Modelling survival and mortality risk to 15 years of age for a national cohort of children with serious congenital heart defects diagnosed in infancy

Unique Challenges of Adult Congenital Heart Disease in CardioOncology

Adults with congenital heart disease make up most patients with congenital heart disease vastly surpassing the pediatric patients largely because of significant improvements in the medical, interventional, and surgical approaches. An increasing body of evidence highlights the impact of noncardiac morbidity and mortality in these patients. Malignancy is a known major cause of death in adult patients with congenital heart disease. The causes are multifactorial, including genetics, radiation, delayed age-appropriate screening, anatomy variations, and thymectomy. This article provides an overview of the specific risk factors and how health care providers and patient education can mitigate some of these risk factors.

Surgical risk scores for congenital heart surgery are useful for long-term risk prediction

The initial and updated Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (STAT and STAT 2020) and Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 and Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-2 scoring systems are validated to predict early postoperative mortality following congenital heart surgery in children; however, their ability to predict long-term mortality has not been examined. We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium, a US-based registry of cardiac interventions in 47 participating centres between 1982 and 2011. Patients included in this cohort analysis had select congenital heart surgery representing the spectrum of severity as determined by STAT and Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 and were less than 21 years of age. We applied STAT, STAT 2020, Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1, and Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-2 for prediction of early mortality and long-term postoperative survival probability by surgical risk category. Long-term outcomes were obtained by matching Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium patients with deaths reported in the National Death Index through 2021. Of 20,753 eligible patients, 18,755 survived the postoperative period and 2,058 deaths occurred over a median follow up of 24.4 years (Interquartile Range: 21-28.4). Each scoring system performed well for predicting early postoperative mortality with the following c-statistics: STAT: 0.7872, Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1: 0.7872, STAT 2020: 0.7724 and Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-2: 0.7668. The predictive ability for long-term risk of death was as follows: STAT: 0.6995, Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 c = 0.6741, Risk Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-2: 0.7156 and STAT 2020: c = 0.7156. Risk-adjusted score systems for congenital heart surgery maintain adequate but diminishing discriminative power to predict long-term mortality. Future efforts are warranted to develop a tool with improved long-term survival prediction.

Survival outcomes for congenital heart disease from Southern Malaysia: results from a congenital heart disease registry

OBJECTIVE

Limited population-based studies are available on the survival of congenital heart disease (CHD) from lower- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we evaluated the survival from birth until 15 years and associated factors for mortality.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included all children with CHD registered in the Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Information System born between 2006 and 2020 in Johor, Malaysia. The mortality rate was calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with mortality. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the survival rates at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years.

RESULTS

There were 5728 patients with CHD studied, with 1543 (27%) lesions resolved spontaneously, 322 (5.6%) were treated with comfort care, 1189 (21%) required no intervention, and 2674 (47%) needed surgery or intervention. The overall mortality rate was 15%, with a median age of death of 3.7 months (IQR 0.9-9.8 months). Preoperative/intervention death was observed in 300 (11%), and 68 (3.2%) children died within 30 days of surgery or intervention. The overall estimated survival at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years was 88%, 85%, 84% and 83%, respectively. The independent factors associated with mortality were male gender, associated syndrome or extra-cardiac defect, pulmonary hypertension, antenatal diagnosis and severe lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Eight out of 10 patients with CHDs survived up to 15 years of age. However, 10% of CHDs who require intervention die before the procedure. Thus, improving congenital cardiac surgery and enhancing the overall healthcare system are crucial to improve survival.

Liver transplantation for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease: A single-center study in mainland China

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation (LT) is a serious cardiovascular stressor for patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Data on the effects of cardiovascular diseases on pediatric LT is limited. No study on LT for pediatric patients with ESLD combined with congenital heart disease (CHD) has been reported from mainland China.

METHODS

A total of 1005 patients were included in this study. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank testing was used to evaluate survival outcomes between groups. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to determine the risk factors for patient and graft survival.

