Treatment and Patient Reported Outcome in Children with Hirschsprung Disease and Concomitant Congenital Heart Disease

Bowel Function Score in Long-Term Follow-Up for Children with Hirschsprung Disease: OASIS-Holistic Care in Hirschsprung Disease Network Position Paper

INTRODUCTION

The assessment of bowel function in patients with Hirschsprung disease (HD) remains controversial, as several different bowel function scores are used in the literature and are therefore not suitable for reliable comparison. Conference Section: The OASIS-Holistic Care in Hirschsprung Disease Network Group addressed this issue and evaluated the most commonly used scores for their utility in HD patients. Scoping Review and Expert Group Consensus were performed. It was agreed that the ideal score for patients with Hirschsprung disease should be a comprehensive, validated score that allows reliable assessment of bowel function and continence, depicts changes according to management and natural history, and quantifies baseline parameters. This score should also enable comparisons of bowel function in patients born with HD worldwide.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The OASIS-Holistic Care in Hirschsprung Disease Network Group agreed that this ideal score does not yet exist and is therefore a future goal of the group. Meanwhile, clinicians should use a score for comparable, standardized, objective assessment, and the Rintala Score is suggested. Future developments may also lead to easily accessible patient-reported outcome measures and semi-automated dashboards that allow automated data extraction from electronic health records.

The Burden of Congenital Heart Disease and Urogenital Lesions in a National Cohort of Hirschsprung Patients

BACKGROUND

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is often associated with other congenital and chromosomal defects. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) and congenital urogenital lesions in children with HSCR, with and without Trisomy 21 and other associated anomalies, to guide appropriate screening.

METHODS

The Pediatric Health Information System was queried for patients with HSCR who underwent surgical treatment between 2016 and 2021. The prevalence of CHD, congenital urogenital lesions, Trisomy 21 and other congenital syndromes were calculated. Multivariable regression modeling was used to identify predictors of postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission and postoperative length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS

Of 2021 HSCR patients at 47 children's hospitals, 264 (13.1%) had CHD, 244 (12.1%) had Trisomy 21, and 103 (5.1%) had a congenital urogenital lesion. The prevalence of CHD (49.6 vs. 8.1%, P < 0.001) and of undergoing a cardiac intervention with associated CHD (40.5 vs. 23.1%, P = 0.002) were higher in patients with Trisomy 21 compared to those without. CHD was associated with an increased likelihood of postoperative ICU admission (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.2) and greater postoperative LOS (IRR: 2.6, 95% CI: 2.6, 2.7), irrespective of Trisomy 21 diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of CHD among HSCR patients (13.1%) was higher than previously reported, and CHD patients required more resource-intensive care after pull-through. While Trisomy 21 was associated with higher rates of CHD and cardiac intervention, 8.1% of HSCR patients without Trisomy 21 had CHD. Screening echocardiogram should be considered in all children diagnosed with HSCR, as CHD may influence perioperative risk stratification. However, screening renal ultrasound may have limited utility given the low prevalence of urogenital lesions in this population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Associated congenital heart disease with Hirschsprung's disease: a retrospective cohort study on 2,174 children

Objective

To examine the incidence and phenotypes of congenital heart disease (CHD) in a large cohort of patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR).

Study design

Retrospective data review of children with HSCR between 2003 and 2020 was conducted at the Provincial Key Laboratory for Structural Birth Defects in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. HSCR was confirmed by pathological diagnosis. CHD was defined as a gross structural abnormality of the heart or intrathoracic great vessels that is of functional significance.

Results

A total of 2,174 HSCR patients (84.7% males) were studied and 306 of them underwent echocardiography. Overall, 27 children (1.2%) had associated CHD. Among them, CHDs mostly presented as atrial and ventricular septal defects (n = 5 and 12 respectively) and patent ductus arteriosus (n = 4). Three patients (1.4‰) presented as a severe CHD including complete atrioventricular canal, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and double-outlet of right ventricle. Among 14 patients carrying a chromosomal abnormality, CHD was detected in 4 infants (28.6%), all being mild forms of septal defects.

Conclusions

Some new and severe types of CHD were found in patients with HSCR. Patients with syndromic features had higher incidence of CHD.

Patient-reported outcome measures in pediatric surgery - A systematic review

PURPOSE

With improved long-term survival rates, measuring the quality of surgical care has gradually shifted from clinical morbidity and mortality to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Since the use of PROMs in pediatric surgery is still limited, we undertook a study to identify current PROMs, assess their characteristics, and identify gaps and areas for improvement.

METHODS

A search was conducted in eight databases from their inception until May 2021 to identify PROMs that have been used in pediatric surgical patients. PRISMA standards were followed, and screening was completed by two independent reviewers. The quality of the included studies was appraised using the AXIS and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

Of 8282 studies screened, 101 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies (99%) were cross-sectional. We identified 85 different PROMs among the studies, 53 being disease-specific and the rest generic. The PedsQL™ was the most frequently used tool (42 studies). Almost half of the instruments (41 studies) were not validated, and 28% were developed ad hoc for each specific study. Significantly, all PROMs encountered were standardized (consisting of pre-determined domains), with no individualized tools currently in use. The overall quality of the included studies was good.

CONCLUSIONS

PROMs are increasingly used in pediatric surgery. Disease-specific PROMs predominate the field, yet validated and especially individualized PROMs are notably absent. Future efforts are needed to develop robust tools that reflect individual patient and family needs, preferences, and values, with the aim of furthering family-centered pediatric surgical care.