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Background Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. However, large‐scale epidemiological studies about the effect of procedure type on the occurrence of PPS and mortality of patients with PPS have not yet been performed. Methods and Results We studied the association of PPS occurrence with operation type and postoperative mortality in a nationwide follow‐up analysis of 28 761 consecutive patients entering coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, or ascending aortic surgery. Only PPS episodes severe enough to result in hospital admission or to contribute as a cause of death were included. Data were collected from mandatory Finnish national registries between 2005 and 2014. Of all the patients included, 493 developed PPS during the study period. The occurrence of PPS was significantly higher after aortic valve replacement (hazard ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.58–2.46; P, See Editorial by https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.011118.

This is an in-depth review on the mechanism of action, clinical utility, and drug-drug interactions of colchicine in the management of pericardial disease. Recent evidence about therapeutic targets on pericarditis has demonstrated that NALP3 inflammasome blockade is the cornerstone in the clinical benefits of colchicine. Such benefits extend from acute and recurrent pericarditis to transient constriction and post-pericardiotomy syndrome. Despite the increased utilization of colchicine in cardiovascular medicine, safety concerns remains unsolved regarding the long-term use of colchicine in the cardiac patient. Moreover, recent evidence has demonstrated that numerous cardiovascular medications, ranging from antihypertensive medication to antiarrhythmics, are known to interact with the CYP3A4 and/or P-gp system increasing the toxicity potential of colchicine. The use of adjunctive colchicine in the management of inflammatory pericardial diseases is standard of care in current practice. It is advised that a careful medication reconciliation with emphasis on pharmacokinetic is completed before prescribing colchicine in order to avoid harmful interaction by finding an alternative regimen or adjusting colchicine dosing.

Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Previous epidemiological descriptions of the syndrome, however, are scarce.This retrospective analysis included all patients hospital admission due to PPS in patients aged 20-79 years. Data were collected from the Finnish national registry that included data on all cardiovascular hospital admissions (n = 51 7669) during 9.5 years in 29 Finnish hospitals nationwide.There were 760 hospital admissions due to PPS during the study period. The patients were more likely male than female (67.8% versus 32.2%) with an age-adjusted RR of 2.37 (95% CI 1.85-3.02) for men (p 0.0001). When evaluating the rate of PPS in relation to cardiac surgeries, female gender was associated with a higher incidence of PPS (RR 1.78; 95% CI 1.45-2.19; p 0.001). The rate of PPS in relation to the number of cardiac surgery was highest in youngest patients followed by a gradual decrease (RR 0.59; 95% CI 0.55-0.65; p 0.0001 per 10-year increment in age) with aging.Hospital admission due to PPS was most common in men in their sixties. When stratified by the total number of performed cardiac operations the incidence of PPS was higher among women and younger patients.

Colchicine is used extensively in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Recent data have demonstrated additional benefit in a variety of cardiovascular disorders, including acute and recurrent pericarditis, postpericardiotomy syndrome, atrial fibrillation, stable ischemic heart disease, and possibly chronic heart failure. This article serves as a focused and updated discussion on the cardiovascular effects of colchicine and emphasizes the importance of randomized, placebo-controlled trials to further our clinical and pharmacological understanding of these findings.

Objectives Postpericardiotomy syndrome is a well-known complication after cardiac surgery. Nevertheless, little is known about the incidence and predictors of postpericardiotomy syndrome requiring medical attention or hospitalization in a contemporary set of patients undergoing isolated coronary bypass. Methods This retrospective analysis included 688 patients from 2008 to 2010. The median follow-up time was 5.3 [4.5-6.0] years. Results The incidence of postpericardiotomy syndrome was 61 of 688 patients (8.9%), and the median time to diagnosis was 21 [11-52] days, but only 13 patients (22%) required pleural drainage and 3 patients (4.9%) required pericardiocentesis. Patients with postpericardiotomy syndrome more often had 1 or more red blood cell units transfused (61% vs 43%, P = .008) after surgery and less often had diabetes (12% vs 31% P = .002) or metformin medication (3.3% vs 20%, P = .001) compared with those without postpericardiotomy syndrome. In multivariable Cox regression model, renal insufficiency and 1 or more red blood cell units transfused remained as independent predictors of postpericardiotomy syndrome and diabetes remained as a protective factor. Incidence of recurrences was high (38%), and increasing body mass index was the only predictor of relapse. Conclusions The incidence of symptomatic postpericardiotomy syndrome leading to medical care contact was markedly lower compared with that reported in older clinical studies. Postpericardiotomy syndrome was associated with the use of red blood cell units and was less common in patients with medically treated diabetes.

