Core components of a rehabilitation program in pediatric cardiac disease

There is increasing effort in both the inpatient and outpatient setting to improve care, function, and quality of life for children with congenital heart disease, and to decrease complications. As the mortality rates of surgical procedures for congenital heart disease decrease, improvement in perioperative morbidity and quality of life have become key metrics of quality of care. Quality of life and function in patients with congenital heart disease can be affected by multiple factors: the underlying heart condition, cardiac surgery, complications, and medical treatment. Some of the functional areas affected are motor abilities, exercise capacity, feeding, speech, cognition, and psychosocial adjustment. Rehabilitation interventions aim to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life for those with physical impairments or disabilities. Interventions such as exercise training have been extensively evaluated in adults with acquired heart disease, and rehabilitation interventions for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease have similar potential to improve perioperative morbidity and quality of life. However, literature regarding the pediatric population is limited. We have gathered a multidisciplinary team of experts from major institutions to create evidence- and practice-based guidelines for pediatric cardiac rehabilitation programs in both inpatient and outpatient settings. To improve the quality of life of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease, we propose the use of individualized multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs that include: medical management; neuropsychology; nursing care; rehabilitation equipment; physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapies; and exercise training.

Physical Frailty is Modifiable in Young Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients

Frailty is a standardized, quantitative metric used to assess multisystem physiologic reserve and vulnerability to poor health outcomes. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) positively impacts patient outcomes, including frailty, in adult cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, both the frailty paradigm and CR are understudied in pediatric CVD. This retrospective, single-center cohort study aimed to determine baseline composite frailty for pediatric-onset CVD patients and examine its change throughout CR using a proposed frailty assessment tool. Youth with pediatric-onset CVD participating in CR were stratified into five CVD diagnostic groups: post-heart transplant (HTx) (n = 34), post-ventricular assist device (VAD) (n = 12), single ventricle (n = 20) and biventricular (n = 29) congenital heart disease, and cardiomyopathy (n = 25), and frailty was assessed at baseline and every 30 days during CR. Post-HTx and post-VAD groups had significantly higher median frailty scores at baseline (6/10 and 5.75/10, respectively) driven by reduced strength, gait speed, and functional status. All groups except post-VAD displayed a significant absolute reduction in frailty from baseline to 120 days (HTx: - 3.5; VAD: - 3; SV CHD: - 1; BV CHD: - 1; CM: - 1.5), with similar median post-CR scores (1-3/10 in all groups). These improvements did not significantly correlate with number of CR sessions attended. This study established that frailty exhibits discriminatory utility across pediatric-onset CVD groups at baseline and is significantly modifiable over time. Improvements in frailty and other fitness metrics are likely due to a combination of post-operative recovery, post-diagnosis pharmacological and lifestyle changes, and CR. Further study of this frailty tool is needed to explore its prognostic utility.

Exercise training in paediatric congenital heart disease: fit for purpose?

Exercise and physical activity (PA) have been shown to be effective, safe and feasible in both healthy children and children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, implementing exercise training as an intervention is still not routine in children with CHD despite considerable evidence of health benefits and well-being. Understanding how children with CHD can safely participate in exercise can boost participation in PA and subsequently reduce inactivity-related diseases. Home-based exercise intervention, with the use of personal wearable activity trackers, and high-intensity interval training have been beneficial in adults' cardiac rehabilitation programmes. However, these remain underutilised in paediatric care. Therefore, the aims of this narrative review were to synthesise prescribed exercise interventions in children with CHD, identify possible limitation to exercise training prescription and provide an overview on how to best integrate exercise intervention effectively for this population into daily practice.

The Impact of and Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Cardiac Surgery in the Adult With Congenital Heart Disease

INTRODUCTION

There is a paucity of literature evaluating the impact of and barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in the adult congenital heart disease population. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of CR on physical activity and health-related quality of life, as well as to evaluate the barriers to participation in CR in a post-operative adult congenital heart disease population.

METHODS

Patients ≥18 yr of age seen in the Wisconsin Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and post-open sternotomy surgery from 2010-2015 were eligible for inclusion. Subjects were mailed a novel physical activity survey and the validated EuroQOL-5D 3L health questionnaire. A retrospective medical record review was performed to extract demographic and clinical data.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-five patients underwent open sternotomy surgery from 2010-2015. Of these, 22 were excluded because of intellectual disability, three opted out, and three survey packets were returned to the sender. A total of 54 of the remaining 107 patients returned completed surveys. Of these, 47 (87%) were referred to CR. Thirty-five patients completed the entire CR program (74%). Those who completed CR were more likely to develop a home/independent exercise program (P = .027). Barriers to completing CR included insurance coverage, psychiatric disease, and a perception that CR would not be of benefit.

