Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of mortality in athletes during sport. A variety of mostly hereditary, structural or electrical cardiac disorders are associated with SCD in young ...athletes, the majority of which can be identified or suggested by abnormalities on a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Whether used for diagnostic or screening purposes, physicians responsible for the cardiovascular care of athletes should be knowledgeable and competent in ECG interpretation in athletes. However, in most countries a shortage of physician expertise limits wider application of the ECG in the care of the athlete. A critical need exists for physician education in modern ECG interpretation that distinguishes normal physiological adaptations in athletes from distinctly abnormal findings suggestive of underlying pathology. Since the original 2010 European Society of Cardiology recommendations for ECG interpretation in athletes, ECG standards have evolved quickly, advanced by a growing body of scientific data and investigations that both examine proposed criteria sets and establish new evidence to guide refinements. On 26-27 February 2015, an international group of experts in sports cardiology, inherited cardiac disease, and sports medicine convened in Seattle, Washington (USA), to update contemporary standards for ECG interpretation in athletes. The objective of the meeting was to define and revise ECG interpretation standards based on new and emerging research and to develop a clear guide to the proper evaluation of ECG abnormalities in athletes. This statement represents an international consensus for ECG interpretation in athletes and provides expert opinion-based recommendations linking specific ECG abnormalities and the secondary evaluation for conditions associated with SCD.
Objectives To assess the performance of 3 risk scores from Japan that were developed to predict, in children with Kawasaki disease, resistance to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. Study ...design We used data from a randomized trial of pulsed steroids for primary treatment of Kawasaki disease to assess operating characteristics of the 3 risk scores, and we examined whether steroid therapy lowers the risk of coronary artery abnormalities in patients prospectively classified as IVIG resistant. Results For comparability with published cohorts, we analyzed the data of 99 patients who were not treated with steroids (16% IVIG-retreated) and identified male sex, lower albumin level, and higher aspartate aminotransferase level as independent risk factors for IVIG resistance. The Kobayashi score was similar in IVIG-resistant and -responsive patients, yielding a sensitivity of 33% and specificity of 87%. There was no interaction of high-risk versus low-risk status by treatment received (steroid versus placebo) with any of the 3 risk score algorithms. Conclusion Risk-scoring systems from Japan have good specificity but low sensitivity for predicting IVIG resistance in a North American cohort. Primary steroid therapy did not improve coronary outcomes in patients prospectively classified as being at high-risk for IVIG resistance.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in athletes during sport. Whether obtained for screening or diagnostic purposes, an ECG increases the ability to detect underlying ...cardiovascular conditions that may increase the risk for SCD. In most countries, there is a shortage of physician expertise in the interpretation of an athlete's ECG. A critical need exists for physician education in modern ECG interpretation that distinguishes normal physiological adaptations in athletes from abnormal findings suggestive of pathology. On 13-14 February 2012, an international group of experts in sports cardiology and sports medicine convened in Seattle, Washington, to define contemporary standards for ECG interpretation in athletes. The objective of the meeting was to develop a comprehensive training resource to help physicians distinguish normal ECG alterations in athletes from abnormal ECG findings that require additional evaluation for conditions associated with SCD.
Congenital complete heart block (CCHB) is seen in 1:15,000-1:20,000 live births, with risk of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or dilated cardiomyopathy in 7%-23% of subjects.
The purpose of this ...study was to investigate serial changes in LV size and systolic function in paced CCHB subjects to examine the effect of time from pacemaker on echocardiographic parameters.
Single-center retrospective cohort analysis of paced CCHB subjects was performed. Echocardiographic data were collected before and after pacemaker placement. Linear mixed effect regression of left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) z-score, left ventricular shortening fraction (LVSF), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was performed, with slopes compared before and after pacemaker placement.
Of 114 CCHB subjects, 52 had echocardiographic data before and after pacemaker placement. Median age at CCHB diagnosis was 0.6 interquartile range 0.0-3.5 years; age at pacemaker placement 3.4 0.5-9.0 years; and pacing duration 10.8 5.2-13.7 years. Estimated LVEDD z-score was 1.4 at pacemaker placement and decreased -0.08 per year (95% confidence interval CI -0.12 to -0.04; P = .002) to 0.2 (95% CI -0.3 to +0.3) 15 years postplacement. Estimated LVSF decreased -1.1% per year (95% CI -1.7% to -0.6%; P <.001) from 6 months prepacemaker placement to 34% (95% CI 32%-37%) 4 years postplacement. There was no significant change in LVSF between 4 and 15 years postplacement. Estimated LVEF did not change significantly after pacemaker placement, with estimated LVEF 59% (95% CI 55%-62%) 15 years postplacement.
In 52 paced CCHB subjects, estimated LVEDD z-score decreased significantly after pacemaker placement, and estimated LVSF and LVEF remained within normal limits at 15 years postpacemaker placement.
