Mitral implantation of a (Melody) pulmonary valve. A report of the first pediatric case in Colombia / Implante de válvula pulmonar (Melody) en posición mitral. Reporte de primer caso pediátrico en Colombia

Abstract Congenital mitral valve disease is complex, entails a significant challenge from a clinical, hemodynamic, and surgical point of view, and has high rates of morbidity and mortality. Surgical valvuloplasty has a high failure and reoperation rate, especially in neonates and infants due to the presence of dysplastic valves and special anatomical characteristics. Mitral valve replacement presents limitations in this age group given the lack of available prostheses for rings smaller than 15 mm. Melody valve implantation in mitral position is a management alternative in these patients with important potential benefits in the short- and medium-term. We present the case of a 6-month-old girl with a congenital heart disease consisting in severe mitral valve stenosis, severe aortic coarctation and hypoplasia of the transverse aorta and the isthmus. She was taken to surgery at 4-months of age for a reconstruction of the aortic arch, mitral valvuloplasty, and creation of a calibrated 5 - mm interatrial communication. She developed early failure of the valvuloplasty with stenosis and severe residual mitral regurgitation, and progressed to severe acute heart failure. It was decided to implant a pulmonary Medtronic Melody 22 mm valve in the mitral position by a hybrid approach in collaboration with the pediatric hemodynamics group and cardiovascular surgery.

Resumen La enfermedad congénita de la válvula mitral es compleja, implica un reto importante desde el punto de vista clínico, hemodinámico y quirúrgico, y tiene altos índices de morbimortalidad. La valvuloplastia quirúrgica tiene una tasa alta de fracaso y reintervención, especialmente en los recién nacidos y lactantes, dada por la presencia de válvulas displásicas y sus características anatómicas especiales. El reemplazo de la válvula mitral tiene limitaciones en este grupo etario por la falta de prótesis disponibles para anillos con diámetros menores a 15 mm. La implantación de una válvula Melody en la posición mitral es una alternativa de manejo en estos pacientes con potenciales beneficios importantes al corto y mediano plazo. Presentamos el caso de una niña de seis meses de edad con cardiopatía congénita dada por estenosis mitral severa, coartación de aorta severa, e hipoplasia de la aorta transversa y el istmo. Fue llevada a cirugía a los cuatro meses de edad para una reconstrucción del arco aórtico, valvuloplastia mitral y la creación de una comunicación interauricular calibrada de 5 mm. Presentó falla temprana de la valvuloplastia con estenosis e insuficiencia mitral residual severa, y evolucionó a falla cardíaca severa. Se decidió realizar un implante de una válvula Medtronic Melody pulmonar de 22 mm en la posición mitral a través de un abordaje híbrido en colaboración con el grupo de hemodinamia pediátrica y cirugía cardiovascular.

Childhood malnutrition within the indigenous Wayuú children of northern Colombia.

Malnutrition contributes to nearly half of all preventable deaths in children under the age of five. While the burden of disease is heaviest in Sub-Saharan Africa, South, and Southeast Asia, malnutrition in Latin America remains high, especially within indigenous communities. This study evaluates the prevalence of malnutrition and its relationship with access to healthcare resources within 172 indigenous Wayuú communities in La Guajira, Colombia. Healthcare workers administered a health questionnaire and collected anthropometric measurements on all children 6 months to 5 years of age within the Wayuú households. These data were utilised to calculate the prevalence of acute malnutrition, stunting, and underweight. Of all surveyed Wayuú children, 22.9% and 18.3% met criteria for moderate and severe malnutrition, 33.4% and 28.1% met criteria for moderate and severe stunting, and 28.1% and 16.6% were moderately and severely underweight. Across all categories, malnourished children were older, less likely to have had a medical professional present at birth, less likely to have received medical care after birth, and more likely to have been born in a non-medical, community setting. The prevalence of malnutrition is much higher than national levels in Colombia. This population requires urgent assistance to address their disproportionately high rates of malnutrition.

Cumplimiento terapéutico en asma: ¿un problema de gran magnitud? / Therapeutic compliance in asthma: Is it a problem of great magnitude? / Cumprimento terapêutico em asma: um problema de grande magnitude?

Mundialmente, el asma es la enfermedad crónica de las vías respiratorias inferiores más común en la infancia, y como problema de salud pública afecta a personas de todas las edades. Su control implica no solo el reconocimiento y diagnóstico de la enfermedad, sino también el tratamiento correcto y el cumplimiento terapéutico. Este último es el entendimiento razonable por parte del paciente de la necesidad de tratamiento y de sus diferentes posibilidades, seguido de las acciones apropiadas; incluye también el grado de cooperación y acuerdo entre el médico y el paciente en cuanto al régimen terapéutico, caracterizado por la comprensión y adhesión del paciente a dicho régimen y por una adecuada comunicación médico- paciente. En países desarrollados el cumplimiento terapéutico de pacientes con asma puede ser tan bajo como del 50 %, y en países en vías de desarrollo puede ser aún menor. Los factores que influyen en el cumplimiento terapéutico dependen del paciente, del médico, de la relación entre ambos, del tratamiento prescrito, de las relaciones farmacéutico-paciente y médico-farmacéutico, de la estructura sanitaria y de la comunidad y la familia.

Worldwide, asthma is the most common chronic disease of the lower respiratory tract in children, and, as a public health problem, it may affect people of all ages. Its control involves not only the recognition and diagnosis of the disease, but also the specific treatment and compliance to it. The latter is defined as the reasonable understanding by the patient of the need for treatment and its different possibilities, followed by appropriate actions. It has also been defined as the degree of cooperation and agreement between the physician and the patient concerning the therapeutic regimen, characterized by the patient's understanding of and adherence to the scheme, including adequate medical patient communication. In developed countries adherence to treatment of asthma patients can be as low as 50 %, and in developing countries it may be even lower. Factors that influence therapeutic compliance in asthma depend on the patient, the physician, the relationship between them, the prescribed treatment, the patient-pharmacist, and the physician-pharmacist relationships, the structure of the health system, the community and the family.

Mundialmente, o asma é a doença crônica das vias respiratórias inferiores mais comum na infância, e como problema de saúde pública afeta a pessoas de todas as idades. Seu controle implica não só o reconhecimento e diagnóstico da doença, senão também o tratamento correto e o cumprimento terapêutico. Este último é o entendimento razoável por parte do paciente da necessidade de tratamento e de suas diferentes possibilidades, seguido das ações apropriadas; inclui também o grau de cooperação e acordo entre o médico e o paciente quanto ao regime terapêutico, caracterizado pelo entendimento e adesão do paciente a dito regime e por uma adequada comunicação médico-paciente. Em países desenvolvidos o cumprimento terapêutico de pacientes com asma pode ser tão sob como do 50 %, e em países em via de desenvolvimento pode ser ainda menor. Os fatores que influem no cumprimento terapêutico dependem do paciente, do médico, da relação entre ambos, do tratamento prescrito, da relação farmacêutico-paciente e médico-farmacêutico, da estrutura sanitária e da comunidade e a família.