External validation of a clinical mathematical model estimating post-operative urine output following cardiac surgery in children.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to externally validate a clinical mathematical model designed to predict urine output (UOP) during the initial post-operative period in pediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: Children aged 0-18 years admitted to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit at Cleveland Clinic Children's from April 2018 to April 2023, who underwent cardiac surgery with CPB were included. Patients were excluded if they had pre-operative kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT), re-operation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or KRT requirement within the first 32 post-operative hours or had indwelling urinary catheter for fewer than the initial 32 post-operative hours, or had vasoactive-inotrope score of 0, or those with missing data in the electronic health records. RESULTS: A total of 213 encounters were analyzed; median age (days): 172 (IQR 25-75th%: 51-1655), weight (kg): 6.1 (IQR 25-75th%: 3.8-15.5), median UOP ml/kg/hr in the first 32 post-operative hours: 2.59 (IQR 25-75th%: 1.93-3.26) and post-operative 30-day mortality: 1, (0.4%). The mathematical model achieved the following metrics in the entire dataset: mean absolute error (95th% Confidence Interval (CI)): 0.70 (0.67-0.73), median absolute error (95th% CI): 0.54 (0.52-0.56), mean squared error (95th% CI): 0.97 (0.89-1.05), root mean squared error (95th% CI): 0.99 (0.95-1.03) and R2 Score (95th% CI): 0.29 (0.24-0.34). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides encouraging external validation results of a mathematical model predicting post-operative UOP in pediatric cardiac surgery patients. Further multicenter studies must explore its broader applicability.

Demonstrating responsiveness of the pediatric cardiac quality of life inventory in children and adolescents undergoing arrhythmia ablation, heart transplantation, and valve surgery.

PURPOSE: Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory (PCQLI) is a disease-specific pediatric cardiac health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument that is reliable, valid, and generalizable. We aim to demonstrate PCQLI responsiveness in children undergoing arrhythmia ablation, heart transplantation, and valve surgery before and after cardiac intervention. METHODS: Pediatric cardiac patients 8-18 years of age from 11 centers undergoing arrhythmia ablation, heart transplantation, or valve surgery were enrolled. Patient and parent-proxy PCQLI Total, Disease Impact and Psychosocial Impact subscale scores were assessed pre- and 3-12 months follow-up. Patient clinical status was assessed by a clinician post-procedure and dichotomized into markedly improved/improved and no change/worse/much worse. Paired t-tests examined change over time. RESULTS: We included 195 patient/parent-proxies: 12.6 ± 3.0 years of age; median follow-up time 6.7 (IQR = 5.3-8.2) months; procedural groups - 79 (41%) ablation, 28 (14%) heart transplantation, 88 (45%) valve surgery; clinical status - 164 (84%) markedly improved/improved, 31 (16%) no change/worse/much worse. PCQLI patient and parent-proxies Total scores increased (p ≤ 0.013) in each intervention group. All PCQLI scores were higher (p < 0.001) in the markedly improved/improved group and there were no clinically significant differences in the PCQLI scores in the no difference/worse/much worse group. CONCLUSION: The PCQLI is responsive in the pediatric cardiac population. Patients with improved clinical status and their parent-proxies reported increased HRQOL after the procedure. Patients with no improvement in clinical status and their parent-proxies reported no change in HRQOL. PCQLI may be used as a patient-reported outcome measure for longitudinal follow-up and interventional trials to assess HRQOL impact from patient and parent-proxy perspectives.

It is important to have quality of life (QOL) measures that are sensitive to change in QOL before and after procedures and to be sensitive to change over time. The Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory (PCQLI) is a QOL measure specifically developed for children with cardiac disease. This study assessed the responsiveness of the PCQLI to detect change in QOL over time. QOL in Children and adolescents who were being treated for abnormal heart rhythms, heart transplantation, and aortic, pulmonary, or mitral valve surgery were assessed before and after their procedure. Children and adolescents with improved clinical status post-procedure, and their parents, reported better QOL after the procedure. Patients with no improvement from a cardiac standpoint and their parents reported no change in QOL after their procedure. The PCQLI may be used to assess QOL before and after cardiac procedures or medical treatment and follow QOL over time.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Neonates and Infants With Coarctation.