Background Postpericardiotomy syndrome ( PPS ) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. However, large‐scale epidemiological studies about the effect of procedure type on the occurrence of PPS and mortality of patients with PPS have not yet been performed. Methods and Results We studied the association of PPS occurrence with operation type and postoperative mortality in a nationwide follow‐up analysis of 28 761 consecutive patients entering coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, or ascending aortic surgery. Only PPS episodes severe enough to result in hospital admission or to contribute as a cause of death were included. Data were collected from mandatory Finnish national registries between 2005 and 2014. Of all the patients included, 493 developed PPS during the study period. The occurrence of PPS was significantly higher after aortic valve replacement (hazard ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.58–2.46; P P P P P =0.014). Conclusions The occurrence of PPS was higher after aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, and aortic surgery when compared with the coronary artery bypass grafting procedure. Aging decreased the risk of PPS . The development of PPS was associated with higher mortality within the first year after cardiac or ascending aortic surgery.

Introduction: Post-pericardiotomy syndrome is a well-recognized inflammatory phenomenon that commonly occurs in patients following cardiac surgery. Due to the increased morbidity and resource utilization associated with this condition, research has recently focused on ways of preventing its prevention this condition; primarily using colchicine, NSAIDs and corticosteroids. Areas covered: This systematic review summarizes the three clinical studies that have used corticosteroids for PPS primary prevention in the perioperative period. Due to the heterogeneity amongst these three studies in terms of population (both pediatric and adult patients), surgical procedure, administration regimen and results (only 1/3 studies reporting a positive effect), the effectiveness of corticosteroids remains unproven. Expert commentary: Corticosteroids have shown to be useful in the treatment of PPS but have thus far have shown mixed results as a primary prevention method. Research on patients taking corticosteroids pre-operatively have shown a significant reduction in the risk of developing PPS. Further research is required to determine if corticosteroids are helpful in preventing PPS in patient undergoing cardiac surgery, before any recommendations regarding their use in cardiovascular surgery can be made.

The aim of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of colchicine in prevention of recurrence, symptom reduction, and complications in patients with pericarditis. Pericarditis is an important cause of chest pain leading to frequent emergency room visits and reduced quality of life. Pericarditis has traditionally been treated symptomatically with anti-inflammatory drugs, but growing evidence suggests the use of colchicine for both first episode and recurrent pericarditis in the prevention of recurrences and reducing symptoms. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central register of controlled trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched and the studies were selected using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. All randomized clinical trials with head-to-head comparison between colchicine and standard of care were included. A total of five studies were included in the primary analysis of pericarditis and three in the analysis for prevention of post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS). Colchicine reduced the incidence rate of recurrent pericarditis in patients with both the first episode and recurrent pericarditis, compared with placebo [16.7 vs. 36.8%; risk ratio (RR) 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.58; P < 0.00001; I(2) = 0%], with a significant increase in adverse effects (12.5 vs. 8.5%, RR 1.45; 95% CI 1.09-1.95; P = 0.01; I(2) = 0%) and drug withdrawal rate (10.8 vs. 8.5%; RR 1.44; 95% CI 1.01-2.05; P = 0.04; I(2) = 14%). In addition, colchicine decreased symptom duration in patients with recurrent pericarditis (63.1 vs. 78.6%; RR 0.58; 95% CI 0.39-0.87; P = 0.02; I(2) = 65%), but had no significant effect on symptom duration in patients with an initial episode of pericarditis (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.65-1.28; P = 0.57; I(2) = 0%). Colchicine was superior to placebo in the prevention of PPS at 1 year (13.2 vs. 25.8%, RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.42-0.76; P < 0.01). In this quantitative analysis of randomized clinical data, colchicine demonstrated superior clinical efficacy compared with standard therapy for the prevention of recurrent pericarditis and PPS at the cost of a small increase in the incidence rate of side effects.