RESULTS

The most common indication for LT was biliary atresia (BA 90.3%). The prevalence of CHD was 3.8% (38). 42 CHD were found in 38 patients. The incidence of death and graft loss was more common in the CHD group than in the no-CHD group (13.2% vs. 5.0%, p = .045 and 15.8% vs. 6.2%, p = .019, respectively). The 5-year patient survival and graft survival in the CHD group versus the no-CHD group was 86.8% versus 94.7% (log-rank p = .022) and 84.2% versus 93.5% (log-rank p = .015), respectively. No significant differences were observed in re-transplantation, hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), and portal vein thrombosis (PVT). After adjusting for age, BMI, etiology of LT, and other confounding factors, we can still find that the presence of CHD was associated with patient and graft survival after LT.

CONCLUSION

The presence of CHD was associated with higher mortality and lower graft survival after LT. If possible, the cardiac defects should be addressed prior to LT.

Risk factors for mortality in infancy and childhood in children with major congenital anomalies: A European population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Preterm birth and young maternal age are known risk factors for infant and childhood mortality. There is limited knowledge of the impact of these risk factors in children born with major congenital anomalies (CAs), who have inherently higher risks of death compared with other children.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the risk factors for mortality up to age 10 years in children born with specific major CAs.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study involved 150,198 livebirths from 1995 to 2014 in 13 European CA registries linked to mortality data. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the association of gestational age, maternal age and child's sex with death <1 year and 1-9 years for the whole cohort and by CA subgroup. Hazard ratios (HR) from each registry were pooled using multivariate meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Preterm birth had a dose-response association with mortality; compared with infants born at 37+ weeks gestation, those born at <28, 28-31 and 32-36 weeks had 14.88 (95% CI 12.57, 17.62), 8.39 (95% CI 7.16, 9.85) and 3.88 (95% CI 3.40, 4.43) times higher risk of death <1 year, respectively. The corresponding risks at 1-9 years were 4.99 (95% CI 2.94, 8.48), 3.09 (95% CI 2.28, 4.18) and 2.04 (95% CI 1.69, 2.46) times higher, respectively. Maternal age <20 years (versus 20-34 years) was a risk factor for death <1 year (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.09, 1.54) and 1-9 years (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.19, 2.10). Females had 1.22 (95% CI 1.07, 1.39) times higher risk of death between 1 and 9 years than males.

CONCLUSION

Preterm birth was associated with considerably higher infant and childhood mortality in children with CAs, comparable to estimates reported elsewhere for the background population. Additional risk factors included young maternal age and female sex. Information on risk factors could benefit clinical care and guide counselling of parents following CA diagnoses.

Trends in survival of children with severe congenital heart defects by gestational age at birth: A population-based study using administrative hospital data for England

BACKGROUND

Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are twice as likely as their peers to be born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation), yet descriptions of recent trends in long-term survival by gestational age at birth (GA) are lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To quantify changes in survival to age 5 years of children in England with severe CHD by GA.

METHODS

We estimated changes in survival to age five of children with severe CHD and all other children born in England between April 2004 and March 2016, overall and by GA-group using linked hospital and mortality records.

RESULTS

Of 5,953,598 livebirths, 5.7% (339,080 of 5,953,598) were born preterm, 0.35% (20,648 of 5,953,598) died before age five and 3.6 per 1000 (21,291 of 5,953,598) had severe CHD. Adjusting for GA, under-five mortality rates fell at a similar rate between 2004-2008 and 2012-2016 for children with severe CHD (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 95% CI 0.71, 0.88) and all other children (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.76, 0.81). For children with severe CHD, overall survival to age five increased from 87.5% (95% CI 86.6, 88.4) in 2004-2008 to 89.6% (95% CI 88.9, 90.3) in 2012-2016. There was strong evidence for better survival in the ≥39-week group (90.2%, 95% CI 89.1, 91.2 to 93%, 95% CI 92.4, 93.9), weaker evidence at 24-31 and 37-38 weeks and no evidence at 32-36 weeks. We estimate that 51 deaths (95% CI 24, 77) per year in children with severe CHD were averted in 2012-2016 compared to what would have been the case had 2004-2008 mortality rates persisted.

CONCLUSIONS

Nine out of 10 children with severe CHD in 2012-2016 survived to age five. The small improvement in survival over the study period was driven by increased survival in term children. Most children with severe CHD are reaching school age and may require additional support by schools and healthcare services.

The Improved Prognosis of Hypoplastic Left Heart: A Population-Based Register Study of 343 Cases in England and Wales

Background: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a severe congenital heart defect (CHD) characterised by the underdevelopment of the left side of the heart with varying levels of hypoplasia of the left atrium, mitral valve, left ventricle, aortic valve and aortic arch. In the UK, age 12 survival for cases born between 1991 and 1993 was 21%. UK survival estimates corresponding to cases born between 2000 and 2015 were improved at 56%, but survival was examined up to age five only. Contemporary long-term survival estimates play a crucial role in counselling parents following diagnosis. The aim of this study was to report survival estimates up to age 15 for children born with HLHS or hypoplastic left ventricle with additional CHD in England and Wales between 1998 and 2012. Methods: Cases of HLHS notified to four congenital anomaly registers in England and Wales during 1998-2012, matched to Office for National Statistics mortality information, were included. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates to age 15 were reported. Cox regression models were fitted to examine risk factors for mortality. Results: There were 244 cases of HLHS and 99 cases of hypoplastic left ventricle co-occurring with other CHD, with traced survival status. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for HLHS were 84.4% at age 1 week, 76.2% at 1 month, 63.5% at age 1 year, 58.6% at age 5 years, 54.6% at age 10 years, and 32.6% to age 15 years. The Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for cases of hypoplastic left ventricle co-occurring with additional CHD were 90.9% at age 1 week, 84.9% at 1 month, 73.7% at age 1 year, 67.7% to age 5 years, 59.2% to age 10 years, and 40.3% to age 15 years. Preterm birth (p = 0.007), low birth weight (p = 0.005), and female sex (p = 0.01) were associated with mortality. Conclusions: We have shown that prognosis associated with HLHS in the twenty first century exceeds that of many previous population-based studies, likely due to improvements in intensive care technologies and advances in surgical techniques over the last few decades.

Cardiac-associated biliary atresia (CABA): a prognostic subgroup

OBJECTIVES

To describe the range of concurrent cardiac malformations in biliary atresia (BA) while providing a functional framework of risk.

METHODS

Demographic and variables were collected from a prospectively maintained single-centre database. Infants were grouped according to a cardiac functional framework (A=acyanotic, B=cyanotic and C=insignificant shunt). Primary outcome was set as clearance of jaundice (bilirubin ≤20 μmol/L) following Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). Native liver survival and overall actuarial survival were compared with a date-matched control infant with BA (n=77). P value <0.05 was regarded as significant.

RESULTS

524 infants with histologically confirmed BA were treated between January 1999 and December 2018, 37 (7%) had a concurrent cardiac anomaly (A: n=23 (62%), B: n=10 (27%), C: n=4 (11%)). Infants with biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) or cat-eye syndrome (CES) contributed over half of the cases (21/37; 57%).Overall, 20 (54%) infants cleared jaundice (vs 50/77 (65%) controls; p=0.2), but with higher mortality compared with the non-cardiac controls (15/37 (40%) vs 3/77 (4%); HR 15.5 (95% CI 5.5 to 43.4); p<0.00001). Infants requiring cardiac intervention in the first year of life (n=15) were more likely to clear jaundice (6/7 vs 2/8; p=0.04) and had a trend towards higher survival (6/7 vs 3/8; p=0.1) when KPE followed cardiac surgery. Yet, the type of cardiac pathology did not impact clearance of jaundice or mortality.

CONCLUSION

We propose the term cardiac-associated biliary atresia (CABA) as a high-risk group. We believe that restorative cardiac surgery should precede KPE wherever possible to improve outcome.

Mutations in the tail domain of MYH3 contributes to atrial septal defect

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects diagnosed in children. Sarcomeric genes has been attributed to ASD and knockdown of MYH3 functionally homologues gene in chick models indicated abnormal atrial septal development. Here, we report for the first time, a case-control study investigating the role of MYH3 among non-syndromic ASD patients in contributing to septal development. Four amplicons which will amplifies the 40 kb MYH3 were designed and amplified using long range-PCR. The amplicons were then sequenced using indexed paired-end libraries on the MiSeq platform. The STREGA guidelines were applied for planning and reporting. The non-synonymous c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) [p = 0.001, OR = 2.30 (1.36-3.87)] located within the tail domain indicated a highly conserved protein region. The mutant model of c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) showed high root mean square deviation (RMSD) values compared to the wild model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide compelling evidence on the pathogenesis of MYH3 variants towards ASD hence, suggesting the crucial role of non-synonymous variants in the tail domain of MYH3 towards atrial septal development. It is hoped that this gene can be used as panel for diagnosis of ASD in future.

Ethnic-specific mortality of infants undergoing congenital heart surgery in England and Wales

PURPOSE

To investigate ethnic differences in mortality for infants with congenital heart defects (CHDs) undergoing cardiac surgery or interventional catheterisation.

DESIGN

Observational study of survival to age 1 year using linked records from routine national paediatric cardiac surgery and intensive care audits. Mortality risk was investigated using multivariable Poisson models with multiple imputation. Predictors included sex, ethnicity, preterm birth, deprivation, comorbidities, prenatal diagnosis, age and weight at surgery, preprocedure deterioration and cardiac diagnosis.

SETTING

All paediatric cardiac surgery centres in England and Wales.

PATIENTS

5350 infants with CHDs born from 2006 to 2009.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Survival at age 1 year.

RESULTS

Mortality was 83.9 (95% CI 76.3 to 92.1) per 1000 infants, with variation by ethnic group. Compared with those of white ethnicity, infants in British Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) and 'all other' (Chinese, mixed and other) categories experienced significantly higher mortality by age 1 year (relative risk [RR] 1.52[95% CI 1.19 to 1.95]; 1.62[95% CI 1.20 to 2.20], respectively), specifically during index hospital admission (RR 1.55 [95% CI 1.07 to 2.26]; 1.64 [95% CI 1.05 to 2.57], respectively). Further predictors of mortality included non-cardiac comorbidities, prenatal diagnosis, older age at surgery, preprocedure deterioration and cardiac diagnosis. British Asian infants had higher mortality risk during elective hospital readmission (RR 1.86 [95% CI 1.02 to 3.39]).

CONCLUSIONS

Infants of British Asian and 'all other' non-white ethnicity experienced higher postoperative mortality risk, which was only partly explained by socioeconomic deprivation and access to care. Further investigation of case-mix and timing of risk may provide important insights into potential mechanisms underlying ethnic disparities.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart defects following homebirth and early discharge

Pulse oximetry (PO) screening is used to screen newborns for critical congenital heart defects (CCHD). Analyses performed in hospital settings suggest that PO screening is cost-effective. We assessed the costs and cost-effectiveness of PO screening in the Dutch perinatal care setting, with home births and early postnatal discharge, compared to a situation without PO screening. Data from a prospective accuracy study with 23,959 infants in the Netherlands were combined with a time and motion study and supplemented data. Costs and effects of the situations with and without PO screening were compared for a cohort of 100,000 newborns. Mean screening time per newborn was 4.9 min per measurement and 3.8 min for informing parents. The additional costs of screening were in total €14.71 per screened newborn (€11.00 personnel, €3.71 equipment costs). Total additional costs of screening and referral were €1,670,000 per 100,000 infants. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €139,000 per additional newborn with CCHD detected with PO, when compared to a situation without PO screening. A willingness-to-pay threshold of €20,000 per gained QALY for screening in the Netherlands makes the screening likely to be cost-effective.Conclusion: PO screening in the Dutch care setting is likely to be cost-effective. What is Known: • Pulse oximetry is increasingly implemented as a screening tool for critical congenital heart defects in newborns. • Previous studies suggest that the screening in cost-effective and in the USA a reduction in infant mortality from critical congenital heart defects was demonstrated. What is New: • This is the first cost-effectiveness analysis for pulse oximetry screening in a setting with screening after home births, with screening at two moments. • Costs of pulse oximetry screening in a setting with hospital and homebirth deliveries were €14.71 and is likely to be cost-effective accordint to Dutch standards.

Survival and Associated Risk Factors for Mortality Among Infants with Critical Congenital Heart Disease in a Developing Country

Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, data on survival of CCHD and the risk factors associated with its mortality are limited. This study examined CCHD survival and the risk factors for CCHD mortality. Using a retrospective cohort study of infants born with CCHD from 2006 to 2015, survival over 10 years was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and the risk factors for mortality were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression. A total of 491 CCHD cases were included in the study, with an overall mortality rate of 34.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 30.6-39.2). The intervention/surgical mortality rate was 9.8% ≤ 30 days and 11.5% > 30 days after surgery, and 17% died before surgery or intervention. The median age at death was 2.7 months [first quartile: 1 month, third quartile: 7.3 months]. The CCHD survival rate was 90.4% (95% CI 89-91.8%) at 1 month, 69.3% (95% CI 67.2-71.4%) at 1 year, 63.4% (95% CI 61.1-65.7%) at 5 years, and 61.4% (95% CI 58.9-63.9%) at 10 years. Weight of < 2 kg at diagnosis, associated syndromes, poor pre-operative condition, and non-duct-dependent CCHD were independent risk factors for poor survival, with hazard ratios of 2.61, 2.10, 2.22, and 1.70, respectively. CCHD is associated with a high mortality rate. Low weight, poor pre-operative condition, associated syndromes, and non-duct-dependent CCHD are significant risk factors affecting the survival of infants with CCHD.

Prediction of three year outcomes using the Bayley-III for surgical, cardiac and healthy Australian infants at one year of age

BACKGROUND

Previous predictive research has predominantly focussed on infants who are preterm, low birth weight, who have a specific condition or who have undergone a specific procedure.

AIM

This study investigated the ability of outcomes at one year of age to predict outcomes at three years using the Bayley-III for infants who have undergone early major cardiac surgery (CS) or non-cardiac (NC) surgery and their healthy peers.

STUDY DESIGN

Participants who were part of the Development After Infant Surgery (DAISy) study who had complete Bayley-III assessments at one and three years of age were included in the analyses. This included 103 infants who had undergone CS, 158 who had NC surgery and 160 controls.

RESULTS

Bayley-III outcomes at one, although statistically significantly associated with three year outcomes in all domains were weak predictors of those outcomes for CS, NC surgical and healthy infants. Specificity for three year outcomes was good for cognitive, receptive language and fine motor domains for infants who had undergone CS and NC surgery. Sensitivity for <-1 SD at three years was poor for cognitive, expressive and receptive language, and fine motor outcomes for CS and NC surgical participants.

CONCLUSION

It remains difficult to predict how performance at one year on the Bayley-IIII predicts performance at three on the Bayley-III for infants who have undergone early major CS or NC surgery and for healthy Australian infants.

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome have lower quality of life than healthy controls and children with other illnesses

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies suggest that children with congenital cardiac diagnoses report lower quality of life when compared with healthy norms. A few studies have evaluated quality of life specifically in children born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition requiring several surgeries before age three. The aim of this study was to use an empirically validated and standardised measure - the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory - to evaluate quality of life in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and compare the findings with similar, medically complicated samples.

METHODS

The parent-report Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory was administered, and demographic information was collected through an internet portal. A total of 121 caregivers of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome responded. The sample included children aged 2-18 years (M=10.81 years). Independent sample t-tests were used to compare our sample with published norms of healthy children and children with acute or chronic illnesses.

RESULTS

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were rated as having significantly lower overall quality-of-life scores (M=59.69) compared with published norms of children without medical diagnoses (M=83.00) and those with acute (M=78.70) or chronic (M=77.19) illnesses (p<0.001). Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome complicated by a stroke or seizure (15%) reported the lowest quality of life. The results held for all subscales (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome appear to be a significantly vulnerable population with difficulties in functioning across psychosocial domains and across the age span. Further research is required to facilitate early identification of the need for resources for these children and families, especially for children who experience additional medical complications.

