Neonatal Heart Surgery Research Articles

Early ascertainment of genetic diagnoses clarifies impact on medium-term survival following neonatal congenital heart surgery.

Early ascertainment of genetic diagnoses clarifies impact on medium-term survival following neonatal congenital heart surgery.

Outcomes of delayed chest closure after congenital heart surgery in neonates.

We present the outcomes of delayed chest closure in neonates who underwent congenital heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Eighty-one consecutive neonatal patients (age ≤ 28 days) with congenital heart diseases who underwent heart operations and after surgery, chest remained open in the intensive care unit until DCC. Correction of transposition of the great arteries pathology was the most common surgical procedure (48.1% of patients). Median sternal closure time from surgery was 3 (2-4) days. Median age of neonates was 9 (5-12) days. In addition, in 4 cases (4.9%) there was secretion from the surgical site after DCC and after taking cultures, in 2 (2.4%) of the cases a pathogen was identified. Multivariable linear regression analysis (adjusted to gender and CPB) showed that only the age-predicted the sternum closure time (β=-0.09, 95%CI: - 0.16 to -0.02, p=0.02). In-hospital mortality was 6 (7.4%) patients. Although the DCC in neonates who underwent CHD surgical correction was related to a high mortality rate, only the age of neonates predicted the sternum closure time in the ICU.

Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after neonatal heart surgery.

Cholestasis characterised by conjugated hyperbilirubinemia is a marker of hepatobiliary dysfunction following neonatal cardiac surgery. We aimed to characterise the incidence of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia following neonatal heart surgery and examine the effect of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia on post-operative morbidity and mortality. This was a retrospective study of all neonates who underwent surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) at our institution between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2020. Patient- and surgery-specific data were abstracted from local registry data and review of the medical record. Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia was defined as perioperative maximum conjugated bilirubin level > 1 mg/dL. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier survival function. Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 8.5% of patients during the study period. Neonates with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia were more likely to be of younger gestational age, lower birth weight, and non-Caucasian race (all p < 0.001). Patients with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia were more likely to have chromosomal and non-cardiac anomalies and require ECMO pre-operatively. In-hospital mortality among patients with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia was increased compared to those without (odds ratio 5.4). Post-operative complications including mechanical circulatory support, reoperation, prolonged ventilator dependence, and multi-system organ failure were more common with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia (all p < 0.04). Patients with higher levels of conjugated bilirubin had worst intermediate-term survival, with patients in the highest conjugated bilirubin group (>10 mg/dL) having a 1-year survival of only 6%. Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia is associated with post-operative complications and worse survival following neonatal heart surgery. Cholestasis is more common in patients with chromosomal abnormalities and non-cardiac anomalies, but the underlying mechanisms have not been delineated.

Diffuse Optical Monitoring of Cerebral Hemodynamics and Oxygen Metabolism during and after Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Hematocrit Correction and Neurological Vulnerability.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) provides cerebral oxygenation and blood flow (CBF) during neonatal congenital heart surgery, but the impacts of CPB on brain oxygen supply and metabolic demands are generally unknown. To elucidate this physiology, we used diffuse correlation spectroscopy and frequency-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy to continuously measure CBF, oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) in 27 neonatal swine before, during, and up to 24 h after CPB. Concurrently, we sampled cerebral microdialysis biomarkers of metabolic distress (lactate-pyruvate ratio) and injury (glycerol). We applied a novel theoretical approach to correct for hematocrit variation during optical quantification of CBF in vivo. Without correction, a mean (95% CI) +53% (42, 63) increase in hematocrit resulted in a physiologically improbable +58% (27, 90) increase in CMRO2 relative to baseline at CPB initiation; following correction, CMRO2 did not differ from baseline at this timepoint. After CPB initiation, OEF increased but CBF and CMRO2 decreased with CPB time; these temporal trends persisted for 0-8 h following CPB and coincided with a 48% (7, 90) elevation of glycerol. The temporal trends and glycerol elevation resolved by 8-24 h. The hematocrit correction improved quantification of cerebral physiologic trends that precede and coincide with neurological injury following CPB.

