Mentality and behavior of children with congenital heart diseases / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The present study was designed to investigate the influence of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) on the mentality and behavior in children, and to compare post operative mentality and behavior in children receiving interventional therapy and congenital heart surgery.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Mentality and behavior of 232 children suffering from CHD were examined with Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) edited by XU Tao-yuan in 1992 and 100 sex, age, education and achievement-matched children with pneumonia were enrolled as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mentality and behavior abnormal rates of the boys and girls suffering from CHD were significantly higher than those of controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The behavior abnormities of the boys presented as depression, social flinch, physical complains, assault and violate rules. Whereas the girls presented as depression, social flinch, physical complains and violate rules. The total cursory mark of postoperative check result of the interventional and surgical children, both in girls and in boys, were significantly lower than those of the preoperative children (P < 0.05). The total and assault cursory mark of postoperative check result of children treated with interventional therapy were significantly lower than those of children treated with the surgical operations (P < 0.05). The abnormal rates of mentality and behavior positively correlated with the disease course.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CHD is associated with increased abnormal mentality and behavior of the children. Early treatment, especially the interventional therapy can significantly improve the mentality and behavior of the children with CHD.</p>

Plasma levels of adrenomedullin in children with congenital heart disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was designed to investigate the pathophysiological role of adrenomedullin (ADM) in congenital heart disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-eight children with congenital heart disease confirmed by cardiac echocardiography and catheterization were studied. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of hemodynamic indices measured during cardiac catheterization: high pulmonary blood flow with (group 1) or without (group 2) pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 20 mmHg) and a cyanosis group (without high pulmonary blood flow) (group 3). Six children who recovered from Kawasaki disease were used as a Control group. Plasma ADM levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The plasma ADM levels from the femoral vein were significantly higher than those from femoral artery in patients with congenital heart disease. The patients from group 1 and group 3 had higher plasma ADM levels (1.9 +/- 1.8 pmol/L and 2.4 +/- 1.3 pmol/L, respectively) than the controls (1.0 +/- 1.4 pmol/L; P < 0.01). Plasma ADM levels were significantly negatively correlated with mean systemic arterial pressure, oxygen saturation in mixed vein and oxygen saturation in systemic artery (r=-0.401, -0.562, -0.600, respectively; P < 0.01) but positively correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (r=0.406; P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Plasma ADM levels are increased in congenital heart disease with high pulmonary blood flow and hypertension or with cyanosis. Plasma ADM levels are related to pulmonary arterial resistance and hypoxemia. Increased ADM levels may play roles in reducing the pulmonary arterial resistance and alleviating hypoxemia in these patients.</p>