Biomedical subjects

K Tokel

Publications and source records attributed to K Tokel.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Systemic inflammatory response related to cardiopulmonary bypass and its modification by methyl prednisolone: high dose versus low dose.

The objective of our study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of high-dose methyl prednisolone (MP) in modifying the systemic inflammatory response (SIR) to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and to compare its efficacy with low-dose MP in children undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. Thirty children with congenital heart disease undergoing CPB were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 (n = 15) received 30 mg/kg MP by an intravenous infusion for 30 minutes and group 2 (n = 15) received 2 mg/kg intravenously, before the onset of CPB. Postoperative clinical parameters were recorded, and serum interleukin (IL)-6 and 8 levels, acute phase reactants, and blood biochemistry were determined serially for both groups. In both groups plasma IL-6 and 8 levels were elevated above the preoperative levels at 2 and 24 hours after declamping. The peak levels were obtained at 2-hour samples. The difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative IL-6 and 8 levels was not statistically significant. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts, postoperative core temperature, duration of mechanical ventilation, period of stay in intensive care unit, oxygenation indices, and biochemical parameters of patients did not significantly differ in the two groups. Only 1 patient in group 1 had elevated liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine in the postoperative period. No significant complications were observed due to treatment with high-dose MP. Although postoperative IL and CRP levels indicated a SIR in our patients, the clinical picture was apparently affected in only 1 patient and she was in the high-dose MP group. CPB initiates a SIR that is associated with an increase in neutrophil count, CRP, and IL-6 and 8 levels. High-dose (30 mg/kg) MP was not superior to low-dose (2 mg/kg) in blunting the SIR to CPB in pediatric patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Unusual and early hyperglycemia following amiodarone infusion in two infants.

Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic agent that is widely used for tachyarrhythmias, especially ventricular tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia. It has some mild short-term (e.g., skin rashes, gastrointestinal symptoms, and corneal microdeposits) and long-term side effects (thyroid dysfunction, visual disturbances, pulmonary infiltrates, ataxia, and hepatitis). We present two infants who had hyperglycemia following amiodarone infusion during the early postoperative period.

Amiodarone↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transtelephonic ECG versus electrophysiologic study in children with recurrent palpitation attacks.

Palpitation may be a terrifying event for children and pose diagnostic problems for pediatric cardiologists. Routine methods often fail to document episodic arrhythmia because the episodes may be brief or infrequent or both. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare values of non-invasive and invasive techniques. Twenty-three children (mean age 11.7 +/- 2 years, range 7-16 years) with recurrent palpitation attacks (> 2 times), who had normal physical examinations, ECG, echocardiography, 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring and treadmill exercise tests, were included in the study. Redline Model CG 4000 TTE recorders were given to patients for 10 or 20 days. We performed an intracardiac electrophysiologic study (EPS) on 14 patients. The mean number of palpitation attacks was 11.3 +/- 7.4 (median: 5), lasting 9.6 +/- 7 (median 3) minutes. The number of transmitting records was 2 +/- 1.4 (1-20). Of the 23 patients, only 15 (65%) transmitted during the palpitation attacks. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring findings were normal in all patients. One patient had a wide QRS tachycardia attack in the TTE records. We stimulated ventricular tachycardia in the same patient in the EPS. Among the other patients who transmitted TTE records during palpitation attacks, we diagnosed two cases of concealed accessory pathway and eight cases of dual AV nodal pathway in the EPS. In conclusion, TTE is a sensitive and accurate method for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with cardiac arrhythmia. It can be used before invasive studies in children with recurrent palpitation attacks.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Occurrence of an aortic arch anomaly in two siblings born to a diabetic mother.

