Thoracic Key

Abstract This chapter will review the process of normal coagulation in infants and children, examine the various tests of the clotting mechanism, review the alterations of hemostasis in congenital heart…

Abstract The care of neonates, infants, children, and adults with acquired and congenital heart disease (CHD) recovering from cardiac surgery presents one of the most complex and rapidly evolving challenges…

Abstract There are still many unanswered questions regarding blood management in the critically ill patient. Patients with congenital cardiac disease are further complicated by their variable physiology and subsequent response…

Abstract Over the past two decades survival from pediatric cardiac arrest has improved dramatically, particularly in the in-hospital setting, from 15% to nearly 50%. The reasons for this are multifactorial…

Abstract Nutrition is a vital consideration in children with critical heart disease for several reasons: (1) nutritional deficiency may cause heart disease; (2) congenital heart disease (CHD) may cause malnutrition…

Abstract The triad of preload, afterload, and inotropic state of the heart determines stroke volume, which together with heart rate determines cardiac output. The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems regulate…

Abstract Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation, causing up to 10% of infant deaths and 50% of deaths due to a congenital malformation, while extracardiac congenital…

Abstract Advances in cardiac surgery over the last three decades have translated to a shift in the epidemiology of congenital heart disease mortality from childhood to adulthood. As a result,…

Abstract Mortality from surgery to correct congenital heart disease has improved, but high incidences of neurologic injuries and neurodevelopmental abnormalities persist. Neonates with critical heart disease have the highest risk…