CONCLUSION

Completing CR was associated with developing a home/independent exercise program in post-sternotomy adult patients with congenital heart disease. Barriers to participating in and completing CR in this population could lead to an improved completion rate if modified.

Heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction in adult congenital heart disease

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is common in patients with adult congenital heart disease. Many of the most common congenital defects have a high prevalence of HFrEF, including left-sided obstructive lesions (aortic stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, Shone complex), tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein anomaly, lesions in which there is a systemic right ventricle, and lesions palliated with a Fontan circulation. However, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is also prevalent in all these lesions. Comprehensive evaluation includes physical exam, biomarkers, echocardiography and advanced imaging, exercise stress testing, and, in some cases, invasive hemodynamics. Guideline-directed medical therapy for HFrEF can be applied to left-sided lesions and may be considered on an individual basis for systemic right ventricle and single-ventricle patients. Medical therapy is limited for HFpEF. However, in both HFrEF and HFpEF, ventricular dyssynchrony and arrhythmias play an important role, and medications for rhythm control, ablation, and cardiac resynchronization therapy should be considered. Finally, aggressive management of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities, including, but not limited to, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea, cannot be overemphasized.

Objective Physical Activity Assessment in Clinical Congenital Heart Disease Research: A Systematic Review on Study Quality, Methodology, and Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The shift toward a preventative approach in medical aftercare of congenital heart disease (CHD) patients has led to encouragement of regular physical activity (PA) in this patient population. Objective measures are crucial in accurately displaying PA levels and have increasingly found their way into clinical research. This review aims to give an overview about quality, methodology, and outcomes of current scientific work on accelerometers objectively assessing PA in patients with CHD.

METHODS

Systematically researched literature in all relevant databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus) over the past decade (2009-2019) with history of CHD and accelerometer-based PA assessment was evaluated by 2 independent reviewers according to the Study Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

RESULTS

Eight articles with 664 pediatric patients with CHD aged 3-18 years (range 10-162 patients), 5 studies with 574 adults with CHD aged 18-63 years (range 28-330 patients), and 3 studies with 177 pediatric patients and adults with CHD aged 8-52 years were included. Two studies were rated "good"; 9, "fair"; and 5, "poor." Methodologies and devices differed substantially across all studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall study quality was fair at best, and due to difficult methodological comparability of the studies, no clear answer on how active patients with CHD really are can currently be given. Larger studies carefully considering collection and processing criteria, and correct reporting standards exploring PA in patients with CHD from different angles are needed.

Does reduced cardiopulmonary exercise testing performance predict poorer quality of life in adult patients with Fontan physiology?

BACKGROUND

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing performance has been shown to be a predictor of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life in patients with Fontan physiology; however, the role of exercise performance along with other diagnostics is not fully understood. We evaluated the hypothesis that reduced exercise performance correlates with poorer quality of life in Fontan patients as they continue to age.

METHODS

Chart review was performed on patients 12 years and older with Fontan who had completed cardiopulmonary exercise testing and age-appropriate quality of life surveys. Quality of life outcomes were analysed against exercise performance and other descriptive data.

RESULTS

For the younger cohort (n = 22), exercise performance predicted quality of life with different measures across domains and had a stronger correlation than echocardiographic parameters. For the older cohort (n = 34), exercise performance did not predict quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Objective exercise performance was a useful marker for general, physical, emotional, social, and school quality of life in a younger cohort but less helpful in older adults. This is perhaps due to older patients accommodating to their conditions over time. The role of exercise performance and objective data in predicting quality of life in patients with Fontan physiology is incompletely understood and additional prospective evaluation should be undertaken.

Physical activity interventions for people with congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart disease (ConHD) affects approximately 1% of all live births. People with ConHD are living longer due to improved medical intervention and are at risk of developing non-communicable diseases. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is reduced in people with ConHD, who deteriorate faster compared to healthy people. CRF is known to be prognostic of future mortality and morbidity: it is therefore important to assess the evidence base on physical activity interventions in this population to inform decision making.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and safety of all types of physical activity interventions versus standard care in individuals with congenital heart disease.

