High-sensitivity Troponin-t Level after Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Surgery

Abstract

Cardiac tissue ischemia can be assessed by a troponin biomarker in adults. However, its effectiveness after pediatric open-heart surgery is still being debated despite the increased demand for congenital heart surgeries. This study assesses the relationship of troponin T levels with many surgical, biochemical, and prognostic variables. This prospective, longitudinal study included 70 patients collected over one year. These patients underwent open-heart surgery and required a cardiopulmonary bypass machine at the Cardiac Center in Erbil, Iraq. Troponin T measurements were taken 4 times for each patient: the day before the operation, 4 and 24 hours post-surgery, and on the discharge day from the hospital. These measurements were correlated with many variables. The study revealed significantly higher troponin levels in children younger than three years old and in those with Fallot surgeries. Most patients with high 4-hour troponin levels developed short-term complications. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between troponin levels with the duration of the whole operation and the durations of these specific procedures: cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamp, and inotropic support. We also found that high troponin levels, particularly 4 hours post-surgery, can predict a longer-than-usual stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, as well as short-term complications