Active clinical trials for "Heart Defects, Congenital"

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced cardiovascular imaging using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has proven to be effective in providing gold standard myocardial tissue characterization. Moreover, the intrinsic advantage of MRI's lack of exposure to ionizing radiation is particularly beneficial. At the same time, blood work can be very useful in early detection of certain cardiomyopathy, such as amyloid. However, there is a lack of agreement of on which markers are the most sensitive. This multi-study will allow us the unique opportunity to form a more comprehensive understanding for various cardiovascular diseases. Our team has developed novel cardiac MRI techniques that leverages endogenous tissue properties to reveal a milieu of deep tissue phenotypes including myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, metabolism, and microstructural defects. Among these phenotypes, myocardial microstructure has proven to be most sensitive to early myocardial tissue damage and is predictive of myocardial regeneration. In this study, the investigators aim to further study the importance of cardiac microstructure revealed by MRI in patient and healthy population and compare this novel technology with conventional clinical biomarkers.

We will test an ultrasound device that uses sound waves to detect the fetal heart beat, and use this device to tell the MRI scanner when to collect pictures of the fetal heart. This will help freeze motion of the fetal heart, to make MRI pictures sharper. This will be important for assessing human fetal heart disease, an active area of research at our institution.

Compare physical activity and cognitive functions between children having cardiac surgery with an age-matched group of children undergoing non-cardiac surgery, as well as otherwise healthy siblings or best buddies (or age and gender-matched children if no siblings or best buddies available) before surgery and after surgery or six months following initial assessment. Determine the effects of a structured physical activity program for 6 months following surgery on cognitive functions and adaptive behavior in children following congenital cardiac surgery. Determine the effects of a structured physical activity program for 12 months following surgery on cognitive functions and adaptive behavior in children following congenital cardiac surgery. We will perform exploratory analysis to determine whether any effects of a 12-months structured physical activity program on cognitive functions and adaptive behavior persist beyond 12 months after cessation of the program.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of physical training on exercise capacity, quality of life, functional class, oxygen consumption and right ventricular function in patients with severe associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (APAH) as part of a congenital heart defect with / without Eisenmenger's Syndrome

Pediatric cardiac patients undergoing surgical anesthesia are at an increased risk of poor neurologic outcome (20-50%). Unattenuated anesthetic exposure and pain contributes to physiologic perturbations that may increase neurologic morbidity. Because of the often-large exposure to anesthetic agents in these cardiac children, at such a young age and the potential modifying anesthetic practice that could lead to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes and surgical recovery is paramount. Regional anesthesia such as thoracic epidurals provide effective analgesia and reduced intraoperative anesthetic needed but carry devastating sequelae neurological risks of epidural hematomas after anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Recently, a newly described erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is superficial to neuraxial or vascular structures, providing opportunity to be placed with less risk for surgery requiring CPB. This block has been described as effective regional anesthesia for adult cardiac surgery.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects approximately 1% of newborns in the US, with 25% of those affected having critical conditions requiring open heart surgery within one year of birth. Surgical and medical advances have allowed many patients to live beyond their fourth and fifth decades of life. Unfortunately, cardiac arrhythmias are a relatively common sequela due to cardiac anomalies and surgical scars in addition to residual volume and pressure load on the heart. Atrial arrhythmias, including sinus node dysfunction and intra-atrial re-entrant tachycardia (IART) are among the more common abnormalities found in adults with repaired CHD. The presence of IART significantly increases morbidity and mortality, and anti-arrhythmic medications have been shown to be a sub-optimal treatment strategy with the majority of patients requiring multi-drug therapy. Catheter ablation procedures remain a treatment option, but are less successful for some patient demographics. In the mid-1990's, pacemakers with atrial anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) capabilities were developed, primarily for the management of atrial flutter and fibrillation in adults with structurally normal hearts. Given the need for pacemakers in the CHD population to manage sinus node dysfunction and atrioventricular node conduction block, the adoption of atrial anti-tachycardia pacemakers began to gain favor. However, there is limited data available comparing the safety and effectiveness of ATP therapy between various demographics of CHD patients. In the current study, the investigators aim to determine if ATP is an effective treatment strategy for IART, specifically within particular sub-populations of CHD patients. Additionally, investigators hope to delineate any significant differences in efficacy of ATP treatment between adult and pediatric congenital heart patients. The research team will accomplish our goals with a retrospective, multi-center study in which data is collected from existing electronic medical records and pacemaker interrogations. Following data collection, the investigators will employ statistical analyses to determine if certain CHD demographics are statistically significant predictors of ATP therapy outcomes. The purpose of this prospective/retrospective study is to determine how effective atrial anti-tachycardia therapies are with the congenital heart patients who are known to have atrial arrhythmias. As this population ages, we know that arrhythmic burden increases and medications are increased or changed for symptomatic improvement. Patients will be enrolled at the time of anti tachycardia device (ATD) placement or when device therapies are turned on. Patients will need a minimum of 5 years of clinical history prior to implantation and after implantation (unless patient is very young). Data will be collected both retrospectively and prospectively. The research team will consent patients at the time of clinical evaluations and scheduled follow-ups (usually 3 - 6 months). If therapy is effective, investigators will determine the specific programming which was successful. If therapy was ineffective, investigators will also determine if a change in programing was made and if this improved ATP efficacy. Investigators will also determine the arrhythmia burden. Cardioversion and medications before and after ATD implantation will be the key determinants of arrhythmia burden in this study.

