Influence of socioeconomic factors on pregnancy outcome in women with structural heart disease

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac disease is the leading cause of indirect maternal mortality. The aim of this study was to analyse to what extent socioeconomic factors influence the outcome of pregnancy in women with heart disease.  METHODS: The Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac disease is a global prospective registry. For this analysis, countries that enrolled ≥10 patients were included. A combined cardiac endpoint included maternal cardiac death, arrhythmia requiring treatment, heart failure, thromboembolic event, aortic dissection, endocarditis, acute coronary syndrome, hospitalisation for cardiac reason or intervention. Associations between patient characteristics, country characteristics (income inequality expressed as Gini coefficient, health expenditure, schooling, gross domestic product, birth rate and hospital beds) and cardiac endpoints were checked in a three-level model (patient-centre-country).  RESULTS: A total of 30 countries enrolled 2924 patients from 89 centres. At least one endpoint occurred in 645 women (22.1%). Maternal age, New York Heart Association classification and modified WHO risk classification were associated with the combined endpoint and explained 37% of variance in outcome. Gini coefficient and country-specific birth rate explained an additional 4%. There were large differences between the individual countries, but the need for multilevel modelling to account for these differences disappeared after adjustment for patient characteristics, Gini and country-specific birth rate.  CONCLUSION: While there are definite interregional differences in pregnancy outcome in women with cardiac disease, these differences seem to be mainly driven by individual patient characteristics. Adjustment for country characteristics refined the results to a limited extent, but maternal condition seems to be the main determinant of outcome

The spectrum of adult congenital heart disease in Europe: morbidity and mortality in a 5 year follow-up period: The Euro Heart Survey on adult congenital heart disease

AIMS: To describe clinical and demographic characteristics at baseline of a European cohort of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) and to assess mortality and morbidity in a 5 year follow-up period. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data collected as part of the Euro Heart Survey on adult CHD was analysed. This entailed information transcribed from the files of 4110 patients diagnosed with one of eight congenital heart conditions ('defects'), who consecutively visited the outpatient clinics of one of the participating centres in 1998. The patients were included retrospectively and followed until the end of 2003 for a median follow-up of 5.1 years. Notwithstanding their overall relatively good functional class and low mortality over the follow-up period, a considerable proportion of the patients had a history of endocarditis, arrhythmias, or vascular events. There were major differences between the eight defects, both in morbidity and regarding specific characteristics. Outcomes were worst in cyanotic defects and in the Fontan circulation, but a considerable proportion of the other patients also suffer from cardiac symptoms. In particular, arrhythmias are common. CONCLUSION: The spectrum of adult CHD in Europe emerging from this survey is one of a predominantly young population with substantial morbidity but relatively low mortality in a 5 year period

Psychological functioning and life experiences in adults with congenital heart disease

The number of adults with congenital heart disease is growing rapidly and this population requires highly specialized medical and also psychosocial care. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the psychosocial aspects of adults with congenital heart disease, by focusing on psychological functioning, factors associated with psychological distress, coping strategies and life experiences in this population. In the literature, it is outlined how psychological and social aspects, more than the more objective medical ones, play an important role in the psychological wellbeing of these patients who struggle to lead a life which is as \u201cnormal\u201d as possible. Finally, a clinical case study regarding the provision of support to an adult with congenital heart disease, immediately after cardiac surgery, is reported at the end of the chapter. In this case study, elements regarding the referral to the psychologist are described, and it is shown how the issues reported in the literature emerge in a subjective life experience

ESC Guidelines for the management of grown-up congenital heart disease (new version 2010).

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