Survival, by Birth Weight and Gestational Age, in Individuals With Congenital Heart Disease: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart disease (CHD) survival estimates are important to understand prognosis and evaluate health and social care needs. Few studies have reported CHD survival estimates according to maternal and fetal characteristics. This study aimed to identify predictors of CHD survival and report conditional survival estimates.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cases of CHD (n=5070) born during 1985-2003 and notified to the Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey (NorCAS) were matched to national mortality information in 2008. Royston-Parmar regression was performed to identify predictors of survival. Five-year survival estimates conditional on gestational age at delivery, birth weight, and year of birth were produced for isolated CHD (ie, CHD without extracardiac anomalies). Year of birth, gestational age, birth weight, and extracardiac anomalies were independently associated with mortality (all P≤0.001). Five-year survival for children born at term (37-41 weeks) in 2003 with average birth weight (within 1 SD of the mean) was 96.3% (95% CI, 95.6-97.0). Survival was most optimistic for high-birth-weight children (>1 SD from the mean) born post-term (≥42 weeks; 97.9%; 95% CI, 96.8-99.1%) and least optimistic for very preterm (<32 weeks) low-birth-weight (<1 SD from mean) children (78.8%; 95% CI, 72.8-99.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Five-year CHD survival is highly influenced by gestational age and birth weight. For prenatal counseling, conditional survival estimates provide best- and worst-case scenarios, depending on final gestational age and birth weight. For postnatal diagnoses, they can provide parents with more-accurate predictions based on their baby's birth weight and gestational age.

Ethnic and socioeconomic variation in incidence of congenital heart defects

INTRODUCTION

Ethnic differences in the birth prevalence of congenital heart defects (CHDs) have been reported; however, studies of the contemporary UK population are lacking. We investigated ethnic variations in incidence of serious CHDs requiring cardiac intervention before 1 year of age.

METHODS

All infants who had a cardiac intervention in England and Wales between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2010 were identified in the national congenital heart disease surgical audit and matched with paediatric intensive care admission records to create linked individual child records. Agreement in reporting of ethnic group by each audit was evaluated. For infants born 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2009, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for CHDs by ethnicity and investigated age at intervention, antenatal diagnosis and area deprivation.

RESULTS

We identified 5350 infants (2940 (55.0%) boys). Overall CHD incidence was significantly higher in Asian and Black ethnic groups compared with the White reference population (incidence rate ratios (IRR) (95% CIs): Asian 1.5 (1.4 to 1.7); Black 1.4 (1.3 to 1.6)); incidence of specific CHDs varied by ethnicity. No significant differences in age at intervention or antenatal diagnosis rates were identified but affected children from non-White ethnic groups were more likely to be living in deprived areas than White children.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant ethnic variations exist in the incidence of CHDs, including for specific defects with high infant mortality. It is essential that healthcare provision mitigates ethnic disparity, including through timely identification of CHDs at screening, supporting parental choice and effective interventions. Future research should explore the factors underlying ethnic variation and impact on longer-term outcomes.

Survival adjusted cancer risks attributable to radiation exposure from cardiac catheterisations in children

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the risk of developing cancer in relation to the typical radiation doses received from a range of X-ray guided cardiac catheterisations in children, taking variable survival into account.

METHODS

Radiation doses were estimated for 2749 procedures undertaken at five UK hospitals using Monte Carlo simulations. The lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer incidence was estimated using models developed by the Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation committee, based on both normal life expectancy, and as a function of attained age, from 20 to 80 years, to take reduced life expectancy into account.

RESULTS

The radiation-related risks from these procedures are dominated by lung and breast cancer (for females). Assuming normal life expectancy, central LAR estimates for cancer incidence, based on median doses, ranged from <1 in 2000 for atrial septal defect occlusions to as high as 1 in 150 for valve replacements. For a reduced life expectancy of 50 years, estimated risks are lower by a factor of around 7. For conditions with especially poor survival (age 20 years), such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, estimated cancer risks attributable to radiation were <1 in 20 000.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on recent UK radiation dose levels, the risk of cancer following cardiac catheterisations is relatively low and strongly modified by survival and the type of procedure. The risk of breast cancer, especially following pulmonary artery angioplasty and valve replacements, is the greatest concern.

