12 results
Maternal obesity and excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy: effects on outcomes after neonatal cardiac surgical procedures
- Rocky Tsang, Pamela Hilvers, Philip J. Lupo, Ronald Bronicki, Dean McKenzie, Paul A. Checchia
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 28 / Issue 3 / March 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 14 December 2017, pp. 391-396
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Introduction
Maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes. Obesity is also associated with a chronic inflammatory state and metabolic derangements that affect the newborn. The additional use of cardiopulmonary bypass during the neonatal period could impact the systemic inflammatory response in the immediate postoperative period that manifests as cardiac depression and multi-organ dysfunction. This study aimed to determine the association of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy with the immediate postoperative morbidity of neonatal patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.
MethodsA retrospective review of neonates who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass within the first 30 days of life at our institution between 2011 and 2013 was conducted. Postoperative variables investigated included the duration of length of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the ICU, peak vasoactive inotrope scores, and peak lactate level. Maternal obesity was defined as 1st trimester body mass index ⩾30 kg/m2. Excessive weight gain was defined as ⩾12 kg gained during pregnancy. In order to determine the association between maternal obesity or excessive weight gain and postoperative variables, we used multiple linear regression, adjusting for birth weight and risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score.
ResultsRecords from 58 mother–baby dyads were examined. After controlling for birth weight and risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score, there were no significant associations between maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy versus all postoperative outcomes measured.
ConclusionDespite the known negative impact of maternal obesity on perinatal outcomes, we were unable to find associations between maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy versus postoperative outcomes.
Epinephrine syringe exchange events in a paediatric cardiovascular ICU: analysing the storm
- Barbara-Jo Achuff, Jameson C. Achuff, Hwan H. Park, Brady Moffett, Sebastian Acosta, Craig G. Rusin, Paul A. Checchia
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 28 / Issue 3 / March 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 December 2017, pp. 409-415
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Introduction
Haemodynamically unstable patients can experience potentially hazardous changes in vital signs related to the exchange of depleted syringes of epinephrine to full syringes. The purpose was to determine the measured effects of epinephrine syringe exchanges on the magnitude, duration, and frequency of haemodynamic disturbances in the hour after an exchange event (study) relative to the hours before (control).
Materials and methodsBeat-to-beat vital signs recorded every 2 seconds from bedside monitors for patients admitted to the paediatric cardiovascular ICU of Texas Children’s Hospital were collected between 1 January, 2013 and 30 June, 2015. Epinephrine syringe exchanges without dose/flow change were obtained from electronic records. Time, magnitude, and duration of changes in systolic blood pressure and heart rate were characterised using Matlab. Significant haemodynamic events were identified and compared with control data.
ResultsIn all, 1042 syringe exchange events were found and 850 (81.6%) had uncorrupted data for analysis. A total of 744 (87.5%) exchanges had at least 1 associated haemodynamic perturbation including 2958 systolic blood pressure and 1747 heart-rate changes. Heart-rate perturbations occurred 37% before exchange and 63% after exchange, and 37% of systolic blood pressure perturbations happened before syringe exchange, whereas 63% occurred after syringe exchange with significant differences found in systolic blood pressure frequency (p<0.001), duration (p<0.001), and amplitude (p<0.001) compared with control data.
ConclusionsThis novel data collection and signal processing analysis showed a significant increase in frequency, duration, and magnitude of systolic blood pressure perturbations surrounding epinephrine syringe exchange events.
Enhancement of diuresis with metolazone in infant paediatric cardiac intensive care patients
- Russell T. Wise, Brady S. Moffett, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Marianne Galati, Natasha Afonso, Paul A. Checchia
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 28 / Issue 1 / January 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 September 2017, pp. 27-31
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Background
Few data are available regarding the use of metolazone in infants in cardiac intensive care. Researchers need to carry out further evaluation to characterise the effects of this treatment in this population.
MethodsThis is a descriptive, retrospective study carried out in patients less than a year old. These infants had received metolazone over a 2-year period in the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit at our institution. The primary goal was to measure the change in urine output from 24 hours before the start of metolazone therapy to 24 hours after. Patient demographic variables, laboratory data, and fluid-balance data were analysed.