Abortion Bans and Resource Utilization for Congenital Heart Disease: A Decision Analysis.

To investigate the implications of potential national abortion ban scenarios on the incidence of neonatal single-ventricle cardiac defects. A decision tree model was developed to predict the incidence of neonatal single-ventricle cardiac defects and related outcomes in the United States under four theoretical national abortion bans: 1) abortion restrictions in existence immediately before the June 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision, 2) 20 weeks of gestation, 3) 13 weeks of gestation, and 4) a complete abortion ban. The model included incidence of live births of neonates with single-ventricle cardiac defects, neonatal heart surgery (including heart transplant and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO]), and neonatal death. Cohort size was based on national pregnancy incidence and different algorithm decision point probabilities were aggregated from the existing literature. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted with 10,000 iterations per model. In the scenario before the Dobbs decision, an estimated 6,369,000 annual pregnancies in the United States resulted in 1,006 annual cases of single-ventricle cardiac defects. Under a complete abortion ban, the model predicted a 53.7% increase in single-ventricle cardiac defects, or an additional 9 cases per 100,000 live births. This increase would result in an additional 531 neonatal heart surgeries, 16 heart transplants, 77 ECMO utilizations, and 102 neonatal deaths annually. More restrictive gestational age-based bans are predicted to confer increases in cases of neonatal single-ventricle cardiac defects and related adverse outcomes as well. Universal abortion bans are estimated to increase the incidence of neonatal single-ventricle cardiac defects, associated morbidity, and resource utilization. States considering limiting abortion should consider the implications on the resources required to care for increasing number of children that will be born with significant and complex medical needs, including those with congenital heart disease.

Impaired Maternal-Fetal Environment and Risk for Preoperative Focal White Matter Injury in Neonates With Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

Background Infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for white matter injury (WMI) before neonatal heart surgery. Better knowledge of the causes of preoperative WMI may provide insights into interventions that improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in these patients. Methods and Results A prospective single-center study of preoperative WMI in neonates with CHD recorded data on primary cardiac diagnosis, maternal-fetal environment (MFE), delivery type, subject anthropometrics, and preoperative care. Total maturation score and WMI were assessed, and stepwise logistic regression modeling selected risk factors for WMI. Among subjects with severe CHD (n=183) who received a preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging, WMI occurred in 40 (21.9%) patients. WMI prevalence (21.4%-22.1%) and mean volumes (119.7-160.4 mm3) were similar across CHD diagnoses. Stepwise logistic regression selected impaired MFE (odds ratio [OR], 2.85 [95% CI, 1.29-6.30]), male sex (OR, 2.27 [95% CI, 1.03-5.36]), and older age at surgery/magnetic resonance imaging (OR, 1.20 per day [95% CI, 1.03-1.41]) as risk factors for preoperative WMI and higher total maturation score values (OR, 0.65 per unit increase [95% CI, 0.43-0.95]) as protective. A quarter (24.6%; n=45) of subjects had ≥1 components of impaired MFE (gestational diabetes [n=12; 6.6%], gestational hypertension [n=11; 6.0%], preeclampsia [n=2; 1.1%], tobacco use [n=9; 4.9%], hypothyroidism [n=6; 3.3%], and other [n=16; 8.7%]). In a subset of 138 subjects, an exploratory analysis of additional MFE-related factors disclosed other potential risk factors for WMI. Conclusions This study is the first to identify impaired MFE as an important risk factor for preoperative WMI. Vulnerability to preoperative WMI was shared across CHD diagnoses.

Effectiveness of intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine in reducing the incidence of tachyarrhythmia after congenital cardiac surgery in neonates and infants: a doubly robust method estimation analysis.

