Support of the failing left ventricle: extracorporeal life support plus blade and balloon atrioseptostomy as an alternative option

The significance of an integrated management mode of prenatal diagnosis-postnatal treatment for critical congenital heart disease in newborns

Background

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital defect in human beings. The purpose of this article is to investigate impact of an integrated management mode of 'prenatal diagnosis-postnatal treatment' on birth, surgery, prognosis and complications associated with critical CHD (CCHD) in newborns.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the medical records of newborns diagnosed with CCHD were divided into two groups: prenatal diagnosis and postnatal diagnosis. The demographics, clinical characteristics, surgical status, prognosis and complications of the two groups were compared and the differences identified.

Results

Among the 290 newborns with CCHD, 97 (33.4%) were prenatally diagnosed and 193 (66.6%) were postnatally diagnosed. Newborns in the prenatal diagnostic group were hospitalized immediately after birth, whereas the median age of admission was 6.00 (3.00-12.00) days in postnatal diagnostic group, P=0.000. In terms of postnatal symptoms and signs, the incidence of anhelation, cyanosis and cardiac murmur was higher in the postnatal diagnostic group. The rates of preoperative intubation, postoperative open chest exploration and treatment abandonment were higher in the postnatal diagnostic group. The postnatal diagnostic group was more prone to postoperative complications, such as pneumonia and hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. The preoperative mortality [0 (0.0%) vs. 12 (6.2%), P=0.028] in the prenatal diagnostic group was lower than that in the postnatal diagnostic group. And the one-year survival rate of the prenatal diagnostic group was higher (log-rank test P=0.034).

Conclusions

The integrated management mode of prenatal diagnosis-postnatal treatment can improve postnatal symptoms, reduces complications, reduces preoperative mortality and increases one-year survival rates in newborns with CCHD.

Efficacy of prenatal diagnosis of major congenital heart disease on perinatal management and perioperative mortality: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus on the effectiveness of prenatal diagnosis except for hospitalized outcomes. Hence, a meta-analysis of published literature was conducted to assess the effect of prenatal diagnosis.

METHODS

Literature review has identified relevant studies up to December 2013. A meta-analysis was performed according to the guidelines from the Cochrane review group and the PRISMA statement. Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and World Health Orgnization clinical trials registry center. Meta-analysis was performed in a fixed/random-effect model using Revman 5.1.1 according to the guidelines from the Cochrane review group and the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

The results from 13 cohort studies in 12 articles were analyzed to determine the optimal treatment with the lower rate of perioperative mortality in prenatal diagnosis. The superiority of a prenatal diagnosis has been proven because the surgical procedure could be done in the early neonatal period (95% CI, -0.76, -0.40). The prenatal diagnosis has also remarkably reduced the preoperative and postoperative mortality rates in cases of transposition of the great arteries (95% CI=0.06, 0.80; 95% CI=0.01, 0.82, respectively), as well as the overall results with all subtypes (95% CI=0.18, 0.94; 95% CI=0.46, 0.94, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal diagnosis is effective in perinatal management with an earlier intervention for major congenital heart disease, but only results in a reduced perioperative mortality in cases of transposition of the great arteries. Further investigations are required to evaluate the effect of prenatal diagnosis on life quality during a long-term follow-up.