Intensive Care Unit Analgosedation After Cardiac Surgery in Children with Williams Syndrome : a Matched Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular abnormalities are common in patients with Williams syndrome and frequently require surgical intervention necessitating analgesia and sedation in a population with a unique neuropsychiatric profile, potentially increasing the risk of adverse cardiac events during the perioperative period. Despite this risk, the overall postoperative analgosedative requirements in patients with WS in the cardiac intensive care unit have not yet been investigated. Our primary aim was to examine the analgosedative requirement in patients with WS after cardiac surgery compared to a control group. Our secondary aim was to compare the frequency of major ACE and mortality between the two groups. DESIGN: Matched case-control study. SETTING: Pediatric CICU at a Tertiary Children's Hospital. PATIENTS: Patients with WS and age-matched controls who underwent cardiac surgery and were admitted to the CICU after cardiac surgery between July 2014 and January 2021. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative outcomes and total doses of analgosedative medications were collected in the first six days after surgery for the study groups. Median age was 29.8 (12.4-70.8) months for WS and 23.5 (11.2-42.3) months for controls. Across all study intervals (48 h and first 6 postoperative days), there were no differences between groups in total doses of morphine equivalents (5.0 mg/kg vs 5.6 mg/kg, p = 0.7 and 8.2 mg/kg vs 10.0 mg/kg, p = 0.7), midazolam equivalents (1.8 mg/kg vs 1.5 mg/kg, p = 0.4 and 3.4 mg/kg vs 3.8 mg/kg, p = 0.4), or dexmedetomidine (20.5 mcg/kg vs 24.4 mcg/kg, p = 0.5 and 42.3 mcg/kg vs 39.1 mcg/kg, p = 0.3). There was no difference in frequency of major ACE or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with WS received similar analgosedative medication doses compared with controls. There was no significant difference in the frequency of major ACE (including cardiac arrest, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and surgical re-intervention) or mortality between the two groups, though these findings must be interpreted with caution. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the adequacy of pain/sedation control, factors that might affect analgosedative needs in this unique population, and the impact on clinical outcomes.

Development of an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee for a collaborative quality improvement network: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee: white paper 2023.

Racial and ethnic disparities are well described in paediatric cardiac critical care outcomes. However, understanding the mechanisms behind these outcomes and implementing interventions to reduce and eliminate disparities remain a gap in the field of paediatric cardiac critical care. The Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) established the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee in 2020 to promote an equity lens to its aim of improving paediatric cardiac critical care quality and outcomes across North America. The PC4 EDI Committee is working to increase research, quality improvement, and programming efforts to work towards health equity. It also aims to promote health equity considerations in PC4 research. In addition to a focus on patient outcomes and research, the committee aims to increase the inclusion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) members in the PC4 collaborative. The following manuscript outlines the development, structure, and aims of the PC4 EDI Committee and describes an analysis of social determinants of health in published PC4 research.

Left Ventricular Strain, Arch Angulation, and Velocity-Time Integral Ratio Improve Performance of a Clinical Pathway for Fetal Diagnosis of Neonatal Coarctation of the Aorta.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal presentation of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a potentially life-threatening condition that is difficult to diagnose in fetal life. We therefore sought to validate and compare novel metrics that may add diagnostic value for fetal CoA, including the diastolic to systolic aortic isthmus VTI ratio (VTId:VTIs), ascending aorta to descending aorta angle (AAo-DAo), transverse aorta to descending aorta angle (TAo-DAo), and LV longitudinal strain (LVS), then to evaluate whether these novel metrics improve specificity to identify fetuses at the highest risk for postnatal CoA without compromising sensitivity. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of fetuses followed a prospective clinical pathway and previously classified as mild, moderate, or high-risk for CoA based on standard fetal echo metrics. Novel metrics were retrospectively measured in a blinded manner. RESULTS: Among fetuses with prenatal concern for CoA, VTId:VTIs, AAo-DAo angle, TAo-DAo angle, and LVS were significantly different between surgical and non-surgical cases (p < 0.01 for all variables). In the subgroup of moderate- and high-risk fetuses, the standard high-risk criteria (flow reversal at the foramen ovale or aortic arch) did not discriminate effectively between surgical and non-surgical cases. VTId:VTIs, AAo-Dao angle, Tao-DAo angle, and LVS all demonstrated greater discrimination than standard high-risk criteria, with specificity of 100% and PPV (positive predictive value) of 78-100%. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of novel metrics added diagnostic value to our clinical pathway for fetal CoA with higher specificity than the previous high-risk criteria. The incorporation of these metrics into the evaluation of fetuses at moderate- or high-risk for surgical CoA may improve prenatal counseling, allow for more consistent surgical planning, and ultimately optimize hospital resource allocation.