This paper aims to update clinicians on "hot topics" in the management of patients with D-loop transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) in the current surgical era. The arterial switch operation ...(ASO) has replaced atrial switch procedures for D-TGA, and 90% of patients now reach adulthood. The Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology Council of the American College of Cardiology assembled a team of experts to summarize current knowledge on genetics, pre-natal diagnosis, surgical timing, balloon atrial septostomy, prostaglandin E1 therapy, intraoperative techniques, imaging, coronary obstruction, arrhythmias, sudden death, neoaortic regurgitation and dilation, neurodevelopmental (ND) issues, and lifelong care of D-TGA patients. In simple D-TGA: 1) familial recurrence risk is low; 2) children diagnosed pre-natally have improved cognitive skills compared with those diagnosed post-natally; 3) echocardiography helps to identify risk factors; 4) routine use of BAS and prostaglandin E1 may not be indicated in all cases; 5) early ASO improves outcomes and reduces costs with a low mortality; 6) single or intramural coronary arteries remain risk factors; 7) post-ASO arrhythmias and cardiac dysfunction should raise suspicion of coronary insufficiency; 8) coronary insufficiency and arrhythmias are rare but are associated with sudden death; 9) early- and late-onset ND abnormalities are common; 10) aortic regurgitation and aortic root dilation are well tolerated; and 11) the aging ASO patient may benefit from "exercise-prescription" rather than restriction. Significant strides have been made in understanding risk factors for cardiac, ND, and other important clinical outcomes after ASO.
Abstract Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of mortality in athletes during sport. A variety of mostly hereditary, structural, or electrical cardiac disorders are associated with SCD in ...young athletes, the majority of which can be identified or suggested by abnormalities on a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Whether used for diagnostic or screening purposes, physicians responsible for the cardiovascular care of athletes should be knowledgeable and competent in ECG interpretation in athletes. However, in most countries a shortage of physician expertise limits wider application of the ECG in the care of the athlete. A critical need exists for physician education in modern ECG interpretation that distinguishes normal physiological adaptations in athletes from distinctly abnormal findings suggestive of underlying pathology. Since the original 2010 European Society of Cardiology recommendations for ECG interpretation in athletes, ECG standards have evolved quickly over the last decade; pushed by a growing body of scientific data that both tests proposed criteria sets and establishes new evidence to guide refinements. On February 26-27, 2015, an international group of experts in sports cardiology, inherited cardiac disease, and sports medicine convened in Seattle, Washington, to update contemporary standards for ECG interpretation in athletes. The objective of the meeting was to define and revise ECG interpretation standards based on new and emerging research and to develop a clear guide to the proper evaluation of ECG abnormalities in athletes. This statement represents an international consensus for ECG interpretation in athletes and provides expert opinion-based recommendations linking specific ECG abnormalities and the secondary evaluation for conditions associated with SCD.
Treatment of acute Kawasaki disease with intravenous immune globulin and aspirin reduces the risk of coronary-artery abnormalities and systemic inflammation, but despite intravenous immune globulin ...therapy, coronary-artery abnormalities develop in some children. Studies have suggested that primary corticosteroid therapy might be beneficial and that adverse events are infrequent with short-term use.
We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether the addition of intravenous methylprednisolone to conventional primary therapy for Kawasaki disease reduces the risk of coronary-artery abnormalities. Patients with 10 or fewer days of fever were randomly assigned to receive intravenous methylprednisolone, 30 mg per kilogram of body weight (101 patients), or placebo (98 patients). All patients then received conventional therapy with intravenous immune globulin, 2 g per kilogram, as well as aspirin, 80 to 100 mg per kilogram per day until they were afebrile for 48 hours and 3 to 5 mg per kilogram per day thereafter.
At week 1 and week 5 after randomization, patients in the two study groups had similar coronary dimensions, expressed as z scores adjusted for body-surface area, absolute dimensions, and changes in dimensions. As compared with patients receiving placebo, patients receiving intravenous methylprednisolone had a somewhat shorter initial period of hospitalization (P=0.05) and, at week 1, a lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P=0.02) and a tendency toward a lower C-reactive protein level (P=0.07). However, the two groups had similar numbers of days spent in the hospital, numbers of days of fever, rates of retreatment with intravenous immune globulin, and numbers of adverse events.
Our data do not provide support for the addition of a single pulsed dose of intravenous methylprednisolone to conventional intravenous immune globulin therapy for the routine primary treatment of children with Kawasaki disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00132080 ClinicalTrials.gov.)
To assess the impact of participation in an educational presentation on electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation in children on pediatric practitioners' ability to accurately interpret ECGs.
Pediatric ...healthcare providers at a pediatric clinic with >65 000 visits/year were eligible to participate. A 1-hour ECG educational module that provided a systematic approach to ECG interpretation was presented to 8 providers who consented (6 pediatricians, 2 pediatric nurse practitioners). A test on 11 ECGs (normal, normal-variant, and abnormal ECGs) was given before and 2 weeks after the educational module. Outcomes included correct interpretation of each ECG as normal or abnormal and correct identification of specific ECG findings. Data analysis was descriptive and included χ2 and Student t test.
Mean score (SD) for correct interpretation of ECGs as normal or abnormal improved from 35% (48%) (95% CI 25.0-45.4) to 77% (42%) (95% CI 68.3-86.2) after the ECG educational module (P < .001). Mean (SD) pretest score for correct identification in the normal ECG category improved from 45% (50%) (95% CI 28.9-61.1) to 68% (47%) (95% CI 52.3-82.7) (P = .003). In the abnormal ECG category, correct identification improved from 31% (47%) (95% CI 17.6-44.9) to 83% (5%) (95% CI 72.4-94.3) after the module (P < .001).
Education of pediatric practitioners on ECG interpretation significantly improves their ability to distinguish normal from abnormal and to identify specific abnormalities. Limitations included small sample size and short-term follow-up.
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