BACKGROUND: Although coarctation of the aorta without concomitant intracardiac pathology is relatively common, there is lack of guidance regarding aspects of its management in neonates and infants. METHODS: A panel of experienced congenital cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and intensivists was created, and key questions related to the management of isolated coarctation in neonates and infants were formed using the PICO (Patients/Population, Intervention, Comparison/Control, Outcome) Framework. A literature search was then performed for each question. Practice guidelines were developed with classification of recommendation and level of evidence using a modified Delphi method. RESULTS: For neonates and infants with isolated coarctation, surgery is indicated in the absence of obvious surgical contraindications. For patients with risk factors for surgery, medical management before intervention is reasonable. For those stable off prostaglandin E1, the threshold for intervention remains unclear. Thoracotomy is indicated when arch hypoplasia is not present. Sternotomy is preferable when arch hypoplasia is present that cannot be adequately addressed through a thoracotomy. Sternotomy may also be considered in the presence of a bovine aortic arch. Antegrade cerebral perfusion may be reasonable when the repair is performed through a sternotomy. Extended end-to-end, arch advancement, and patch augmentation are all reasonable techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery remains the standard of care for the management of isolated coarctation in neonates and infants. Depending on degree and location, arch hypoplasia may require a sternotomy approach as opposed to a thoracotomy approach. Significant opportunities remain to better delineate management in these patients.

Perceived family-centered care and post-traumatic stress in parents of infants cared for in the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Family-centred care (FCC), while a core value of paediatric hospitals, has not been well-studied in the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). AIM: To describe parents' perceptions of FCC provided by nurses in the PCICU during their infant's recovery from neonatal cardiac surgery and explore associations of perceptions of FCC on parent post-traumatic stress (PTS) 4 months post-discharge. STUDY DESIGN: Data obtained from a previously conducted randomized clinical trial (RCT) on telehealth home monitoring after neonatal cardiac surgery at three free-standing paediatric hospitals were analysed from a subset of 164 parents who completed the FCC Scale at hospital discharge, which measures a parent's experience of nursing care that embodies core principles of FCC. The RCT intervention was provided after hospital discharge, having no influence on parent's perception of FCC. The intervention also had no effect on PTS. RESULTS: Perceived FCC was lowest for items 'nurses helped me feel welcomed' and 'nurses helped me feel important in my child's care'. Having 12%-19% points lower perception of FCC at hospital discharge was associated with parent experience of six or more PTS symptoms, at least moderate PTS symptom severity, or PTS disorder diagnosis at 4-month follow-up. Every 10% increase in parental perceptions of FCC was associated with less PTS symptoms (ß = -0.29, SE = 0.12; p = .02) and lower PTS symptom cluster scores of arousal (ß = -0.18, SE = 0.08; p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Parents who perceived lower FCC during their infants' hospitalization were at increased risk for the development of PTS symptoms, more PTS symptom severity and PTS disorder diagnosis 4-months post-discharge. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses have a prominent role to support the implementation of FCC for infants with cardiac defects and their parents. FCC may positively influence overall parent mental health and well-being, reducing the trauma and distress of the PCICU experience.

