Objective The aim of this report was to study the early and mid-term outcome in hospital and follow-up mortality, predictors for late pulmonary stenosis (PAS) and insufficiency of neo-aortic valve (neo-AVI) in patients with transposition of great arteries (TGA) and Taussig-Bing malformation undergoing arterial switch operation ( ASO ). Methods Between January 2004 and December 2007, 169 patients (129 male, 40 female; mean age of [(11.71 ± 26.3 ) months] with TGA or Taussig-Bing malformation underwent ASO. The patients were divided into Group Ⅰ (n = 56 ): TGA with intact ventricular septum and Group Ⅱ ( n = 113 ): TGA with ventricular septal defect (VSD). All patients were followed up in out-patient department by ultrasonic cardiogram. The mean follow-up periods was (27.66 ± 14.6 ) months. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to find out the risk factors. Results The overall hospital mortality was 11.24% (19/169)and there was no significant difference between the two Groups. With the improving of perioperative management, the hospital mortality decreased from 16.67% in 2004 to 3.92% in 2007. The overall actuarial survival at 1-, 3- and 5-year follow-up was 94.00%,91.33%, and 91.33%, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that age above 6 months was a strong predictor for poor postoperative survival. Predictors for neo-AVI were: combined with VSD, age > 6 months and postoperative neo-AVI Z-score > 1. Predictors for moderate to severe PAS were age ＜ 1 months and pulmonary artery plasty with an unstretchable patch. Conclusion ASO remains the optimal choice for treating various forms of TGA with an acceptable early and mid-term outcome regarding overall survival rate. Patients with TGA should be treated as early as possible. Age >6 months is a predictor for poor postoperative survival and neo-AVI. Mismatch between the neo-aortic root and distal aorta may induce neo-AVI. Unstretchable patch in pulmonary artery plasty may induce PAS.

Objective To evaluate the application of echocardiography in guiding percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in children and to summarize the key echocardiographic planes used in the procedure Methods From February 2013 to September 201 5 38 isolated congenital pulmonary valve stenosis patients were recruited Case inclusion criteria age ≥3 years old purely congenital pulmonary valve stenosis and pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient ≥40 mmHg Echocardiography was used to assess the severity of pulmonary valve disease and to measure pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient before procedure Intraoperative transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography was used to monitor the whole process of percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty and to evaluate immediate postoperative efficacy of the procedure All patients were followed up by echocardiography after a month post-discharge Results Thrity eight cases were successfully treated by echocardiography-guided percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty The average age of children was 7 1 ±2 5 years mean body weight was 25 3 ±7 1 kg Before the procedure pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient was 65 9 ± 8 9 mmHg pulmonary annular diameter was 14 6±1 1 mm Immediate postoperative pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient was 1 5 5 ± 3 4 mmHg All children survived and had no significant complications After a month pulmonary transvalvular pressure was 16 1 ± 3 3 mmHg Conclusions Echocardiography plays an important role in percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty for children with congenital pulmonary valve stenosis As a non-x ray guided way it has advantages in preoperative screening of patients intraoperative real-time monitoring and postoperative assessment of efficacy The key sections of echocardiography for intraoperative monitoring are four-chamber and aortic short axis view.

Abstract: Objective　To investigate the antimicrobial activity of omadacycline (OMC) against clinical Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) isolates, as well as its relationship with biofilm formation, resistance genes and virulence genes. Methods　A total of 136 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital between 2015 to 2020. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of OMC against Streptococcus agalactiae was determined by broth microdilution. Crystal violet staining was used to detect the biofilm formation ability of GBS. Resistance genes (tetM, tetO, tetK, ermB, OptrA) and virulence genes (cpsⅢ, bca, fbsA, cpsA, scpB) were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results　Among the 136 clinical isolates of GBS, 20 strains (14.7%) were resistant to OMC, 64 (47.1%) were intermediate, and 52 (38.2%) were sensitive. Fifty-seven strains (41.9%) were biofilm-positive, 20 of which (35.1%) were sensitive to OMC. Seventy-nine strains (58.1%) were biofilm-negative, 32 of which (40.5%) were susceptible to OMC. There was a statistically significant difference in the sensitivity rates between the two groups of strains (χ2=63.062, P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in the sensitivity of OMC among the biofilm-positive strains (Fisher's exact test, P=0.824). The resistance rates of tetM, tetO, ermB and OptrA positive strains were higher than those of negative strains, while tetK was opposite. The presence of tetM (Z=0.815, P=0.415), tetO (Z=0.151, P=0.88), tetK (Z=0.567, P=0.571), ermB (Z=1.198, P=0.231) resistance genes in Streptococcus agalactiae had no significant impact on the sensitivity of OMC. However, the presence of the OptrA resistance gene showed a statistically significant effect on the sensitivity of OMC (Z=2.913, P=0.004). The virulence factors cpsⅢ, bca, fbsA, cpsA and scpB were all detected at a rate higher than 50%. The presence of the virulence genes cpsⅢ (Z=0.222, P=0.824), bca (Z=0.141, P=0.888), fbsA (Z=0.813, P=0.416), and cpsA (Z=1.615, P=0.106) in Streptococcus agalactiae had no significant impact on the sensitivity of OMC. However, there was a significant inter-group difference in the scpB virulence gene (Z=2.844, P=0.004), but the rank mean values and resistance rates of scpB-positive strains were lower than those of the negative strains. Conclusions　The formation of biofilm in Streptococcus agalactiae reduces its sensitivity to OMC, but there was no significant difference in the sensitivity to OMC among the biofilm-positive strains. The presence of resistance genes tetM, tetO, tetK, ermB, and virulence genes cpsⅢ, bca, fbsA, cpsA, scpB in Streptococcus agalactiae is not associated with OMC resistance, but the presence of the resistance gene OptrA is correlated with OMC resistance..

