The recent focus on racial inequalities highlights the need to evaluate and address systemic biases (often unrecognized and unintended) affecting minority groups in health care. Specific to pediatric heart transplantation, disparities in outcomes have been documented in national registry studies with lower survival after listing and transplantation in non-White patients. [1][2][3][4] However, registry databases do not extend to the time before waitlisting for transplantation. Therefore, the potential for bias in the pediatric heart transplant candidate referral and evaluation process has been understudied.We retrospectively studied our single-center experience evaluating
Study design ICD codes were used to identify children with Kawasaki disease admitted to a tertiary Southeast U.S. center. Subjects diagnosed and treated according to AHA criteria were included. Demographic, laboratory, clinical and echocardiographic data from EMR (2000-2015) were compared between Blacks and Whites. Results Data from 369 subjects (52% Whites and 48% Blacks) were included in our analysis. No significant differences related to timely admission, IVIG treatment or, coronary artery abnormalities during hospitalization were observed, Blacks showed lower IVIG response rates for those administered IVIG within 10 days of fever onset (86.6% vs 95.6%, P = 0.007). Blacks received more ancillary drugs (9.6% vs 2.6%, P value 0.003), and endured longer hospitalizations (5±3.9 v s 3.4±2.2 days, P = 0.001). Blacks presented with higher C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and; lower hemoglobin, albumin and, sodium. Blacks showed a greater proportion of persistent coronary artery abnormalities at follow-up when compared with Whites (14.5% vs 6.3%, P = .03, second follow-up ECHO; 21.2% vs 6.9%, P = 0.01 third follow-up ECHO). Conclusion Black children with Kawasaki disease had higher IVIG refractory prevalence, severe inflammation, received more ancillary treatments and, longer hospitalizations than White children. Despite no racial differences in time to diagnosis or initial treatment, there was higher coronary artery abnormality persistence among Black children at follow-up.
Fontan operation can be complicated by persistent chest tube output (CTO) leading to prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). Postoperative sildenafil administration has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in selected patients after Fontan. We initiated a practice change utilizing intravenous (IV) sildenafil in early postoperative period in all patients undergoing Fontan operation with aim to decrease LOS and CTO. Nineteen patients (February 2014-May 2016) received 0.35 mg/kg sildenafil IV (three doses) followed by enteral, 1 mg/kg every eight hours until hospital discharge. Clinical outcomes were compared to 84 pre-protocol controls. Vital signs were recorded after second sildenafil dose. Demographics were similar between groups. Sildenafil group had longer median LOS [9 (7, 11) vs. 13 (8, 25) days, p = 0.016]. CTO days were longer [6 (5, 8) vs. 8 (6, 13) days, p = 0.011]. Sildenafil group had longer mechanical ventilation [6.9 (3.5, 11.1) vs. 4 (2, 7) h, p = 0.045] and longer oxygen therapy [99 (52, 225) vs. 14.5 (14, 56) h, p = 0.001]. There was a trend towards more albumin 5% resuscitation in first 24 h [17 (1, 30) vs. 21 (10, 40) ml/kg, p = 0.069]. There was no difference in inotrope score at 24 h, maximum lactate, or fluid balance. Readmission rates were similar. There was no mortality. IV sildenafil was well tolerated, and no doses were held. Routine early administration of sildenafil after Fontan operation is not associated with an improvement in any measured clinical outcome, including postoperative CTO, LOS, colloid administration, or duration of mechanical ventilation.
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