Morbidity after paediatric cardiac surgery assessed with usage of medicines: a population-based registry study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the overall morbidity of patients who underwent surgery for congenital cardiac defect during childhood.


BACKGROUND
A congenital cardiac defect treated with surgery is seldom totally cured. The incidence of residua, sequelae, and comorbidity is quite high. The morbidity has not been thoroughly examined.


METHODS
Medication was used as an indicator of morbidity. Data from the Finnish Research Registry of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery were linked to data from the medication registry of Finland's Social Insurance Institution. This study includes 5116 patients with a mean age of 33.5 (ranged from 14.7 to 64.8) years, who had undergone surgery for congenital cardiac defect between 1953 and 1989. The use of medicines among patients in 2004 was compared with 10232 age- and sex-matched control subjects.


RESULTS
The overall use of medicines was frequent; 62% of patients and 53% of controls had purchased at least one prescribed medicine (risk ratio: 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.2). The number of patients using cardiovascular medicines (17%) and anti-thrombotic agents (5%) was higher than that of control subjects (risk ratio: 2.2 and 8.4). In addition, the patients needed medicinal care for epilepsy (3%), asthma (7%), and psychiatric diseases (10%) more often than did controls (risk ratio: 2.2, 1.5, and 1.3, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients operated on for congenital cardiac defect had more chronic diseases and used more medicines than did controls.
Nieminen
Heta P
HP
Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland. heta.nieminen@elisanet.fi
Sairanen
Heikki I
HI
Jokinen
Eero V
EV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents