title: The status of pediatric cardiology at a tertiary center in Lebanon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac disease, both congenital and acquired, contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article describes the status of pediatric cardiology at the Children's Heart Center in the American University of Beirut Medical Center. It addresses the available clinical services as well as the research and educational activities that are present at a tertiary center in Lebanon, a developing country with a population of 4 million.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lebanon has witnessed major developments in the field of pediatric cardiology over the past few years. About 650 babies are born with heart disease every year, with more than 425 needing treatment. Nearly all types of interventional catheterization procedures are currently being performed. About 300 open and closed pediatric cardiac surgeries are performed per year in Lebanon. In 2008, the in-hospital surgical mortality rate at our center was 2.6%, reflecting the good level of care in the treatment of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) in Lebanon. Basic research in the field of pediatric cardiology is emerging at our center. Our team has been studying the effect of chronic hypoxemia on the neonatal myocardium in an animal model of chronic hypoxia, as well as the study of molecular basis of CHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appropriate identification of cardiac disease, its epidemiology, and outcome is of utmost importance in guiding adequate care. Centralization of facilities is important to improve results and level of care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arabi
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majdalani
authors.forename: Maria Atoui
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El Hajj
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nemer
authors.forename: Fadi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sawaya
authors.forename: Mounir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obeid
authors.forename: Fadi F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Bitar
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002309:Cardiology; D002648:Child; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics