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Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1236-1242
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
b Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
c Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
d Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
e Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
f Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address reprint requests to Dr Bohn, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8
e-mail: dbohn{at}sickkids.on.ca
| Abstract |
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Methods. Data from consecutive patients undergoing repair of tetralogy of Fallot at less than 18 months of age from May 1987 to September 1994 were reviewed. Independent factors associated with duration of stay in the intensive care unit were sought.
Results. Repair was performed in 89 infants at a median age of 13 months (range, 15 days to 18 months). A systemicpulmonary artery shunt was present in 24% of patients. Mean duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was 119 ± 37 minutes; 63% of patients received a transannular patch. There were six deaths (7%), all occurring less than 48 hours after repair. The median duration of stay in the intensive care unit was 5 days (range, 1 day to 8 months). Significant independent factors associated with increasing length of intensive care unit stay included younger age at repair, previous shunt, malformation syndrome, increased total dose and number of inotropic agents used, and respiratory complications. Hemodynamic variables serially recorded in the first 48 hours after repair were independently associated with death or prolonged (>7 days) duration of stay.
Conclusions. Although outcomes after repair of tetralogy of Fallot in infants are good, both younger age at repair and previous palliative procedures were associated with longer duration of stay in the intensive care unit.
| Introduction |
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| Material and methods |
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Measurements
Data were collected from review of hospital records, preoperative cardiac catheterizations, operative notes, and autopsy reports. The ICU computer database, which uniquely records and stores physiologic data on a minute-to-minute basis, was used to obtain detailed postoperative hemodynamic data.
Factors assessed from preoperative cardiac catheterizations included the measurements of the diameters of the distal branch pulmonary artery proximal to lobar branching and the descending aorta at the level of the diaphragm. From these measurements the Nakata [13] and McGoon [14] indices were calculated. Operative factors that were assessed were the age, weight, and body surface area of the patient, the duration of aortic cross-clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass, the use of a transannular patch, and the ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular systolic pressure at the end of the procedure. Postoperative hemodynamic measurements recorded at 1 hour, 2 hours, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, and 48 hours after repair, including heart rate, central venous pressure, left atrial pressure, and systemic arterial pressure, were analyzed. The presence of metabolic acidosis in arterial blood gas with a pH of less than 7.3 without respiratory acidosis was documented. The postoperative use of intravenous inotropic and vasodilator infusions with doses, the occurrence of postoperative arrhythmias, and the presence of chest roentgenographic changes such as pulmonary atelectasis and effusions were recorded.
Renal dysfunction was defined as the requirement of peritoneal dialysis or continuous venovenous hemofiltration in association with poor urine output and high serum urea and creatinine levels. Hepatic dysfunction was defined as a clinically significant elevation to more than twice the normal values for serum hepatic transaminases. Neurologic abnormalities such as abnormal tone, seizures, or abnormal involuntary movements were noted. Infectious complications including sepsis with positive blood cultures and wound and respiratory infections requiring antibiotic therapy were noted. The duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of stay in the ICU were recorded. The cases of patients who died were reviewed for cause of death, and available autopsy findings were noted.
Data analysis
Analysis of all data was performed using SAS Version 6.12 software (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC) with default settings. Data are described as frequencies, medians with ranges, and means with standard deviations as appropriate. Where there are missing data, the number of available values is given. Kaplan-Meier estimates of time to discharge from the ICU were plotted, with patients who died in the unit censored at the time of death. Independent factors associated with length of stay in the ICU were sought in Coxs proportional hazard regression modeling. Postoperative hemodynamic variables were related to a dichotomous outcome of death or prolonged stay in the critical care unit of more than 7 days versus survival with length of stay of 7 days or less. Associated factors were explored in multiple logistic regression analyses, while controlling for the age of the patient and the time in the first 48 hours when the hemodynamic measurement was made. A p value of 0.05 was set as the level of significance.
| Results |
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The following additional lesions were noted in 1 patient each: isolated left pulmonary artery, anomalous left coronary artery from main pulmonary artery, single coronary artery, aortopulmonary window, subaortic ridge, supraaortic stenosis, supramitral ring, pulmonary vein stenosis, small left ventricle, tricuspid stenosis, small right ventricle, dextrocardia, scimitar variant, and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Preoperative cardiac catheterization
Hemodynamic and angiographic data were reviewed from preoperative cardiac catheterizations for assessment of branch pulmonary artery size and morphology and size of the descending aorta at the level of the diaphragm. The mean Nakata index was 282 ± 132 (n = 83), and the mean McGoon index was 2.18 ± 0.50 (n = 79). There was angiographic evidence of branch pulmonary artery stenosis in 19 infants (21%).