Periods of low renal perfusion pressure are associated with acute kidney injury following paediatric cardiac surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury is associated with worse outcomes after cardiac surgery. The haemodynamic goals to ameliorate kidney injury are not clear. Low post-operative renal perfusion pressure has been associated with acute kidney injury in adults. Inadequate oxygen delivery may also cause kidney injury. This study evaluates pressure and oximetric haemodynamics after paediatric cardiac surgery and their association with acute kidney injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective case-control study at a children's hospital. Patients were < 6 months of age who underwent a Society of Thoracic Surgery-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Congenital Heart Surgery categories ≥ 3. Low renal perfusion pressure was time and depth below several tested thresholds. The primary outcome was serum creatine-defined acute kidney injury in the first 7 days. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (median age 8 days) were included. Acute kidney injury occurred in 36%. The time and depth of renal perfusion pressure < 42 mmHg in the first 24 hours was greater in acute kidney injury patients (94 versus 35 mmHg*minutes of low renal perfusion pressure/hour, p = 0.008). In the multivariable model, renal perfusion pressure < 42 mmHg was associated with acute kidney injury (aOR: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.25-3.82, p = 0.009). Mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure, and measures of inadequate oxygen delivery were not associated with acute kidney injury. CONCLUSION: Periods of low renal perfusion pressure (<42 mmHg) in the first 24 post-operative hours are associated with acute kidney injury. Renal perfusion pressure is a potential modifiable target that may mitigate the impact of acute kidney injury after paediatric cardiac surgery.

Recommendations for Centers Performing Pediatric Heart Surgery in the United States.

Care and outcomes for the more than 40,000 patients undergoing pediatric and congenital heart surgery in the United States annually are known to vary widely. While consensus recommendations have been published across numerous fields as one mechanism to promote a high level of care delivery across centers, it has been more than two decades since the last pediatric heart surgery recommendations were published in the United States. More recent guidance is lacking, and collaborative efforts involving the many disciplines engaged in caring for these children have not been undertaken to date. The present initiative brings together professional societies spanning numerous care domains and congenital cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, nursing, and other healthcare professionals from diverse programs around the country to develop consensus recommendations for United States centers. The focus of this initial work is on pediatric heart surgery, and it is recommended that future efforts focus in detail on the adult congenital population. We describe the background, rationale, and methodology related to this collaborative effort, and recommendations put forth for Essential Care Centers (essential services necessary for any program), and Comprehensive Care Centers (services to optimize comprehensive and high-complexity care), encompassing structure, process, and outcome metrics across 14 domains.

Recommendations for centers performing pediatric heart surgery in the United States.

Care and outcomes for the more than 40,000 patients undergoing pediatric and congenital heart surgery in the United States annually are known to vary widely. While consensus recommendations have been published across numerous fields as one mechanism to promote a high level of care delivery across centers, it has been more than two decades since the last pediatric heart surgery recommendations were published in the United States. More recent guidance is lacking, and collaborative efforts involving the many disciplines engaged in caring for these children have not been undertaken to date. The present initiative brings together professional societies spanning numerous care domains and congenital cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, nursing, and other healthcare professionals from diverse programs around the country to develop consensus recommendations for United States centers. The focus of this initial work is on pediatric heart surgery, and it is recommended that future efforts focus in detail on the adult congenital population. We describe the background, rationale, and methodology related to this collaborative effort, and recommendations put forth for Essential Care Centers (essential services necessary for any program), and Comprehensive Care Centers (services to optimize comprehensive and high-complexity care), encompassing structure, process, and outcome metrics across 14 domains.

The Academic Impact of Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS) Studies.

PURPOSE: We reviewed all 64 articles ever published by The Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS) Data Center to estimate the academic impact of these peer-reviewed articles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society has performed research based on 12 Diagnostic Inception Cohorts. The first cohort (Transposition) began enrolling patients on January 1, 1985. We queried PubMed to determine the number of publications that referenced each of the 64 journal articles generated by the datasets of the 12 Diagnostic Inception Cohorts that comprise the CHSS Database. Descriptive summaries of the data were tabulated using mean with standard deviation and median with range. RESULTS: Sixty-four peer-reviewed papers have been published based on the CHSS Database. Fifty-nine peer-reviewed articles have been published based on the 12 Diagnostic Inception Cohorts, and five additional articles have been published based on Data Science. Excluding the recently established Diagnostic Inception Cohort for patients with Ebstein malformation of tricuspid valve, the number of papers published per cohort ranged from 1 for coarctation to 11 for transposition of the great arteries. The 11 articles generated from the CHSS Transposition Cohort were referenced by a total of 111 articles (median number of references per journal article = 9 [range = 0-22, mean = 10.1]). Overall, individual articles were cited by an average of 11 (mean), and a maximum of 41 PubMed-listed publications. Overall, these 64 peer-reviewed articles based on the CHSS Database were cited 692 times in PubMed-listed publications. The first CHSS peer-reviewed article was published in 1987, and during the 35 years from 1987 to 2022, inclusive, the annual number of CHSS publications has ranged from 0 to 7, with a mean of 1.8 publications per year (median = 1, mode = 1). CONCLUSION: Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society studies are widely referenced in the pediatric cardiac surgical literature, with over 10 citations per published article. These cohorts provide unique information unavailable in other sources of data. A tool to access this analysis is available at: [https://data-center.chss.org/multimedia/files/2022/CAI.pdf].

Recommendations for Centers Performing Pediatric Heart Surgery in the United States.

Care and outcomes for the more than 40,000 patients undergoing pediatric and congenital heart surgery in the United States annually are known to vary widely. While consensus recommendations have been published across numerous fields as one mechanism to promote a high level of care delivery across centers, it has been more than two decades since the last pediatric heart surgery recommendations were published in the United States. More recent guidance is lacking, and collaborative efforts involving the many disciplines engaged in caring for these children have not been undertaken to date. The present initiative brings together professional societies spanning numerous care domains and congenital cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, nursing, and other healthcare professionals from diverse programs around the country to develop consensus recommendations for United States centers. The focus of this initial work is on pediatric heart surgery, and it is recommended that future efforts focus in detail on the adult congenital population. We describe the background, rationale, and methodology related to this collaborative effort, and recommendations put forth for Essential Care Centers (essential services necessary for any program), and Comprehensive Care Centers (services to optimize comprehensive and high-complexity care), encompassing structure, process, and outcome metrics across 14 domains.

Factors Associated With Attendance for Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neurodevelopmental evaluation of toddlers with complex congenital heart disease is recommended but reported frequency is low. Data on barriers to attending neurodevelopmental follow-up are limited. This study aims to estimate the attendance rate for a toddler neurodevelopmental evaluation in a contemporary multicenter cohort and to assess patient and center level factors associated with attending this evaluation. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of children born between September 2017 and September 2018 who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass in their first year of life at a center contributing data to the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative and Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registries. The primary outcome was attendance for a neurodevelopmental evaluation between 11 and 30 months of age. Sociodemographic and medical characteristics and center factors specific to neurodevelopmental program design were considered as predictors for attendance. RESULTS: Among 2385 patients eligible from 16 cardiac centers, the attendance rate was 29.0% (692 of 2385), with a range of 7.8% to 54.3% across individual centers. In multivariable logistic regression models, hospital-initiated (versus family-initiated) scheduling for neurodevelopmental evaluation had the largest odds ratio in predicting attendance (odds ratio = 4.24, 95% confidence interval, 2.74-6.55). Other predictors of attendance included antenatal diagnosis, absence of Trisomy 21, higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery mortality category, longer postoperative length of stay, private insurance, and residing a shorter distance from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Attendance rates reflect some improvement but remain low. Changes to program infrastructure and design and minimizing barriers affecting access to care are essential components for improving neurodevelopmental care and outcomes for children with congenital heart disease.

