Neurodevelopmental outcomes after infant cardiac surgery with circulatory arrest and intermittent perfusion

Language abilities in preschool children with critical CHD: a systematic review

CONTEXT

Children with critical CHD are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments, including delays in expressive and receptive language development. However, no study has synthesised the literature regarding language abilities in children with this condition.

OBJECTIVE

We summarised the literature regarding expressive and receptive language in preschool children with critical CHD.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, ERIC, PsycINFO, and CINAHL.

STUDY SELECTION

We included studies published between January, 1990 and 1 July, 2021, focused on children aged ≤5 years with critical CHD requiring a complex cardiac procedure at age <1 year. Language ability was documented using standardised, validated tools assessing both expressive and receptive language outcomes.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data (study, patient and language characteristics, and results) were extracted by two reviewers.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies were included. Among children 2-5 years old with critical CHD, there were statistically significant deficits in overall (standardised mean difference: -0.46; 95 % confidence interval: -0.56, -0.35), expressive (standardised mean difference: -0.45;95 % confidence interval: -0.54, -0.37), and receptive (standardised mean difference: -0.32; 95 % confidence interval: -0.40, -0.23) language compared to normative data. Results reported as medians were similar to meta-analysis findings. Subgroup analysis showed that children with univentricular physiology had lower language scores than children with biventricular physiology.

CONCLUSIONS

Preschool children with critical CHD had statistically significantly lower language outcomes compared to expected population norms. Healthcare professionals should test early and often for language deficits, referring to individually tailored supports.

Motor Impairment in Children With Congenital Heart Defects: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

With improvements in survival rates in newborns with congenital heart defects (CHDs), focus has now shifted toward enhancing neurodevelopmental outcomes across their life span.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the prevalence and extent of motor difficulties in infants, children, and adolescents with CHD requiring open-heart surgery.

DATA SOURCES

Data sources included Embase, Medline and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature.

STUDY SELECTION

Original studies published between 1997 and 2019 examining gross and/or fine motor skills in children born with a CHD requiring open-heart surgery were selected.

DATA EXTRACTION

The prevalence of motor impairments and mean scores on standardized motor assessments were extracted. Findings were grouped in 5 categories on the basis of the age of the children.

RESULTS

Forty-six original studies were included in this systematic review. The prevalence of mild to severe motor impairments (scores <-1 SD below normative data or controls) across childhood ranged from 12.3% to 68.6%, and prevalence ranged from 0% to 60.0% for severe motor impairments (<-2 SDs). Although our results suggest that the overall prevalence of motor impairments <-1 SD remains rather constant across childhood and adolescence, severe motor impairments (<-2 SDs) appear to be more prevalent in younger children.

LIMITATIONS

Variability in sampling and methodology between the reviewed studies is the most important limitation of this review.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review highlight that infants with CHD have an increased risk of motor impairments across infancy, childhood, and adolescence. These findings stress the importance of systematic screening or evaluation of motor skills across childhood and adolescence in children with CHD.

MHCA with SACP versus DHCA in Pediatric Aortic Arch Surgery: A Comparative Study

The safety and efficacy of selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) in children undergoing aortic arch surgery are unclear. In this retrospective analysis, we compared moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA; n = 61) plus SACP vs deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA; n = 53) in children undergoing aortic arch surgery during a period from January 2008 to December 2017. Demographic characteristics and the underlying anomalies were comparable between the two groups. The MHCA + SACP group had shorter cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (146.9 ± 40.6 vs 189.6 ± 41.2 min for DHCA; p < 0.05) and higher nasopharyngeal temperature (26.0 ± 2.1 vs 18.9 ± 1.6 °C; p < 0.01). The MHCA + SACP group had lower rate of neurologic complications (3/61 vs 10/53 for DHCA; p < 0.05) but not complications in other organ systems. The MHCA + SACP group also had less 24-hour chest drainage (median, interquartile rage: 28.9, 12.6–150.0 vs 47.4, 15.2–145.0 ml/kg for DHCA; p < 0.05), shorter duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (35.0, 15.4–80.3 vs 94.0, 42.0–144.0 h; p < 0.01), and shorter stay in intensive care unit (3.9, 3.0–7.0 vs 7.7, 5.0–15.0 d; p < 0.05). In regression analysis, in-hospital mortality was associated with longer CPB time. In conclusion, MHCA + SACP is associated with better short-term outcomes in children receiving aortic arch surgery under CPB.