Objective: To assess the application value of CT scanning in percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI). Methods: A total of 19 patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation planed to receive PPVI in our hospital from 2014-05 to 2016-07 were studied. CT scan and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were conducted to collect the data of pulmonary root anatomy and to compare the difference of pulmonary annulus size measured by CT and TTE. The accuracy of pre-operative measurement was evaluated by the follow-up study at (1-26) months after the operation. Results: In all 19 patients, the mean anatomic measurements by CT were as follows: diameter of pulmonary annulus (24.3±3.5) mm, diameter of pulmonary sinotubular junction (25.4±4.0) mm, diameter at distal of main pulmonary artery (27.5±4.8) mm, diameter of right ventricular outflow tract (36.8±7.3) mm, length of main pulmonary artery (45.5±7.0) mm, diameter of left pulmonary artery (17.9±1.5) mm and diameter of right pulmonary artery (18.5±3.6) mm. The diameter of pulmonary annulus measured by CT was larger than TTE, P<0.05. During (1-26) months follow-up period, no patients suffered from stent fracture or translocation, peri-pulmonary valve regurgitation, obvious pulmonary regurgitation or coronary stenosis; 1 patient had increased flow rate at right pulmonary artery opening by stent blocking and 2 patients had residue mild stenosis of pulmonary valve. Conclusion: Pulmonary annulus size measured by CT and TTE was different; CT may precisely assess the morphology of pulmonary root with adjacent area which is important for pre-operative evaluation in PPVI patients.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous induced thrombosis closure on small patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) solely under echocardiography guidance.Methods From June 2013 to September 2016,276 PDA patients were treated by femoral artery retrograde approach under echocardiography guidance.Twenty-five patients (14 boys,11 girls) among them with small PDA received percutaneous induced thrombosis closure because the delivery sheath could not pass PDA,with mean age (3.7 ± 1.6) years,mean body weight (16.6 ±5.4) kg and the mean diameter of the most narrow PDA was (1.3 ± 0.4) mm.All patients were assessed by transthoracic echocardiography,chest radiography and electrocardiography preoperatively.The intraoperative and postoperative effects were evaluated by echocardiography.Outpatient assessment was performed at 1,3,6 and 12 months after operation with electrocardiography and echocardiography,and yearly thereafter.Results Twenty-five patients were successfully treated with percutaneous induced thrombosis closure solely under echocardiography guidance.The mean operation time was (35.2 ± 6.1) minutes.The immediate residual shunt rates and 24 hours after operation were 28.0％ (7/25 cases) and 16.0％ (4/25 cases),respectively.All patients recovered and were discharged from hospital.The average hospitalization stay was (3.0 ± 0.6) days.The mean follow-up was (16.8 ± 12.3) months,residual shunt was observed in 2 patients (8.0％),and it decreased from 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm preoperatively to 0.8 mm and 1.0 mm postoperatively,respectively.All patients survived without peripheral vascular injury,cardiac perforation,PDA rupture or thrombembolia.Conclusions Percutaneous induced thrombosis closure of small PDA solely under echocardiography guidance is safe and effective.It can avoid occluder implantation and radiation injury.However,the residual shunt after operation needs following up closely.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the results and mid-term outcomes of 107 patients with corrected congenital transposition of great arteries(CCTGA)who underwent surgical treatment.Methods:A total of 107 CCTGA patients with surgical treatment from January 1996 to October 2005 in our hospital were studied.There were 72 male and 35 female,with the mean age of 11.5±8.4years and mean body weight of 31.6±4.7kg. Among the cohort,81 were levocardia,23 dextrocardia,and 3 medocardia.Initial surgical procedure included single ventricle repair in 14 cases,conventional biventricular repair in 75 and biventricular anatomical repair in 18 cases. 99(93%)patients were followed up with the mean time of 47.8 months.Results:The early operative mortality rate was 4.76% in different procedures.The death rate with single ventricle repair was 0%,conventional biventricular repair 4%,atrial-arterial double switch 0%,atrial-ventricular double switch 40%. The risk factors for operative mortality were lesions with double outlet left ventricle combined with pulmonary stenosis(P<0.01)and Rastelli procedure(P<0.05). 12 patients(12.6%)died during the follow up period,among them,10(83.3%)were in conventional repair group,2(16.7%)in single ventricle repair group,and no death in double switch group. The risk of death during the follow up period of time were conventional biventricular repair,Rastelli procedure and tricuspid regurgitation.Conclusion:Conventional biventricular repair had a disappointing outcome in both operation and in long-term of follow up time. Patients suitable for single ventricular repair had fair short-and mid-term outcomes. Atrial-arterial double switch procedure had good operation and long-term results.