Background: Colchicine is an old drug originally employed for the treatment of inflammatory disorders such as acute gout and familiar Mediterranean fever. Methods: In the past few decades, colchicine has been at the forefront of the pharmacotherapy of several cardiac diseases, including acute and recurrent pericarditis, coronary artery disease, prevention of atrial fibrillation and heart failure. In this review, we have summarized the current evidence based medicine and guidelines recommendations in the specific context of pericardial syndromes. Results: Colchicine has been firstly engaged in the treatment of recurrent pericarditis of viral, idiopathic and autoimmune origin. Shortly thereafter colchicine use has been expanded to the primary prevention of recurrences in patients with a first episode of pericarditis depicting similarly good results. The acquisition of high quality scientific data in the course of time from prospective randomized placebo-controlled trials and metanalyses have established colchicine as first line treatment option in acute and recurrent pericarditis, on top of the conventional treatment. The only concerns related to the use of colchicine are the side effects (mainly gastrointestinal intolerance) which although generally not serious, may account for treatment withdrawal in some cases. Conclusion: Colchicine has been established as a first line medication in the treatment of acute (first episode) and recurrent pericarditis on top of the conventional treatment as well as for the prevention of postpericardiotomy syndrome. It depicts a good safety profile with gastrointestinal intolerance being the most common side effect.

Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication following cardiac surgery. In most cases it develops 2 to 3 weeks after the operation. An inflammatory reaction develops in the pericardium or pleural space with fever, chest pain and dyspnea as typical symptoms. The disease process is usually self-limiting. At present, the etiology is unknown, but an immunological mechanism is suspected as the cause of the disease. The incidence of PPS is essentially dependent on diagnostic criteria, patient group and type of operation. Treatment is carried out with anti-inflammatory analgesics, combined with colchicine in more severe cases.

Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is characterized by pleuro-pericardial inflammation, which occurs in patients undergoing surgical procedures involving the pleura, pericardium, or both. The syndrome is considered to be immune mediated. However, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. It has previously been demonstrated that the Mediterranean Fever (MEFV) gene, which is associated with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), has a role in the activation and expression of several inflammatory diseases.To investigate whether carriage of the MEFV mutation may precipitate PPS or affect its phenotype.The study population included 45 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and developed PPS. The control group was comprised of 41 patients who did not develop PPS. Clinical and demographic data was collected. The severity of PPS was evaluated. Genetic analysis to determine the carriage of one the three most common MEFV gene mutations (M694V, V726A, E148Q) was performed. The carriage rate of MEFV mutations in patients with and without PPS was compared. Association between MEFV mutation carriage and severity of PPS was evaluated.The rate of mutation carriage in the MEFV gene was similar in patients with and without PPS (15.6% in the study groups vs. 29.3% in the control group, P = 0.1937). The rate of mutation carriage in the MEFV gene was significantly lower among patients with severe PPS as compared to patients with mild-moderate PPS (4.8% vs. 25%, P0.05).Carriage of mutations in the MEFV gene is not associated with development of PPS; however, it may affect PPS severity.

We report a case of a patient presenting with abdominal pain after cardiac surgery who was noted on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to have pericardial and pleural effusion, in addition to ascites. The most notable findings were pleural and pericardial effusions, which combined with symptomatology met criteria for postpericardiotomy syndrome. Point-of-care ultrasound expedited the diagnosis of a pericardial effusion with impending tamponade and transfer for pericardiocentesis and placement of pericardial drain.