Advocacy at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) will be held in Washington DC, USA, from Saturday, 26 August, 2023 to Friday, 1 September, 2023, inclusive. The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be the largest and most comprehensive scientific meeting dedicated to paediatric and congenital cardiac care ever held. At the time of the writing of this manuscript, The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery has 5,037 registered attendees (and rising) from 117 countries, a truly diverse and international faculty of over 925 individuals from 89 countries, over 2,000 individual abstracts and poster presenters from 101 countries, and a Best Abstract Competition featuring 153 oral abstracts from 34 countries. For information about the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, please visit the following website: [www.WCPCCS2023.org]. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the activities related to global health and advocacy that will occur at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.Acknowledging the need for urgent change, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring a common voice to the global community and issue the Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action on Addressing the Global Burden of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Diseases. A copy of this Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is provided in the Appendix of this manuscript. This Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the global burden, promoting the development of sustainable care systems, and improving access to high quality and equitable healthcare for children with heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease worldwide.

Long-Term Quality of Life in Congenital Heart Disease Surgical Survivors: Multicenter Retrospective Study of Surgical and ICU Explanatory Factors.

OBJECTIVES: Greater congenital heart disease (CHD) complexity is associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL). There are no data on the association between surgical and ICU factors and HRQOL in CHD survivors. This study assess the association between surgical and ICU factors and HRQOL in child and adolescent CHD survivors. DESIGN: This was a corollary study of the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory (PCQLI) Testing Study. SETTING: Eight pediatric hospitals participating in the PCQLI Study. PATIENTS: Patients in the study had the Fontan procedure, surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and transposition of the great arteries (TGAs). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Surgical/ICU explanatory variables were collected by reviewing the medical records. Primary outcome variables (PCQLI Total patient and parent scores) and covariates were obtained from the Data Registry. General linear modeling was used to create the multivariable models. There were 572 patients included: mean ± sd of age 11.7 ± 2.9 years; CHD Fontan 45%, TOF/TGA 55%; number of cardiac surgeries 2 (1-9); and number of ICU admissions 3 (1-9). In multivariable models, lowest body temperature on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was negatively associated with patient total score (p < 0.05). The total number of CPB runs was negatively associated with parent-reported PCQLI Total score (p < 0.02). Cumulative days on an inotropic/vasoactive drug in the ICU was negatively associated with all patient-/parent-reported PCQLI scores (p < 0.04). Neurological deficit at discharge was negatively associated with parent-reported PCQLI total score (p < 0.02). The variance explained by these factors ranged from 24% to 29%. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical/ICU factors, demographic, and medical care utilization variables explain a low-to-moderate amount of variation in HRQOL. Research is needed to determine whether modification of these surgical and ICU factors improves HRQOL, and to identify other factors that contribute to unexplained variability.

'Are Routine Post-discharge Diuretics Necessary After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery?'

A prospective, one-armed, safety non-inferiority trial with historical controls was performed at a single-center, quaternary, children's hospital. Inclusion criteria were children aged 3 months-18 years after pediatric cardiac surgery resulting in a two-ventricle repair between 7/2020 and 7/2021. Eligible patients were compared with patients from a 5-year historical period (selected using a database search). The intervention was that "regular risk" patients received no diuretics and pre-specified "high risk" patients received 5 days of twice per day furosemide at discharge. 61 Subjects received the intervention. None were readmitted for pleural effusions, though 1 subject was treated for a symptomatic pleural effusion with outpatient furosemide. The study was halted after an interim analysis demonstrated that 4 subjects were readmitted with pericardial effusion during the study period versus 2 during the historical control (2.9% versus 0.2%, P = 0.003). We found no evidence that limited post-discharge diuretics results in an increase in readmissions for pleural effusions. This conclusion is limited as not enough subjects were enrolled to definitively show that this strategy is not inferior to the historical practice. There was a statistically significant increase in readmissions for pericardial effusions after implementation of this study protocol which can lead to serious complications and requires further study before conclusions can be drawn regarding optimal diuretic regimens.

