Funding outcome

Ventricular assist device (VAD) support is widely regarded as a treatment option for children with end-stage heart failure. A VAD is a type of mechanical circulatory support that helps or takes over the work of the heart. Improvements in device technology and medical management of these patients have yielded improved results such as reducing the need for extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation and its associated complications and reducing the transplant waiting list mortality in the most critically ill patients. However, use of VAD support in the pediatric population is not without complications, with the most common being device malfunction, clots, strokes, bleeding events, and infections. The field has moved from managing these complex patients in the ICU till transplant to discharging patients to the ward and in some cases to home. Many of the complications that arise can cause significant morbidity and mortality with the need for increased resources including readmission to the intensive care unit. The Stollery Children's Hospital and University of Alberta Hospital have been utilizing various forms of VAD therapy since 2005 and therefore has one of the largest experiences in North America. This positions the Stollery Children's Hospital with a unique opportunity to further advance the field of VAD therapy in pediatric patients by sharing our experiences with the heart failure and VAD community. The objective of this project is to collect and analyze data regarding re-admission of pediatric patients on VAD support to the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) at the Stollery Children's Hospital. The expected outcome of this research is a detailed analysis and presentation of PCICU re-admission cases with goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the risk factors associated with poor outcomes in children supported on VADs.