Original Article

Prevalence and Short Term Outcome of Post-Procedural Complete Heart Block in Congenital Heart Disease Correction in Children

Abstract

Background: Complete heart block (CHB) is a known complication following congenital heart disease (CHD) corrections in children, yet data on its prevalence and short-term outcomes is limited. This study investigates the prevalence and short-term outcomes of post-procedural CHB in pediatric patients undergoing surgical or transcatheter procedures for CHD.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on pediatric patients who underwent CHD corrections between 2019 and 2020 at a tertiary cardiac center in Isfahan, Iran. Patients with a history of arrhythmia or heart block before surgery were excluded. The medical records were reviewed to identify cases of post-procedural CHB. The prevalence, risk factors and short-term outcome of post-procedural CHB were analyzed.

Result: A total of 840 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 3.41±4.30 years and 47.8% being male. CHB was identified in 22 patients (2.6%) during the post-procedural period, with a prevalence of 0.6% in the transcatheter group and 4.7% in the surgical group. Patients with post-procedural CHB were younger than non-CHB patients. Regression analyses indicated that the type of procedure and type of CHD were associated with post-procedural CHB. Patients who developed post-procedural CHB had a longer mean stay in the pediatric cardiac critical care unit than non-CHB patients. The in-hospital mortality rate was 5.2%, with no correlation to CHB occurrence.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of attentive monitoring for post-procedural CHB, particularly in younger patients, to facilitate timely intervention and improve the patient’s outcome.

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Keywords
Heart Block Congenital Heart Defect Pediatrics Postoperative Complications Atrioventricular Block
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Mahdavi C, Sabri MR, Ahmadi A, Ghaderian M, Bigdelian H, Dehghan B, Ramezani nezhad D, Salamaty LS, Bamarinejad A, Bamarinejad F, Haji Mirsaidi M. Prevalence and Short Term Outcome of Post-Procedural Complete Heart Block in Congenital Heart Disease Correction in Children. J Tehran Heart Cent. 2024;.