ResultsThe study identified 97 infants with a mean age of 0.32±0.25 years. Their mean weight was 4.9±1.5 kg, and 58% of the participants were male. An overall 63% of them had undergone cardiovascular surgery. The baseline estimated creatinine clearance was 93±37 ml/minute/1.73 m2. Initially, the participants had received a metolazone dose of 0.27±0.10 mg/kg/day, the maximum dose being 0.43 mg/kg/day. They had also received other diuretics during metolazone initiation, such as furosemide (87.6%), spironolactone (58.8%), acetazolamide (11.3%), bumetanide (7.2%), and ethacrynic acid (1%). The median change in urine output after metolazone was 0.9 ml/kg/hour (interquartile range 0.15–1.9). The study categorised a total of 66 patients (68.0%) as responders. Multivariable analysis identified acetazolamide use (p=0.002) and increased fluid input in the 24 hours after metolazone initiation (p<0.001) as being significant for increased urine output. Changes in urine output were not associated with the dose of metolazone (p>0.05).
ConclusionsMetolazone increased urine output in a select group of patients. Efficacy can be maximised by strategic selection of patients.
The use of nesiritide in patients with critical cardiac disease
- Ronald A. Bronicki, Michele Domico, Paul A. Checchia, Curtis E. Kennedy, Ayse Akcan-Arikan
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 27 / Issue 8 / October 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 23 June 2017, pp. 1577-1584
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Objective
We evaluated the use of nesiritide in children with critical CHD, pulmonary congestion, and inadequate urine output despite undergoing conventional diuretic therapy.
DesignWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 11 patients with critical CHD, comprising 18 infusions, each of which occurred during separate hospitalisations. Haemodynamic parameters were assessed, and the stage of acute kidney injury was determined before and throughout the duration of therapy using a standardised definition of acute kidney injury – The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria.
PatientsChildren with critical CHD, pulmonary congestion, and inadequate urinary output despite undergoing diuretic therapy were included.
Measurements and main resultsThe use of nesiritide was associated with a significant decrease in the maximum and minimum heart rate values and with a trend towards a significant decrease in maximum systolic blood pressure and maximum and minimum central venous pressures. Urine output increased but was not significant. Serum creatinine levels decreased significantly during the course of therapy (−0.26 mg/dl [−0.50, 0.0], p=0.02), and the number of patients who experienced a decrease in the stage of acute kidney injury of 2 or more – where a change in the stage of acute kidney disease of 2 or more was possible, that is, baseline stage >1 – was highly significant (five of 12 patients, 42%, p<0.001).
ConclusionsNesiritide had a favourable impact on haemodynamics, and its use was not associated with deterioration of renal function in patients with critical CHD.
CHD and respiratory syncytial virus: global expert exchange recommendations
- Robert M. R. Tulloh, Constancio Medrano-Lopez, Paul A. Checchia, Claudia Stapper, Naokata Sumitomo, Matthias Gorenflo, Eun Jung Bae, Antonio Juanico, Juan M. Gil-Jaurena, Mei-Hwan Wu, Talal Farha, Ali Dodge-Khatami, Rocky Tsang, Gerard Notario, Colleen Wegzyn
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 27 / Issue 8 / October 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 June 2017, pp. 1504-1521
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Open access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
Background
Palivizumab is the standard immunoprophylaxis against serious disease due to respiratory syncytial virus infection. Current evidence-based prophylaxis guidelines may not address certain children with CHD within specific high-risk groups or clinical/management settings.
MethodsAn international steering committee of clinicians with expertise in paediatric heart disease identified key questions concerning palivizumab administration; in collaboration with an additional international expert faculty, evidence-based recommendations were formulated using a quasi-Delphi consensus methodology.
ResultsPalivizumab prophylaxis was recommended for children with the following conditions: <2 years with unoperated haemodynamically significant CHD, who are cyanotic, who have pulmonary hypertension, or symptomatic airway abnormalities; <1 year with cardiomyopathies requiring treatment; in the 1st year of life with surgically operated CHD with haemodynamically significant residual problems or aged 1–2 years up to 6 months postoperatively; and on heart transplant waiting lists or in their 1st year after heart transplant. Unanimous consensus was not reached for use of immunoprophylaxis in children with asymptomatic CHD and other co-morbid factors such as arrhythmias, Down syndrome, or immunodeficiency, or during a nosocomial outbreak. Challenges to effective immunoprophylaxis included the following: multidisciplinary variations in identifying candidates with CHD and prophylaxis compliance; limited awareness of severe disease risks/burden; and limited knowledge of respiratory syncytial virus seasonal patterns in subtropical/tropical regions.
