Cardiology Research

The paediatric cardiology research group focuses on clinical studies identifying patients at risk for cardiac sequelae.

Long-term cardiopulmonary function in preterm born children.
In this project, we apply recently developed tools in three dimensional real-time echocardiography in combination with cardiopulmonary exercise testing for functional analysis of a cohort of formerly preterm children at school age (followed by Prof. S. Lemola, Faculty of Psychology of the University of Basel). In close cooperation with PD Dr. Daniel Trachsel, paediatric pneumology, this cohort will be compared with an age-matched control with respect to parameters reflecting cardiopulmonary function and hemodynamics. These data could contribute to the detection of patients at risk for developing significant pulmonary hypertension or ventricular dysfunction.

Nocturnal hypoglycemia in diabetic children: influence on cardiacrepolarization and autonomic heart rate regulation.
This prospective study is a close collaboration between Dr. Sara Bachmann and Prof. Dr. Urs Zumsteg, paediatric endocrinologists at UKBB to investigate the influence of nocturnal hypoglycemia on cardiac repolarization and autonomic heart rate regulation in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The combination of continuous nocturnal glucose measurements and ECG analysis enables us to study changes in the duration of repolarization and parameters of heart rate variability related to hypoglycemia.
Initial data show alterations in heart rate variability and QT duration in diabetic children with nocturnal hypoglycemia.

This study could contribute to the identification of increased risk for children with diabetes mellitus for sudden cardiac death during the night, probably triggered by arrhythmia (so called “dead in bed phenomenon”). In addition, the analysis of the autonomic regulation of heart rate variability in relation to glucose levels could help in the development of algorithms for early detection of hypoglycemia and could, therefore, further improve metabolic control.