Acute pericarditis is the most common disease of the pericardium encountered in clinical practice. It is diagnosed in 0.1% of all admissions and 5% of emergency room admissions for chest pain. In developed countries, it is usually due to a benign cause. Idiopathic and infectious pericarditis are more common than secondary to surgical pericardiotomy or neoplastic causes, whereas tuberculosis is the dominant cause in developing countries. The most common symptoms of pericarditis are characteristic chest pain and fever. Since pericarditis presents a benign outcome because of self-limiting and good response to conventional anti-inflammatory therapy, it can be safely managed on outpatient basis unless a specific cause is suspected or the patient has high-risk features to avoid complications such as pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade or recurrent pericarditis. We report a case of pericarditis, diagnosed 9 months after surgical closure of an atrial septal defect, in a 7-year-old boy with favorable evolution.

76 patients with coronary heart disease (who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting) were examined to investigate the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes involved in redox regulation, in the mechanisms of development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 1st - patients with coronary heart disease, who as a result of clinical trials has not been set postpericardiotomy syndrome; 2nd - patients with coronary heart disease who have been diagnosed postpericardiotomy syndrome. The blood plasma of both groups indicated intensification of production of interleukin-6, intrleukin-8, as well as - an imbalance in the peroxiredoxin-1 and glutathione peroxidase. These changes by patients with postpericardiotomy syndrome are observed at the earliest time and differed depth of expression. The results of this work confirm the high potential of the investigated indicators for prevention and monitoring postpericardiotomy syndrome development.Для изучения роли провоспалительных цитокинов и ферментов, участвующих в редокс-регуляции, в механизмах развития системного воспалительного ответа и патогенеза постперикардиотомного синдрома (ПКТС) были обследованы 76 пациентов с ИБС, перенесших аортокоронарное шунтирование. Больные были разделены на две группы: 1-я — больные ИБС, у которых в результате клинических исследований не был установлен ПКТС; 2-я — больные ИБС, у которых был диагностирован ПКТС. В плазме крови у пациентов обеих групп было отмечено усиление продукции IL-6, IL-8, также наблюдали дисбаланс в работе пероксиредоксина-1 и глутатионпероксидазы. У пациентов с ПКТС данные изменения наблюдали в наиболее ранние сроки, они отличались глубиной проявления. Результаты настоящей работы подтверждают высокую эффективность исследованных показателей для предупреждения и мониторинга развития ПКТС.

Colchicine is a well-established drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention and treatment of gout. It possesses unique anti-inflammatory properties. Interests in the usage of colchicine in cardiovascular medicine have been rekindled recently with several large trials been carried out to investigate its efficacy in treatment of various cardiac conditions including pericarditis, postpericardiotomy syndrome, atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease. In this review, the basic pharmacological properties of colchicine will be discussed, and the evidences of its benefits for different applications in cardiovascular medicine will be reviewed.

Introduction: Post-pericardiotomy syndrome is a relatively common complication after open heart surgery. In recent years, colchicine had a good effect on treatment of the pericarditis. Objectives: This study aimed to study the effect of colchicine to prevent post-pericardiotomy syndrome in patients who had open heart surgery. Patients and Methods: This double-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 240 patients undergone open heart surgery. Eligible patients were selected by simple sampling and randomly divided into two groups; 120 subjects in the experimental group receive colchicine (1 mg for patients greater than 70 kg and 0.5 mg for patients lower than 70 kg) and 120 subjects in the control group who received the placebo. Patients were followed up regarding the incidence of post-pericardiotomy syndrome after the surgery during hospitalization and in follow up visits in one month and six months after hospital discharges. Results: In total, the incidence rate of post-pericardiotomy syndrome was 33.7% (81 subjects). A significant difference of post-pericardiotomy syndrome between two groups was seen. We found post-pericardiotomy syndrome in 12.1% (29 patients) of colchicine group versus 21.6% (52 patients) in the placebo group (chi-square test). The incidence rate based on the Kaplan-Meier curve, in the second week to one month after the surgery, was lower in colchicine group while in third to the sixth month it had a constant trend. Conclusion: Colchicine is effective for prevention the post-pericardiotomy syndrome without any life-threatening complication.