This study is a multicenter, stepwise design, cluster randomized controlled trial. Random sequence is generated by computer, and each center enters the intervention expectation (Phase I) in random order to implement ERAS strategy. If it does not enter the intervention expectation (Phase C) center, clinical diagnosis and treatment will be completed according to the traditional scheme. Among children, patients aged 28 to 6 who underwent cardiac surgery were included in the ERAS strategy intervention plan, which mainly includes preoperative education, preoperative comfort for the patient, preoperative oral sugary beverage, continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine, multimodal analgesia, blood protection strategies, prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting, intraoperative insulation, early tracheal extubation and intubation, and targeted liquid therapy. The traditional plan group follows the current clinical diagnosis and treatment routine. By comparing the differences in the incidence of major postoperative outcomes (MACE events, major pulmonary complications, and acute kidney injury) between the intervention group and the non intervention group, as well as comparing other adverse events (including but not limited to pneumonia, massive bleeding, postoperative arrhythmia, incision infection, postoperative nausea, vomiting, and delirium), all cause secondary intubation, and all cause secondary surgery between the two groups, and recording hospitalization time, ICU stay time The removal time of tracheal intubation and drainage tube, the pain score during hospitalization, the total amount of opioid drug use (converted to the same dose of morphine), hospitalization expenses, and family satisfaction scores were recorded to explore whether the ERAS regimen can reduce the incidence of major postoperative adverse events, improve patient prognosis, and accelerate postoperative recovery compared to traditional regimens.

This study aims to describe chest wall mechanics during delayed sternal closure (DSC) in neonates following cardiopulmonary bypass or palliation of congenital heart diseases.

Survival rates of children with severe congenital heart disease (CHD) have increased with ongoing medical progress over the past decades. However, many children with CHD face academic challenges during adolescence, which are associated with executive dysfunction. Executive functions (EF), higher-order cognitive processes allowing goal-directed behavior, can be particularly affected in children with CHD. To improve EF in affected children, a specific EF intervention has been developed. The intervention lasts a total of 8 weeks and is structured in 3 modules. The first module consists of a weekly strategy training in which problems resulting from executive dysfunction are addressed. Online games form the second module. These are games implemented online to promote EF through play. The third module is also based on games: The families receive several board games to play together at home. This third module is voluntary. This intervention is tested on its feasibility. As the intervention was built in a patient centered manner, we expect it to be feasible, showing in a high adherence rate and satisfaction.

This study evaluates the effects of pulmonary vasodilator therapy on pulmonary capillary blood flow by measuring the functional capillary surface area (FCSA) at baseline and post nitric oxide inhalation, through the injection of 3H-benzoyl-Phe-Ala-Pro (BPAP). FCSA will be related to flow and other hemodynamic parameters in order to determine if there is capillary recruitment or distention in Fontan patients. We will also compare baseline FCSA measurements with previously studied normal subjects, to assess the difference in hemodynamic pulmonary functional parameters between these single ventricle physiology patients and normal subjects.