Waitlist and posttransplant outcomes of critically ill infants awaiting heart transplantation managed without ventricular assist device support.

BACKGROUND: Infants listed for heart transplant are at high risk for waitlist mortality. While waitlist mortality for children has decreased in the current era of increased ventricular assist device use, outcomes for small infants supported by ventricular assist device remain suboptimal. We evaluated morbidity and survival in critically ill infants listed for heart transplant and managed without ventricular assist device support. METHODS: Critically ill infants (requiring ≥1 inotrope and mechanical ventilation or ≥2 inotropes without mechanical ventilation) listed between 2008 and 2019 were included. During the study period, infants were managed primarily medically. Mechanical circulatory support, specifically extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, was utilized as "rescue therapy" for decompensating patients. RESULTS: Thirty-two infants were listed 1A, 66% with congenital heart disease. Median age and weight at listing were 2.2 months and 4.4 kg, with 69% weighing <5 kg. At listing, 97% were mechanically ventilated, 41% on ≥2 inotropes, and 25% under neuromuscular blockade. Five patients were supported by ECMO after listing. A favorable outcome (transplant or recovery) was observed in 84%. One-year posttransplant survival was 92%. Infection was the most common waitlist complication occurring in 75%. Stroke was rare, occurring in one patient who was supported on ECMO. Renal function improved from listing to transplant, death, or recovery (eGFR 70 vs 87 ml/min/1.73m2 , p = .001). CONCLUSION: A strategy incorporating a high threshold for mechanical circulatory support and acceptance of prolonged mechanical ventilation and neuromuscular blockade can achieve good survival and morbidity outcomes for critically ill infants listed for heart transplant.

Use of venovenous extracorporeal life support in pediatric patients for cardiac indications: a review of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry.

OBJECTIVE: To describe survival outcomes for pediatric patients supported on venovenous extracorporeal life support with cardiac indications and identify predictors of successful application of venovenous extracorporeal life support. DESIGN: Retrospective review of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry database. SETTING: Data reported from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation centers to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. PATIENTS: Patients ≤18 yrs of age with cardiac diagnoses initiated on venovenous extracorporeal life support during 1985 to 2007. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 8,551 reported pediatric extracorporeal life support cases for cardiac indications during 1985 to 2007, 133 patients received venovenous extracorporeal life support (1.6%); 56 (42%) survived to hospital discharge, comprising the venovenous success group. Of 77 (58%) in the venovenous failure group, 45 (34%) died on venovenous extracorporeal life support and 32 (24%) were converted to venoarterial extracorporeal life support. Median duration of extracorporeal life support course was shorter in the venovenous success group (76 vs. 133 hrs, odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.01). In the univariate analysis, patients in the venovenous failure group had lower median arterial pH (odds ratio 0.06, 95% confidence intervals 0.01-0.61) and higher PaO(2) (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.04). Complications from extracorporeal life support, including receipt of renal replacement therapy (odds ratio 4.35, 95% confidence interval 1.87-10.11), surgical hemorrhage (odds ratio 2.56, 95% confidence interval 1.05-6.25), use of inotropic infusions (odds ratio 2.53, 95% confidence interval 1.24-5.15), and infections (odds ratio 4.99, 95% confidence interval 1.07-23.25), were associated with increased odds for venovenous failure. In a multivariable model, the highest PaO(2) (PaO(2) ≥52 torr) compared to the lowest (PaO(2) ≤ 22 torr) (odds ratio 3.75, 95% confidence interval 1.11-12.57), and use of renal replacement therapy (odds ratio 4.35, 95% confidence interval 1.8710.11) were associated with increased odds of venovenous failure. CONCLUSION: Venovenous extracorporeal life support appears to be an appropriate choice in some children with cardiac failure but better definition of this population is needed.

Minimizing bleeding associated with mechanical circulatory support following pediatric heart surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support patients with early postcardiotomy heart failure may be associated with catastrophic bleeding, making its use undesirable. However, postcardiotomy mechanical circulatory assistance is necessary in some patients to allow for myocardial recovery. We have assembled a centrifugal pump system (CPS) that does not require early systemic anticoagulation. This study compares postoperative bleeding in pediatric patients placed on standard ECMO versus CPS within 24h of cardiotomy. METHODS: Between November 2002 and February 2007, 25 patients (age 0 days-1.72 years) received postcardiotomy mechanical support. Fourteen patients were placed on ECMO and 11 patients were placed on CPS within 24h of surgical repair. Retrospective analysis was performed of chest-tube drainage at multiple time points following initiation of mechanical support. Additional variables, including Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 (RACHS-1) score, total time on mechanical support, 30-day mortality, activated clotting time, blood-product administration, circuit-related complications, and circuit changes were also analyzed. RESULTS: Patients on ECMO (0.30 ± 0.39 years) and CPS (0.40 ± 0.56 years) were of similar age (p = 0.64). Patients on ECMO (0.3 ± 0.1m(2)) and CPS (0.3 ± 0.1m(2)) had similar body surface areas (p = 0.46). Patients placed on CPS had significantly less chest-tube drainage during the first 4h of support. Activated clotting times appeared to be higher during the first 12h of ECMO versus CPS. There was no statistical difference between ECMO and CPS with respect to the following variables: RACHS-1 score, time on support, 30-day mortality, circuit-related complications, and circuit changes. Blood-product administration at 24h of support was significantly less (p = 0.04) for patients on CPS versus ECMO. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical circulatory support can be provided without the complication of clinically significant bleeding if a specialized circuit is used. This has important implications for the decision to use mechanical support in the immediate postoperative period in the face of ventricular failure. In addition, early mechanical support can be used with a low incidence of circuit-related complications.