Beta-blocker use after complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot: an analysis of a national database

Early postoperative beta-blockers are associated with improved cardiac output after late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot: a retrospective cohort study

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. For decades, our institution has cared for humanitarian patients with late presentation of tetralogy of Fallot. They are characterized by severe right ventricular hypertrophy with consecutive diastolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS). By right ventricular restrictive physiology, we hypothesized that patients receiving early postoperative beta-blockers (within 48 h after cardiopulmonary bypass) may have better diastolic function and cardiac output. This is a retrospective cohort study in a single-center tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. We included > 1-year-old humanitarian patients with a confirmed diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot undergoing a complete surgical repair between 2005 and 2019. We measured demographic data, preoperative echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization measures, postoperative mean heart rate, vasoactive-inotropic scores, LCOS scores, length of stay, and mechanical ventilation duration. One hundred sixty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-nine patients (36%) received early postoperative beta-blockers, associated with a lower mean heart rate, higher vasoactive-inotropic scores, and lower LCOS scores during the first 48 h following cardiopulmonary bypass. There was no significant difference in lengths of stay and ventilation.    Conclusion: Early postoperative beta-blockers lower the prevalence of postoperative LCOS at the expense of a higher need for vasoactive drugs without any consequence on length of stay and ventilation duration. This approach may benefit the specific population of children undergoing a late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot. What is Known: • Prevalence of low cardiac output syndrome is high following a late complete surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot. What is New: • Early postoperative beta-blockade is associated with lower heart rate, prolonged relaxation time, and lower prevalence of low cardiac output syndrome. • Negative chronotropic agents like beta-blockers may benefit selected patients undergoing a late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot, who are numerous in low-income countries.

Right Ventricular Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Association With Infundibular, Valvular, and Supravalvular Pulmonary Stenosis

A 31-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of exertional dyspnea and palpitations. Cardiac examination revealed a systolic murmur in the pulmonic area. Owing to the suspicion of pulmonary stenosis, cardiac magnetic resonance was notable for apical hypertrophy of the right ventricle and mixed pulmonary stenosis. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Routine Perioperative Esmolol After Infant Tetralogy of Fallot Repair: Single-Center Retrospective Study of Hemodynamics

OBJECTIVES

Currently, surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is associated with an 1.1% 30-day mortality rate. Those with junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and restrictive right ventricular physiology have poorer outcomes. Routine postoperative adrenergic or inodilator therapy has been reported, while beta-blockade following cardiopulmonary bypass has not. This study evaluated routine perioperative treatment with esmolol in infants undergoing TOF repair.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review of the perioperative course following TOF repair.

SETTING

Single-center case series describing perioperative management of TOF in a cardiac ICU.

PATIENTS

This study reviewed all patients less than 18 months old who underwent TOF repair, excluding cases of TOF with absent pulmonary valve or atrioventricular septal defect, at our institution from June 2018 to April 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

This review investigates the hemodynamic effects of esmolol following cardiopulmonary bypass for TOF repair.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Preoperative clinical characteristics and perioperative course were extracted from the medical record. Descriptive statistics were used. Twenty-six patients receiving perioperative esmolol after TOF repair were identified and included. Postoperative hemodynamic parameters were within a narrow range with minimal vasoactive support in most patients. Three of 26 patients experienced JET, and one of 26 of whom had a brief cardiac arrest. Median and interquartile range (IQR) for hospital and postoperative length of stay was 7 days (IQR, 6-9 d) and 6 days (IQR, 5-8 d), respectively. There were no 30-day or 1-year mortalities.

CONCLUSIONS

In this infant cohort, our experience is that the routine use of postoperative esmolol is associated with good cardiac output with minimal requirement for vasoactive support in most patients. We believe optimal postoperative management of infant TOF repair requires a meticulous multidisciplinary approach, which in our experience is enhanced with routine postoperative esmolol treatment.