A home-based exercise program for children with congenital heart disease following interventional cardiac catheterization: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Cardiac catheterization has opened an innovative treatment field for cardiac disease; this treatment is becoming the most popular approach for pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) and has led to a significant growth in the number of children with cardiac catheterization. Unfortunately, based on evidence, it has been demonstrated that the majority of children with CHD are at an increased risk of “non-cardiac” problems. Effective exercise therapy could improve their functional status significantly. As studies identifying the efficacy of exercise therapy are rare in this field, the aims of this study are to (1) identify the efficacy of a home-based exercise program to improve the motor function of children with CHD with cardiac catheterization, (2) reduce parental anxiety and parenting burden, and (3) improve the quality of life for parents whose children are diagnosed with CHD with cardiac catheterization through the program.

Methods/design

A total of 300 children who will perform a cardiac catheterization will be randomly assigned to two groups: a home-based intervention group and a control group. The home-based intervention group will carry out a home-based exercise program, and the control group will receive only home-based exercise education. Assessments will be undertaken before catheterization and at 1, 3, and 6 months after catheterization. Motor ability quotients will be assessed as the primary outcomes. The modified Ross score, cardiac function, speed of sound at the tibia, functional independence of the children, anxiety, quality of life, and caregiver burden of their parents or the main caregivers will be the secondary outcome measurements.

Discussion

The proposed prospective randomized controlled trial will evaluate the efficiency of a home-based exercise program for children with CHD with cardiac catheterization. We anticipate that the home-based exercise program may represent a valuable and efficient intervention for children with CHD and their families.

Trial registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/ on: ChiCTR-IOR-16007762. Registered on 13 January 2016.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1773-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Self-Reported Health Experiences of Children Living with Congenital Heart Defects: Including Patient-Reported Outcomes in a National Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Understanding children's views about living with congenital heart defects (CHDs) is fundamental to supporting their successful participation in daily life, school and peer relationships. As an adjunct to a health and quality of life outcomes questionnaire, we asked school-age children who survived infant heart procedures to describe their experiences of living with CHDs.

METHODS

In a UK-wide cohort study, children aged 10 to 14 years with CHDs self-completed postal questionnaires that included an open question about having a 'heart problem'. We compared the characteristics of children with more and less severe cardiac diagnoses and, through collaborative inductive content analysis, investigated the subjective experiences and coping strategies described by children in both clinical severity groups.

RESULTS

Text and/or drawings were returned by 436 children (246 boys [56%], mean age 12.1 years [SD 1.0; range 10-14]); 313 had less severe (LS) and 123 more severe (MS) cardiac diagnoses. At the most recent hospital visit, a higher proportion of the MS group were underweight (more than two standard deviations below the mean for age) or cyanosed (underweight: MS 20.0%, LS 9.9%; cyanosed: MS 26.2%, LS 3.5%). Children in the MS group described concerns about social isolation and feeling 'different', whereas children with less severe diagnoses often characterised their CHD as 'not a big thing'. Some coping strategies were common to both severity groups, including managing health information to avoid social exclusion, however only children in the LS group considered their CHD 'in the past' or experienced a sense of survivorship.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's reported experiences were not dependent on their cardiac diagnosis, although there were clear qualitative differences by clinical severity group. Children's concerns emphasised social participation and our findings imply a need to shift the clinical focus from monitoring cardiac function to optimising participation. We highlight the potential for informing and evaluating clinical practice and service provision through seeking patient-reported outcomes in paediatric care.

Long-Term Survival of Individuals Born With Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Estimates of long-term survival are required to adequately assess the variety of health and social services required by those with congenital heart disease (CHD) throughout their lives.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Medline, Embase, and Scopus were searched from inception to June 2015 using MeSH headings and keywords. Population-based studies that ascertained all persons born with CHD within a predefined area and reported survival estimates at ≥5 years were included. Unadjusted survival estimates for each CHD subtype at ages 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and so forth were extracted. Pooled survival estimates for each age were calculated using meta-analyses. Metaregression was performed to examine the impact of study period on survival. Of 7840 identified articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria. Among those with CHD, pooled 1-year survival was 87.0% (95% CI 82.1-91.2), pooled 5-year survival was 85.4% (95% CI 79.4-90.5), and pooled 10-year survival was 81.4% (95% CI 73.8-87.9). There was significant heterogeneity of survival estimates among articles (P<0.001 for 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival). A more recent study period was significantly associated with greater survival at ages 1 year (P=0.047), 5 years (P=0.013), and 10 years (P=0.046). Survival varied by CHD subtype, with 5-year survival being greatest for those with ventricular septal defect (96.3%, 95% CI 93.7-98.2) and lowest for those with hypoplastic left heart (12.5%, 95% CI 0.0-41.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Among persons with CHD, the mortality rate is greatest during the first year of life; however, this systematic review and meta-analysis showed that survival decreases gradually after infancy and into adulthood.

