Preoperative anemia in children with congenital heart diseases

Introduction. The prevalence of preoperative anemia among children with congenital heart defects (CHD) has not been sufficiently studied. Anemia may be associated with postoperative complications and unfavorable outcomes after cardiac surgery. Erythrocyte suspension (ES) transfusion can also lead to undesirable side effects. There is no generally accepted approach to the preoperative preparation of patients with anemia that could improve the outcomes of surgical treatment of CHD.

Aim: to study the prevalence of preoperative anemia in children with CHD and to evaluate their effect on the course of the postoperative period.

Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the data of 253 CHD patients aged 0.1 to 215.5 months who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2022 and December 2023 was performed, of which 177 (70 %) patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass. Among the most numerous and homogeneous group of patients classified as RACHS-1 category II, the effect of preoperative anemia on the duration of hospitalization and stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) was analyzed.

Results. Preoperative anemia was diagnosed in 25.7 % of patients. Among patients with anemia, the incidence of AKI in the postoperative period was higher than in the group of patients without anemia: 30.8 % versus 9.7 %. The presence of anemia did not affect the duration of hospitalization and ICU stay.

Conclusion. The prevalence and structure of anemia before cardiac surgery in children have not been sufficiently studied. It is necessary to further search for the optimal approach to preoperative preparation of CHD patients in order to reduce the risks of postoperative complications, reduce the financial burden on healthcare institutions, and improve treatment outcomes.

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