Screening for coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women admitted for delivery: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of symptom-based screening on the prevalence and outcomes of neonatal coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women admitted for delivery. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted from June to August 2020 at Gonzaga Mota of Messejana Hospital, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. All pregnant women were screened for coronavirus disease 2019 based on symptoms. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or immunology assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were performed when a patient reported a symptom. All newborns of symptomatic patients were submitted for Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Newborns were divided into groups according to the Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results to identify the relationship between maternal symptoms and neonatal coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: A total of 55 (55/1,026, 5.4%) and 50 (50/1,026, 4.8%) pregnant women reported symptoms and had a positive confirmatory test, respectively. The most common symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 among the pregnant women with positive confirmatory test was cough (n=23, 46%). Seven newborns (7/50, 14%) of symptomatic mothers had positive Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Upon birth, no newborn had serious complications. CONCLUSION: Universal screening of pregnant women admitted for delivery can reduce the perinatal transmission of coronavirus disease 2019. Symptom-based screening can be an alternative for regions with a low prevalence of the disease where a better allocation of financial resources is necessary.

Peripheral blood natural killer cell cytotoxicity in recurrent miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dysregulated natural killer (NK) cells have been associated with recurrent miscarriages (RM). Studies have suggested that high peripheral blood NK cell cytotoxicities (pNKCs) are associated with an increased risk of RM. The aim of this systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis (MAs) is to investigate the difference in pNKC between nonpregnant and pregnant women with RM and controls and determine whether pNKC is reduced by immunotherapy. We searched the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The MAs were conducted to compare pNKCs between women with and without RM before and during pregnancy as well as pre- and post-immunotherapy. Risk of bias in nonrandomized studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using the Review Manager software. A total of 19 studies were included in the SR and 14 studies in the MAs. The MAs revealed higher pNKCs among nonpregnant women with RM compared to controls (MD, 7.99 95 %CI 6.40-9.58; p < 0.00001). pNKCs were also higher in pregnant women with RM than in pregnant controls (MD, 8.21 95 %CI 6.08-10.34; p < 0.00001). Women with RM showed significantly decreased pNKCs after the immunotherapy compared to before (MD, -8.20 95 %CI -10.20 - -6.19; p < 0, 00001). Additionally, there is an association between high pNKCs and the risk of pregnancy loss in women with RM. However, included studies showed substantial heterogeneities regarding the inclusion criteria of patients, techniques measuring pNKC, and types of immunotherapies. More studies are needed to evaluate the clinical efficiency of pNKCs in managing RM.

Screening for coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women admitted for delivery: an observational study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of symptom-based screening on the prevalence and outcomes of neonatal coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women admitted for delivery. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted from June to August 2020 at Gonzaga Mota of Messejana Hospital, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. All pregnant women were screened for coronavirus disease 2019 based on symptoms. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or immunology assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were performed when a patient reported a symptom. All newborns of symptomatic patients were submitted for Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Newborns were divided into groups according to the Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results to identify the relationship between maternal symptoms and neonatal coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: A total of 55 (55/1,026, 5.4%) and 50 (50/1,026, 4.8%) pregnant women reported symptoms and had a positive confirmatory test, respectively. The most common symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 among the pregnant women with positive confirmatory test was cough (n=23, 46%). Seven newborns (7/50, 14%) of symptomatic mothers had positive Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Upon birth, no newborn had serious complications. CONCLUSION: Universal screening of pregnant women admitted for delivery can reduce the perinatal transmission of coronavirus disease 2019. Symptom-based screening can be an alternative for regions with a low prevalence of the disease where a better allocation of financial resources is necessary.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in children with severe coronavirus disease-2019: A case series.

