Validación del cuestionario de calidad de vida ConQol, en niños chilenos portadores de cardiopatías congénitas / Validation of quality of life questionnaire ConQol for Chilean children with congenital heart diseases

Background: ConQoL questionnaire assesses health related quality of life among children with congenital heart diseases. It has a version for children aged 8 to 11 years and anotherfor children aged 12 to 16years. Aim: To validate ConQol questionnaire for Chilean children with a congenital heart disease. Material and Methods: Using a multicentric cross sectional design, 334 children from four hospitals (54% males), were surveyed. Among them 45% were aged 8 to 11 years and 55%, 12 to 16 years. The study involved three stages: cross cultural adjustment of the original questionnaire, pre-test study, and estimation of its psychometric properties. Content, construct and criterion validity and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha, were assessed. Results: The version for children aged 8 to 11 years and comprised by three domains (symptoms, activity and relationships), obtained and α ≥ 0.60. In the questionnaire for children aged 12 to 16years, there is one more domain called coping, which obtained an α of 0.53, that was different to the other three domains that obtained an α > 0.70. The correlation between Health Quality of Life and Perception of Health Quality of Life was statistically significant for both groups. The association between Health Quality ofLife and health capability was only significant among children aged 12 to 16years (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The adapted ConQol questionnaire matched properly with the original one. The adapted questionnaire is valid and reliable to assess Health Quality ofLife among Chilean children with congenital heart diseases.

Reemplazo valvular mitral y aórtico en niños: resultados durante la última década con prótesis de última generación / Mitral and aortic valve replacement in children: last decade results with latest generation prothesis

Antecedentes: El reemplazo valvular mitral (RVM) y aórtico (RVA) es poco frecuente en pacientes pediátricos y las series publicadas reportan elevada morbi-mortalidad. Objetivo: Evaluar los resultados a mediano plazo en niños sometidos a RVM y RVA durante los últimos diez años, con el fin de determinar morbimortalidad y calidad de vida. Método: Análisis retrospectivo de 26 niños consecutivos (mediana de edad 5,6 años) sometidos a RVM y RVA, entre marzo 1992 y junio 2003. Diecisiete presentaban patología mitral y once aórtica. Resultados: Se realizaron 26 operaciones implantando 28 prótesis (26 mecánicas y 2 biológicas). Tres pacientes (12 por ciento) fallecieron durante el primer mes. La mediana de seguimiento fue de 6,2 años. Tres pacientes con RVM fallecieron alejadamente por causa no atribuible al reemplazo valvular con una sobrevida actuarial de 87 por ciento. Tres pacientes requirieron reoperación. Todos realizan actividades adecuadas a su edad, restringiéndose los deportes de contacto. Conclusión: Los resultados a mediano plazo del reemplazo valvular en niños con valvulopatía grave son satisfactorios.