BACKGROUND: Fallot (TOF) repair, and identify predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) morbidity. METHODS: We analyzed perioperative and midterm follow-up data for all cases of primary TOF repair from 2001 to 2012. The primary endpoint was early mortality and morbidity, and the secondary endpoint was survival and functional status at follow-up. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients underwent primary repair. The median age was 4.9 months (range, 1 to 9 months), and the median weight was 5.3 kg (range, 3.1 to 9.8 kg). There was no early surgical mortality. The incidence of junctional ectopic tachycardia and persistent complete heart block was 2% and 1%, respectively. The median length of ICU stay was 6 days (range, 2 to 21 days), and the median duration of mechanical ventilation was 19 hours (range, 0 to 136 hours). By multiple regression analysis, age and weight were independent predictors of the length of ICU stay, while the surgical era was an independent predictor of the duration of mechanical ventilation. At the 8-year follow-up, freedom from death and re-intervention was 97% and 90%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Primary TOF repair is a safe procedure with low mortality and morbidity in a medium-sized program with outcomes comparable to national standards. Age and weight at the time of surgery remain significant predictors of morbidity.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Freedom ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units* ; Mortality ; Respiration, Artificial ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Tetralogy of Fallot* ; Ventilation

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Humans ; Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry ; drug therapy ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Atrial ; drug therapy ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; drug therapy ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; drug therapy ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; drug therapy

50 days old, 4.5kg male patient was admitted at department of pediatrics due to congenital heart disease with congestive heart failure. The echocardiographic finding was perimembranous type ventricular septal defect. The patient underwent open heart surgery for patch closure of VSD. Immediately postoperatively, junctional ectopic tachycardia developed and the patient was in hemodynamically unstable state with decreased urine output. We used inotropics, digitalis and diuretics, however these treatments were not effective in recovering the unstable state. Therefore, we tried a mild hypothermic treatment (34degree C). During the POD #2, mild hypothermia method was repeated four times. The junctional ectopic tachycardia was converted to normal sinus rhythm, hemodynamic state was stable, and urine output was increased. The patient was discharged at POD #8.
Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Echocardiography ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Failure ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Postoperative Complications ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional* ; Thoracic Surgery

Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Prolonging of the corrected QT interval (QTc) has been reported after cardiac surgery in some studies. However, there have not been many studies on infant open cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair. This study was performed to define the changes in QTc and to find related post-surgery factors in this patient group. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From 2008 to 2012, 154 infants underwent VSD repair at the Severance Cardiovascular Hospital. This study includes 105 of these cases. QTc was measured in these patients retrospectively. Demographic data and peri-procedural data, such as Aristotle score, cross-clamp time and bypass time, were analyzed. The exclusion criteria included multiple and small VSDs that underwent direct closure. RESULTS: Mean post-operative QTc was increased compared to the pre-operative measurements (from 413.6+/-2.3 to 444.9+/-2.5, p<0.001). In multiple linear regression, the comprehensive Aristotle score was associated with increasing QTc (p=0.047). The incidence of transient arrhythmia, such as atrial tachycardia, junctional ectopic tachycardia, premature atrial contraction, or premature ventricular contraction, was associated with QTc prolongation (p=0.005). Prolonged QTc was also associated with cross-clamp time (p=0.008) and low weight (p=0.042). Total length of stay at the intensive care unit and intubation time after surgery were not associated with QTc prolongation. CONCLUSION: Prolonged QTc could be seen after VSD repair in infants. This phenomenon was associated with peri-procedural factors such as the Aristotle score and cross-clamp time. Patients with QTc prolongation after cardiac surgery had an increased tendency towards arrhythmogenicity in the post-operative period.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Premature Complexes ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Linear Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Thoracic Surgery ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

