Background: Cardiac catheterization is one of the most widely performed cardiac procedures. Medical record completeness and registry is a key performance indicator that is related with delivery of healthcare services in the hospital. At hospital level, statistics derived from the daily bed census and medical records are used to assess the utilization of services and enable the hospital to make appropriate financial and administrative plans and to conduct vital research.
Aim of the Work: To do statistical analysis of patients data who underwent cardiac catheterization to evaluate the current status, the prospects of improvements and future developments.
Patients and Methods: This cross sectional study included review of files of 389 patients who underwent cardiac catheterizations or invasive cardiac imaging procedures for diagnosis or treatment of various congenital heart diseases at the cardiac catheterization unit, new children's hospital, Ain Shams University during the period from first of January 2018 to the end of December 2019.
Results: In our study, interventional catheterization represented 191 (49.1%) of all studied cases whereas diagnostic catheterization were 115 (29.6%). The majority of procedures were done under general anesthesia and 8 cases (2.1%) only were done under sedation. The most frequent interventional procedure done was PDA device closure (28.30%). Among our study group, the number of complicated procedures was 23 procedures representing a percentage of 5.9 % with desaturation being the most common complication (26.1%) which encountered during balloon valvuloplasty operations. Mortality was recorded in only 2 patients (0.5%). Success rate of overall procedures was 99%.
Conclusion: The outcomes of the procedures done in our relatively new center were satisfactory and approximated to results of other international pediatric cardiac catheterizations centers as regards complications, mortality and success rate. Neonatal interventions were limited. Complications were higher among interventional procedures with desaturation being the most common complication which developed frequently during balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty followed by supraventricular tachycardia and arrhythmia; judicious catheter manipulation and correction of any metabolic abnormality is critical, but being prepared for such events is vital.