Williams Syndrome: Supravalvar Aortic, Aortic Arch, Coronary and Pulmonary Arteries: Is Comprehensive Repair Advisable and Achievable?

Williams syndrome, and various elastin protein mediated arteriopathies, presents a clinical challenge to pediatric cardiovascular specialists. In the severest phenotypes, multilevel obstruction to the systemic and pulmonic arterial systems result in biventricular dysfunction which can be imminently life-threatening. As a longstanding, quaternary referral center for complex pulmonary arteriopathies and pediatric connective tissue disease, Stanford Medicine Children's Health has developed a sizeable experience managing these patients. This manuscript is a summary of our current strategies, with a focus on our surgical techniques, peri-procedural considerations on timing and staging of various interventions, and long-term results.

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.

A clinical scoring system for early onset (neonatal) Marfan syndrome.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop objective diagnostic criteria for early onset Marfan syndrome (eoMFS) to facilitate early diagnosis and timely interventions. METHODS: On the basis of an extensive literature review and the responses from a survey distributed among providers with expertise in the diagnosis and management of eoMFS, we developed an age-based, diagnostic scoring system encompassing 10 features common to eoMFS (9 clinical + 1 laboratory) and divided them into cardiac, systemic, and FBN1 (on the basis of the location of the pathogenic FBN1 variant) scores. RESULTS: In total, 77 individuals with eoMFS (13 newly reported) and 49 individuals diagnosed with classical Marfan syndrome during early childhood were used to validate the criteria. Median cardiac (8 vs 0, P < .001), systemic (11 vs 3, P < .001), FBN1 (5 vs 0, P < .001), and total (23 vs 4, P < .001) scores were significantly higher in individuals with eoMFS than in those without. A proposed clinical score (cardiac + systemic) cutoff of ≥14 points showed excellent sensitivity (100%), specificity (92%), and reliability (correctly classified = 94%). CONCLUSION: Distinct from classical Marfan syndrome in phenotype and morbidity, eoMFS can be diagnosed clinically using an objective scoring system encompassing the typical physical features and cardiac disease manifestations. Although genetic testing can be suggestive of eoMFS, genetic testing alone is insufficient for diagnosis.

Impact of a clinical pathway on acute kidney injury in patients undergoing heart transplant.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of a clinical pathway on the incidence and severity of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing heart transplant. METHODS: This was a 2.5-year retrospective evaluation using 3 years of historical controls within a cardiac intensive care unit in an academic children's hospital. Patients undergoing heart transplant between May 27, 2014, and April 5, 2017 (pre-pathway) and May 1, 2017, and November 30, 2019 (pathway) were included. The clinical pathway focused on supporting renal perfusion through hemodynamic management, avoiding or delaying nephrotoxic medications, and providing pharmacoprophylaxis against AKI. RESULTS: There were 57 consecutive patients included. There was an unadjusted 20% reduction in incidence of any acute kidney injury (p = .05) and a 17% reduction in Stage 2/3 acute kidney injury (p = .09). In multivariable adjusted analysis, avoidance of Stage 2/3 acute kidney injury was independently associated with the clinical pathway era (AOR -1.3 [95% CI -2.5 to -0.2]; p = .03), achieving a central venous pressure of or less than 12 mmHg (AOR -1.3 [95% CI -2.4 to -0.2]; p = .03) and mean arterial pressure above 60 mmHg (AOR -1.6 [95% CI -3.1 to -0.01]; p = .05) in the first 48 h post-transplant, and older age at transplant (AOR - 0.2 [95% CI -0.2 to -0.06]; p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: This report describes a renal protection clinical pathway associated with a reduction in perioperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing heart transplant and highlights the importance of normalizing perioperative central venous pressure and mean arterial blood pressure to support optimal renal perfusion.

Impact of Abnormal Potassium on Arrhythmia Risk During Pediatric Digoxin Therapy.