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has predominantly affected the adult population, but with a significantly lower prevalence in children. Most pediatric patients with COVID-19 have mild course; however, a small number progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypoxemia, despite optimized conventional therapies. Thus, this study aimed to report a series of six cases of children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection who were supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to refractory hypoxemic respiratory failure. Methods: This observational, retrospective, and descriptive study reported a series of cases. Data were retrospectively collected from the medical records of patients who were admitted to the Pediatric Cardiologic Intensive Care of Hospital Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes and Hospital Regional da Unimed, between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed. Findings: The median age was 1.8 years (range: 0.4-14.5 years), 66.7% were males, and weight varied from 13 to 110 kg. The mean time between the onset of symptoms and cannulation, ECMO duration, and ventilation time were 15 days (range: 6-24 days)], 11 days (range: 6-19 days), and 20.5 days (range: 14-33 days), respectively. Five (83.3%) children were successfully decannulated and four survived with hospital discharge. One child died on ECMO support due to multiple organ dysfunction syndromes after 13 days and another one died 3 days after decannulation due to extensive hemorrhagic stroke. Our case series revealed a 33.3% in-hospital mortality rate. ECMO appears as a viable intervention in selected patients who failed conventional therapies in the pediatric population. Funding: This observational study received no funding.

Biomarkers of acute kidney injury in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a sudden decrease in kidney function. Children with congenital heart disease are a special group at risk of developing AKI. We performed a systematic review of the literature to search for studies reporting the usefulness of novel urine, serum, and plasma biomarkers in the diagnosis and progression of AKI and their association with clinical outcomes in children undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery. In thirty studies, we analyzed the capacity to predict AKI and poor outcomes of five biomarkers: Cystatin C, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, Interleukin-18, Kidney injury molecule-1, and Liver fatty acid-binding protein. In conclusion, we suggest the need for further meta-analyses with the availability of additional studies.

COVID-19 Treatment: Drug Safety Prior to Conception and During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding.

In December 2019, a new viral respiratory infection known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first diagnosed in the city of Wuhan, China. COVID-19 quickly spread across the world, leading the World Health Organization to declare it a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a similar virus to those involved in other epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Epidemiological studies have shown that COVID-19 frequently affects young adults of reproductive age and that the elderly and patients with chronic disease have high mortality rates. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most COVID-19 cases present with mild flu-like symptoms and only require treatment with symptomatic relief medications, whereas other cases with COVID-19 require treatment in an intensive care unit. There is currently no specific effective treatment for COVID-19. A large number of drugs are being used to fight infection by SARS-CoV-2. Experience with this therapeutic arsenal has been gained over the years in the treatment of other viral, autoimmune, parasitic, and bacterial diseases. Importantly, the search for an effective treatment for COVID-19 cannot expose pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 to the potential teratogenic risks of these drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to determine and understand the safety of anti-COVID-19 therapies prior to conception and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Perinatal unusual rhabdomyoma location - case report and systematic reviews of the literature.

Objective: To report a case of prenatal diagnosis of cardiac rhabdomyoma (CR) and neonatal surgical treatment as well as undertaking a systematic review of the literature to determine most frequent localization of CR, common signs and symptoms, associated pathologies, incidence of surgery, and prognoses for CR.Methods: We conducted systematic review of the literature on CR that were diagnosed and treated in the perinatal period, searching for English language articles in the PubMed/Medline database that were published within the past 20 years, using the following search terms: "cardiac rhabdomyoma"; "neonates"; "newborn"; "surgery".Results: Eighty-two studies were selected, but only 46 studies met the inclusion criteria. After birth, the majority of newborns were asymptomatic; however, murmurs and arrhythmia were also the two most prevalent signs of CR. The most prevalent location was the ventricles, corresponding to 40.3% of all cases, with 53% of these having a rhabdomyoma in the left ventricle. The incidence of multiple tumors was 56%, and in those cases the location of tumors was also most common in the ventricles. Tuberous sclerosis was the most commonly associated pathology, being present in 72% of cases of CR. Surgical treatment occurred in 27% of cases, and 3% of cases required surgery and prostaglandin. Regarding the perinatal outcome, 6% of cases resulted in fetal or neonatal death.Conclusion: CR are benign tumors which tend to spontaneously regress during early childhood but may have unfavorable outcomes in the presence of obstructive lesions and arrhythmias. Surgery is generally necessary in symptomatic patients.