Postsurgical pericardial syndromes are common complications after cardiac surgery; however, their treatment is not well established yet. We reviewed the accuracy and limits of clinical trials of prophylaxis and treatment of these diseases to identify an evidence-based therapeutic approach. We performed a literature search in the National Library of Medicine using the keywords pericardial effusion, cardiac surgery and paediatric/congenital. The research was then redefined adding separately the keywords postpericardiotomy syndrome, NSAIDs, steroids and colchicine. We found 12 clinical trials (eight for the prophylaxis and four regarding treatment), testing three major agent classes: NSAIDs, corticosteroids and colchicine. Therapy is generally based on NSAID with or without steroids with the adjunct of colchicine for recurrences. Only a few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults support NSAID therapy. Efficacy of steroids has been proved only in small paediatric works, whereas no studies are available for colchicine. Studies furthermore presented some limitations: not univocal endpoints (not allowing for a meta-analysis), a limited sample size, scarce attention to confounders (such as the underlying cardiac disease and diuretic/analgesic regimen). Moreover, different agents were not assessed, nor when to start therapy. More evidence (two wide RCT plus a meta-analysis) supports the role of colchicine for prophylaxis in adults. Prophylaxis with NSAID/corticosteroids instead failed to have significant advantage in children, whereas a few data are available for adults. Evidence for the treatment of postsurgical pericardial syndromes is incomplete, making it difficult to understand when to treat and which agent to employ, especially in children.

Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) may be associated with tamponade and pericardial constriction that may require procedural intervention. The aim of this study was to identify clinical features associated with adverse events requiring procedural intervention in patients with PPS. A total of 239 patients who developed PPS after cardiac surgery were monitored for 12 months. PPS was diagnosed if 2 of the 5 following findings were present: fever without infection, pleuritic pain, friction rub, pleural effusion, and pericardial effusion (

Recurrent pericarditis is a troublesome complication of idiopathic acute pericarditis and occurs more frequently in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery (postpericardiotomy syndrome). Conventional treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and colchicine is not always effective or may cause serious adverse effects. There is no consensus, however, on how to proceed in those patients whose disease is refractory to conventional therapy. In such cases, human intravenous immunoglobulin, immunosuppressive drugs, and biological agents have been used. In this report we describe 2 patients with refractory recurrent pericarditis after cardiac surgery who were successfully treated with 3 and 5 monthly high-dose (2 g/kg) intravenous immunoglobulin until resolution of the effusion. Our experience supports the effectiveness and safety of this therapy.

Surgical repair for atrial septal defects (ASD) generally occurs during childhood. Post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) after cardiac surgery has a reported incidence of 1–40 %. We focused exclusively on secundum ASD repair to evaluate the incidence of PPS. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of PPS after surgical repair of secundum ASD and investigate what risk factors may be predictive of its development. A retrospective study was performed, and 97 patients who underwent surgical closure of a secundum ASD were identified. 27 (28 %) were diagnosed with PPS within the first postoperative year. Diagnosis was made if they had evidence of new or worsening pericardial effusion and the presence of ≥2 of the following criteria: fever >72 h postoperatively, irritability, pleuritic chest pain, or pericardial friction rub. Closure of secundum ASDs was performed at a median age of 3.8 years (Interquartile Range (IQR): 2.2–6.0 years) and a median weight of 14.3 kilograms (IQR: 10.9–19.3 kilograms). The median time for development of PPS was 8 days post-op (IQR: 5–14). Significantly, 19 (27 %) of 70 patients in the non-PPS group had a small pericardial effusion on their discharge echocardiogram, while of the 27 patients who developed PPS, 17 (63 %) had a small pericardial effusion on their discharge echocardiogram (p = 0.001). PPS is relatively common following surgical closure of secundum ASDs. A small pericardial effusion on discharge echocardiogram is predictive of development of PPS postoperatively. In patients who develop PPS, there is a good response to therapy with a benign course.

