Team Communication and Expectations Following Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Multi-Disciplinary Survey.

Patients and families desire an accurate understanding of the expected recovery following congenital cardiac surgery. Variation in knowledge and expectations within the care team may be under-recognized and impact communication and care delivery. Our objective was to assess knowledge of common postoperative milestones and perceived efficacy of communication with patients and families and within the care team. An 18-question survey measuring knowledge of expected milestones for recovery after four index operations and team communication in the postoperative period was distributed electronically to multidisciplinary care team members at 16 academic pediatric heart centers. Answers were compared to local median data for each respondent's heart center to assess accuracy and stratified by heart center role and years of experience. We obtained 874 responses with broad representation of disciplines. More than half of all respondent predictions (55.3%) did not match their local median data. Percent matching did not vary by care team role but improved with increasing experience (35.8% < 2 years vs. 46.4% > 10 years, p = 0.2133). Of all respondents, 62.7% expressed confidence discussing the anticipated postoperative course, 78.6% denoted confidence discussing postoperative complications, and 55.3% conveyed that not all members of their care team share a common expectation for typical postoperative recovery. Most respondents (94.6%) stated that increased knowledge of local data would positively impact communication. Confidence in communication exceeded accuracy in predicting the timing of postoperative milestones. Important variation in knowledge and expectations for postoperative recovery in pediatric cardiac surgery exists and may impact communication and clinical effectiveness.

Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society 2014 Consensus Statement: Pharmacotherapies in Cardiac Critical Care Fluid Management.

OBJECTIVE: In this Consensus Statement, we review the etiology and pathophysiology of fluid disturbances in critically ill children with cardiac disease. Clinical tools used to recognize pathologic fluid states are summarized, as are the mechanisms of action of many drugs aimed at optimal fluid management. DATA SOURCES: The expertise of the authors and a review of the medical literature were used as data sources. DATA SYNTHESIS: The authors synthesized the data in the literature in order to present clinical tools used to recognize pathologic fluid states. For each drug, the physiologic rationale, mechanism of action, and pharmacokinetics are synthesized, and the evidence in the literature to support the therapy is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Fluid management is challenging in critically ill pediatric cardiac patients. A myriad of causes may be contributory, including intrinsic myocardial dysfunction with its associated neuroendocrine response, renal dysfunction with oliguria, and systemic inflammation with resulting endothelial dysfunction. The development of fluid overload has been associated with adverse outcomes, including acute kidney injury, prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased vasoactive support, prolonged hospital length of stay, and mortality. An in-depth understanding of the many factors that influence volume status is necessary to guide optimal management.

Sustained Performance of Cardiac Arrest Prevention in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units.

Importance: The Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) cardiac arrest prevention (CAP) quality improvement (QI) project facilitated a decreased in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) incidence rate across multiple hospitals. The sustainability of this outcome has not been determined. Objective: To examine the IHCA incidence rate at participating hospitals after the QI project ended and discern which factors best aligned with sustained improvement. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational cohort study compared IHCA data from the CAP era (July 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019) with data from the 2-year follow-up era (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2022). Data were obtained from pediatric cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) from 17 PC4 CAP-participating hospitals. Intervention: The CAP practice bundle was designed to facilitate local practice integration, with the intention to implement, adapt, and continue CAP processes beyond the CAP era. A web-based survey was administered 2 years after the end of the project to estimate CAP-specific QI work. Main Outcomes and Measures: Risk-adjusted IHCA incidence rates across all admissions were compared between study eras. The survey generated a novel hospital-specific QI sustainability score, which is generally reflective of the sum of local CAP work performed. Results: There were no clinically important differences in demographic and admission characteristics between the 13 082 CAP era admissions and 16 284 follow-up admissions (total mean [SD] age, 5.1 [8.4] years; 56.1% male). Risk-adjusted IHCA incidences were not different between the CAP vs follow-up eras (2.8% vs 2.8%; odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89-1.19), suggesting sustained prevention improvement. There was also no difference between eras in risk-adjusted IHCA incidence within medical, surgical, or high-risk subgroups. A lower hospital QI sustainability score was correlated with higher odds for IHCA in the follow-up vs CAP era (correlation coefficient, -0.58; P = .02). Five hospitals had increases of 1% or greater in risk-adjusted IHCA rates in the follow-up era; these hospitals had significantly lower QI sustainability scores and were less likely to have adopted sustainability elements during the CAP era or report persistent engagement for CAP-related QI processes during follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of all CICU admissions across 17 hospitals, IHCA prevention was feasible and sustainable; the established reduction in risk-adjusted IHCA rate was maintained for at least 2 years after the end of the CAP project. Both implementation strategies and continued engagement in CAP processes during the follow-up era were associated with sustained improvement.

Intramuscular small vessel arteriovenous malformation of the left ventricle in an asymptomatic adolescent: a case report and literature review.

Primary vascular tumours of the heart are rare and heterogeneous in their presentation and classification.We present a primary intramuscular vascular malformation of the left ventricle in an asymptomatic 12-year-old girl. Characteristics on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, specifically increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and marked contrast enhancement with gadolinium were suggestive of increased vascularity. Histologically, the mass was determined to be an intramuscular vascular malformation of the small vessel arteriovenous subtype. This represents one of a select few intramuscular vascular malformations of the left ventricle reported in children. Our patient remains completely asymptomatic and has had no change in the size and appearance of the mass after more than 30 months of follow-up.