Maternal immune responses and obstetrical outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 and possible health risks of offspring.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly across the world. The vast majority of patients with COVID-19 manifest mild to moderate symptoms but may progress to severe cases or even mortalities. Young adults of reproductive age are the most affected population by SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is no consensus yet if pregnancy contributes to the severity of COVID-19. Initial studies of pregnant women have found that COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and low birth weight, which have been associated with non-communicable diseases in offspring. Besides, maternal viral infections with or without vertical transmission have been allied with neurological and behavioral disorders of the offspring. In this review, obstetrical outcomes of women with COVID-19 and possible risks for their offspring are discussed by reviewing maternal immune responses to COVID-19 based on the current evidence. Structural and systemic follow-up of offspring who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in-utero is suggested.

Intrauterine perfusion immunotherapies in recurrent implantation failures: Systematic review.

Studies have investigated the gestational outcomes of new immunological therapies in the treatment of patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The objective of this article is to assess the current state of evidence available in the literature on intrauterine perfusion immunotherapies in women undergoing ART treatments. By considering the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), the authors performed systematic review by searching the databases of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus using the following key words: "recurrent implantation failure," "intrauterine infusion," "Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)," "Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)," "Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF)," and "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)." The authors analyzed the indications and the impact of new immunological therapies with intrauterine infusions on the pregnancy outcomes of patients undergoing ART. PRP, PBMC, G-CSF, and hCG were the four most used immunological therapies with intrauterine infusion. These new therapies appear to improve the results of ART treatments in cases of RIF. However, the small number of studies does not allow definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of these therapies.

Antinuclear antibodies and recurrent miscarriage: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Studies have investigated the relationship between antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and recurrent miscarriage (RM). The objective of this paper is to evaluate the presence of ANA as a risk factor for spontaneous abortion in patients with RM. By considering the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, the authors performed systematic review and meta-analysis by searching the databases of PubMed/Medline and SCOPUS. Review Manager, Version 5.3 performed the statistical analysis. Binary variables were analyzed by odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The subgroup analysis compared the effect of different ANA titers. The authors analyzed the ANA patterns of immunofluorescence staining. Seven case-control studies were selected. The frequency of positive ANA was statistically higher in the RM group (20.6%, 288/1400) as compared to the control group (6.7%, 72/1080). The meta-analysis of the positive ANA showed a statistical difference between the two groups (OR 3.30, 95% CI 1.41-7.73; I2  = 87%, P = .006). Studies have revealed different frequencies of ANA patterns of immunofluorescence. This meta-analysis suggested that positive ANA might increase the risk of RM. However, it was not possible to conclude which ANA pattern of immunofluorescence staining is more frequent in the RM group.

Associação do estado nutricional e os desfechos clínicos em cirurgia cardíaca pediátrica / Relación del estado nutricional y los resultados clínicos en cirugía cardíaca pediátrica / Association of nutritional status and clinical outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery

Resumo Objetivo Verificar a associação do fator pessoal biológico estado nutricional, das crianças submetidas à cirurgia cardíaca, com os seguintes comportamentos: mortalidade/alta hospitalar, tempo de internação na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) e tempo de ventilação mecânica (VM). Métodos Estudo transversal, retrospectivo realizado com 786 prontuários de crianças menores de cinco anos, submetidas à cirurgia cardíaca. O modelo de Nola J. Pender foi usado para analisar os dados. Aplicou-se o teste Qui-Quadrado de Pearson para verificar associação entre o fator pessoal biológico e o comportamento mortalidade/alta hospitalar. O teste Kruskal-Wallis foi utilizado para verificar a diferença entre medianas do fator pessoal biológico e os comportamentos tempo de VM e de UTI. Resultados A associação entre os fatores pessoais biológicos (pobre estado nutricional, desnutrição aguda e desnutrição crônica) com o comportamento mortalidade foi de OR 2,18 (1,42 - 3,34), p=0,003, OR 0,75 (0,46 - 1,2), p=0,24 e OR 2,7 (1,77 - 4,12), p<0,0001, respectivamente. A mediana de tempo em dias de uso de VM e tempo em dias de UTI foi, respectivamente de 3 (p<0,0001) e 8 (p<0,0001) para o pobre estado nutricional, 2 (p=0,041) e 6,5 (p=0,006) para a desnutrição aguda, 3 (p<0,0001) e 8 (p<0,0001) para a desnutrição crônica. Conclusão Os fatores pessoais biológicos que tiveram associação significativa com o comportamento mortalidade foram o pobre estado nutricional e desnutrição aguda. Foi verificado que as crianças com déficits nutricionais analisados tiveram uma superior mediana de tempo de VM e tempo de UTI quando comparadas com as crianças sem déficits nutricionais.

Resumen Objetivo Verificar la relación del factor personal biológico estado nutricional de niños sometidos a cirugía cardíaca, con los siguientes comportamientos: mortalidad/alta hospitalaria, tiempo de internación en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) y tiempo de ventilación mecánica (VM). Métodos Estudio transversal, retrospectivo realizado con 786 historias clínicas de niños menores de cinco años sometidos a cirugía cardíaca. Para analizar los datos se utilizó el modelo de Nola J. Pender. Se aplicó la prueba χ2 de Pearson para verificar la relación entre el factor personal biológico y el comportamiento mortalidad/alta hospitalaria. La prueba de Kruskal-Wallis fue utilizada para verificar la diferencia entre medianas del factor personal biológico y los comportamientos tiempo de VM y de UCI. Resultados La relación entre los factores personales biológicos (mal estado nutricional, desnutrición aguda y desnutrición crónica) y el comportamiento mortalidad fue de OR 2,18 (1,42 - 3,34), p=0,003, OR 0,75 (0,46 - 1,2), p=0,24 y OR 2,7 (1,77 - 4,12), p<0,0001, respectivamente. La mediana del tiempo en días de uso de VM y tiempo en días de UCI fue de 3 (p<0,0001) y 8 (p<0,0001) respectivamente para el mal estado nutricional, 2 (p=0,041) y 6,5 (p=0,006) para la desnutrición aguda, 3 (p<0,0001) y 8 (p<0,0001) para la desnutrición crónica. Conclusión Los factores personales biológicos que tuvieron relación significativa con el comportamiento mortalidad fueron el mal estado nutricional y la desnutrición aguda. Se verificó que los niños con deficiencias nutricionales estudiados tuvieron una mediana mayor de tiempo de VM y tiempo de UCI en comparación con niños sin deficiencias nutricionales.

Abstract Objective To find the association of the biological personal factor 'nutritional status' of children undergoing cardiac surgery with the following behaviors: mortality/hospital discharge, length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and time in mechanical ventilation (MV). Methods Cross-sectional, retrospective study of 786 medical records of children under five years of age who underwent cardiac surgery. Nola J. Pender's model was used for data analysis. The Pearson's Chi-Square test was applied to find the association between the biological personal factor and the mortality/hospital discharge behavior. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the difference between medians of the biological personal factor and the behaviors of time in MV and ICU length of stay. Results The association between personal biological factors (poor nutritional status, acute malnutrition and chronic malnutrition) with mortality behavior was OR 2.18 (1.42 - 3.34), p=0.003, OR 0.75 (0.46 - 1.2), p=0.24 and OR 2.7 (1.77 - 4.12), p<0.0001, respectively. The median time in days of MV use and ICU length of stay in days was, respectively, 3 (p<0.0001) and 8 (p<0.0001) for poor nutritional status, two (p=0.041) and 6.5 (p=0.006) for acute malnutrition, 3 (p<0.0001) and 8 (p<0.0001) for chronic malnutrition. Conclusion The personal biological factors with a significant association with mortality behavior were poor nutritional status and acute malnutrition. Children with analyzed nutritional deficits had a higher median time of MV and time of ICU compared with children without nutritional deficits.

