Sorting through the haystack--decision analysis and the search for heart disease among children with murmur

New born pulse oximetry screening: A global perspective

The possibility of pulse oximetry screening (POS) for congenital heart defects was first described over 20 years ago. Since then, an accumulation of research evidence and clinical practice experience has established POS as an important test to detect critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs). POS meets the criteria for universal screening and professional bodies around the globe have recommended universal POS. Many countries have already adopted POS while several others are working towards its implementation. In low and low-middle-income countries (LLMIC), POS has the additional potential for reducing morbidity and mortality from neonatal sepsis. This review summarises the evidence for POS and looks at current global uptake and different approaches to the implementation of POS.

Role of pulse oximetry in detecting critical congenital heart disease among newborns delivered at a high altitude setting in Ethiopia

Background

Congenital heart disease is one of the most common birth defects. It is not detected in some newborns until after their hospital discharge. Pulse oximetry (SpO2) screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is practiced in some settings, mainly based on evidence derived from studies done in lowland areas. This study aimed to assess the role of SpO2 screening performed before discharge in detecting CCHD in our setting (Addis Ababa) which is located at high altitude.

Methods

Oxygen saturation of 941 apparently healthy term newborns in the nursery unit of St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College located in Addis Ababa, was measured before discharge during the period from January 2018 to July 2018. SpO2 reading ≥95% was taken as a negative screening result. Positive SPO2 was defined as SpO2 <90% in any extremity, or a persistent SpO2 of 90%–94% in both right arm and lower extremity sites on three measurements or a persistent right arm to lower extremity SpO2 difference of >3%. Subsequent confirmatory echocardiography examination was done for those who tested positive during the SpO2 screening test. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0.

Results

A total of 56/941 (6.0%) newborns tested positive during the screening test. Of those 56 cases, subsequent echocardiography examination detected persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in ten (17.9%) cases (subsequently two of them were found to have sepsis), patent ductus arteriosus in eleven (19.6%) cases, and atrial septal defect in two (3.6%) cases. No case of CCHD was detected among the screened newborns.

Conclusion

SpO2 screening detected non-cardiac causes of hypoxemic illnesses (sepsis and PPHN) which otherwise would have been missed. However, we recommend a larger sample size study to assess the efficacy of SpO2 screening in detecting CCHD in our setting.

[Heart murmur in children less than 2 years-old: looking for a safe and effective referral strategy]

INTRODUCTION

Current guidelines in Spain recommend performing transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in all children under 2 years of age with a heart murmur. In 2014, the American Paediatric Association published the first appropriate use criteria (AUC) for outpatient paediatric transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to promote its cost-efficient use. The aim of this article is to analyse the AUC and other clinical factors as predictors of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children less than 2 years of age with a heart murmur, and to develop a safe and efficient referral strategy.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Case-control study conducted with children less than 2 years of age, referred from Paediatric Primary Care to Paediatric Cardiology during a 4-year study. A predictive model for CHD was determined using multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 688 patients were included, with 129 (19%) cases of CHD. An age less than 3 months (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] 3.8 [1.5-8.4], p=.030) and fulfilling AUC (ORa 16.3 [9.4-28.3], p<.001) were predictors of CHD. Concurrent infection (ORa 0.6 [0.2-0.8], p<.001) and a negative neonatal screening with pulse oximetry (ORa 0.1 [0.05-0.4], p=.001) decreased the risk of CHD. The referral strategy that included these criteria had a 98% sensitivity, 39% specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 27% and 99%, respectively. It could not diagnose 2% of CHD (all mild), and showed a 32% TTE reduction rate compared to our current strategy.

CONCLUSION

To refer children less than 3 months old, fulfilling AUC, without a concurrent infection, or without negative neonatal pulse oximetry screening, is a safe and efficient strategy for the management of heart murmur in children under 2 years of age.

