Discharge and Readmission to the Pediatric Cardiac ICU in Pediatric Patients With Durable Ventricular Assist Devices.

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric patients implanted with a durable ventricular assist device are initially managed in the pediatric cardiac ICU but are eligible for discharge to the ward. Our objectives were to characterize discharge and readmission of ventricular assist device patients to the pediatric cardiac ICU, identify risk factors for readmission, and determine whether discharge or readmission is associated with mortality.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Stollery Children's Hospital.

PATIENTS

Patients implanted with a durable ventricular assist device at less than 18 years old between 2005 and 2016.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

There were 44 patients who underwent ventricular assist device implantation at a median age of 3.7 years (interquartile range, 0.6-9.0 yr), with the most common etiology being noncongenital heart disease (76.7%). Median time of total ventricular assist device support was 110.0 days (interquartile range, 42.3-212.3 d) with the median index pediatric cardiac ICU stay being 34.0 days (interquartile range, 19.8-81.0 d). Thirty patients (68.0%) were discharged to the ward with 18 (60.0%) having at least one readmission. The median time to first readmission was 18.0 days (interquartile range, 14.8-109.8 d) with a median of two readmissions per patient (interquartile range, 1.0-3.0). The most common reason for readmission was pump thrombosis (30.4%), followed by neurologic dysfunction (23.9%). There were no statistically significant pre- or post-implant factors associated with readmission, and readmission was not associated with mortality (p = 0.600). Univariate Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that use of pre-implant extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, post-implant continuous renal replacement therapy, as well as failure to be discharged from the index pediatric cardiac ICU stay were associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Readmissions to the pediatric cardiac ICU occurred in 60.0% of pediatric patients on durable ventricular assist devices with the first readmission occurring within a month of discharge from the index pediatric cardiac ICU stay. While readmission was not associated with mortality, lack of discharge from index pediatric cardiac ICU stay was likely due to a worse pre-implant clinical status.