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C Squitieri

Publications and source records attributed to C Squitieri.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Monitoring cardiac rhythm after the Mustard intervention for transposition of the great arteries].

Before Mustard's operation 27 children, from 2 days to 11 months old, with simple or complex transposition of the great vessels, underwent an electrocardiogram at rest. After operation, all the children underwent a standard electrocardiogram and 24 hours continuous Holter monitoring. Successive electrocardiograms at rest were recorded in all patients, and eleven children were successfully examined by dynamic electrocardiogram. The electrocardiogram at rest showed a sinusal rhythm in 66.7 of the patients; during the follow-up, in 33.3% non sinusal rhythm was recorded. The continuous 24 hours dynamic electrocardiogram, immediately after surgery, revealed 25.9% of the patients with non-sinusal rhythm. After 7 months, the Holter monitoring showed, in one case, a severe sinus node disfunction. Our data and those of the literature confirm the importance to follow these patients during a long period of time, because it was found that, even bedately, can develop serious arrhythmias.

Electrocardiography↗

Ventricular exclusion during Fontan operation: an evolving technique.

The modified Fontan operation, which consists of ventricular exclusion by obliteration of the right atrioventricular ostium, requires a technique that provides firm and permanent occlusion while preserving the atrioventricular node and bundle. Ten patients underwent such an operation. In 5 of them, closure of the right atrioventricular ostium was achieved by suturing a patch into the valve leaflets; in the other 5, the ventricle was excluded by a patch sutured into the right atrial wall above the annulus fibrosus. None of the patients who underwent this procedure experienced heart block postoperatively. However, three instances of late patch dehiscence occurred, each in the group of patients in whom the patch had been attached to the valve leaflets. We conclude that both patching techniques are safe as far as the atrioventricular node and bundle are concerned but that permanent occlusion is better obtained by implanting the patch into the atrial wall. Therefore, we prefer to use this technique.

Adolescent↗

Right and left isomerism: the cardiac surgeon's view.

We have treated by palliative or corrective surgery 12 patients with the complex cardiovascular anomalies associated with right isomerism (asplenia syndrome) or left isomerism (polysplenia syndrome). A systemic-pulmonary artery shunt was performed in 4 patients, with 2 early deaths. Anatomical intracardiac repair was successfully done in 2 patients, while an orthoterminal repair using a modified Fontan procedure was attempted in 5 patients, only 1 of whom survived. A 1-year-old girl with diffuse pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas associated with left isomerism was not considered a good candidate for operation after an exploratory sternotomy. The surgical options and technical problems related to the complex intracardiac morphology of these developmental syndromes are presented.

Adolescent↗

Dilated cardiomyopathy caused by acute myocarditis in pediatric patients: evolution of myocardial damage in a group of potential heart transplant candidates.

Dilated cardiomyopathy, frequently caused by acute myocarditis, is a common indication for heart transplantation in pediatric patients. The prognosis of children with acute myocarditis is not well known but is believed to be poor. We report the short-term follow-up in 20 pediatric patients (mean age 22 +/- 19 months) with acute myocarditis diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy. All patients were treated by immunosuppression (cyclosporine and steroids). Endomyocardial biopsy was repeated after 6 months in all patients and after 1 year in patients with persistent acute myocarditis. To evaluate left ventricular function, two-dimensional echocardiography was performed at the time of each endomyocardial biopsy, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and ejection fraction were calculated. After 6 months, endomyocardial biopsy showed persistence of acute myocarditis in 13 of 20 patients. After 1 year, endomyocardial biopsy performed in 11 of 13 patients with persistent acute myocarditis showed ongoing acute myocarditis in 10 of 11 patients. On admission to the hospital, 16 of 20 patients had left ventricular dilation (end-diastolic volume index 122 +/- 19 ml/m2; normal values 63 +/- 17 ml/m2) and 20 of 20 had decreased contractility (ejection fraction 34% +/- 11%; normal values 66.1% +/- 5.2%). After 6 months, in all patients the end-diastolic volume index decreased to 73 +/- 23 ml/m2 (p < 0.001), and the ejection fraction increased to 56% +/- 8% (p < 0.000001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