Digoxin is used in children with heart failure and tachyarrhythmia. Its use in patients with single ventricle anatomy has increased following evidence of improved interstage survival after the Norwood procedure. Digoxin has a narrow therapeutic window and may alter serum potassium balance, inducing arrhythmias. We hypothesized digoxin use in the setting of abnormal serum potassium levels is associated with arrhythmias. We reviewed all patients ≤ 18 years who received digoxin while admitted at our institution from 2014 to 2021. Admissions < 2 nights were excluded. We compared patients with a hemodynamically significant arrhythmia to those without. We performed adjusted mixed-effects logistic regression with arrhythmia as the outcome variable and potassium status as the predictor variable; adjusting for weight, route of digoxin administration, digoxin indication, serum creatinine, and number of interacting drugs prescribed. Abnormal potassium was defined as serum levels < 3.5 mmol/L or > 6.0 mmol/L. There were 268 encounters in 171 patients. Potassium levels were abnormal in 75.5% of patients who experienced an arrhythmia during digoxin administration, compared to 42.6% who did not (p < 0.001). Odds of arrhythmia was 138% higher in patients with abnormal potassium receiving digoxin (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.07-5.29, p = 0.03). Receiving intravenous digoxin was also associated with a 7.35 odds of cardiac arrhythmia (AOR 7.35, p = 0.006, 95% CI 1.79-30.26). Odds of arrhythmia is increased during digoxin administration when pediatric patients have abnormal potassium levels. Vigilant attention to potassium levels is essential to prevent adverse outcomes during digoxin therapy.

A Fetal Risk Stratification Pathway for Neonatal Aortic Coarctation Reduces Medical Exposure.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a fetal stratification pathway will effectively discriminate between infants at different levels of risk for surgical coarctation and reduce unnecessary medicalization. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a pre-post nonrandomized study in which we prospectively assigned fetuses with prenatal concern for coarctation to 1 of 3 risk categories and implemented a clinical pathway for postnatal management. Postnatal clinical outcomes were compared with those in a historical control group that were not triaged based on the pathway. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 109 fetuses, including 57 treated along the fetal coarctation pathway and 52 historical controls. Among mild-risk fetuses, 3% underwent surgical coarctation repair (0% of those without additional heart defects), compared with 27% of moderate-risk and 63% of high-risk fetuses. The combined fetal aortic, mitral, and isthmus z-score best discriminated which infants underwent surgery (area under the curve = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.91). Compared with historical controls, infants triaged according to the fetal coarctation pathway had fewer delivery location changes (76% vs 55%; P = .025) and less umbilical venous catheter placement (74% vs 51%; P = .046). Trends toward shorter intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, and time to enteral feeding did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: A stratified risk-assignment pathway effectively identifies a group of fetuses with a low rate of surgical coarctation and reduces unnecessary medicalization in infants who do not undergo aortic surgery. Incorporation of novel measurements or imaging techniques may improve the specificity of high-risk criteria.

Target-Based Care: An Intervention to Reduce Variation in Postoperative Length of Stay.

OBJECTIVES: To derive care targets and evaluate the impact of displaying them at the point of care on postoperative length of stay (LOS). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort study using 2 years of historical controls within a freestanding, academic children's hospital. Patients undergoing benchmark cardiac surgery between May 4, 2014, and August 15, 2016 (preintervention) and September 6, 2016, to September 30, 2018 (postintervention) were included. The intervention consisted of displaying at the point of care targets for the timing of extubation, transfer from the intensive care unit (ICU), and hospital discharge. Family satisfaction, reintubation, and readmission rates were tracked. RESULTS: The postintervention cohort consisted of 219 consecutive patients. There was a reduction in variation for ICU (difference in SD -2.56, P < .01) and total LOS (difference in SD -2.84, P < .001). Patients stayed on average 0.97 fewer days (P < .001) in the ICU (median -1.01 [IQR -2.15, -0.39]), 0.7 fewer days (P < .001) on mechanical ventilation (median -0.54 [IQR -0.77, -0.50]), and 1.18 fewer days (P < .001) for the total LOS (median -2.25 [IQR -3.69, -0.15]). Log-transformed multivariable linear regression demonstrated the intervention to be associated with shorter ICU LOS (ß coefficient -0.19, SE 0.059, P < .001), total postoperative LOS (ß coefficient -0.12, SE 0.052, P = .02), and ventilator duration (ß coefficient -0.21, SE 0.048, P < .001). Balancing metrics did not differ after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Target-based care is a simple, novel intervention associated with reduced variation in LOS and absolute LOS across a diverse spectrum of complex cardiac surgeries.

