title: Diagnostic pediatric cardiac catheterization: Experience of a tertiary care pediatric cardiac centre.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac catheterization was considered gold standard for confirmation of diagnosis and analyzing various management issues in congenital heart diseases. In spite of development of various non invasive tools for investigation of cardiac disorders diagnostic catheterization still holds an important place in pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  300 consecutive diagnostic cardiac catheterization performed since April 2007 were included in this study. The study was undertaken to evaluate the profile of patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization, its results, assess its safety and its contribution toward solving various management issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children who underwent cardiac catheterization ranged in weight from 1.6 kg to 35 kg, with their age range 0 day-12 years. The information obtained was of great importance for further management in over 90% cases. The procedure of cardiac cath is invasive, still it was proved to be quite safe even in smallest baby.
authors.affiliation: Senior Advisor (Pediatrics & Pediatric Cardiology), Military Hospital (CTC) Pune 40, India.
authors.forename: Prabhat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Senior Advisor (Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology), Military Hospital (CTC), Pune 40, India.
authors.forename: Vidya Sagar
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.affiliation: Classified Specialist (Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology), Command Hospital Air Force, Bengaluru, India.
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Madhu
keywords: Cardiac catheterization; Congenital heart diseases; Diagnostic; Pediatric