The antiarrhythmic effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) have been suggested, but there are controversial reports on the effectiveness of intraoperative use of DEX to reduce the incidence of postoperative tachyarrhythmia (POT). From a local European Congenital Heart Surgery Association database, we included patients operated for congenital heart diseases under cardiopulmonary bypass within a 5-year period (2017-2021), during which intraoperative use of high dose of DEX (1-1.4 µg/kg/h) was implemented. A doubly robust matching estimation of the causal effect of DEX on the incidence of POT was conducted. We combined a multimodal estimation model in patients not exposed to DEX (disease risk score) as well as a regression analysis in a matched cohort for patients exposured to DEX. From a cohort of 593 surgeries (514 patients) occurring during the study period, doubly matched analysis consisted of the analysis of 426 surgeries conducted under DEX or not (213 per group). The probability of developing POT in patients exposed to DEX was 6.6% (95% confidence interval 0.032-0.099) vs 14.5% (95% confidence interval 0.098-0.193) in the group of patients not exposed to DEX. The doubly robust matched estimation method showed a mean reduction of 8.8% (95% confidence interval -0.137 to -0.023) of POT when DEX is used for intraoperative anaesthesia. The use of high doses of DEX during anaesthesia for congenital heart surgery in neonates and infants is associated with a moderate but significant reduction of POT.

Octreotide for Acquired Chylothorax in Pediatric Patients Post-Cardiothoracic Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review.

Chylothorax is a life-threatening complication post-corrective congenital heart surgery. Octreotide is used for treatment of refractory chylothoraces, with no standardized treatment protocol and a paucity of literature describing its efficacy. Our aim was to provide an update on the safety and efficacy of octreotide for the treatment of refractory chylothoraces in neonatal and pediatric patients' post-corrective congenital heart surgery. We performed a systematic review of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. Only intravenous octreotide treatment was included. A total of 621 patients across 27 studies were included. Studies included were 11 case series, 5 case studies, and 11 retrospective cohort studies. Variation in treatment regimens were reported. Treatment efficacy was reported in 95% (23/27) of studies. Definitions of treatment efficacy were reported in 33% (9/27) of studies. No prospective or randomized control trials were available for inclusion. Octreotide efficacy is widely reported despite a lack of standardization on criteria for treatment initiation or what defines an appropriate response to therapy.Please check and confirm whether the edit made to the article title is in order.Yes.

Fetal growth and gestational age improve outcome predictions in neonatal heart surgery

ObjectiveCurrent risk adjustment models for congenital heart surgery do not fully incorporate multiple factors unique to neonates such as granular gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) z score data. This study sought to develop a Neonatal Risk Adjustment Model for congenital heart surgery to address these deficiencies. MethodsCohort study of neonates undergoing cardiothoracic surgery during the neonatal period captured in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium database between 2014 and 2020. Candidate predictors were included in the model if they were associated with mortality in the univariate analyses. GA and BW z score were both added as multicategory variables. Mortality probabilities were predicted for different GA and BW z scores while keeping all other variables at their mean value. ResultsThe C statistic for the mortality model was 0.8097 (95% confidence interval, 0.7942-0.8255) with excellent calibration. Mortality prediction for a neonate at 40 weeks GA and a BW z score 0 to 1 was 3.5% versus 9.8% for the same neonate at 37 weeks GA and a BW z score −2 to −1. For preterm infants the mortality prediction at 34 to 36 weeks with a BW z score 0 to 1 was 10.6%, whereas it was 36.1% for the same infant at <32 weeks with a BW z score of −2 to −1. ConclusionsThis Neonatal Risk Adjustment Model incorporates more granular data on GA and adds the novel risk factor BW z score. These 2 factors refine mortality predictions compared with traditional risk models. It may be used to compare outcomes across centers for the neonatal population.