Objective Explore the reversibility and potential molecular mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension in pa-tients with complete transposition of the great arteries (cTGA) combined with ventricular septal defect (VSD) in comparison with those with simple VSD. Methods Twenty-four patients with pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary arterial pressure was greater than 30 mmHg) were enrolled in our study, in which 10 patients suffered from cTGA with VSD, and the rest 14 pa-tients suffered from simple VSD. Lung specimens were taken from the right middle lobe of lung before cardiopulmonary bypass. The extent of pulmonary hypertension was then graded according to the Heath-Edwards classification. ELISA was used to exam-ine the expression of eNOS, iNOS, ET-1, ET-AR, ET-BR, MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP in all the specimens. Results No statistically significant differences in age, height, weight, the size of VSD, and the pulmonary artery pressure before operation were found between the groups. The level of hemoglobin, aortic and pulmonary arterial oxygen saturation, and the reduction value of pulmonary arterial pressure after surgery were significantly higher in the cTGA patients than that in the simple VSD pa-tients (P < 0.05). All patients had grade 0 - Ⅱ Heath-Edwards changes in their lung biopsy samples. The expression of eNOS and MMP-2 was significantly lower in the TGA group than that in the simple VSD group [eNOS: (280.13 ± 101.92) ng/mg vs. (488.41±249.6) ng/mg, P<0.05; MMP-2:(31.68±15.36)ng/mg vs. (69.28±49.12)ng/mg, P<0.05]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the expression of iNOS, ET-1, ET-AR, ET-BR,MMP-9 or TIMP. Conclusion The imbalance of the NOS/ET system and the MMP/TIMP system involves in the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with TGA combined with VCD. In patients with cTGA, the high oxygenation state in pul-monary circulation may decrease the expression of MMP2 and eNOS, and may affect the progress of pulmonary hypertension to a certain extent.

Objective The postoperative outcomes of transposition of the great arteries with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) are still controversial. Based on relative large data, we evaluated the relationship between preoperative pulmonary hypertension and postoperative early and midterm clinical outcomes. Methods In this retrospective study, a cohort of consecutive patients with TGA was studied. One hundred and one patients underwent artery switch operation between February 2004 and October 2007. Preoperative medical records were reviewed. The mean follow-up period was 22.6 months. All artery switch operations were performed through a median sternotomy utilizing extracorporeal circulation. Deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest were used in 6 patients. After sternotomy, pulmonary arterial pressure was measured directly. According preoperative mean pulmonary pressure ( mPAP), patients were divided into three groups: normal group ( mPAP ＜25mmHg, n =43), moderate PH group ( mPAP between 25 to 50mmHg, n = 47) and severe PH group ( mPAP ≥50mmHg, n = 11 ). The methods of coronary anastomosis were "open trap door" ( 39 cases), "bay window" (61 cases) and "pulmonary artery tunnel" ( 1 case)techniques. Besides repairing of atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect, ligation of patent ductus arteriosus, concomitsnt operations also involved mitral valvuloplasty (5 patients), tricuspid valvuloplasty (2 patients), pulmonary valvuloplasty (5 patients), pulmonary artery transplantation ( 1 patient ), subvalvular membrane resection ( 2 patients), widening of the right ventricular outflow tract ( 1 patient ) and collateral circulation occlusion ( 1 patient). The early and late postoperative results were compared among different groups. Results After operation, mPAP in severe PH group decreased from (61.2 ± 8.6 ) mmHg to ( 34.6 ± 13.6 ) mmHg( P ＜ 0.01 ). In moderate PH group it decreased from ( 34.5 ± 6.7 ) mmHg to ( 21.3 ± 5.6) mmHg( P ＜ 0.0l ). mPAP was not significantly changed in the control group. Operative mortality was 7.9% ( 8 patients ).The causes of early death were low output syndrome in 3 patients, septicemia in 4, central nervous system complications in 1.There was no difference in the postoperative complication rates among three groups. Also, no significant differences were found between groups regarding the early operative mortality (control group: 7.0%, moderate PH group: 8.5%, severe PH group:9.1%, P = 0.953 ). Combined abnormity contributed to postoperative death. Patients with ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus had a higher mortality rate. During follow-up 8 patients died: 5 in control group ( 11.6% ), 5 in moderate PH group ( 10.6% ) and 6 in severe PH group (54.5% ), P ＜ 0.01. Causes of midterm death were sudden death in 10, progressive heart failure in 4, pneumonia in 2. The rates of midterm mortality of the three groups were significantly different ( 11.6%,10.6% and 54.5% for control, moderate PH and severe PH group, respectively, P = 0.001 ). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for patients with different age groups showed that survival rate in group with age older than 1 year was lower ( P = 0.029 ).Conclusion In TGA/PH patients, mPAP lower than 50 mmHg is suitable for artery switch operation and can get satisfying postoperative outcomes. If mPAP higher than 50 mmHg, even though the operation may decrease the pulmonary pressure, radical artery switch operation should not be recommended because of higher late mortality.

