Mechanical Ventilation and Outcomes of Children Who Undergo Ventricular Assist Device Placement: 2014–2020 Linked Analysis From the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network and Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium Registries

Objectives: Placement of a ventricular assist device (VAD) improves outcomes in children with advanced heart failure, but adverse events remain important consequences. Preoperative mechanical ventilation (MV) increases mortality, but it is unknown what impact prolonged postoperative MV has. Design: Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION) and Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) registries were used to identify and link children with initial VAD placement admitted to the cardiac ICU (CICU) from August 2014 to July 2020. Demographics, cardiac diagnosis, preoperative and postoperative CICU courses, and outcomes were compiled. Univariable and multivariable statistics assessed association of patient factors with prolonged postoperative MV. Multivariable logistic regression sought independent associations with outcomes. Setting: Thirty-five pediatric CICUs across the United States and Canada. Patients: Children on VADs included in both registries. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Two hundred forty-eight ACTION subjects were linked to a matching patient in PC4. Median (interquartile) age 7.7 years (1.5–15.5 yr), weight 21.3 kg (9.1–58 kg), and 56% male. Primary diagnosis was congenital heart disease (CHD) in 35%. Pre-VAD explanatory variables independently associated with prolonged postoperative MV included: age (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.96; p < 0.01); preoperative MV within 48 hours (IRR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.59–4.79; p < 0.01), 2–7 days (IRR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.15–2.89; p = 0.011), and greater than 7 days before VAD implant (IRR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.62–3.4; p < 0.01); and CHD (IRR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.48–2.59; p < 0.01). Each additional day of postoperative MV was associated with greater odds of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.09 per day; p < 0.01) in the full cohort. We identified an associated greater odds of mortality in the 102 patients with intracorporeal devices (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04–1.48; p = 0.014), but not paracorporeal devices (77 patients; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99–1.09; p = 0.115). Conclusions: Prolonged MV after VAD placement is associated with greater odds of mortality in intracorporeal devices, which may indicate inadequacy of cardiopulmonary support in this group. This linkage provides a platform for future analyses in this population.