A patient with interruption of aortic arch type A, born to a diabetic mother, is described. The patient, a male infant, was the fourth child of a 29-year-old mother, and had a sibling with coarctation of the aorta. The mother had been treated for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for the previous 10 years. The infant died on the 3rd day of life after symptoms of cardiogenic shock. To our knowledge, interruption of aortic arch type A has not been previously described in infants of diabetic mothers. The relevance of the case is discussed and the literature reviewed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The role of pulmonary artery anatomy in repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Pulmonary artery anatomy is the key factor that determines the type of surgical treatment required in tetralogy of Fallot. Despite the fact that routine primary repair is now done on infants, inadequate pulmonary artery size can dictate the need for staged surgical repair in even the oldest age groups. From October 1986 to October 1998, 361 patients at our clinic underwent surgery to correct tetralogy of Fallot. A total of 292 cases were treated with primary repair, 69 surgeries were palliative, and 30 of these 69 underwent corrective surgery. The Nakata index was used as a pulmonary artery index (PAI), and PAI< 200 was the criterion for requirement of two-stage repair. Of the 30 patients that underwent staged repair, the Blalock-Taussig shunt (BTS) procedure was used in 24; the remaining six patients had right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction (RVOTR). The mean age of all the palliative surgery patients was 3.4 years (range 6 months to 11 years), and of those who received corrective surgery was 5.5 years (range 2-12 years). These patients' PAI values were 181 +/- 37.5 mm2/m2 and 359 +/- 130.7 mm2/m2, respectively. The period between the two operations ranged from two months to four years. Mortality rates were 2.8 percent for palliative surgery as a whole, 4.1 percent for primary repair, and 16.6 percent for staged repair. Our policy with regard to corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot is to do primary repair regardless of a patient's age and weight, except in cases where the pulmonary artery anatomy is appropriate for the patient's body size.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

"Acquired" subvalvular aortic stenosis after repair of several congenital cardiac defects.

Discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis is a progressive lesion. In this report we presented nine patients who had no significant left ventricular-aortic obstruction at initial cardiac catheterization or echocardiographic examination, but later developed significant subvalvular aortic stenosis. Associated lesions included ventricular septal defect in three, patent ductus arteriosus in two, aorticopulmonary window in one, tetralogy of Fallot in one, supramitral membrane in one, and ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus in one case. Nine patients were diagnosed with subvalvular aortic stenosis 18 months to eight years after surgical correction. Eight of the patients required surgery for subvalvular obstruction. In conclusion, discrete subaortic stenosis is a rare, late complication of the surgical repair of several congenital heart defects. It is a progressive lesion after surgery; therefore these patients require careful follow-up.

Aortic Stenosis, Subvalvular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Incidence and severity of arrhythmias and conduction disturbance after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias and conduction disturbances were evaluated by routine electrocardiography and 24-hour ambulatory monitoring in 31 patients who underwent correction of tetralogy of Fallot. The interval from operation to the study was 1 month to 14 years (mean 4.8 +/- 2.8). Complete right bundle branch block occurred in 22 (71%) patients and incomplete right bundle branch block in 9 (29%) patients. Bifascicular block with right bundle branch block and left axis deviation (LAD) occurred in one patient. Two patients had second degree type II atrioventricular block. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was performed in all patients and they were divided in two groups according to the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias (Lown classification). Group 1 included the 23 patients who had no arrhythmia or rare ventricular arrhythmias (Lown grade 0-1). Group 2 was comprised of eight patients (26%) with significant ventricular arrhythmias (Lown grade 2-5). Twelve patients (39%) had supraventricular arrhythmias, three patients rare supraventricular tachycardia attacks, and seven patients occasional supraventricular ectopies. One patient had bradycardia-tachycardia attacks and one patient had junctional tachycardia. There was no correlation between age at the time of surgery and ventricular arrhythmias. Of the patients who had ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias of various degrees on ambulatory monitoring, two had significant arrhythmias on routine electrocardiogram. Symptoms were rare in these patients. In conclusion, both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias were found in considerable frequency in our patients. As ventricular arrhythmias may be the cause of sudden death and supraventricular arrhythmias are a main cause of morbidity, it is important to evaluate ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias by ambulatory monitoring in patients who have undergone correction of tetralogy of Fallot.

Adolescent↗