The effect of single ventricle congenital heart disease on recurrence risk of pneumatosis intestinalis in neonates.

PURPOSE

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a risk factor for the development of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI). Patients with single ventricle physiology (SVP) may be at higher risk of developing PI secondary to variations in systemic blood flow which affect bowel perfusion when compared to patients with biventricular physiology (BVP). We hypothesized that patients with SVP would have increased risk of recurrent PI.

METHODS

A retrospective review was done from 10/2014 through 05/2020 with patients that met the following criteria: CHD, radiographic evidence of PI, and less than 1 year of age. Groups were divided based on ventricular physiology. Primary outcome was radiographic recurrence of PI and secondary outcomes were average antibiotic duration, NPO duration, median length of stay, need for GI operation, and death from PI.

RESULTS

A total of 51 patients were included, 34 with SVP and 17 with BVP. 26.47% of SVP had recurrence of PI whereas no BVP experienced a recurrence of PI. There was no significant difference in any of the secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that patients with SVP are more likely to have recurrence of radiographic PI. We may need to consider patients with SVP that get PI as their own separate group.