Younger age remains a risk factor for prolonged length of stay after bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study sets out to determine the influence of age at the time of surgery as a risk factor for post-operative length of stay after bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis. METHODS: All patients undergoing a Glenn procedure between January 2010 and July 2015 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Demographic data were examined. Standard descriptive statistics was used. A univariable analysis was conducted using the appropriate test based on data distribution. A propensity score for balancing the group difference was included in the multi-variable analysis, which was then completed using predictors from the univariable analysis that achieved significance of p<0.1. RESULTS: Over the study period, 50 patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients were separated into two cohorts of ⩾4 months (28 patients) and <4 months (22 patients). Other than height and weight, the two cohorts were indistinguishable in their pre-operative saturation, medications, catheterisation haemodynamics, atrioventricular valve regurgitation, and ventricular function. After adjusting group differences, younger age was associated with longer post-operative length of hospitalisation - adjusted mean 15 (±2.53) versus 8 (±2.15) days (p=0.03). In a multi-variable regression analysis, in addition to ventricular dysfunction (ß coefficient=8.8, p=0.05), Glenn procedures performed before 4 months were independently associated with longer length of stay (ß coefficient=-6.9, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: We found that Glenn procedures performed after 4 months of age had shorter post-operative length of stay when compared to a younger cohort. These findings suggest that balancing timing of surgery to decrease the inter-stage period should take into consideration differences in post-operative recovery with earlier operations.

Diagnostic errors in paediatric cardiac intensive care.

IntroductionDiagnostic errors cause significant patient harm and increase costs. Data characterising such errors in the paediatric cardiac intensive care population are limited. We sought to understand the perceived frequency and types of diagnostic errors in the paediatric cardiac ICU. METHODS: Paediatric cardiac ICU practitioners including attending and trainee physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses at three North American tertiary cardiac centres were surveyed between October 2014 and January 2015. RESULTS: The response rate was 46% (N=200). Most respondents (81%) perceived that diagnostic errors harm patients more than five times per year. More than half (65%) reported that errors permanently harm patients, and up to 18% perceived that diagnostic errors contributed to death or severe permanent harm more than five times per year. Medication side effects and psychiatric conditions were thought to be most commonly misdiagnosed. Physician groups also ranked pulmonary overcirculation and viral illness to be commonly misdiagnosed as bacterial illness. Inadequate care coordination, data assessment, and high clinician workload were cited as contributory factors. Delayed diagnostic studies and interventions related to the severity of the patient's condition were thought to be the most commonly reported process breakdowns. All surveyed groups ranked improving teamwork and feedback pathways as strategies to explore for preventing future diagnostic errors. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric cardiac intensive care practitioners perceive that diagnostic errors causing permanent harm are common and associated more with systematic and process breakdowns than with cognitive limitations.

Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing the Extracardiac Fontan Operation With and Without the Use of Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence and risk factors for acute kidney injury in patients undergoing the extracardiac Fontan operation with and without cardiopulmonary bypass, and to determine whether acute kidney injury is associated with duration of mechanical ventilation, cardiovascular ICU and hospital postoperative length of stay, and early mortality. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Pediatric cardiovascular ICU, university-affiliated children's hospital. PATIENTS: Patients with a preoperative creatinine before undergoing first-time extracardiac Fontan between January 1, 2004, and April 30, 2012. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Acute kidney injury occurred in 55 of 138 patients (39.9%), including 41 (29.7%) with stage 1, six (4.4%) with stage 2, and eight (5.8%) with stage 3 acute kidney injury. Cardiopulmonary bypass was strongly associated with a higher risk of any acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio, 4.8 [95% CI, 1.4-16.0]; p = 0.01) but not stage 2/3 acute kidney injury. Lower renal perfusion pressure on the day of surgery (postoperative day, 0) was associated with a higher risk of stage 2/3 acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio, 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0-1.5]; p = 0.03). Higher vasoactive-inotropic score on postoperative day 0 was associated with a higher risk for stage 2/3 acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.0-3.4]; p = 0.04). Stage 2/3 acute kidney injury was associated with longer cardiovascular ICU length of stay (mean, 7.3 greater d [95% CI, 3.4-11.3]; p < 0.001) and hospital postoperative length of stay (mean, 6.4 greater d [95% CI, 0.06-12.5]; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing the extracardiac Fontan operation is common and is associated with lower postoperative renal perfusion pressure and higher vasoactive-inotropic score. Cardiopulmonary bypass was strongly associated with any acute kidney injury, although not stage 2/3 acute kidney injury. Stage 2/3 acute kidney injury is a compelling risk factor for longer cardiovascular ICU and hospital postoperative length of stay. Increased attention to and management of renal perfusion pressure may reduce postoperative acute kidney injury and improve outcomes.