A Randomized Trial of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet in Neonates with Single Ventricle Physiology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether weight gain velocity (g/kg/day) 30 days after the initiation of feeds after cardiac surgery and other clinical outcomes improve in infants with single ventricle physiology fed an exclusive human milk diet compared with a mixed human and bovine diet. STUDY DESIGN: In this multicenter, randomized, single blinded, controlled trial, term neonates 7 days of age or younger with single ventricle physiology and anticipated cardiac surgical palliation within 30 days of birth were enrolled at 10 US centers. Both groups received human milk if fed preoperatively. During the 30 days after feeds were started postoperatively, infants in the intervention group received human milk fortified once enteral intake reached 60 mL/kg/day with a human milk-based fortifier designed for term neonates. The control group received standard fortification with formula once enteral intake reached 100 mL/kg/day. Perioperative feeding and parenteral nutrition study algorithms were followed. RESULTS: We enrolled 107 neonates (exclusive human milk = 55, control = 52). Baseline demographics and characteristics were similar between the groups. The median weight gain velocity at study completion was higher in exclusive human milk vs control group (12 g/day [IQR, 5-18 g/day] vs 8 g/day [IQR, 0.4-14 g/day], respectively; P = .03). Other growth measures were similar between groups. Necrotizing enterocolitis of all Bell stages was higher in the control group (15.4 % vs 3.6%, respectively; P = .04). The incidence of other major morbidities, surgical complications, length of hospital stay, and hospital mortality were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Neonates with single ventricle physiology have improved short-term growth and decreased risk of NEC when receiving an exclusive human milk diet after stage 1 surgical palliation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov, Trial ID: NCT02860702).

Isolated Coarctation of the Aorta: Current Concepts and Perspectives.

Current management of isolated CoA, localized narrowing of the aortic arch in the absence of other congenital heart disease, is a success story with improved prenatal diagnosis, high survival and improved understanding of long-term complication. Isolated CoA has heterogenous presentations, complex etiologic mechanisms, and progressive pathophysiologic changes that influence outcome. End-to-end or extended end-to-end anastomosis are the favored surgical approaches for isolated CoA in infants and transcatheter intervention is favored for children and adults. Primary stent placement is the procedure of choice in larger children and adults. Most adults with treated isolated CoA thrive, have normal daily activities, and undergo successful childbirth. Fetal echocardiography is the cornerstone of prenatal counseling and genetic testing is recommended. Advanced 3D imaging identifies aortic complications and myocardial dysfunction and guides individualized therapies including re-intervention. Adult CHD program enrollment is recommended. Longer follow-up data are needed to determine the frequency and severity of aneurysm formation, myocardial dysfunction, and whether childhood lifestyle modifications reduce late-onset complications.

Quality of Life of Mothers of Infants Subjected to Neonatal Cardiac Surgery: The Importance of Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The World Health Organization acknowledges quality of life (QOL) as subjectively perceived overall well-being by the individual and recognizes it as an essential construct for overall health and wellness. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of infant, environmental, and parental factors with the QOL of mothers of infants at four months post-hospital discharge from cardiac surgery. Methods: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from the REACH randomized clinical trial of telehealth home monitoring. The sample included mothers (n = 148) of infants with congenital heart disease who provided data at four months post-discharge. Ten imputations were generated using fully conditional specification methods to address missing data and were combined. All analyses were performed on the imputed data. Mothers' QOL was the main outcome of the analysis, as measured by the Ulm Quality of Life Inventory for Parents. Predictors on QOL were identified based on the World Health Organization QOL framework which recognizes the multidimensional domains influencing QOL that include personal factors, environmental factors, and physical factors related to disease and functioning. Results: The treatment and control groups did not differ on any study variable, thus data were collapsed and analyzed together. Final multivariable model found that the combination of dyadic adjustment, social support, parenting stress, and post-traumatic stress symptoms explained approximately three-quarters of the variance in QOL scores. Conclusions: QOL for mothers of infants with congenital heart disease is largely influenced by psychosocial factors. Future research targeted toward improving maternal QOL should include psychosocial interventions that address social networks and stress.

Fontan Geometry and Hemodynamics Are Associated With Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Despite favorable short-term outcomes, Fontan palliation is associated with comorbidities and diminished quality of life (QOL) in the years after completion. We hypothesized that poor Fontan hemodynamics and ventricular function are associated with worse QOL. METHODS: This was a single-center study of Fontan survivors aged more than 12 years. Subjects completed a cardiac magnetic resonance scan and QOL questionnaire. Cardiac magnetic resonance-derived variables included Fontan geometry, and hemodynamics. Computational fluid dynamics simulations quantified power loss, pressure drop, and total cavopulmonary connection resistance across the Fontan. Quality of life was assessed by completion of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons were made between cardiac magnetic resonance and computational fluid dynamics parameters with patient-reported QOL. RESULTS: We studied 77 Fontan patients, median age 19.7 years (interquartile range, 17.1 to 23.6), median time from Fontan completion 16 years (interquartile range, 13 to 20). Longitudinal data were available for 48 patients; median time between cardiac magnetic resonance and QOL was 8.1 years (interquartile range, 7 to 9.4). Median patient-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory total score was 80 (interquartile range, 67.4 to 88). Greater power loss and smaller left pulmonary artery diameter at baseline were associated with worse QOL at follow-up. Greater pressure drop was associated with worse QOL at the same time point. CONCLUSIONS: For Fontan survivors, measures of computational fluid dynamics hemodynamics and geometry are associated with worse QOL. Interventional strategies targeted at optimizing the Fontan may improve QOL.

Workforce demographics and unit structure in paediatric cardiac critical care in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To assess current demographics and duties of physicians as well as the structure of paediatric cardiac critical care in the United States. DESIGN: REDCap surveys were sent by email from May till August 2019 to medical directors ("directors") of critical care units at the 120 United States centres submitting data to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database and to associated faculty from centres that provided email lists. Faculty and directors were asked about personal attributes and clinical duties. Directors were additionally asked about unit structure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Responses were received from 66% (79/120) of directors and 62% (294/477) of contacted faculty. Seventy-six percent of directors and 54% of faculty were male, however, faculty <40 years old were predominantly women. The majority of both groups were white. Median bed count (n = 20) was similar in ICUs and multi-disciplinary paediatric ICUs. The median service expectation for one clinical full-time equivalent was 14 weeks of clinical service (interquartile range 12, 16), with the majority of programmes (86%) providing in-house attending night coverage. Work hours were high during service and non-service weeks with both directors (37%) and faculty (45%). CONCLUSIONS: Racial and ethnic diversity is markedly deficient in the paediatric cardiac critical care workforce. Although the majority of faculty are male, females make up the majority of the workforce younger than 40 years old. Work hours across all age groups and unit types are high both on- and off-service, with most units providing attending in-house night coverage.

Assessment of physician training and prediction of workforce needs in paediatric cardiac intensive care in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the training and the future workforce needs of paediatric cardiac critical care faculty. DESIGN: REDCap surveys were sent May-August 2019 to medical directors and faculty at the 120 US centres participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database. Faculty and directors were asked about personal training pathway and planned employment changes. Directors were additionally asked for current faculty numbers, expected job openings, presence of training programmes, and numbers of trainees. Predictive modelling of the workforce was performed using respondents' data. Patient volume was projected from US Census data and compared to projected provider availability. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-six per cent (79/120) of directors and 62% (294/477) of contacted faculty responded. Most respondents had training that incorporated critical care medicine with the majority completing training beyond categorical fellowship. Younger respondents and those in dedicated cardiac ICUs were more significantly likely to have advanced training or dual fellowships in cardiology and critical care medicine. An estimated 49-63 faculty enter the workforce annually from various training pathways. Based on modelling, these faculty will likely fill current and projected open positions over the next 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric cardiac critical care training has evolved, such that the majority of faculty now have dual fellowship or advanced training. The projected number of incoming faculty will likely fill open positions within the next 5 years. Institutions with existing or anticipated training programmes should be cognisant of these data and prepare graduates for an increasingly competitive market.