Supraventricular Tachycardia Associated With Repeat Cesarean Section Under Spinal Anesthesia

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common tachyarrhythmia of pregnancy. Catecholamine surges, the use of vasoactive agents during delivery, and increased cardiac output during pregnancy are the most common contributing factors to developing SVT. SVT is usually benign in presentation but can lead to more serious arrhythmias in patients with a history of mitral stenosis secondary to rheumatic heart disease. When an SVT is detected, organic heart causes should be ruled out first. Symptoms of SVT include shortness of breath, palpitations, syncope, sweating, chest pain, and dizziness. In patients who are refractory to pharmacologic management and hemodynamically unstable, electrical cardioversion has proven to be efficacious and safe in all trimesters. The initial treatment for hemodynamically stable patients is to attempt vagal maneuvers, such as carotid sinus massage or Valsalva maneuver. If the SVT does not convert to normal sinus rhythm, treatment with adenosine or beta-blockers may be initiated. Treatment with atenolol and verapamil should be avoided due to their teratogenic effects

Time to Switch to Second-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Europe and Thailand.

Background: Data on durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are limited. We assessed time to switch to second-line therapy in 16 European countries and Thailand. Methods: Children aged <18 years initiating combination ART (≥2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs] plus nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NNRTI] or boosted protease inhibitor [PI]) were included. Switch to second-line was defined as (i) change across drug class (PI to NNRTI or vice versa) or within PI class plus change of ≥1 NRTI; (ii) change from single to dual PI; or (iii) addition of a new drug class. Cumulative incidence of switch was calculated with death and loss to follow-up as competing risks. Results: Of 3668 children included, median age at ART initiation was 6.1 (interquartile range (IQR), 1.7-10.5) years. Initial regimens were 32% PI based, 34% nevirapine (NVP) based, and 33% efavirenz based. Median duration of follow-up was 5.4 (IQR, 2.9-8.3) years. Cumulative incidence of switch at 5 years was 21% (95% confidence interval, 20%-23%), with significant regional variations. Median time to switch was 30 (IQR, 16-58) months; two-thirds of switches were related to treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, older age, severe immunosuppression and higher viral load (VL) at ART start, and NVP-based initial regimens were associated with increased risk of switch. Conclusions: One in 5 children switched to a second-line regimen by 5 years of ART, with two-thirds failure related. Advanced HIV, older age, and NVP-based regimens were associated with increased risk of switch