Outcomes of Infant Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease Concomitant With Persistent Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives There is still controversy about whether an infant should have cardiac surgery concomitant with ongoing persistent pneumonia. This study analyzes the outcome of surgical treatment for infants with left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease accompanied with persistent pneumonia and discusses the perioperative management strategies for these cases. Design This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting This study was conducted in an academic hospital and is a single-center study. Participants In this study, the authors analyzed the data of 94 infants admitted to our hospital from January 2014 to May 2016 who underwent surgical correction for left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease. Interventions Fifty cases without pneumonia were included as a control group, and 44 cases with unresolved persistent pneumonia were included as a study group. The clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were compared, and the perioperative safety and short-term prognosis were evaluated. Measurements and Main Results There was no significant difference in sex composition between the 2 groups. Infants in the pneumonia group were younger and had a lower body weight (p Conclusion The authors conclude that in the presented cases, no mortality or major morbidity was observed related to the practice of performing surgery in infants with signs of persistent pneumonia. The authors conclude that it is likely to be safe and effective for infants to receive cardiac surgery for left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease in the presence of persistent pneumonia.