Coagulation Biomarkers in Women with Recurrent Miscarriage and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction Pregnant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have high risk of pregnancy loss. Pathophysiological mechanisms appear to be associated with obesity, hormonal factors, or blood clotting disorders. Our aim is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between coagulation disorders and risk of recurrent miscarriage (RM) in patients with PCOS and to identify coagulation biomarkers for this condition. Material and Methods PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for publications in English language. The search terms used included "RM", "polycystic ovary syndrome", "coagulation disorders", and "thrombophilia". Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for miscarriage in different RM groups (with and without PCOS). Results A total of 575 publications including the search terms were identified. Six studies were included for qualitative analysis, and five were included for quantitative analysis (meta-analysis). We found no association between RM and inherited thrombophilias in patients with PCOS: (1) Factor V Leiden (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.38 - 1.45; p = 0.38); (2) C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism (MTHFR) (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.64 - 1.59; p = 0.97); and (3) A1297C MTHFR polymorphism (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.62 - 1.89; p = 0.77). Other potential biomarkers were identified, with emphasis on plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. Conclusion Data available in the current literature revealed that there was no association between RM and inherited thrombophilias in patients with PCOS. RM patients with PCOS have a high risk of thromboembolic events.

Early treatment of intrapericardial teratoma: a case presentation and systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of an early treatment of cardiac intraperitoneal teratoma (IPT) in a newborn and its associated systematic literature review. METHODS: We presented a case of a newborn with IPT but without hydrops and having a good perinatal outcome after cardiac surgery. Using the PubMed database, we conducted a systematic literature review of articles regarding cases with cardiac IPT diagnosed and treated in the neonatal period and published in English from 2004 onward. We excluded cases that involved fetal death or interrupted gestation events. RESULTS: In total, 38 cases of IPT from 31 articles were included. The mean ± standard deviation of the gestational age at diagnosis and delivery were 27.9 ± 5.7 and 33.0 ± 3.5 weeks, respectively, and that of birth weight was 2373 ± 834.5 g. The majority of fetuses (42.1%) were males. Pericardial effusion was the most common symptom (60.5%) followed by hydrops (42.1%) and respiratory distress (42.1%). Intrauterine procedure was not performed in 63.1% of cases, and 71.0% of newborns were alive. CONCLUSIONS: IPT in newborns is usually associated with a good prognosis without the need for intrauterine procedures. Cases with IPT-related death are associated with hemodynamic impairment in fetuses with hydrops.

Analysis of Surgical Mortality for Congenital Heart Defects Using RACHS-1 Risk Score in a Brazilian Single Center.

Introduction: Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1 (RACHS-1) score is a simple model that can be easily applied and has been widely used for mortality comparison among pediatric cardiovascular services. It is based on the categorization of several surgical palliative or corrective procedures, which have similar mortality in the treatment of congenital heart disease. Objective: To analyze the in-hospital mortality in pediatric patients (<18 years) submitted to cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease based on RACHS-1 score, during a 12-year period. Methods: A retrospective date analysis was performed from January 2003 to December 2014. The survey was divided in two periods of six years long each, to check for any improvement in the results. We evaluated the numbers of procedures performed, complexity of surgery and hospital mortality. Results: Three thousand and two hundred and one surgeries were performed. Of these, 3071 were able to be classified according to the score RACHS-1. Among the patients, 51.7% were male and 47.5% were younger than one year of age. The most common RACHS-1 category was 3 (35.5%). The mortality was 1.8%, 5.5%, 14.9%, 32.5% and 68.6% for category 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, respectively. There was a significant increase in the number of surgeries (48%) and a significant reduction in the mortality in the last period analysed (13.3% in period I and 10.4% in period II; P=0.014). Conclusion: RACHS-1 score was a useful score for mortality risk in our service, although we are aware that other factors have an impact on the total mortality.