Role of pulse oximetry in examining newborns for congenital heart disease: a scientific statement from the AHA and AAP

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this statement is to address the state of evidence on the routine use of pulse oximetry in newborns to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the available literature addressing current detection methods for CCHD, burden of missed and/or delayed diagnosis of CCHD, rationale of oximetry screening, and clinical studies of oximetry in otherwise asymptomatic newborns. MEDLINE database searches from 1966 to 2008 were done for English-language papers using the following search terms: congenital heart disease, pulse oximetry, physical examination, murmur, echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, and newborn screening. The reference lists of identified papers were also searched. Published abstracts from major pediatric scientific meetings in 2006 to 2008 were also reviewed. The American Heart Association classification of recommendations and levels of evidence for practice guidelines were used. In an analysis of pooled studies of oximetry assessment performed after 24 hours of life, the estimated sensitivity for detecting CCHD was 69.6%, and the positive predictive value was 47.0%; however, sensitivity varied dramatically among studies from 0% to 100%. False-positive screens that required further evaluation occurred in only 0.035% of infants screened after 24 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, CCHD is not detected in some newborns until after their hospital discharge, which results in significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Furthermore, routine pulse oximetry performed on asymptomatic newborns after 24 hours of life, but before hospital discharge, may detect CCHD. Routine pulse oximetry performed after 24 hours in hospitals that have on-site pediatric cardiovascular services incurs very low cost and risk of harm. Future studies in larger populations and across a broad range of newborn delivery systems are needed to determine whether this practice should become standard of care in the routine assessment of the neonate.

Role of pulse oximetry in examining newborns for congenital heart disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this statement is to address the state of evidence on the routine use of pulse oximetry in newborns to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the available literature addressing current detection methods for CCHD, burden of missed and/or delayed diagnosis of CCHD, rationale of oximetry screening, and clinical studies of oximetry in otherwise asymptomatic newborns. MEDLINE database searches from 1966 to 2008 were done for English-language papers using the following search terms: congenital heart disease, pulse oximetry, physical examination, murmur, echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, and newborn screening. The reference lists of identified papers were also searched. Published abstracts from major pediatric scientific meetings in 2006 to 2008 were also reviewed. The American Heart Association classification of recommendations and levels of evidence for practice guidelines were used. In an analysis of pooled studies of oximetry assessment performed after 24 hours of life, the estimated sensitivity for detecting CCHD was 69.6%, and the positive predictive value was 47.0%; however, sensitivity varied dramatically among studies from 0% to 100%. False-positive screens that required further evaluation occurred in only 0.035% of infants screened after 24 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, CCHD is not detected in some newborns until after their hospital discharge, which results in significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Furthermore, routine pulse oximetry performed on asymptomatic newborns after 24 hours of life, but before hospital discharge, may detect CCHD. Routine pulse oximetry performed after 24 hours in hospitals that have on-site pediatric cardiovascular services incurs very low cost and risk of harm. Future studies in larger populations and across a broad range of newborn delivery systems are needed to determine whether this practice should become standard of care in the routine assessment of the neonate.

The contribution of pulse oximetry to the early detection of congenital heart disease in newborns

Approximately half of all newborns with congenital heart disease are asymptomatic in the first few days of life. Early detection of ductal-dependant cardiac malformations prior to ductal closure is, however, of significant clinical importance, as the treatment outcome is related to the time of diagnosis. Pulse oximetry has been proposed for early detection of congenital heart disease. The aims of the present study were: 1) to determine the effectiveness of a pulse-oximetric screening performed on the first day of life for the detection of congenital heart disease in otherwise healthy newborns and 2) to determine if a pulse-oximetric screening combined with clinical examination is superior in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease to clinical examination alone. This is a prospective, multi-centre study. Postductal pulse oximetry was performed between six and twelve hours of age in all newborns of greater than 35 weeks gestation. If pulse-oximetry-measured arterial oxygen saturation was less than 95%, echocardiography was performed. Pulse oximetry was performed in 3,262 newborns. Twenty-four infants (0.7%) had repeated saturations of less than 95%. Of these infants, 17 had congenital heart disease and five of the remaining seven had persistent pulmonary hypertension. No infant with a ductal-dependant or cyanotic congenital heart disease exhibited saturation values greater or equal to 95%.

CONCLUSION

postductal pulse-oximetric screening in the first few days of life is an effective means for detecting cyanotic congenital heart disease in otherwise healthy newborns.