Objective: Traditional percutaneous ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure had disadvantages of radiation and contrast media reaction in relevant patients. We want to investigate the efifcacy and safety of percutaneous VSD closure under solely guidance of echocardiography.
Methods: A total of 28 VSD patients treated by percutaneous VSD closure under solely guidance of trans-thoracic echocardiography in our hospital from 2014-02 to 2014-10 were summarized. The patients mean age was (9.5 ± 3.1) years with the body weight at (31.3 ± 7.7) kg. The average diameter of VSD was (4.6 ± 0.9) mm, and the clinical follow-up study was conducted by echocardiography at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure.
Results: There were 26 patients with successful treatment by percutaneous VSD closure under solely guidance of echocardiography. 1 patient was converted to perventricular closure with trans-esophageal echocardiography guidance because the catheter could not pass through the defect; another patient was converted to surgical repair because of the residual shunt > 2 mm. The average procedural time was (63.3 ± 11.7) min and the mean diameter of symmetrical occluder was (6.6 ± 1.0) mm. There were 2 patients with immediate post-operative residual shunt, and the average in-hospital time was (3.7 ± 1.3) days. All patients discharged without the complications as peripheral vascular injury or cardiac perforation. The average follow-up time was (6.2 ± 3.4) months. The residual shunt disappeared in 2 patients at 1 month follow-up time point. No patients suffered from pericardial effusion, occluder malposition, atrio-ventricular block and aortic valve regurgitation.
Conclusion: Echocardiography guided percutaneous VSD closure is safe and effective, it may avoid the radiation and contrast media reaction in relevant patients.

Objective: To evaluate the changes of left and right ventricular function in patients after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI). Methods: A total of 8 patients with successful PPVI in our hospital from 2014-05-27 to 2015-03-25 were studied. The patients received pre-operative evaluation including clinical symptoms, plasma BNP levels, ECG, chest X-ray, echocardiography, CT and MRI examinations. Post-operative follow-up study was conducted at 6 months after PPVI to compare the ventricular functional changes. Results: The average age in 8 patients was 14-42 (25.4±8.1) years including 7 with tetralogy of Fallot correction and 1 with pulmonary stenosis plasty for 24 years. Echocardiography found that 3 patients with mid to large pulmonary regurgitation and 5 with large regurgitation. Compared with pre-operation, at 6 months after PPIV, all patients had decreased right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD) as (44.0±4.8) mm vs (33.6±7.1) mm, right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI) (150.1±25.7) ml/m2 vs (111.4±39.1) ml/m2, RVESVI (107.8±21.5) ml/m2 vs (80.7±22.2) ml/m2 and right ventricular cardiac output (RV-CO) (6.8±1.3) L/min vs (4.9±0.8) L/min, but right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was similar (40.5±6.2) % vs (39.5±9.9) %, P>0.05; while
increased LVEDD (42.9±4.4) mm vs (46.1±3.0) mm, P<0.05, but LVEDVI (61.8±15.0) ml/m2 vs (72.4±17.6) ml/m2, LVESVI (47.8±12.4) ml/m2 vs (41.0±10.4) ml/m2, LVEF (50.9±5.5) % vs (52.8±6.7) % and LV-CO (3.7±1.0) L/min vs (4.2±1.0) L/min were similar, allP>0.05. Conclusion: PPVI may decrease right ventricular preload, improve its reverse remodeling and maintain systolic function at normal level in relevant patients; while the impacts on left ventricular function and geometry should be further studied.