Abstract:
Expert consensus documents are critical to the practice of medicine when peer-reviewed data are insufficient to create clinical practice guidelines. The management of infants with trisomy 13 or trisomy 18 who have an associated congenital heart defect lacks consistency. The variability in practice leads to discontent and distrust among parents and clinicians and to potentially suboptimal patient care. The American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has supported the creation of an expert consensus document addressing many of the controversial issues surrounding the indications for correction of a congenital heart defect in this population. Input from a group of experts in this field, to include genetists, ethicists, pediatric cardiologists, pedaitric pulmonologist, pediatric cardaic surgeons, and intensvie care specialists, joined to create and adjustfy nine recommendations to address the indications for repair of a congenital heart defect in child with trisomy 13 or 18. This document will provide information that may be used by both are caretakers and families to support these decsions and management of this complex group of pateints.