Surgical repair
The median age at repair was 13 months (range, 15 days to 17.9 months). The distribution by age was as follows: less than 6 months, 9 patients (10%); 6 to 8 months, 10 patients (11%); 9 to 11 months, 17 patients (19%); 12 to 14 months, 22 patients (25%); and 15 to 17 months, 31 patients (35%). The median weight was 8.5 kg (range, 2.6 to 17.6 kg), and the median body surface area was 0.45 m2 (range, 0.18 to 0.50 m2). The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time (n = 88) was 119 ± 37 minutes, with a mean aortic cross-clamp time of 47 ± 14 minutes. Repair was performed through a right ventriculotomy (n = 85) in 79 patients (93%). A transannular patch (n = 87) was placed in 55 patients (63%), with main or branch pulmonary arterioplasty or a combination of both (n = 85) performed in 51 patients (60%). Patients with a transannular patch had significantly lower mean Nakata and McGoon indices than those without a patch (Nakata: 253 ± 120, n = 51, versus 334 ± 141, n = 30; p = 0.007; McGoon: 2.10 ± 0.54, n = 47, versus 2.33 ± 0.42, n = 30; p = 0.05), but the two groups did not differ regarding age at repair. The mean ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular systolic pressure measured intraoperatively after repair (n = 67) was 0.50 ± 0.13, and it was not significantly related to age at repair, preoperative Nakata or McGoon index; or placement of a transannular patch.
Mortality
There were six early deaths (7%), all occurring less than 48 hours after repair. Death was associated with arrhythmia in 3 patients (1 each had ventricular fibrillation, severe bradycardia, or narrow-complex tachycardia) and low cardiac output related to poor right ventricular systolic function in 2. A residual anatomic defect (major aortopulmonary collateral vessel) with a left-to-right shunt producing very low diastolic pressure was thought to be the cause of death in 1 patient. Associated noncardiac and cardiac lesions were present in 4 of these patients. Given the small number of deaths, there were no significant associated factors identified other than lower median weight at operation.
Reoperation
Three patients underwent reoperation. One patient with low cardiac output resulting from right ventricular hypoplasia had reoperation within 24 hours after repair to create atrial and ventricular septal defects and died during the procedure. The other 2 patients had successful reoperations. In 1, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction caused by kinking was relieved by placement of a homograft conduit at 3 days, and in the other, reoperation was carried out at 8 days to close a residual ventricular septal defect.
Postoperative management
Inotropic agents were used in the postoperative period in 75 patients (84%); 9 patients required two agents and 7 patients, three. These inotropic drugs were dopamine hydrochloride in 71 patients, amrinone lactate in 12, epinephrine in 9, and dobutamine hydrochloride in 8. The median duration of their use in 70 hospital survivors was 65 hours (range, 2 hours to 19 days). Vasodilator agents were used in 59 patients (66%), 6 of whom required two agents. These vasodilators were nitroglycerin in 34 patients and sodium nitroprusside in 31 patients. The median duration of vasodilator use in 54 hospital survivors was 66 hours (range, 13 hours to 10 days).
Of the 83 hospital survivors, 1 patient with pentalogy of Cantrell and severe bronchomalacia required prolonged mechanical ventilation for 7.9 months with a length of stay in the ICU of 8 months. For the others, the median duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (n = 77) was 74 hours (range, 11 hours to 30 days), with a median length of ICU stay of 5 days (range, 1 to 40 days). A Kaplan-Meier plot of length of stay is shown in Figure 1; patients who died were censored at the time of death. Length of stay for survivors was significantly related to age at repair (p = 0.03); the median length of stay was 9.5 days (range, 2 to 243 days) for patients less than 6 months old, 5 days (range, 2 to 32 days) for those 6 to 8 months old, 6.5 days (range, 2 to 26 days) for patients 9 to 11 months old, 4.5 days (range, 2 to 40 days) for those 12 to 14 months old, and 4 days (range, 1 to 12 days) for patients 15 to 17 months old.
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Arrhythmias
Early postoperative arrhythmias were noted in 24 patients (27%), 5 of whom had more than one type of arrhythmia. Arrhythmias included junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) in 18 patients, atrial ectopic tachycardia in 5, temporary atrioventricular block in 2, and narrow complex supraventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, and ventricular fibrillation in 1 patient each.
Factors associated with JET were sought. None of the patients with JET died. Patients with JET had significantly longer mean cardiopulmonary bypass times (134 ± 44 minutes) than patients without JET (115 ± 34 minutes); (p = 0.03). Patients with JET were more likely to have acidosis (systemic arterial pH < 7.3 with a base excess > -5) than those without this type of arrhythmia (38% versus 11%; p = 0.002), were receiving two or more inotropic agents (63% versus 11%; p = 0.001), and required at least one vasodilating agent (27% versus 7%; p = 0.03). The presence of JET was not significantly associated with age or weight at repair, technique of repair, or intraoperative postrepair hemodynamics. The presence of JET did not significantly prolong length of stay in the ICU.