ConclusionEvidence-based immunoprophylaxis recommendations were formulated for subgroups of children with CHD, but more data are needed to guide use in tropical/subtropical countries and in children with certain co-morbidities.
The Total Inotrope Exposure Score: an extension of the Vasoactive Inotrope Score as a predictor of adverse outcomes after paediatric cardiac surgery
- Harish Bangalore, Michael Gaies, Elena C. Ocampo, Jeffrey S. Heinle, Danielle Guffey, Charles G. Minard, Paul Checchia, Lara S. Shekerdemian
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 27 / Issue 6 / August 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 13 March 2017, pp. 1146-1152
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Objective
The aim of the present study was to explore and compare the association between a new vasoactive score – the Total Inotrope Exposure Score – and outcome and the established Vasoactive Inotrope Score in children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
DesignThe present study was a single-centre, retrospective study.
SettingThe study was carried out at a 21-bed cardiovascular ICU in a Tertiary Children’s Hospital between September, 2010 and May, 2011
MethodsThe Total Inotrope Exposure Score is a new vasoactive score that brings together cumulative vasoactive drug exposure and incorporates dose adjustments over time. The performance of these scores – average, maximum Vasoactive Inotrope Score at 24 and 48 hours, and Total Inotrope Exposure Score – to predict primary clinical outcomes – either death, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation before hospital discharge – and secondary outcomes – length of invasive mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and hospital stay – was calculated.
Main resultsThe study cohort included 167 children under 18 years of age, with 37 (22.2%) neonates and 65 (41.3%) infants aged between 1 month and 1 year. The Total Inotrope Exposure Score best predicted the primary outcome (six of 167 cases) with an unadjusted odds ratio for a poor outcome of 42 (4.8, 369.6). Although the area under curve was higher than other scores, this difference did not reach statistical significance. The Total Inotrope Exposure Score best predicted prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and hospital stay as compared with the other scores.
ConclusionThe Total Inotrope Exposure Score appears to have a good association with poor postoperative outcomes and warrants prospective validation across larger numbers of patients across institutions.
A Pediatric Approach to Ventilator-Associated Events Surveillance
- Noelle M. Cocoros, Gregory P. Priebe, Latania K. Logan, Susan Coffin, Gitte Larsen, Philip Toltzis, Thomas J. Sandora, Marvin Harper, Julia S. Sammons, James E. Gray, Donald Goldmann, Kelly Horan, Michael Burton, Paul A. Checchia, Matthew Lakoma, Shannon Sims, Michael Klompas, Grace M. Lee
-
- Journal:
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 38 / Issue 3 / March 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 05 December 2016, pp. 327-333
- Print publication:
- March 2017
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
OBJECTIVE
Adult ventilator-associated event (VAE) definitions include ventilator-associated conditions (VAC) and subcategories for infection-related ventilator-associated complications (IVAC) and possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (PVAP). We explored these definitions for children.
DESIGNRetrospective cohort
SETTINGPediatric, cardiac, or neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) in 6 US hospitals
PATIENTSPatients ≤18 years old ventilated for ≥1 day
METHODSWe identified patients with pediatric VAC based on previously proposed criteria. We applied adult temperature, white blood cell count, antibiotic, and culture criteria for IVAC and PVAP to these patients. We matched pediatric VAC patients with controls and evaluated associations with adverse outcomes using Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTSIn total, 233 pediatric VACs (12,167 ventilation episodes) were identified. In the cardiac ICU (CICU), 62.5% of VACs met adult IVAC criteria; in the pediatric ICU (PICU), 54.2% of VACs met adult IVAC criteria; and in the neonatal ICU (NICU), 20.2% of VACs met adult IVAC criteria. Most patients had abnormal white blood cell counts and temperatures; we therefore recommend simplifying surveillance by focusing on “pediatric VAC with antimicrobial use” (pediatric AVAC). Pediatric AVAC with a positive respiratory diagnostic test (“pediatric PVAP”) occurred in 8.9% of VACs in the CICU, 13.3% of VACs in the PICU, and 4.3% of VACs in the NICU. Hospital mortality was increased, and hospital and ICU length of stay and duration of ventilation were prolonged among all pediatric VAE subsets compared with controls.
