Report of the pediatric heart network and national heart, lung, and blood institute working group on the perioperative management of congenital heart disease.

摘要

The survival of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has significantly improved during the past several decades (the Figure). This accomplishment is directly attributable to the net effect of individual therapeutic successes from the innovative work of surgeons and cardiologists and the courageous devotion of patients and families. However, as the field moves forward, the need for evidence-based medicine derived from multi-institutional collaborations to address more subtle and complex questions such as functional outcome and quality of life and to provide data to guide individual practitioners has become paramount. Recognizing this, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) established the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) in 2001 to provide a collaborative platform for conducting clinical studies.