Open Access
ARTICLE
Adults with Congenital Heart Disease during the COVID-19 Era: One-Year Tertiary Center Experience
Fatma A. Taha1,2,*, Osama Amoudi1, Fareed Alnozha1, Reda Abuelatta1
1
Adult Cardiology Department, Madinah Cardiac Center, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
2
Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
* Corresponding Author: Fatma A. Taha. Email:
Congenital Heart Disease 2022, 17(4), 399-419. https://doi.org/10.32604/chd.2022.020174
Received 10 November 2021; Accepted 29 March 2022; Issue published 04 July 2022
Abstract
Background: Adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD) might be at high risk of Coronavirus disease-
2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to report on a one-year tertiary center experience regards COVID-19 infection in ACHD patients. Methods: This is a one-year (March-2020 to March-2021) tertiary-center retrospective
study that enrolled all ACHD patients; COVID-19 positive patients’ medical records, and management were
reported.
Results: We recorded 542 patients, 205 (37.8%) COVID-19-positive, and 337 (62.2%) COVID-19-negative
patients. Palliated single ventricle and Eisenmenger syndrome patients were more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection
(
P < 0.05*). Cardiovascular COVID-19 complications were arrhythmias in 47 (22.9%) patients, heart failure in
39 (19.0%) patients, cyanosis in 12 (5.9%) patients, stroke/TIA in 5 (2.4%) patients, hypertension and infective endocarditis in 2 (1.0%) patients for each, pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary embolism in 1 (0.5%) patient for
each. 11 (5.4%) patients were managed with home isolation, 147 (71.7%) patients required antibiotics,
32 (15.6%) patients required intensive care unit (ICU), 8 (3.9%) patients required inotropes, 7 (3.4%) patients
required mechanical ventilation, and 2 (1.0%) patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Thromboprophylaxis was given to all 46 (22.4%) hospitalized patients. American College of Cardiology/American
Heart Association classification revealed that complex lesions, and FC-C/D categories were more likely to develop
severe/critical symptoms, that required mechanical ventilation and ECMO (
P < 0.05*). Mortality was reported in
3 (0.6%) patients with no difference between groups (
P = 0.872). 193 (35.6%) patients were vaccinated.
Conclusions:
COVID-19 infection in ACHD patients require individualized risk stratification and management. Eisenmenger
syndrome, single ventricle palliation, complex lesions, and FC-C/D patients were more vulnerable to severe/critical
symptoms that required ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and ECMO. The vaccine was mostly tolerable.
Keywords
Cite This Article
Taha, F. A., Amoudi, O., Alnozha, F., Abuelatta, R. (2022). Adults with Congenital Heart Disease during the COVID-19 Era: One-Year Tertiary Center Experience.
Congenital Heart Disease, 17(4), 399–419. https://doi.org/10.32604/chd.2022.020174