CONCLUSIONSWe propose pediatric AVAC for surveillance related to antimicrobial use, with pediatric PVAP as a subset of AVAC. Studies on generalizability and responsiveness of these metrics to quality improvement initiatives are needed, as are studies to determine whether lower pediatric VAE rates are associated with improvements in other outcomes.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:327–333
Efficacy of sequential nephron blockade with intravenous chlorothiazide to promote diuresis in cardiac intensive care infants
- Brady S. Moffett, Rocky Tsang, Curt Kennedy, Ron A. Bronicki, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Paul A. Checchia
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 27 / Issue 6 / August 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 November 2016, pp. 1104-1109
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Background
Sequential nephron blockade using intravenous chlorothiazide is often used to enhance urine output in patients with inadequate response to loop diuretics. A few data exist to support this practice in critically ill infants.
MethodsWe included 100 consecutive patients <1 year of age who were administered intravenous chlorothiazide while receiving furosemide therapy in the cardiac ICU in our study. The primary end point was change in urine output 24 hours after chlorothiazide administration, and patients were considered to be responders if an increase in urine output of 0.5 ml/kg/hour was documented. Data on demographic, clinical, fluid intake/output, and furosemide and chlorothiazide dosing were collected. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to determine variables significant for increase in urine output after chlorothiazide administration.
ResultsThe study population was 48% male, with a mean weight of 4.9±1.8 kg, and 69% had undergone previous cardiovascular surgery. Intravenous chlorothiazide was initiated at 89 days (interquartile range 20–127 days) of life at a dose of 4.6±2.7 mg/kg/day (maximum 12 mg/kg/day). Baseline estimated creatinine clearance was 83±42 ml/minute/1.73 m2. Furosemide dose before chlorothiazide administration was 2.8±1.4 mg/kg/day and 3.3±1.5 mg/kg/day after administration. A total of 43% of patients were categorised as responders, and increase in furosemide dose was the only variable significant for increase in urine output on multivariable analysis (p<0.05). No graphical trends were noted for change in urine output and dose of chlorothiazide.
ConclusionsSequential nephron blockade with intravenous chlorothiazide was not consistently associated with improved urine output in critically ill infants.
Databases for assessing the outcomes of the treatment of patients with congenital and paediatric cardiac disease – the perspective of critical care
- Part of
- Joan M. LaRovere, Howard E. Jeffries, Ramesh C. Sachdeva, Thomas B. Rice, Randall C. Wetzel, David S. Cooper, Geoffrey L. Bird, Nancy S. Ghanayem, Paul A. Checchia, Anthony C. Chang, David L. Wessel
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 18 / Issue S2 / December 2008
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 December 2008, pp. 130-136
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
The development of databases to track the outcomes of children with cardiovascular disease has been ongoing for much of the last two decades, paralleled by the rise of databases in the intensive care unit. While the breadth of data available in national, regional and local databases has grown exponentially, the ability to identify meaningful measurements of outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease is still in its early stages.
In the United States of America, the Virtual Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Performance System (VPS) is a clinically based database system for the paediatric intensive care unit that provides standardized high quality, comparative data to its participants [https://portal.myvps.org/]. All participants collect information on multiple parameters: (1) patients and their stay in the hospital, (2) diagnoses, (3) interventions, (4) discharge, (5) various measures of outcome, (6) organ donation, and (7) paediatric severity of illness scores. Because of the standards of quality within the database, through customizable interfaces, the database can also be used for several applications: (1) administrative purposes, such as assessing the utilization of resources and strategic planning, (2) multi-institutional research studies, and (3) additional internal projects of quality improvement or research.
In the United Kingdom, The Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network is a database established in 2002 to record details of the treatment of all critically ill children in paediatric intensive care units of the National Health Service in England, Wales and Scotland. The Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network was designed to develop and maintain a secure and confidential high quality clinical database of pediatric intensive care activity in order to meet the following objectives: (1) identify best clinical practice, (2) monitor supply and demand, (3) monitor and review outcomes of treatment episodes, (4) facilitate strategic healthcare planning, (5) quantify resource requirements, and (6) study the epidemiology of critical illness in children.