SEARCH METHODS

We undertook a systematic search on 23 September 2019 of the following databases: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, BIOSIS Citation Index, Web of Science Core Collection, LILACS and DARE. We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov and we reviewed the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared any type of physical activity intervention against a 'no physical activity' (usual care) control. We included all individuals with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease, regardless of age or previous medical interventions.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors (CAW and CW) independently screened all the identified references for inclusion. We retrieved and read all full papers; and we contacted study authors if we needed any further information. The same two independent reviewers who extracted the data then processed the included papers, assessed their risk of bias using RoB 2 and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. The primary outcomes were: maximal cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessed by peak oxygen consumption; health-related quality of life (HRQoL) determined by a validated questionnaire; and device-worn 'objective' measures of physical activity.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 15 RCTs with 924 participants in the review. The median intervention length/follow-up length was 12 weeks (12 to 26 interquartile range (IQR)). There were five RCTs of children and adolescents (n = 500) and 10 adult RCTs (n = 424). We identified three types of intervention: physical activity promotion; exercise training; and inspiratory muscle training. We assessed the risk of bias of results for CRF as either being of some concern (n = 12) or at a high risk of bias (n = 2), due to a failure to blind intervention staff. One study did not report this outcome. Using the GRADE method, we assessed the certainty of evidence as moderate to very low across measured outcomes. When we pooled all types of interventions (physical activity promotion, exercise training and inspiratory muscle training), compared to a 'no exercise' control CRF may slightly increase, with a mean difference (MD) of 1.89 mL/kg^-1/min^-1 (95% CI -0.22 to 3.99; n = 732; moderate-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of physical activity and exercise interventions on HRQoL. There was a standardised mean difference (SMD) of 0.76 (95% CI -0.13 to 1.65; n = 163; very low certainty evidence) in HRQoL. However, we could pool only three studies in a meta-analysis, due to different ways of reporting. Only one study out of eight showed a positive effect on HRQoL. There may be a small improvement in mean daily physical activity (PA) (SMD 0.38, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.92; n = 328; low-certainty evidence), which equates to approximately an additional 10 minutes of physical activity daily (95% CI -2.50 to 22.20). Physical activity and exercise interventions likely result in an increase in submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness (MD 2.05, 95% CI 0.05 to 4.05; n = 179; moderate-certainty evidence). Physical activity and exercise interventions likely increase muscular strength (MD 17.13, 95% CI 3.45 to 30.81; n = 18; moderate-certainty evidence). Eleven studies (n = 501) reported on the outcome of adverse events (73% of total studies). Of the 11 studies, six studies reported zero adverse events. Five studies reported a total of 11 adverse events; 36% of adverse events were cardiac related (n = 4); there were, however, no serious adverse events related to the interventions or reported fatalities (moderate-certainty evidence). No studies reported hospital admissions.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review summarises the latest evidence on CRF, HRQoL and PA. Although there were only small improvements in CRF and PA, and small to no improvements in HRQoL, there were no reported serious adverse events related to the interventions. Although these data are promising, there is currently insufficient evidence to definitively determine the impact of physical activity interventions in ConHD. Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are therefore needed, utilising a longer duration of follow-up.

Complex Determinants of Work Ability in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease and Implications for Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

"Work ability" is the employees' capacity to meet the demands of their job. As more patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) are now reaching adulthood, we assessed work ability and factors impacting livelihood in adult CHD.

METHODS

The work ability index (WAI) questionnaire and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were administered at 2 Midwest adult CHD centres from February 2017 to 2018.

RESULTS

Of the 267 participants (n = 157 males, 59%) with an average age of 35 ± 13 years, the majority (n = 204, 76%) were employed. Patients with complex CHD (n = 103, 39%) were less likely to have enrolled in college or completed a graduate degree (P = 0.0115), and more likely to have an annual income of < $50,000 (P = 0.0056) and lower WAI scores (P = 0.0026) than patients with simple and moderate CHD. Unemployed patients (n = 63, 24%) with complex CHD (n = 27, 43%) were more likely to have higher PHQ-9 scores (P = 0.0242) indicating mild, moderate, or severe depression (P = 0.0482) than unemployed patients with simple and moderate CHD. Patients with complex CHD had lower self-perception of work ability compared with patients with simple and moderate CHD (P = 0.0007). Finally, patients in NYHA Functional Class I had higher WAI scores than NYHA Class III-IV (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that employed patients with complex CHD have lower education level, income, and work ability. Unemployed patients are more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression and have low self-perception of work ability. Occupational health programs focusing on promoting general health perception, increasing exercise capacity, and improving psychosocial health must be considered to improve work ability in patients with adult CHD to maintain livelihood.

[Cardiac rehabilitation in adults with congenital heart diseases]

The great advances in the medical and surgical management of congenital heart diseases have allowed many children to reach adulthood with often a good hemodynamic result. Nevertheless most of these adults have a limitation of their functional capacity. This limitation is more or less important, penalizes them in their daily life and alters their quality of life. The origin of this limitation is generally multifactorial. It is linked, of course, to the severity of the heart disease and the quality of the operative result. But there is very often a physical deconditioning. It can be secondary to the heart disease but is often secondary to a lack of physical activity. It is the parents, sometimes overprotective, but frequently the doctors who imposed, often wrongly, this restriction. It is essential to take this dimension into account in view of the important benefits expected for health and quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation is a privileged tool for providing advice in a suitable environment. This requires close collaboration between cardiac rehabilitators and congenital cardiologists to offer appropriate care. We bring here some reflections and the basic elements to guide the re-training of these patients.