La pericarditis aguda es la enfermedad más común del pericardio en la práctica clínica. Supone el 0,1% de todos los ingresos hospitalarios y hasta un 5% de aquellos por dolor torácico. En países desarrollados, la causa suele ser benigna, y son más frecuentes las idiopáticas e infecciosas que las secundarias a pericardiotomía quirúrgica y neoplasias. La tuberculosis es la causa más importante en países en vías de desarrollo. Los síntomas más comunes son el dolor torácico característico y la fiebre. Debido a su benignidad y buena evolución con reposo y tratamiento médico, se puede controlar de forma ambulatoria, teniendo presentes aquellos signos de alarma para vigilar o pacientes de riesgo para evitar complicaciones (derrames importantes, taponamiento cardíaco, recurrencias, etc.). Presentamos un caso clínico de un niño de 7 años con antecedentes de comunicación interauricular cerrada quirúrgicamente 9 meses antes, con un cuadro de pericarditis aguda de evolución favorable. &nbsp

New onset of electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities can occur after lung surgery due to the changes in the position of structures and organs in the chest cavity. The most common heart rhythm disorder is atrial fibrillation. So-called “pseudoischemic” ECG changes that mimic classic ECG signs of acute myocardial ischemia are also often noticed. We report the case of a 68-year-old male, with no prior cardiovascular disease, who underwent extensive surgical resection for lung cancer. On a second postoperative day, clinical and electrocardiographic signs of acute myocardial ischemia occurred. According to clinical course, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic response, we excluded acute coronary syndrome. We concluded that physical lesion of the pericardium, caused by extended pneumonectomy with resection of the pericardium, provoked the symptoms and ECG signs that mimic acute coronary syndrome. Our final diagnosis was postpericardiotomy syndrome after extended pneumonectomy and further treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was recommended. It is necessary to consider possibility that nature of ECG changes after extended pneumonectomy could be “pseudoischemic.”

Teema: Sydänpussin sairaudet. English summary

Acute pericarditis is the most common disease of the pericardium encountered in clinical practice. It is diagnosed in 0.1% of all admissions and 5% of emergency room admissions for chest pain. In developed countries, it is usually due to a benign cause. Idiopathic and infectious pericarditis are more common than secondary to surgical pericardiotomy or neoplastic causes, whereas tuberculosis is the dominant cause in developing countries. The most common symptoms of pericarditis are characteristic chest pain and fever. Since pericarditis presents a benign outcome because of self-limiting and good response to conventional anti-inflammatory therapy, it can be safely managed on outpatient basis unless a specific cause is suspected or the patient has high-risk features to avoid complications such as pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade or recurrent pericarditis. We report a case of pericarditis, diagnosed 9 months after surgical closure of an atrial septal defect, in a 7-year-old boy with favorable evolution.La pericarditis aguda es la enfermedad más común del pericardio en la práctica clínica. Supone el 0,1% de todos los ingresos hospitalarios y hasta un 5% de aquellos por dolor torácico. En países desarrollados, la causa suele ser benigna, y son más frecuentes las idiopáticas e infecciosas que las secundarias a pericardiotomía quirúrgica y neoplasias. La tuberculosis es la causa más importante en países en vías de desarrollo. Los síntomas más comunes son el dolor torácico característico y la fiebre. Debido a su benignidad y buena evolución con reposo y tratamiento médico, se puede controlar de forma ambulatoria, teniendo presentes aquellos signos de alarma para vigilar o pacientes de riesgo para evitar complicaciones (derrames importantes, taponamiento cardíaco, recurrencias, etc.). Presentamos un caso clínico de un niño de 7 años con antecedentes de comunicación interauricular cerrada quirúrgicamente 9 meses antes, con un cuadro de pericarditis aguda de evolución favorable.