Two distinct physiologic risk adjustment methodologies are the Pediatric Risk of Mortality Scoring System (PRISM), and the Paediatric Index of Mortality Scoring System 2 (PIM 2). Both Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM 2) and Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM 3) are comprised of clinical variables that include physiological and laboratory measurements that are weighted on a logistic scale. The raw Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) score provides quantitative measures of severity of illness. The Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) score when used in a logistic regression model provides a probability of the predicted risk of mortality. This predicted risk of mortality can then be used along with the rates of observed mortality to provide a quantitative measurement of the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR). Similar to the Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) scoring system, the Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM) score is comprised of physiological and laboratory values and provides a quantitative measurement to estimate the probability of death using a logistic regression model.
The primary use of national and international databases of patients with congenital cardiac disease should be to improve the quality of care for these patients. The utilization of common nomenclature and datasets by the various regional subspecialty databases will facilitate the eventual linking of these databases and the creation of a comprehensive database that spans conventional geographic and subspecialty boundaries.
Endocrinal complications associated with the treatment of patients with congenital cardiac disease: consensus definitions from the Multi-Societal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
- Part of
- Heather Dickerson, David S. Cooper, Paul A. Checchia, David P. Nelson
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 18 / Issue S2 / December 2008
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 December 2008, pp. 256-264
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
A complication is an event or occurrence that is associated with a disease or a healthcare intervention, is a departure from the desired course of events, and may cause, or be associated with, suboptimal outcome. A complication does not necessarily represent a breech in the standard of care that constitutes medical negligence or medical malpractice. An operative or procedural complication is any complication, regardless of cause, occurring (1) within 30 days after surgery or intervention in or out of the hospital, or (2) after 30 days during the same hospitalization subsequent to the operation or intervention. Operative and procedural complications include both intraoperative/intraprocedural complications and postoperative/postprocedural complications in this time interval.
The MultiSocietal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease has set forth a comprehensive list of complications associated with the treatment of patients with congenital cardiac disease, related to cardiac, pulmonary, renal, haematological, infectious, neurological, gastrointestinal, and endocrinal systems, as well as those related to the management of anaesthesia and perfusion, and the transplantation of thoracic organs. The objective of this manuscript is to examine the definitions of operative morbidity as they relate specifically to the endocrine system. These specific definitions and terms will be used to track morbidity associated with surgical and transcatheter interventions and other forms of therapy in a common language across many separate databases.
As surgical survival in children with congenital cardiac disease has improved in recent years, focus has necessarily shifted to reducing the morbidity of congenital cardiac malformations and their treatment. A comprehensive list of endocrinal complications is presented. This list is a component of a systems-based compendium of complications that will standardize terminology and thereby allow the study and quantification of morbidity in patients with congenital cardiac malformations. Clinicians caring for patients with congenital cardiac disease will be able to use this list for databases, initiatives to improve quality, reporting of complications, and comparing strategies of treatment.
Haematological and infectious complications associated with the treatment of patients with congenital cardiac disease: consensus definitions from the Multi-Societal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
- Part of
- Paul A. Checchia, Tara Karamlou, Bohdan Maruszewski, Richard G. Ohye, Ronald Bronicki, Ali Dodge-Khatami
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 18 / Issue S2 / December 2008
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 December 2008, pp. 226-233
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
A complication is an event or occurrence that is associated with a disease or a healthcare intervention, is a departure from the desired course of events, and may cause, or be associated with, suboptimal outcome. A complication does not necessarily represent a breech in the standard of care that constitutes medical negligence or medical malpractice. An operative or procedural complication is any complication, regardless of cause, occurring (1) within 30 days after surgery or intervention in or out of the hospital, or (2) after 30 days during the same hospitalization subsequent to the operation or intervention. Operative and procedural complications include both intraoperative/intraprocedural complications and postoperative/postprocedural complications in this time interval.
