failure is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity, our tools to provide ultimate treatment solutions are still limited. Recent developments in new devices are designed to fill this therapeutic gap. The scope of this review is to focus on two particular targets, namely (1) left ventricular geometric restoration and (2) atrial depressurization. (1) Reduction of the wall stress by shrinking the ventricular cavity has been traditionally attempted surgically. Recently, the Parachute device (CardioKinetix Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA) has been introduced to restore ventricular geometry and cardiac mechanics. The intervention aims to partition distal dysfunctional segments that are non-contributory to the ventricular mechanics and forward cardiac output. (2) Diastolic heart failure is characterized by abnormal relaxation and chamber stiffness. The main therapeutic goal achieved should be the reduction of afterload and diastolic pressure load. Recently, new catheter-based approaches were proposed to reduce left atrial pressure and ventricular decompression: the InterAtrial Shunt Device (IASD™) (Corvia Medical Inc., Tewksbury, MA, USA) and the V-Wave Shunt (V-Wave Ltd, Or Akiva, Israel). Both are designed to create a controlled atrial septal defect in symptomatic patients with heart failure. While the assist devices are aimed at end-stage heart failure, emerging device-based percutaneous or minimal invasive techniques comprise a wide spectrum of innovative concepts that target ventricular remodeling, cardiac contractility or neuro-humoral modulation. The clinical adoption is in the early stages of the initial feasibility and safety studies, and clinical evidence needs to be gathered in appropriately designed clinical trials.

Estimation of eye lens doses received by pediatric interventional cardiologists.

Maximum Hp(0.07) dose to the eye lens received in a year by the pediatric interventional cardiologists has been estimated. Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters were placed on the eyes of an anthropomorphic phantom, whose position in the room simulates the most common irradiation conditions. Maximum workload was considered with data collected from procedures performed in the Hospital. None of the maximum values obtained exceed the dose limit of 20 mSv recommended by ICRP.

Angiojet thrombectomy for Blalock-Taussig shunt and pulmonary artery thrombus in an infant with tetralogy of fallot.

We describe a new technique for treatment of shunt thrombosis in infants with complex anatomical defects. A 2-month-old girl with Tetralogy of Fallot underwent placement of a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) at day of life (DOL) 6 with revision at DOL 20. Following this surgery, the patient became hypotensive and hypoxic with new evidence of lack of flow through the MBTS on echocardiography. Angiography showed an occluded MBTS and right pulmonary artery with patent distal branches with normal pulmonary venous return. Balloon angioplasty was attempted but failed to fully recanalize the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and MBTS. An AngioJet catheter was then passed through the shunt and RPA to perform rheolyticthrombectomy. Subsequent angiogram showed a widely patent RPA and MBTS. An echocardiogram at 1-month post-thrombectomy showed a widely patent MBTS with continuous flow seen entering both branch pulmonary arteries. The AngioJet system for thrombectomy provides a viable option for complex thrombus removal in patients refractory to other methods.

An infant with primary pulmonary vein stenosis, associated with fatal occlusion of intraparenchymal small pulmonary veins.

Primary pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is rare within the pediatric population and its pathophysiology remains unclear, especially as to how the histopathology relates to its refractoriness to treatment. We report the case of a 4-month-old girl with primary PVS. The lesion in this patient was characterized by fatal obstruction of intraparenchymal small pulmonary veins, associated with localized stenosis at the four pulmonary veno-atrial junctions. All four localized stenoses underwent transcatheter stent implantation. Although the procedure was technically successful, her clinical status failed to improve, and she died 2 months after stenting. Histopathological examination of lung specimens showed severe luminal obstruction by marked intimal proliferation with fibrosis in the intraparenchymal small pulmonary veins, and these findings were present in every lobe. To the best of our knowledge, the histopathological findings and clinical course in this case, including the response to treatments, are extremely rare. We suggest that the histological findings of the small pulmonary veins are important in deciding the indication and appropriate timing of intervention. .

Restored left ventricular function following transcatheter closure of a persistent ductus arteriosus in an adult.

Recently, transcatheter device occlusion has become the first choice treatment for adult persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA). However, various complications such as atrial fibrillation requiring anticoagulation, pulmonary hypertension, and ventricular dysfunction may challenge the interventionist. We report a 61-year-old patient with a large PDA complicated by left ventricular dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, and left atrial thrombus. Computed tomography documented the PDA of Krichenko type A with the narrowest diameter of 8 mm. We successfully closed the PDA using an Amplatzer duct occluder under anticoagulation with wafarin. His post-operative course was complicated by ventricular tachycardia and deteriorating left ventricular pump function. Although endomyocardial biopsy from the left ventricle showed myocardial hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis, possibly caused by chronic volume overload, left ventricular pump function improved dramatically with restoration of sinus rhythm during follow-up. Left ventricular dysfunction, even when associated with histological changes, may be nearly normalized by volume unloading in an adult with a large PDA. .