Electrocardiograms Do Not Detect Myocardial Ischemia in Patients With Williams Syndrome and Nonsyndromic Elastin Arteriopathy With Coronary Artery Stenosis.

Coronary artery stenosis (CAS) may affect up to 27% of patients with Williams syndrome (WS), which may lead to myocardial ischemia. Patients with WS face a 25- to 100-fold greater risk of sudden cardiac death, frequently linked to anesthesia. Assessing CAS requires either imaging while under general anesthesia or intraoperative assessment, with the latter considered the gold standard. Our study aimed to identify electrocardiogram (ECG) markers of myocardial ischemia in patients with WS or nonsyndromic elastin arteriopathy and documented CAS. We retrospectively reviewed patients with WS/elastin arteriopathy who underwent supravalvar aortic stenosis surgery and CAS assessment from January 1, 2006 to April 30, 2021. A pediatric electrophysiologist, not aware of the patients' CAS status, reviewed their preoperative ECGs for markers of ischemia. We assessed associations of study parameters using Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher's exact tests. Of 34 patients, 62% were male, with a median age of 20 months (interquartile range: 8 to 34). CAS was present in 62% (21 of 34), 76% of whom (16 of 21) were male. There were no ECG indicators of myocardial ischemia in patients with CAS. In conclusion, CAS was present in >1/2 the children with WS/elastin arteriopathy who underwent repair of supravalvar aortic stenosis. CAS in WS/nonsyndromic elastin arteriopathy does not appear to exhibit typical ECG-detectable myocardial ischemia. ECGs are not a useful screening tool for CAS in WS/elastin arteriopathy. Given the high anesthesia-related cardiac arrest risk, other noninvasive indicators of CAS are needed.

Using Clinical Decision Support Systems to Decrease Intravenous Acetaminophen Use: Implementation and Lessons Learned.

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can enhance medical decision-making by providing targeted information to providers. While they have the potential to improve quality of care and reduce costs, they are not universally effective and can lead to unintended harm. OBJECTIVES: To describe the implementation of an unsuccessful interruptive CDSS that aimed to promote appropriate use of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen at an academic pediatric hospital, with an emphasis on lessons learned. METHODS: Quality improvement methodology was used to study the effect of an interruptive CDSS, which set a mandatory expiry time of 24 hours for all IV acetaminophen orders. This CDSS was implemented on April 5, 2021. The primary outcome measure was number of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days, measured pre- and postimplementation. Process measures were the number of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days. Balancing measures were collected via survey data and included provider and nursing acceptability and unintended consequences of the CDSS. RESULTS: There was no special cause variation in hospital-wide IV acetaminophen administrations and orders after CDSS implementation, nor when the CDSS was removed. A total of 88 participants completed the survey. Nearly half (40/88) of respondents reported negative issues with the CDSS, with the majority stating that this affected patient care (39/40). Respondents cited delays in patient care and reduced efficiency as the most common negative effects. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the significance of monitoring CDSS implementations and including end user acceptability as an outcome measure. Teams should be prepared to modify or remove CDSS that do not achieve their intended goal or are associated with low end user acceptability. CDSS holds promise for improving clinical practice, but careful implementation and ongoing evaluation are crucial for maximizing their benefits and minimizing potential harm.

Results of the Double Switch Operation in Patients Who Previously Underwent Left Ventricular Retraining.

BACKGROUND: Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CC-TGA) is a complex form of congenital heart disease that has numerous subtypes. While most patients with CC-TGA have a large ventricular septal defect (VSD) and pulmonary stenosis, there are some patients who have either no VSD or a highly restrictive VSD. These patients will require left ventricular (LV) retraining prior to double switch. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with the double switch procedure in patients who had previously undergone LV retraining. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of a single institution experience with the double switch procedure in patients who had undergone LV retraining (2002-present). RESULTS: Forty-five patients underwent double switch following LV retraining. Of these, 39 had an arterial switch with hemi-Mustard/bidirectional Glenn and six had a Senning. The median cross-clamp time was 135 min (range 71-272) and median bypass time was 202 min (range 140-430 min). Median hospital length of stay was eight days (range 4-108). There were no in-hospital deaths. Median duration of follow-up was 30 months (range 0-175). One patient subsequently underwent heart transplantation and died 65 months following double switch. At follow-up, 41 of the 44 survivors (93%) have normal or low normal LV function and 40 of the 44 survivors (91%) have no or trace mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate early and mid-term survival of 100% and 97%. Ninety-three percent had preserved LV function. These results suggest that patients with CC-TGA who undergo LV retraining and double switch can have excellent clinical outcomes.