Recent Advances in Congenital Heart Surgery: Alternative Perfusion Strategies for Infant Aortic Arch Repair

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This paper will discuss current cannulation strategies for infant aortic arch repair and compare them to more traditionally used techniques.

RECENT FINDINGS

Aortic arch reconstruction in infants has traditionally involved deep hypothermic circulatory arrest which results in total body ischemia. This has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity including bleeding, renal dysfunction, and neurologic injury. Advances in perfusion techniques have allowed for preserved perfusion to the brain during arch repair. Current techniques have further evolved that allow for continuous perfusion of the heart and even the lower body during arch reconstruction. With current techniques, aortic arch reconstruction in infants can be performed with continuous perfusion to the brain, heart, and lower body. Further technical refinements will be helpful, and study is necessary to evaluate the benefit of these strategies.

Variation in Perfusion Strategies for Neonatal and Infant Aortic Arch Repair: Contemporary Practice in the STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database

BACKGROUND

Regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) is used as an adjunct or alternative to deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) for neonates and infants undergoing aortic arch repair. Clinical studies have not demonstrated clear superiority of either strategy, and multicenter data regarding current use of these strategies are lacking. We sought to describe the variability in contemporary practice patterns for use of these techniques.

METHODS

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (2010-2013) was queried to identify neonates and infants whose index operation involved aortic arch repair with cardiopulmonary bypass. Perfusion strategy was classified as isolated DHCA, RCP (with less than or equal to ten minutes of DHCA), or mixed (RCP with more than ten minutes of DHCA). Data were analyzed for the entire cohort and stratified by operation subgroups.

RESULTS

Overall, 4,523 patients (105 centers) were identified; median age seven days (interquartile range: 5.0-13.0). The most prevalent perfusion strategy was RCP (43%). Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and mixed perfusion accounted for 32% and 16% of cases, respectively. In all, 59% of operations involved some period of RCP. Regional cerebral perfusion was the most prevalent perfusion strategy for each operation subgroup. Neither age nor weight was associated with perfusion strategy, but reoperations were less likely to use RCP (31% vs 45%, P < .001). The combined duration of RCP and DHCA in the RCP group was longer than the DHCA time in the DHCA group (45 vs 36 minutes, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

There is considerable variability in practice regarding perfusion strategies for arch repair in neonates and infants. In contemporary practice, RCP is the most prevalent perfusion strategy for these procedures. Use of DHCA is also common. Further investigation is warranted to ascertain possible relative merits of the various perfusion techniques.

Intellectual Functioning in Children with Congenital Heart Defects Treated with Surgery or by Catheter Interventions

BACKGROUND

Studies suggest that children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are at risk for adverse intellectual functioning. However, factors related to lower intellectual functioning in this group are largely unknown. This study describes intellectual functioning in children with CHD in relation to severity of the heart defect, the child's age, and the socioeconomic status of the family (SES).

METHODS

Two hundred twenty-eight children treated with surgery or by catheter technique were tested using the Wechsler intelligence scales to determine full scale IQ (FSIQ). FSIQ was then analyzed in relation to age (3-, 5-, 9-, and 15-year olds), severity of the diagnosis (mild, moderate, and severe), and SES (low, medium, and high). The median age was 70 months (5.8 years) with a range of 162 months [30 months (2.5 years) to 192 months (16.0 years)].

RESULTS

The total mean score on FSIQ was 100.8 (SD = 14.5). Children with severe CHD had significantly lower FSIQ than children with mild and moderate CHD, and 9- and 15-year olds had significantly lower FSIQ compared to the 3-year olds. Children from families with low SES had significantly lower FSIQ than children from medium SES and high SES families. No interaction between severity of diagnosis, age, and SES was found for FSIQ.

CONCLUSION

Eighty-three percent of the children with CHD performed at or above average with respect to FSIQ. SES and severity of diagnosis had significant main effects on FSIQ. These factors should be considered when planning interventions and follow-up programs for children with CHD.