Early outcomes after extracardiac conduit Fontan operation without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with a systemic inflammatory response. The authors hypothesized that avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass would lead to improved postoperative outcomes for patients undergoing the extracardiac Fontan operation, the final stage in surgical palliation of univentricular congenital heart defects. A review of the Children's Heart Center Database showed a total of 73 patients who underwent an initial Fontan operation at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford between 1 November 2001 and 1 November 2006. These patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 26) and those who avoided cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 47). Preoperative demographics, hemodynamics, and early postoperative outcomes were analyzed. The two groups had comparable preoperative demographic characteristics and hemodynamics except that the average weight of the off-bypass group was greater (17.9 ± 9.1 vs 14.2 ± 2.7 kg; P = 0.01). Intraoperatively, the off-bypass group trended toward a lower rate of Fontan fenestration (4.3 vs 19.2%; P = 0.09), had lower common atrial pressures (4.6 ± 1.4 vs 5.5 ± 1.5 mmHg; P = 0.05), and Fontan pressures (11.9 ± 2.1 vs 14.2 ± 2.4 mmHg; P ≤ 0.01), and required less blood product (59.1 ± 37.6 vs 91.9 ± 49.4 ml/kg; P ≤ 0.01). Postoperatively, there were no significant differences in hemodynamic parameters, postoperative colloid requirements, duration of mechanical ventilation, volume or duration of pleural drainage, or duration of cardiovascular intensive care unit or hospital stay. Avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass influenced intraoperative hemodynamics and the incidence of fenestration but did not have a significant impact on the early postoperative outcomes of children undergoing the Fontan procedure.

Management of tachyarrhythmias in children.

OPINION STATEMENT: Management of tachycardia in children depends on the accurate characterization of the origin and mechanism of the rhythm, which can usually be achieved using noninvasive tests such as an electrocardiogram, Holter or cardiac event monitoring. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), the most common tachyarrhythmia in children, is most often due to an accessory pathway or dual AV nodal pathways. Adenosine and vagal maneuvers are useful to diagnose and terminate an acute event. Long-term management options include prophylactic drug therapy (aimed at suppressing the tachyarrhythmia) and catheter ablation. Ablation for SVT is highly successful with a low complication rate, and is first-line therapy in older patients. Ventricular arrhythmias are fortunately uncommon in children with normal hearts, and are seen primarily in the setting of abnormal myocardium and inherited ion channel defects. Management options for ventricular rhythms include drugs, catheter ablation and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs are indicated in patients with a risk of sudden death due to an arrhythmia.

Preventing Cardiac Arrest in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Through Multicenter Collaboration.

Importance: Preventing in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) likely represents an effective strategy to improve outcomes for critically ill patients, but feasibility of IHCA prevention remains unclear. Objective: To determine whether a low-technology cardiac arrest prevention (CAP) practice bundle decreases IHCA rate. Design, Setting, and Participants: Pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) teams from the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) formed a collaborative learning network to implement the CAP bundle consistent with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement framework; 15 hospitals implemented the bundle voluntarily. Risk-adjusted IHCA incidence rates were analyzed across 2 time periods, 12 months (baseline) and 18 months after CAP implementation (intervention) using difference-in-differences (DID) regression to compare 15 CAP and 16 control PC4 hospitals that chose not to participate in CAP but had IHCA rates tracked in the PC4 registry. Patients deemed at high risk for IHCA, based on a priori evidence-based criteria and empirical hospital-specific criteria, were selected to receive the CAP bundle. Data were collected from July 2018 to December 2019, and data were analyzed from March to August 2020. Interventions: CAP bundle included 5 elements developed to promote increased situational awareness and communication among bedside clinicians to recognize and mitigate deterioration in high-risk patients. Main Outcomes and Measures: Risk-adjusted IHCA incidence rate across all CICU admissions (IHCA events divided by all admissions). Results: The bundle was activated in 2664 of 10 510 CAP hospital admissions (25.3%); admission characteristics were similar across study periods. There was a 30% relative reduction in risk-adjusted IHCA incidence rate at CAP hospitals (intervention period: 2.6%; 95% CI, 2.2-2.9; baseline: 3.7%; 95% CI, 3.1-4.0), but no change at control hospitals (intervention period: 2.7%; 95% CI, 2.3-2.9; baseline: 2.7%; 95% CI, 2.2-3.0). DID analysis confirmed significantly reduced odds of IHCA among all admissions at CAP hospitals compared with control hospitals during the intervention period vs baseline (odds ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.91; P = .01). DID odds ratios were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.53-0.98) for the surgical subgroup, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.48-1.14) for the medical subgroup, and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.50-1.03) for the high-risk admission subgroup at CAP hospitals after intervention. All-cause risk-adjusted mortality rate did not change after intervention. Conclusions and Relevance: Implementation of this CAP bundle led to significant IHCA reduction across multiple pediatric CICUs. Future studies may determine if this bundle can be effective in other critically ill populations.