title: Considerations in the appraisal of mortality associated with congenital cardiac lesions.
abstract: While great improvements have been made, mortality related to congenital cardiac lesions continues to be of primary concern. Mortality can be considered from in depth retrospective analysis of the individual case, from clinical studies seeking to define risk and associated factors, and from studies designed to determine institution and operator-specific variations. The analysis of mortality is complex, given that the risk from an index event (eg, birth, operation) is constantly changing in a time-dependent manner, and that associated factors may also change over time as well. In some instances, patients may be at risk for other outcomes that may compete with mortality. As mortality lessens with advances in technology and clinical care, large multi-institutional studies become necessary to provide adequate statistical power to determine risk and associated factors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: McCrindle
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D012107:Research Design; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome