Active clinical trials for "Heart Defects, Congenital"

The SOPHRO-CARE trial aims to measure the impact of sophrology on exercise capacity of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease. Investigator hypothesized that a series of group sessions of sophrology may improve the exercise capacity, in this population.

This study evaluates Different effects of two anesthetic techniques on renal function during the perioperative period of cardiac surgery in children.

Fibrinogen plays an important role in the coagulation cascade. Low levels of preoperative fibrinogen have been associated in adults with higher blood and transfusion requirements during surgery. Guidelines from the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care recommends fibrinogen substitution based on viscoelastic tests in adult cardiac surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass results in a profound hemodilution and dilution of all coagulation factors. This is especially true in children where the priming volume of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit is much higher compared to the patient's weight than in adults. Cardiopulmonary bypass generates high levels of tissue plasminogen activator resulting in a hyperfibrinolysis, further lowering fibrinogen levels. The aim of this retrospective study is to explore a possible relationship between preoperative fibrinogen levels and perioperative blood loss, as well as transfusion requirements in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

To answer the research question: "Would image-based modelling result in different clinical decisions as compared to clinical practice guidelines?", we will conduct a randomized controlled experiment in which we will compare the hypothetical decisions made by interventional cardiologists who are presented with imaging parameters currently recommended by clinical practice guidelines vs. hypothetical decisions made by interventional cardiologists receiving an expanded list of parameters, including simulation modelling.

Lysine analogs, like tranexamic acid (TXA) or epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA), are antifibrinolytic agents routinely administered in children undergoing different surgeries associated with a high bleeding risk (e.g. cardiac, craniofacial, and orthopedic surgeries). Although there is a growing literature regarding the pharmacokinetic characteristics of these drugs in children, the plasmatic concentration required to completely inhibit fibrinolysis remains to be determined. In this in vitro study, the investigators will use an experimental model of fibrinolysis designed for rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) to determine the minimal concentration inhibiting fibrinolysis for both TXA and EACA. In addition, this study will be used to create and validate a new experimental assay to measure fibrinolysis and the effect of antifibrinolytic agents.

Many toddlers and children are released home with relatively low hemoglobin levels following cardiac surgery, and with no careful follow up, at an age at which anemia is common. At this age, breast milk and its substitute do not provide enough iron, and parents are not adherent enough to iron supplements. Due to these facts, there is high importance, especially in children suffering from heart defects, for close follow up on their hemoglobin levels. Studies following hemoglobin trend post cardiac surgery were never done with children.

Previous studies have examined the usefulness of pulse oximetry or oxygen saturation to screen for left-sided cardiac lesions. These studies have shown that the occurrence of critical congenital cardiac malformations among asymptomatic newborns is high; the technique of pulse oximetry is reliable for detection of ductal dependant left-sided lesions, simple to operate(requires little time and can be done in the newborn nursery) and is cost effective; there is effective follow-up test (heart ultrasound) and available interventions have an effect on outcome for diagnosed newborns. The importance of this research project is to examine the overall helpfulness of measuring oximetry in newborn infants using somatic oximetry, as well ast to prepare for a population based study in the state of Florida.

The purpose of this study is to look at whether the use of a simple technique before surgery, which involves inflating a blood pressure cuff on the infant's leg, can improve development of language, motor and thinking skills at 12 months of age. Some research has found that a brief shortage of blood supply to an organ (such as a leg) at level that does not cause harm may help the body to tolerate a longer and more severe shortage of blood (for example, during surgery).

Background: Blood clots cause poor outcomes, including death, in babies with heart defects that require a surgical connection ("shunt") to provide blood flow to their lungs. Aspirin (ASA) blocks the part of the blood that helps clots form (platelets). Aspirin is used in babies with shunts to prevent blood clots. The dose of aspirin given to babies is based on adult research. Because babies are different from adults, the investigators do not know if the dose is enough to block platelets, or if it is too much and may cause bleeding. The investigators can test the platelets using a blood test called Thromboelastography with Platelet Mapping (TEG-PM). This test needs a small amount of blood so it can be used in babies. Hypothesis and Specific Aims: The investigators suspect the aspirin doses typically given babies are not enough to block platelets and prevent blood clots in their shunts. The investigators want to determine the percentage of babies whose platelets are not blocked enough (< 70% inhibition), by using TEG-PM. The investigators also want to determine how often bleeding or clots occur in babies receiving aspirin.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of parental peri-natal environmental risk factors and genetic factors on the development of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). Our hypothesis is that the distributions of some environmental and genetic risk factors significantly differ between neonates with and without CHD.