Neonatal congenital heart surgery: contemporary outcomes and risk profile

ObjectiveMany studies still dispute the identification of independent risk factors that influence outcome after neonatal cardiac surgery. We present our study to announce the contemporary outcomes and risk profile of neonatal cardiac surgery at our institute.MethodsWe designed a retrospective study of neonatal patients who underwent surgery for congenital heart diseases between June 2011 and April 2020. Demographic, operative, and postoperative data were collected from medical records and surgical databases. The primary outcome was the operative mortality (in-hospital death) and secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, intensive care unit stay, duration of mechanical ventilation.ResultsIn total, 1155 cardiac surgeries in children were identified; of these, 136 (11.8%) were performed in neonates. Arterial switch operations (48 cases) were the most frequent procedures. Postoperatively, 11 (8.1%) patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 4 (2.9%) patients had complete heart block. Postoperative in-hospital mortality was 11%. The median postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit stay, and hospital length of stay were 6, 18, and 24 days, respectively.ConclusionThe early outcomes of neonatal cardiac surgery are encouraging. The requirement of postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, postoperative intracranial hemorrhage, and acute kidney were identified as independent risk factors of mortality following surgery for congenital heart defects in neonates.

Cerebral desaturation during neonatal congenital heart surgery is associated with perioperative brain structure alterations but not with neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 year.

The significance of intraoperative cerebral desaturation (CD) measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict neurological outcome after congenital heart surgery is uncertain. The goal of this study was to compare brain structure changes and neurodevelopmental outcome in patients with severe congenital heart disease with and without intraoperative CD. Neonates requiring congenital heart surgery were enrolled in a cohort study. NIRS data from their first cardiac operation were collected. Pre- and postoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging results and Bayley-III scores at 1 year were compared between patients with and without CD, defined by 2 NIRS thresholds: regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) of 45% (45%rSO2) and rSO2 below 20% of baseline value (20%BLrSO2). Thirty-two patients (72% male) with d-transposition of the great arteries (n = 24, 75%) and other complex types of congenital heart diseases (n = 8, 25%) were analysed. Perioperative relative lateral ventricle volume change was increased in patients with versus without intraoperative CD (P = 0.003 for 45%rSO2, P = 0.008 for 20%BLrSO2). For 45%rSO2, the effect of CD remained significant after adjusting for age at postoperative scan, time between scans and cardiac diagnosis (P = 0.019). New intracranial lesions occurred predominantly in CD groups (6/6 patients for 45%rSO2, 5/6 patients for 20%BLrSO2). Neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 year was not associated with intraoperative CD. This study demonstrates the clinical relevance of NIRS monitoring during congenital heart surgery. The occurrence of intraoperative CD is associated with perioperative lateral ventricle volume change and new intracranial lesions.

Disparities in surgical outcomes of neonates with congenital heart disease across regions, centers, and populations

ObjectiveTo summarize existing literature on neonatal disparities in congenital heart disease surgical outcomes and identify potential policies to address these disparities. FindingDisparities in outcomes for neonatal congenital heart surgery were largely published under four domains: race/ethnicity, insurance type, neighborhood/socioeconomic status, and cardiac center characteristics. While existing research identifies associations between these domains and mortality, more nuanced analyses are emerging to understand the mediators between these domains and other non-mortality outcomes, as well as potential interventions and policies to reduce disparities. A broader look into social determinants of health (SDOH), prenatal diagnosis, proximity of birth to a cardiac surgical center, and post-surgical outpatient and neurodevelopmental follow-up may accelerate interventions to mitigate disparities in outcomes. ConclusionUnderstanding the mechanisms of how SDOH relate to neonatal surgical outcomes is paramount, as disparities research in neonatal congenital heart surgery continues to shift from identification and description, to intervention and policy.

Comparison of different scoring systems for predicting mortality and morbidity after neonatal heart surgery

Comparison of different scoring systems for predicting mortality and morbidity after neonatal heart surgery

Clinical outcomes of del nido cardioplegia and st thomas blood cardioplegia in neonatal congenital heart surgery.