Generation of two induced pluripotent stem cell lines from patients with Williams syndrome.

Williams syndrome (WS) is a relatively rare genetic disorder. It arises from a microdeletion in chromosome 7q11.23, resulting in the loss of one copy of more than 20 genes. Disorders in multiple systems, including cardiovascular and nervous systems, occur in patients with WS. Here, we generated two human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from WS patients. Both lines expressed pluripotency markers at gene and protein levels. They possessed normal karyotypes and the potential to differentiate into three germ layers. They serve as a useful tool to study disease mechanism, test drugs, and identify promising therapeutics for patients with WS.

Surgical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing a Double Switch Operation for Corrected Transposition.

BACKGROUND: Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CC-TGA) is a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease. Results of physiologic repair proved disappointing due to late right ventricular dysfunction and/or tricuspid regurgitation. The current study was performed to evaluate surgical outcomes in patients undergoing a double switch for CC-TGA. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 121 patients who underwent a double switch over a 2-decade time frame (2002-2023). Patients were a median age of 32 months. Before the double switch, 49 of 121 patients (40%) had undergone left ventricular retraining. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients underwent an arterial switch, and 54 underwent a Rastelli procedure. There were 4 in-hospital deaths (3.3%), including 3 who had a Rastelli procedure (5.6%) and 1 who had an arterial switch (1.5%). At a median follow-up of 30 months, there were 4 late deaths (2 Rastelli and 2 arterial switch). Combined early and late mortality was 9.3% for the Rastelli and 4.5% for arterial switch. Combined mortality was 2.0% for patients who required left ventricular retraining vs 9.7% for those who did not. For the 117 patients discharged from the hospital, 93% have normal or low-normal left ventricular function, and 96% have mild or less neoaortic insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical outcomes in patients undergoing a double switch procedure have been excellent both in the short- and midterm. However, the Rastelli procedure was associated with a more than 2-fold increase in mortality risk compared with the arterial switch.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Hemodynamic Predictors of Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after pediatric heart transplantation (HT) and is associated with inferior patient outcomes. Hemodynamic risk factors for pediatric heart transplant recipients who experience AKI are not well described. We performed a retrospective review of 99 pediatric heart transplant patients at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019, in which clinical and demographic characteristics, intraoperative perfusion data, and hemodynamic measurements in the first 48 postoperative hours were analyzed as risk factors for severe AKI (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes [KDIGO] stage ≥ 2). Univariate analysis was conducted using Fisher's exact test, Chi-square test, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, as appropriate. Multivariable analysis was conducted using logistic regression. Thirty-five patients (35%) experienced severe AKI which was associated with lower intraoperative cardiac index ( p = 0.001), higher hematocrit ( p < 0.001), lower body temperature ( p < 0.001), lower renal near-infrared spectroscopy ( p = 0.001), lower postoperative mean arterial blood pressure (MAP: p = 0.001), and higher central venous pressure (CVP; p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, postoperative CVP >12 mm Hg (odds ratio [OR] = 4.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48-12.3, p = 0.007) and MAP <65 mm Hg (OR = 4.9; 95% CI: 1.07-22.5, p = 0.04) were associated with early severe AKI. Children with severe AKI experienced longer ventilator, intensive care, and posttransplant hospital days and inferior survival ( p = 0.01). Lower MAP and higher CVP are associated with severe AKI in pediatric HT recipients. Patients, who experienced AKI, experienced increased intensive care unit (ICU) morbidity and inferior survival. These data may guide the development of perioperative renal protective management strategies to reduce AKI incidence and improve patient outcomes.

Expanding the phenotype of cardiovascular malformations in Adams-Oliver syndrome.

We describe a newborn with a phenotype consistent with Adams-Oliver syndrome and truncus arteriosus. Although cardiovascular malformations associated with this syndrome have been previously published in the literature, this is the first description of truncus arteriosus in a patient with Adams-Oliver syndrome. We review other reports of Adams-Oliver syndrome previously described with cardiovascular malformations, consider possible genetic and embryologic mechanisms, and emphasize the need for cardiology consultation when a diagnosis of Adams-Oliver syndrome is suspected in the differential diagnosis.