[Complications in 1000 cardiac catheter examinations in childhood].

Complications of cardiac catheterization of 1 000 subsequent investigations of pediatric patients were prospectively recorded. 18.2% of all patients presented in the newborn period with usual distribution of cardiac malformations of this age group. Total mortality was 1.8% within the first 24 hours. Newborn babies who were commonly hypoxic and in cardiac failure at the time of catheterization had a mortality of 9.3%. Causes of death were cardiac failure, hypoxia and severe arrhythmias. Comparing the first and second five hundred patients, mortality in the newborn seems to decrease with anaesthesia and ventilation of the patient. Increasing experience of the investigators and exclusion of non-operable malformations from catheterization by non invasive methods might also be responsible for this effect. The rate of arterial complications is 10% and high in our patients. Late venous thrombosis of the iliac veins and inferior vena cava in cyanotic malformations is one of the most serious problems. Apart from balloon atrial septostomy, the use of flow-guided balloon catheters in previous catheterizations could be responsible.