The impact of the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme, 2003-13: a multimethod evaluation

BACKGROUND

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme supports research tailored to the needs of NHS decision-makers, patients and clinicians. This study reviewed the impact of the programme, from 2003 to 2013, on health, clinical practice, health policy, the economy and academia. It also considered how HTA could maintain and increase its impact.

METHODS

Interviews (n = 20): senior stakeholders from academia, policy-making organisations and the HTA programme. Bibliometric analysis: citation analysis of publications arising from HTA programme-funded research. Researchfish survey: electronic survey of all HTA grant holders. Payback case studies (n = 12): in-depth case studies of HTA programme-funded research.

RESULTS

We make the following observations about the impact, and routes to impact, of the HTA programme: it has had an impact on patients, primarily through changes in guidelines, but also directly (e.g. changing clinical practice); it has had an impact on UK health policy, through providing high-quality scientific evidence - its close relationships with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the National Screening Committee (NSC) contributed to the observed impact on health policy, although in some instances other organisations may better facilitate impact; HTA research is used outside the UK by other HTA organisations and systematic reviewers - the programme has an impact on HTA practice internationally as a leader in HTA research methods and the funding of HTA research; the work of the programme is of high academic quality - the Health Technology Assessment journal ensures that the vast majority of HTA programme-funded research is published in full, while the HTA programme still encourages publication in other peer-reviewed journals; academics agree that the programme has played an important role in building and retaining HTA research capacity in the UK; the HTA programme has played a role in increasing the focus on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in medicine - it has also contributed to increasingly positive attitudes towards HTA research both within the research community and the NHS; and the HTA focuses resources on research that is of value to patients and the UK NHS, which would not otherwise be funded (e.g. where there is no commercial incentive to undertake research). The programme should consider the following to maintain and increase its impact: providing targeted support for dissemination, focusing resources when important results are unlikely to be implemented by other stakeholders, particularly when findings challenge vested interests; maintaining close relationships with NICE and the NSC, but also considering other potential users of HTA research; maintaining flexibility and good relationships with researchers, giving particular consideration to the Technology Assessment Report (TAR) programme and the potential for learning between TAR centres; maintaining the academic quality of the work and the focus on NHS need; considering funding research on the short-term costs of the implementation of new health technologies; improving the monitoring and evaluation of whether or not patient and public involvement influences research; improve the transparency of the priority-setting process; and continuing to monitor the impact and value of the programme to inform its future scientific and administrative development.

Variabilities in the mortality-related resource utilisation for congenital heart disease

Objective

Our objective was to characterise the divergence of effort from outcome in congenital heart disease (CHD) care by measuring mortality-related resource utilisation fraction (MRRUF) for various CHD lesions across institutions of differing volumes.

Methods

Study design was observational analysis of an administrative database, the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS). The setting was inpatient; 2004–2013. Patients were ≤21 years old with atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or other single ventricle (SV). There were no interventions but diagnosis, institution (and volume), age, length of hospitalisation, billed charges and deaths were recorded. The main outcome measure was MRRUF, the ratio of investments during hospitalisations ending in fatality to investments during all hospitalisations.

Results

There were 50 939 admissions, 1711 deaths, 703 383 inpatient days, and $10 182 000 000 billed charges. MRRUF varied widely by diagnosis: highest in HLHS (21%), but present in ASD (2%) and VSD (4%). Highest among the very young, MRRUF also increased in HLHS and SV during adolescence. MRRUF increased with hospitalisation duration. MRRUF had no relation to institutional volume, and was static over the decade studied.

Conclusions

Even in the modern era we invest heavily in inpatient CHD care that does not produce the desired outcome. Although its magnitude varies by lesion and age, MRRUF is not limited to complex disease in the very young. MRRUF is not decreasing, and is not isolated to high or low volume institutions.