PURPOSE: Dilated cardiomyopathy in children is usually progressive and leads to death in several years. Chronic tachyarrhythmia has been shown to cause dilated cardiomyopathy in human and animals and this ventricular dysfuntion is usually reversible after control of the arrhythmia. The uncontrolled chronic tachycardia may be a curable cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in some patients. We describe six children who had persistent chronic tachycardia and ventricular dysfunction that improve significantly after control of the arrhythmia. METHODS: We retrosepctively reveiwed the medical records, electrocardiograms, Holter recordings, Echcardiographic reports of 6 children with the tachycardia induced ventricular dysfunction who have been managed at Sejong general hospital and Asan medical center from January 1992 to June 1995. RESULTS: 1) The causes of referral were dilated cardiomyopathy in 2 and tachyarrhythmia in 4. The age at diagnosis was 4 to 36 months old and follow-up period was 6 to 29 months. The symptoms of congestive heart failure were seen in 3 children. 2) The mechanisms of thachyarrhythmia causing cardiomyopathy were atrial ectopic tachycardia in 2, chaotic atrial rhythm in 3 and junctional ectopic tachycardia in 1. Atrial ectopic tachycardia has improved after combined treatment with amidarone and atenonl. One case of chaotic atrial rhythm has improved spontaneously and other 2 cases of chaotic arial rthythm have improved after treatment with digoxin or after combined therapy with amidarone and digoxin. Junctional ectopic tachycardia is partially controlled with mexiletine. 3) The shortening fractions of left ventricle at diagnosis were 14-21% and improved to over 30% in all after 2 to 9 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that control of persistent tachycardia resolved the left ventricular dysfunction. We suggest that patients with dilated cardiomyopathy be carefully screened for tachyarrhythmia as a curable cause of ventricular dysfunction and that left ventricular function be assessed in the asymptomatic patients with persistent tachycardia.
Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Digoxin ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mexiletine ; Referral and Consultation ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Atrial ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Ventricular Dysfunction ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: Dilated cardiomyopathy in children is usually progressive and leads to death in several years. Chronic tachyarrhythmia has been shown to cause dilated cardiomyopathy in human and animals and this ventricular dysfuntion is usually reversible after control of the arrhythmia. The uncontrolled chronic tachycardia may be a curable cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in some patients. We describe six children who had persistent chronic tachycardia and ventricular dysfunction that improve significantly after control of the arrhythmia. METHODS: We retrosepctively reveiwed the medical records, electrocardiograms, Holter recordings, Echcardiographic reports of 6 children with the tachycardia induced ventricular dysfunction who have been managed at Sejong general hospital and Asan medical center from January 1992 to June 1995. RESULTS: 1) The causes of referral were dilated cardiomyopathy in 2 and tachyarrhythmia in 4. The age at diagnosis was 4 to 36 months old and follow-up period was 6 to 29 months. The symptoms of congestive heart failure were seen in 3 children. 2) The mechanisms of thachyarrhythmia causing cardiomyopathy were atrial ectopic tachycardia in 2, chaotic atrial rhythm in 3 and junctional ectopic tachycardia in 1. Atrial ectopic tachycardia has improved after combined treatment with amidarone and atenonl. One case of chaotic atrial rhythm has improved spontaneously and other 2 cases of chaotic arial rthythm have improved after treatment with digoxin or after combined therapy with amidarone and digoxin. Junctional ectopic tachycardia is partially controlled with mexiletine. 3) The shortening fractions of left ventricle at diagnosis were 14-21% and improved to over 30% in all after 2 to 9 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that control of persistent tachycardia resolved the left ventricular dysfunction. We suggest that patients with dilated cardiomyopathy be carefully screened for tachyarrhythmia as a curable cause of ventricular dysfunction and that left ventricular function be assessed in the asymptomatic patients with persistent tachycardia.
Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Digoxin ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mexiletine ; Referral and Consultation ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Atrial ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Ventricular Dysfunction ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery in the pediatric population. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of early postoperative arrhythmias after surgery of congenital heart disease. METHODS: From January 2002 to December 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 561 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We analyzed patients' age and weight, occurrence and type of arrhythmia, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, aortic cross clamp (ACC) time, and postoperative electrolyte levels. RESULTS: Arrhythmias occurred in 42 of 578 (7.3%) cases of the pediatric cardiac surgery. The most common types of arrhythmia were junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR), which occurred in 17 and 13 cases, respectively. The arterial switch operation (ASO) of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) had the highest incidence of arrhythmia (36.4%). Most cases of cardiac arrhythmia showed good response to management. Patients with early postoperative arrhythmias had significantly lower body weight, younger age, and prolonged CPB and ACC times (P<0.05) than patients without arrhythmia. Although the mean duration of ventilator care and intensive care unit stay were significantly longer (P<0.05), the mortality rate was not significantly different among the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major complication after pediatric cardiac surgery; however, aggressive and immediate management can reduce mortality and morbidity.
Accelerated Idioventricular Rhythm ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arteries ; Body Weight ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Child ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Thoracic Surgery ; Ventilators, Mechanical

We describe a case of successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) in a small infant with cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) failure after an open heart surgery. A 35-day-old male infant weighing 4.4 kg who had congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension underwent patch closure of ventricular septal defect without any intraoperative event. Postoperative course was unremarkable in the intensive care uint for about 5 hours before the junctional ectopic tachycardia developed. Sudden cardiac decompensation with bradycardia occurred about 50 minutes after the development of junctional ectopic tachycardia. He was put on ECMO by arterial cannulation at the ascending aorta and by venous cannulation at the right atrial appendage after 4 hours' CPR. The hemodynamics were stable with enough urine output during ECMO. He was weaned from ECMO 38.5 hours after initiation. Delayed sternal closure was attempted. He was extubated on postoperative day 7 and discharged home on postoperative day 21 without any neurologic sequelae.
Aorta ; Atrial Appendage ; Bradycardia ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Catheterization ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Heart Failure ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Infant ; Critical Care ; Male ; Membranes ; Tachycardia, Ectopic Junctional ; Thoracic Surgery*