Proposal of an Integrated Health Care Network System for Patients with Congenital Heart Defects.

The perspective of the integrated health system has a network of care with multiple integration dimensions among subsystems as nuclear representation, relating the clinical aspects and governance to the representations and collective values. The normative integration aims to ensure coherence between the system of representations and values of society simultaneously with the interfaces of clinical and functional integration. It builds a bridge with governance, which allows, through their skills, management of all system components, encouraging cooperation, communication and information, in order to ensure the population under their responsibility to access excellence services, exceeding their expectations. The integration of care consists of a durable coordination of clinical practices for those who suffer from health problems in order to ensure continuity and full range of the required professional services and organizations, coordinated in time and space, in accordance with the available knowledge. It is possible to establish the type of health equipment for each level of care for patients with congenital heart diseases. This strategy intends to offer timely care in appropriate moments and places, efficiently, operating cooperatively an interdependently, with ongoing exchange of its resources. Thus, situational integration establishes the system connection with the assessment environment that proposes to carry out value judgment, guided by an objective worldview, about an intervention or any of its components, in order to objectify the decision making.

Proposal of an integrated health care network system for patients with congenital heart defects

ABSTRACT The perspective of the integrated health system has a network of care with multiple integration dimensions among subsystems as nuclear representation, relating the clinical aspects and governance to the representations and collective values. The normative integration aims to ensure coherence between the system of representations and values of society simultaneously with the interfaces of clinical and functional integration. It builds a bridge with governance, which allows, through their skills, management of all system components, encouraging cooperation, communication and information, in order to ensure the population under their responsibility to access excellence services, exceeding their expectations. The integration of care consists of a durable coordination of clinical practices for those who suffer from health problems in order to ensure continuity and full range of the required professional services and organizations, coordinated in time and space, in accordance with the available knowledge. It is possible to establish the type of health equipment for each level of care for patients with congenital heart diseases. This strategy intends to offer timely care in appropriate moments and places, efficiently, operating cooperatively an interdependently, with ongoing exchange of its resources. Thus, situational integration establishes the system connection with the assessment environment that proposes to carry out value judgment, guided by an objective worldview, about an intervention or any of its components, in order to objectify the decision making.

Analysis of surgical mortality for congenital heart defects using rachs-1 risk score in a brazilian single center

ABSTRACT Introduction: Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1 (RACHS-1) score is a simple model that can be easily applied and has been widely used for mortality comparison among pediatric cardiovascular services. It is based on the categorization of several surgical palliative or corrective procedures, which have similar mortality in the treatment of congenital heart disease. Objective: To analyze the in-hospital mortality in pediatric patients (<18 years) submitted to cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease based on RACHS-1 score, during a 12-year period. Methods: A retrospective date analysis was performed from January 2003 to December 2014. The survey was divided in two periods of six years long each, to check for any improvement in the results. We evaluated the numbers of procedures performed, complexity of surgery and hospital mortality. Results: Three thousand and two hundred and one surgeries were performed. Of these, 3071 were able to be classified according to the score RACHS-1. Among the patients, 51.7% were male and 47.5% were younger than one year of age. The most common RACHS-1 category was 3 (35.5%). The mortality was 1.8%, 5.5%, 14.9%, 32.5% and 68.6% for category 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, respectively. There was a significant increase in the number of surgeries (48%) and a significant reduction in the mortality in the last period analysed (13.3% in period I and 10.4% in period II; P=0.014). Conclusion: RACHS-1 score was a useful score for mortality risk in our service, although we are aware that other factors have an impact on the total mortality.