The MultiSocietal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease has set forth a comprehensive list of complications associated with the treatment of patients with congenital cardiac disease, related to cardiac, pulmonary, renal, haematological, infectious, neurological, gastrointestinal, and endocrinal systems, as well as those related to the management of anaesthesia and perfusion, and the transplantation of thoracic organs. The objective of this manuscript is to examine the definitions of operative morbidity as they relate specifically to the haematological system and to infectious complications. These specific definitions and terms will be used to track morbidity associated with surgical and transcatheter interventions and other forms of therapy in a common language across many separate databases.
The MultiSocietal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease has prepared and defined a near-exhaustive list of haematological and infectious complications. Within each subgroup, complications are presented in alphabetical order. Clinicians caring for patients with congenital cardiac disease will be able to use this list for databases, quality improvement initiatives, reporting of complications, and comparing strategies for treatment.
Cardiac extracorporeal life support: state of the art in 2007
- David S. Cooper, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Lisa Moore, Arabela Stock, J. William Gaynor, Thomas Chancy, Michael Parpard, Dee Ann Griffin, Tami Owens, Paul A. Checchia, Ravi R. Thiagarajan, Thomas L. Spray, Chitra Ravishankar
-
- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 17 / Issue S4 / September 2007
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 November 2007, pp. 104-115
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Mechanical circulatory support is an invaluable tool in the care of children with severe refractory cardiac and or pulmonary failure. Two forms of mechanical circulatory support are currently available to neonates, infants, and smaller children, namely extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and use of a ventricular assist device, with each technique having unique advantages and disadvantages. The intra-aortic balloon pump is a third form of mechanical support that has been successfully used in larger children, adolescents, and adults, but has limited applicability in smaller children. In this review, we discuss the current experiences with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and ventricular assist devices in children with cardiac disease.
A variety of forms of mechanical circulatory support are available for children with cardiopulmonary dysfunction refractory to conventional management. These devices require extensive resources, both human and economic. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be effectively used in a variety of settings to provide support to critically-ill patients with cardiac disease. Careful selection of patients and timing of intervention remains challenging. Special consideration should be given to children with cardiac disease with regard to anatomy, physiology, cannulation, and circuit management. Even though exciting progress is being made in the development of ventricular assist devices for long-term mechanical support in children, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation remains the mainstay of mechanical circulatory support in children with complex anatomy, particularly those needing rapid resuscitation and those with a functionally univentricular circulation.
As the familiarity and experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has grown, new indications have evolved, including emergent resuscitation. This utilization has been termed extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The literature supporting emergent cardiopulmonary support is mounting. Reasonable survival rates have been achieved after initiation of support during active compressions of the chest following in-hospital cardiac arrest. Due to the limitations of conventional circuits for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, some centres have developed novel systems for rapid cardiopulmonary support.
Many centres previously considered a functionally univentricular circulation to be a contraindication to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, but improved results have been achieved recently with this complex subset of patients. The registry of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization recently reported the outcome of extracorporeal life support used in neonates for cardiac indications from 1996 to 2000. Of the 740 neonates who were placed on extracorporeal life support for cardiac indications, 118 had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. There was no significant difference in survival between these patients and those with other defects. It is now common to use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to support patients with a functionally univentricular circulation, and reasonable survival rates are to be expected.
Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has become a standard of care for many paediatric centres, its use is limited to those patients who require only short-term cardiopulmonary support. Mechanical ventricular assist devices have become standard therapy for adults with cardiac failure refractory to maximal medical management. Several devices are readily available in the United States of America for adults, but there are fewer options available to children. Over the last few years, substantial progress has been made in paediatric mechanical support. Ventricular assist devices are being used with increasing frequency in children with cardiac failure refractory to medical therapy for primary treatment as a long-term bridge to recovery or transplantation. The paracorporeal, pneumatic, pulsatile “Berlin Heart” ventricular assist device is being used with increasing frequency in Europe and North America to provide univentricular and biventricular support. With this device, a patient can be maintained on mechanical circulatory support while extubated, being mobilized, and feeding by mouth.
Mechanical circulatory support should be anticipated, and every attempt must be made to initiate support “urgently” rather than “emergently”, before the presence of dysfunction of end organs or circulatory collapse. In an emergency, these patients can be resuscitated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and subsequently transitioned to a long-term ventricular assist device after a period of stability.