Shipra Gupta¹, Ankit Sakhuja², Eric McGrath¹, Basim Asmar¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 196-201, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12425

Abstract Background: We studied the incidence, trend, underlying conditions, microbiology, and outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE) in children during 11 years using Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. This is the largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States containing data for more than 8 million hospital stays from over 1000 hospitals.
Methods: NIS data from 2000 to 2010 of primary discharge diagnosis of IE in children aged ≤19 years old were studied. Children with underlying congenital heart defects and acquired heart conditions were identified. Microbiological causative agents were recorded. Linear regression was used to assess trend of… More >

Marco Astengo^1,2*, Caroline Berntsson^3*, Åse A. Johnsson^3,4, Peter Eriksson^1,2, Mikael Dellborg^1,2

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 174-180, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12424

Abstract Objective: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a common condition. Adult patients with newly diagnosed CoA and patients with recurring or residual CoA require evaluation of the severity of aortic obstruction. Cardiac catheterization is considered the gold standard for the evaluation of hemodynamically significant CoA. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the management of grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCH) include noninvasive criteria for identifying significant CoA. Our aim was to investigate the ability of the Class I and Class IIa ESC recommendations to identify significant CoA at cardiac catheterization.
Design: Sixty-six adult patients with native… More >

Shyam Sathanandam¹, Pooja Kashyap¹, David Zurakowski², Lindsey Bird¹, Vera McGhee³, Jeffrey Towbin¹, Benjamin Rush Waller III¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 181-187, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12423

Abstract Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to compare thermodilution (TD) cardiac index (TDCi) measured by injecting cold saline (C-TDCi) to saline at room temperature (R-TDCi). The secondary aim was to assess the change in body temperature with cold saline injections in children.
Design: This is a prospective, case control study.
Setting: Cardiac catheterization lab at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
Patients: Eighty-six children ≤18 years of age that underwent cardiac catheterization between April 2013 and April 2015, excluding patients with admixing lesions, on inotropic support and with ejection fraction < 30%.
Interventions: A TD catheter in the… More >

Matthew J. Lewis¹, Elizabeth Hecht², Jonathan Ginns¹, Joshua Benton², Martin Prince², Marlon S. Rosenbaum¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 153-158, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12422

Abstract Background: The progression of hepatic disease in adult Fontan patients is not well understood. They reviewed the experience with serial cardiac MRIs (CMR) in adult Fontan patients to determine if hepatic anatomic markers of prolonged Fontan exposure were present and if clinical predictors of progressive hepatic congestion could be identified.
Methods and Results: A retrospective cohort study of all adult Fontan patients who had undergone at least two CMRs was performed. Hepatic dimensions, inferior vena cava (IVC) size, right hepatic vein (RHV) size and spleen diameter were determined from images acquired at the time of clinically guided… More >

Douglas S. Moodie

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 5-5, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12444

Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

F.-J. Santiago-Medina¹, A. Pizzi^1,2,*, S. Abdalla²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.5, pp. 435-447, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634166

Abstract An adhesive based on the reaction of a very fast reacting procyanidin-type condensed tannin, namely purified pine bark tannin, with a biosourced nontoxic and nonvolatile aldehyde derived from the pulp and paper industry, namely hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), was shown to almost satisfy the relevant standards for bonding wood particleboard. The conditions of pH used are determinant for the result. The oligomers obtained by the reaction and their distribution have been determined by matrix-assisted laser ionization desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Of the two reactive groups of hydroxymethylfurfural capable of reacting, the furanic aldehyde one and the More >

Giovanni Biglino^1,2, Claudio Capelli^2,3, Despina Koniordou³, Di Robertshaw², Lindsay-Kay Leaver², Silvia Schievano^2,3, Andrew M. Taylor^2,3, Jo Wray²

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 113-118, 2017

Abstract Background: Nurse education and training are key to providing congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with consistent high standards of care as well as enabling career progression. One approach for improving educational experience is the use of 3D patient-specific models.
Objectives: To gather pilot data to assess the feasibility of using 3D models of CHD during a training course for cardiac nurses; to evaluate the potential of 3D models in this context, from the nurses’ perspective; and to identify possible improvements to optimise their use for teaching.
Design: A cross-sectional survey.
Setting: A national training week for cardiac nurses.
Participants: One… More >

Diego A. Lara¹, Mary K. Ethen², Mark A. Canfield², Wendy N. Nembhard³, Shaine A. Morris¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 105-112, 2017

Abstract Background: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is strongly associated with Turner syndrome (TS); outcome data when these conditions coexist is sparse. We aimed to investigate long-term survival and causes of death in this population.
Methods: The Texas Birth Defects Registry was queried for all live born infants with HLHS during 1999–2007. We used Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses to compare survival among patients with HLHS with TS (HLHS/TS＋) to patients who had HLHS without genetic disorders or extracardiac birth defects (HLHS/TS–).
Results: Of the 542 patients with HLHS, 11 had TS (2.0%), 71 had other extracardiac birth defects… More >

Raya Safa, Ronald Thomas, Peter P. Karpawich

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 99-104, 2017

Abstract Background: The early ECG repolarization QRS pattern (ERp), with J-point elevation of 0.1 mV in two contiguous inferior and/or lateral leads, can be associated with ventricular arrhythmias among adults. The significance of an ERp in the young is unknown.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of ERp among young patients (pts), describe and correlate the characteristics with clinical presentations and any arrhythmias.
Methods: This was a 1 y retrospective review of ECGs obtained from patients referred specifically for documented arrhythmias, possible arrhythmia-related symptoms or sports clearance. ECGs were analyzed for ERp (J-point, ascending/horizontal… More >

Leda Klouda¹, Wayne J. Franklin¹, Anita Saraf^1,2, Dhaval R. Parekh¹, David D. Schwartz³

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 91-98, 2017

Abstract Objective: Congenital heart disease (CHD) can affect the developing central nervous system, resulting in neurocognitive and behavioral deficits. Preoperative neurological abnormalities as well as sequelae of the open heart operations required to correct structural abnormalities of the heart contribute to these deficits. There are few studies examining the neurocognitive functioning of adults with CHD. This study sought to investigate multiple domains of neurocognitive functioning in adult survivors of CHD who had childhood cardiac surgery with either moderate or severe disease complexity.
Design: A total of 48 adults (18–49 years of age) who had undergone cardiac surgery for… More >