Post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) occurs in a subgroup of patients who have undergone cardiothoracic surgery and is characterized by fever, pleuritic pain, pleural effusion, and pericardial effusion. It is associated with significant morbidity, and the leading complications include tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. Epidemiologic studies have found that PPS often occurs among younger patients; however, there is a lack of comprehensive risk stratification. It is therefore important to be able to identify patients who are at high risk for developing this disease. The diagnosis is made if patients present with 2 out of the following 5 criteria; fever, pericardial or pleuritic chest pain, pericardial or pleural friction rub, pericardial effusion, and pleural effusion with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Pericardial effusion associated with PPS is detected by echocardiography, and cardiac MRI is used for evaluation of pericardial thickening as well as inflammation associated with PPS. These imaging modalities have been invaluable for monitoring the efficacy of treatment in PPS. Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAID), and colchicine are the mainstay of the current treatment for PPS. Although steroids are used for refractory cases of PPS, they are associated with significant side effects when used for long-term treatment of this disease. It is important for future research to focus on identification of clinical, serologic, and genetic markers that may predispose patients to PPS. There is also a need for clinical trials to address the use of targeted immunomodulatory treatment for this disease.

Pericardial effusion (PE) may require readmission after cardiac surgery and has been associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. We sought to identify the prevalence and risk factors for postoperative PE requiring readmission in children. A retrospective analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System database was performed between January 1, 2003, and September 30, 2014. All patients ≤18 years old who underwent cardiac surgery were identified by ICD-9 codes. Those readmitted within 1 year with an ICD-9 code for PE were identified. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for PE readmissions. Of the 142,633 surgical admissions, 1535 (1.1%) were readmitted with PE. In multivariable analysis, older age at the initial surgical admission [odds ratio (OR) 1.17, p

ObjectiveTo review the evidence for the efficacy and safety of colchicine in children with pericarditis.DesignSystematic review.Search strategyThe following databases were searched for studies about colchicine in children with pericarditis (June 2015): Cochrane Central, Medline, EMBASE and LILACS.Eligibility criteriaAll observational and experimental studies on humans with any length of follow-up and no limitations on language or publication status were included. The outcomes studied were recurrences of pericarditis and adverse events.Data extractionTwo authors extracted data and assessed quality of included studies using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for non-randomised trials.ResultsTwo case series and nine case reports reported the use of colchicine in a total of 86 children with pericarditis. Five articles including 74 paediatric patients were in favour of colchicine in preventing further pericarditis recurrences. Six studies including 12 patients showed that colchicine did not prevent recurrences of pericarditis.LimitationsNo randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were found.ConclusionsAlthough colchicine is an established treatment for pericarditis in adults, it is not routinely used in children. There is not enough evidence to support or discourage the use of colchicine in children with pericarditis. Further research in the form of large double-blind RCTs is needed to establish the efficacy of colchicine in children with pericarditis.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate the long-term prognosis and risk factors of postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS). METHODS: We performed a single-center cohort study in 822 patients undergoing nonemergent valve surgery. Risk factors of PPS were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. We also compared the incidence of reoperation for tamponade at 1 year between patients with and without PPS. Main secondary outcomes were hospital stay and mortality. RESULTS: Of the 822 patients, 119 (14.5%) developed PPS. A higher body mass index (odds ratio (OR) per point increase, 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89-0.99) was associated with a lower risk of PPS, whereas preoperative treatment for pulmonary disease without corticosteroids (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.25-5.20) was associated with a higher risk of PPS. The incidence of reoperation for tamponade at 1 year in PPS versus no PPS was 20.9% versus 2.5% (OR, 15.49; 95% CI, 7.14-33.58). One-year mortality in PPS versus no PPS was 4.2% versus 5.5% (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.22-2.08). Median hospital stay was 13 days (interquartile range, 9-18 days) versus 11 days (interquartile range, 8-15 days) (P = .001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite longer hospital stays and more short-term reoperations for tamponade, patients with PPS had an excellent 1-year prognosis.