Objectives:Cardioplegia is essential for adequate myocardial protection. There continues to remain ambiguity regarding the ideal cardioplegia for adequate myocardial protection in congenital heart surgery. This study compares clinical outcomes using St Thomas II solution and Del Nido cardioplegia in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery.Methods:All neonates (<30 days) from 2011 to 2017 who underwent surgery requiring cardioplegic arrest were analyzed retrospectively. We divided the cohort into two groups depending on cardioplegia received, as group A (Blood cardioplegia with St Thomas II solution, n = 56) and group B (Del Nido cardioplegia, n = 48). Various demographic, intraoperative, early postoperative, and discharge variables were analyzed.Results:Two groups were similar in age, gender, pre-operative diagnosis, and risk category. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (P = 0.002), aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time (P = 0.018), and the number of doses of cardioplegia (P < 0.001) were significantly lower with Del Nido group. Though vasoactive inotropic score (VIS) (P = 0.036) was high during the first 24 h in the immediate postoperative period in group A, there was no difference in early mortality among both groups (P = 0.749). Both groups did not show significant differences related to various postoperative and discharge variables.Conclusion:When compared to St. Thomas solution, the use of Del Nido cardioplegia solution in neonates is associated with a significant decrease in CPB and ACC times and VIS in the first 24 h after surgery. The choice of cardioplegia (St Thomas/Del Nido) in neonates does not affect early mortality and early postoperative clinical outcomes.

Comparable prognosis in different neonatal histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate dosage management.

Background:Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) is a solution commonly used for organ transplantation. However, there is no certified fixed regimen for on-pump heart surgery in neonates. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes related to different HTK dosages and to analyze the safety of high-dosage perfusion.Methods:A total of 146 neonates who underwent on-pump heart surgery with single-shot HTK perfusion were divided into two groups according to HTK dosages: a standard-dose (SD) group (n = 63, 40 mL/kg < HTK ≤ 60 mL/kg) and a high-dose (HD) group (n = 83, HTK >60 mL/kg). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control confounding bias.Results:The SD group had a higher weight (3.7 ± 0.4 vs. 3.4 ± 0.4 kg, P < 0.0001), a lower proportion of complete transposition of the great artery (69.8% vs. 85.5%, P = 0.022), a lower cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (123.5 [108.0, 136.0] vs. 132.5 [114.8, 152.5] min, P = 0.034), and a lower aortic x-clamp time (82.9 ± 27.1 vs. 95.5 ± 26.0 min, P = 0.005). After PSM, 44 patients were assigned to each group; baseline characteristics and CPB parameters between the two groups were comparable. There were no significant differences in peri-CPB blood product consumption after PSM (P > 0.05). The incidences of post-operative complications were not significantly different between the two groups. There were no significant differences in ventilation time, intensive care unit stay, and post-operative hospital stay (P > 0.05). Follow-up echocardiography outcomes at 1 month, 3 to 6 months, and 1 year showed that left ventricular ejection fraction and end-diastolic dimension were comparable between the two groups.Conclusions:In neonatal on-pump cardiac surgery patients, single-shot HD (>60 mL/kg) HTK perfusion had a comparable heart protection effect and short-term post-operative prognosis as standard dosage perfusion of 40 to 60 mL/kg. Thus, this study provides supporting evidence of the safety of HD HTK perfusion.

Effects of circulatory arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass on cerebral autoregulation in neonatal swine

BackgroundCerebral autoregulation mechanisms help maintain adequate cerebral blood flow (CBF) despite changes in cerebral perfusion pressure. Impairment of cerebral autoregulation, during and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), may increase risk of neurologic injury in neonates undergoing surgery. In this study, alterations of cerebral autoregulation were assessed in a neonatal swine model probing four perfusion strategies.MethodsNeonatal swine (n = 25) were randomized to continuous deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (DH-CPB, n = 7), deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA, n = 7), selective cerebral perfusion (SCP, n = 7) at deep hypothermia, or normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (control, n = 4). The correlation coefficient (LDx) between laser Doppler measurements of CBF and mean arterial blood pressure was computed at initiation and conclusion of CPB. Alterations in cerebral autoregulation were assessed by the change between initial and final LDx measurements.ResultsCerebral autoregulation became more impaired (LDx increased) in piglets that underwent DH-CPB (initial LDx: median 0.15, IQR [0.03, 0.26]; final: 0.45, [0.27, 0.74]; p = 0.02). LDx was not altered in those undergoing DHCA (p > 0.99) or SCP (p = 0.13). These differences were not explained by other risk factors.ConclusionsIn a validated swine model of cardiac surgery, DH-CPB had a significant effect on cerebral autoregulation, whereas DHCA and SCP did not.ImpactApproximately half of the patients who survive neonatal heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) experience neurodevelopmental delays. This preclinical investigation takes steps to elucidate and isolate potential perioperative risk factors of neurologic injury, such as impairment of cerebral autoregulation, associated with cardiac surgical procedures involving CPB.We demonstrate a method to characterize cerebral autoregulation during CPB pump flow changes in a neonatal swine model of cardiac surgery.Cerebral autoregulation was not altered in piglets that underwent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) or selective cerebral perfusion (SCP), but it was altered in piglets that underwent deep hypothermic CBP.

Statistical analysis plan for the NITric oxide during cardiopulmonary bypass to improve Recovery in Infants with Congenital heart defects (NITRIC) trial

Background: The NITric oxide during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to improve Recovery in Infants with Congenital heart defects (NITRIC) trial, a 1320-patient, multicentre, randomised controlled trial, is aiming to improve survival free of ventilation after CPB by using nitric oxide delivered into the oxygenator of the CPB. Objective: To provide a statistical analysis plan before completion of patient recruitment and data monitoring. Final analyses for this study will adhere to this statistical analysis plan, which details all key pre-planned analyses. Stata scripts for analyses have been prepared alongside this statistical analysis plan. Methods: The statistical analysis plan was designed collaboratively by the chief investigators and trial statistician and builds on the previously published study protocol. All authors remain blinded to treatment allocation. Detail is provided on statistical analyses including cohort description, analysis of primary and secondary outcomes and adverse events. Statistical methods to compare outcomes are planned in detail to ensure methods are verifiable and reproducible. Results: The statistical analysis plan developed provides the trial outline, list of mock tables, and analysis scripts. The plan describes statistical analyses on cohort and baseline description, primary and secondary outcome analyses, process of care measures, physiological descriptors, and safety and adverse event reporting. We define the pre-specified subgroup analyses and the respective statistical tests used to compare subgroups. Conclusion: The statistical analysis plan for the NITRIC trial establishes detailed pre-planned analyses alongside Stata scripts to analyse the largest trial in the field of neonatal and paediatric heart surgery. The plan ensures standards for trial analysis validity aiming to minimise bias of analyses. Trial registration: ACTRN12617000821392.

Abstract 13920: Improved Outcome Prediction Modelling in Neonatal Congenital Heart Disease With Metabolomic Feature Clustering

Introduction: Neonatal heart surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Methods to improve outcome prediction are lacking. Hypothesis: Targeted metabolic profiling can identify critical metabolites associated with important post-operative clinical outcomes. These in turn could be integrated into clinical prediction models. Methods: Secondary analysis of serum samples from the neonatal congenital cardiac surgery with CPB methylprednisolone trial, which evaluated effects of steroids on outcomes. Samples were from pre-op, immediate post-CPB, and 12 hrs post op. Outcomes were a cardiac dysfunction composite (death, ECMO, cardiac arrest and lactate) and low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS). Metabolite levels were determined with targeted mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Principal component (PC) analysis and multivariable regression analysis with bootstrapping were used to assess the association between metabolic profiles and outcomes. Results: Total cohort had 149 patients. PC analysis identified 6 PCs (PC1-PC6) that explained 51% of variance. When PCs and metabolites were added to a base clinical model, model fit for the cardiac dysfunction composite outcome was significantly improved (c-stat 0.819 vs 0.902, p&lt;0.001) as well as LCOS (c-stat 0.576 vs. 0.803, p=0.76 vs. p=0.01). Using adjusted regression models, metabolites (some of which are included in PCs) significantly associated with cardiac dysfunction composite outcome were proline (p=0.004) and leucine (p=0.01). Metabolites associated with LCOS were n-acetyltryptophan (p=0.01), glycocholic acid (p=0.001), cortisol (p=0.02), nicotinamide (p=0.04), methyladenosine (p=0.01) and methionine (p=0.01). For cardiac composite outcome, cumulative and post op values were significant, whereas all time points were for LCOS. Conclusions: Combining metabolic profiles with patient characteristics revealed significant pre-op metabolites associated with important clinical outcomes. Given that the association held true for all time points, these observations could be used to design molecular signature for post-operative cardiac complications or, to create prediction models based on pre-operative metabolic profiles.

