A Novel Method of Fetal Cardioversion

The ideal treatment for fetal arrhythmias associated with hydrops is not known. This case report describes a novel approach to fetal cardioversion using oral maternal bolus dosing of flecainide

What makes for a compassionate patient-caregiver relationship

BACKGROUND: During Summer 2005, the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center asked hospitals to hold rounds to discuss the topic, What Makes for a Compassionate Patient-Caregiver Relationship? Review of questionnaires and transcripts of the rounds held at 54 hospitals in 21 states yielded three major categories: communication, common ground, and respect for individuality. COMMUNICATION: Suggestions to improve compassionate care often focused on style and content. Rounds attendees felt that compassionate care also depends on imparting medical facts in a clear and useful manner to patients--often difficult for complex medical issues. COMMON GROUND: Compassionate care depends on showing empathy for a patient\u27s illness experience no matter what his or her background. Rounds participants felt that caregivers could make a conscious choice to care deeply for patients. Sharing personal information with patients and admitting mistakes were key methods for identifying common ground. TREATING THE PATIENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL: Compassionate care requires striking an individualized balance between providing guidance and allowing autonomy to achieve shared consensus, especially with complex information. A PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE: Most interventions target students yet do not continually reinforce compassion. Advocates for compassionate care should instead treat lack of compassion not as an acute trauma but as a chronic condition requiring a lifetime of continuous support, regular guidance, repeated reinforcement, specific targeted outcomes, and more innovative care programs

Knowledge deficits regarding Chagas disease may place Mexico\u27s blood supply at risk

Prevention of transfusion-related Chagas disease in Mexico City depends on targeted questionnaire-based screening of donors by nurses at blood banks. To assess potential problems with this strategy, surveys were distributed to the nurses who screen donors in a random sampling of nine blood banks in Mexico City, to measure appropriate knowledge about Chagas disease. We found that 80% (95% CI 68-92%) of nurses answered at least one of the three donor risk factor questions incorrectly, which may fail to trigger confirmatory laboratory testing of potentially infected units. If this knowledge deficit is widespread, up to 680,000 units (95% CI 578,000-782,000 units) of donated blood could be potentially contaminated with Chagas disease in Mexico. In place of targeted screening, routine laboratory testing of all donated blood would be a cost-effective method to safeguard blood recipients from iatrogenic Chagas disease

Uncertainties in the Absence of Data: Use of Pravastatin in Young Children

Learning Objective: Understand that, when risks and benefits of prevention are not fully known, physicians must provide patient decision makers with existing information such as the Number Needed to Treat and the Number Needed to Harm and leave the decision to those whom the intervention will affect

Lack of Association Between Folate Receptor Autoantibodies and Conotruncal Congenital Heart Defects

Conotruncal cardiac defects are partially prevented by maternal folic acid supplementation. However, the biochemical mechanism is unknown. Maternal autoantibodies to folate receptors, previously associated with increased risk for neural tube defects, also may account for this effect. This study aimed to examine the titers of folate receptor-blocking autoantibodies in mothers of children with conotruncal congenital heart defects and to compare them with those in the general population. Serum samples were obtained from 22 women whose pregnancies were complicated by conotruncal congenital heart malformations. Groups of samples were analyzed for autoantibodies against [(3)H] folic acid-labeled folate receptors, quantitative amounts of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM autoantibodies to the folate receptor, and for ability to block-bind folic acid to receptors. No elevated levels of antibodies binding to [(3)H] folic acid-labeled folate receptors were found. No difference was found in antifolate receptor alpha-IgG or IgM median levels between cases (261 vs. 240 mug/mL) and control subjects (773 vs. 924 mug/mL). There was no increased blocking of folic acid binding between cases [0.69 ng/mL; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.006-0.01] and control subjects (0.69 ng/mL; 95 % CI, 0.003-0.013). Although epidemiologic evidence suggests that periconceptual folic acid may prevent many conotruncal congenital heart defects, the current study suggests that this effect is unlikely to be explained by the presence of maternal autoantibodies to folate receptor. These data suggest that a strategy of screening women for such autoantibodies will not identify a high-risk group of women to target for supplemental folic acid to prevent congenital heart defects

Determinants of exercise function following univentricular versus biventricular repair for pulmonary atresia/intact ventricular septum

This study aimed to determine whether the exercise capacity of patients with pulmonary atresia/intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) who have undergone biventricular repair is superior to that of patients with single ventricle repairs and to account for any differences. PA/IVS is generally treated with either biventricular (outflow tract reconstruction) or univentricular (Fontan) palliation. Although biventricular repair is believed to result in superior exercise function, this theory is untested. Symptom-limited programmed bicycle ergonometry with expiratory gas analysis was prospectively performed on all patients with PA/IVS \u3e7 years old seen over 18 months. Nineteen biventricular and 10 Fontan patients (mean age 16.5 +/- 6.5 vs 12.7 +/- 5.0 years, p = 0.12) were enrolled. The exercise capacity of biventricular patients was not statistically superior to that of Fontan patients (predicted peak VO2 83.5 +/- 21% vs 76.0 +/- 17.5%, p = 0.34), although chronotropic function and ventilatory efficiency were significantly better in the former. The peak exercise capacity varied widely within each group, and there was considerable overlap between biventricular and Fontan patients. Within groups, imaging studies did not reliably predict exercise capacity. Most patients in each group had subnormal peak VO2, and there was a trend toward impaired performance with increasing age regardless of type of repair. In conclusion, biventricular repair may not guarantee superior exercise performance over single-ventricle palliation in PA/IVS. Regardless of repair type, aerobic capacity may deteriorate with age and is not reliably predicted by noninvasive imaging. These findings underscore the need for a quantitative, proactive approach to the assessment and preservation of exercise function