The Use of Pediatric Ventricular Assist Devices in Children’s Hospitals From 2000 to 2010: Morbidity, Mortality, and Hospital Charges*

Objective: The use of ventricular assist devices has increased dramatically in adult heart failure patients. However, the overall use, outcome, comorbidities, and resource utilization of ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients have not been well described. We sought to demonstrate that the use of ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients has increased over time and that mortality has decreased. Design: A retrospective study of the Pediatric Health Information System database was performed for patients 20 years old or younger undergoing ventricular assist device placement from 2000 to 2010. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Four hundred seventy-five pediatric patients were implanted with ventricular assist devices during the study period: 69 in 2000–2003 (era 1), 135 in 2004–2006 (era 2), and 271 in 2007–2010 (era 3). Median age at ventricular assist device implantation was 6.0 years (interquartile range, 0.5–13.8), and the proportion of children who were 1–12 years old increased from 29% in era 1 to 47% in era 3 (p = 0.002). The majority of patients had a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy; this increased from 52% in era 1 to 72% in era 3 (p = 0.003). Comorbidities included arrhythmias (48%), pulmonary hypertension (16%), acute renal failure (34%), cerebrovascular disease (28%), and sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome (34%). Two hundred forty-seven patients (52%) underwent heart transplantation and 327 (69%) survived to hospital discharge. Hospital mortality decreased from 42% in era 1 to 25% in era 3 (p = 0.004). Median hospital length of stay increased (37 d [interquartile range, 12–64 d] in era 1 vs 69 d [interquartile range, 35–130] in era 3; p < 0.001) and median adjusted hospital charges increased ($630,630 [interquartile range, $227,052–$853,318] in era 1 vs $1,577,983 [interquartile range, $874,463–$2,280,435] in era 3; p < 0.001). Factors associated with increased mortality include age less than 1 year (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.01–3.83), acute renal failure (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.26–3.65), cerebrovascular disease (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.25–3.62), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (odds ratio, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.79–5.60). Ventricular assist device placement in era 3 (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.15–0.57) and a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.32–0.84), were associated with decreased mortality. Large-volume centers had lower mortality (odds ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34–0.88), lower use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and higher charges. Conclusions: The use of ventricular assist devices and survival after ventricular assist device placement in pediatric patients have increased over time, with a concomitant increase in resource utilization. Age under 1 year, certain noncardiac morbidities, and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are associated with worse outcomes. Lower mortality was seen at larger volume ventricular assist device centers.