Telehealth Home Monitoring and Postcardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease.

To test the effect of a 4-month telehealth home monitoring program (REACH), layered on usual care, on postdischarge outcomes in parents of infants recovering from cardiac surgery and their infants. Randomized trial of infants discharged from the hospital after cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. Consecutive infants with complex congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery within 21 days of life were enrolled at 3 university-affiliated pediatric cardiac centers. From 2012 to 2016, 219 parent-infant dyads were enrolled; 109 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 110 to the control group. At 4 months postdischarge, parenting stress was not significantly different between groups (total Parenting Stress Index in the intervention group was 220 and in the control group was 215; P = .61). The percentages of parents who met posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria and parent quality of life inventory scores were also not significantly different between the 2 groups (PTSD in the intervention group was 18% and was 18% in the control group; P =.56; the mean Ulm Quality of Life Inventory for Parents in the intervention group was 71 andwas 70 in the control group; P = .88). Infant growth in both groups was suboptimal (the mean weight-for-age z scores were -1.1 in the intervention group and -1.2 in the control group; P = .56), and more infants in the intervention group were readmitted to the hospital (66% in the intervention group versus 57% in the control group; P < .001). When added to usual care, the REACH intervention was not associated with an improvement in parent or infant outcomes. Four months after neonatal heart surgery, ∼20% of parents demonstrate PTSD symptoms. Suboptimal infant growth and hospital readmissions were common.

Impact of Different Cardiopulmonary Bypass Strategies on Renal Injury After Pediatric Heart Surgery

The purpose of this study is to compare the incidence and severity of acute kidney injury (AKI) after open heart surgery in neonates and infants for two different cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) strategies. In all, 151 infants undergoing cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled between June 2017 and June 2018 at two centers, one using conventional CPB (2.4 L · min-1 · m-2, 150 mL · kg-1 · min-1) with reduction of flow rates with moderate hypothermia and with a targeted hematocrit greater than 25% (center 1, n= 91), and the other using higher bypass flow rates (175 to 200 mL · kg-1 · min-1) and higher minimum hematocrit (greater than 32%) CPB (center 2, n= 60). The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative AKI as defined by Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria and risk factors associated with AKI. Preoperative characteristics and complexity of surgery were comparable between centers. The overall incidence of early postoperative AKI was 10.6% (16 of 151), with 15.4% (14 of 91) in center 1 and 3.3% (2 of 60) incenter 2 (P= .02). Mean lowest flow rates on CPB were78 mL · kg-1 · min-1 vs 118 mL · kg-1 · min-1 and mean highest hematocrit on separation from CPB were 33% vs 43% at center 1 and 2, respectively (P < .001). Center 1 used less packed red blood cells but more fresh frozen plasma than center 2 (P= .001). By multivariate analysis, only lower flows on CPB (78 vs 96 mL · kg-1 · min-1, P= .043) and lower hematocrit at the end of CPB (33% vs 37%, P= .007) were associated with AKI. In this contemporary comparative study, higher flow rates and higher hematocrit during cardiopulmonary bypass were associated with better preservation of renal function.