Hemodynamic measurements
Hemodynamic measurements that were recorded in the ICU during the first 48 hours after repair (1 hour, 2 hours, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, and 48 hours) were analyzed. Median measurements were as follows: heart rate, 148 beats per minute (n = 832) (range, 100 to 205 beats per minute); central venous pressure, 13 mm Hg (n = 781) (range, 4 to 28 mm Hg); left atrial pressure, 10 mm Hg (n = 680) (range, 4 to 26 mm Hg); and mean systemic arterial pressure, 66 mm Hg (n = 802) (range, 15 to 91 mm Hg).
Factors associated with postoperative length of ICU stay
Coxs proportional hazard modeling was used to determine independent factors associated with time to discharge from the ICU. Deaths before discharge were censored. Patient demographics and anatomic, procedural, and postoperative variables were tested with stepwise variable selection. Data from the final model are shown in Table 1. Increased length of stay in the ICU was independently associated with the presence of a preoperative systemicarterial shunt, the presence of a malformation or genetic syndrome, increased total dose and number of inotropic agents required after repair, postoperative respiratory complications, and younger age at repair. After we controlled for these variables, no other factor was significantly associated with length of stay.
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Impact of postoperative hemodynamic measurements
Studies that have attempted to relate the postoperative hemodynamic profile with the outcome after repair of congenital heart disease have shown that the nadir of cardiac dysfunction occurs between 4 and 12 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass [15, 16]. In addition, diastolic function can be impaired after repair of ToF [17]. In this series, tachycardia and high right-sided filling pressures, both features of poor ventricular compliance, were associated with increased risk of a suboptimal outcome (death or increased length of ICU stay), whereas increased left atrial pressures were an indication of left ventricular dysfunction.
Impact of postoperative complications
The incidence of postoperative JET has been reported to be as high as 36% in infants undergoing repair at age 4 months or less versus 9% in patients having repair at an older age [18]. Although this is a particularly important arrhythmia in terms of its effect on hemodynamics, we were unable to demonstrate an association between JET and length of ICU stay in this series.
Like other severely cyanotic patients, patients with ToF can have a particular tendency toward increased pleural, interstitial, and peritoneal fluid early in the postoperative period [19]. Hemoconcentration after cardiopulmonary bypass and fluid management along with alterations in membrane stability and hemodynamics play an important role in accumulation of fluid in the pleuroperitoneal space.
Postoperative infections after surgical procedures for congenital heart defects are not well documented in the literature. We noted that 11% of our patients with culture-proven infections were treated effectively with no early deaths. The infection was not correlated to age at operation. Postoperative metabolic acidosis, a nonspecific indicator of adequacy of cardiac output, was present in 36% of patients, and its occurrence did not influence length of ICU stay. Acute renal failure can occur in 1% to 10% of infants undergoing open heart operations and is related to low cardiac output. This can be treated by either continuous venovenous hemofiltration or peritoneal dialysis, which further helps to manage postoperative fluid and electrolyte problems [2022]. Neurologic symptoms and signs are often overlooked, and the etiology of the neurologic problems can be related to hypothermia [23], embolization, hypoperfusion, and perioperative metabolic changes [24, 25].
Sudden onset of dysrhythmia was the probable cause of half of the early deaths in our series. Low cardiac output was the cause in 33%, and a major aortopulmonary collateral vessel producing a left-to-right shunt and very low diastolic pressures was the cause of death in 1 additional infant.
Limitations of study
This is a retrospective analysis of outcomes during a time when the institution (The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto) was in transition from a protocol of initial palliation followed by repair at age older than 18 months to a protocol of primary repair at any age when symptoms warranted intervention. This inevitably leads to primary repair at an early age. In this institution, the median length of ICU stay for infants undergoing repair of ToF has fallen from 5 days during the period of this study to 3 days in our more recent experience from 1995 to 1998. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will have an impact on morbidity.
Conclusions
Repair of ToF in patients less than 18 months old was associated with acceptable mortality, but there were high rates of minor respiratory complications and JET. Increasing length of ICU stay is associated with younger age at operation, presence of a malformation of genetic syndrome, previous systemicpulmonary artery shunt, requirement of increased number of postoperative inotropic agents and their total doses, and respiratory complications. Postoperative hemodynamic measurements in the first 48 hours after operation are useful predictors of death or prolonged ICU stay.
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This article has been cited by other articles:
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M. Pozzi, A. Quarti, and A. F. Corno Tetralogy of Fallot MMCTS, October 9, 2006; 2006(1009): 1487. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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E. I. van Dongen, A. G. Glansdorp, R. J. Mildner, B. W. McCrindle, A. G. Sakopoulos, G. VanArsdell, W. G. Williams, and D. Bohn The influence of perioperative factors on outcomes in children aged less than 18 months after repair of tetralogy of Fallot J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., September 1, 2003; 126(3): 703 - 710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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