Cardiology in the young
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Cardiology in the young · Aug 2009
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAnalysis of regional congenital cardiac surgical outcomes in Florida using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database.
Florida is the fourth largest state in the United States of America. In 2004, 218,045 live babies were born in Florida, accounting for approximately 1744 new cases of congenital heart disease. We review the initial experience of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database with a regional outcomes report, namely the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Florida Regional Report. ⋯ A regional consortium of congenital heart surgery centres in Florida under the framework of the Children's Medical Services has allowed for inter-institutional collaboration with the goal of quality improvement. This experience demonstrates, first, that the database maintained by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons can provide the framework for regional analysis of outcomes, and second, that voluntary regional collaborative efforts permit the pooling of data for such analysis.
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Cardiology in the young · Aug 2009
Is a routine chest X-ray indicated before discharge following paediatric cardiac surgery?
In many paediatric cardiosurgical units, a chest X-ray is routinely performed before discharge. We sought to evaluate the clinical impact of such routine radiographs in the management of children after cardiac surgery. Of 100 consecutive children, a chest X-ray was performed in 71 prior to discharge. Of these, 38 were clinically indicated, while 33 were performed as a routine. Therapeutic changes were instituted on the basis of the X-ray in 4 patients, in all of whom the imaging had been clinically indicated. No therapeutic changes followed those radiographs performed on a routine basis. ⋯ Routine chest radiographs can be omitted prior to discharging patients after paediatric heart surgery.