| dc.description.abstract | Dissertation under the direction of Dr. Terrah Akard
Background: Advancements in pediatric cardiac surgery have led to improved survival for congenital heart disease (CHD) in recent decades. However, children who required cardiac surgery are susceptible to non-cardiac comorbidities, including the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). There is a paucity of literature examining PTSS in preschool-aged children who required cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine potential relationships between relevant biological and social variables and the development of PTSS in three-to-six-year-old following cardiac surgery.
Methods: Primary caregivers of living children aged three to six years who underwent cardiac surgery between 2017 – 2019 at our institution were invited to participate in this cross-sectional, descriptive study. We used medical chart review, the Pediatric Inventory for Parents – Short Form (PIP-SF), and the Young Child PTSD Checklist (YCPC) to explore biological variables related to the child’s cardiac surgery, caregiver stress related to the child’s illness, and child PTSS, respectively. Caregiver-completed study measures were completed electronically. Correlational measures were used to examine the relationship between cardiac physiology, postoperative intensive care unit length of stay (ICU LOS), duration of mechanical ventilation, number of prior surgeries, postoperative opioid administration, and parenting stress with child PTSS.
Results: Caregivers of children with single-ventricle physiology reported greater PTSS than those bi-ventricular physiology. ICU LOS, duration of mechanical ventilation, and number of prior surgeries were not significantly associated with child PTSS. Differing patterns of association were noted between postoperative opioid administration and children with single- versus bi-ventricular physiology. Parenting stress according to the PIP-SF did not appear to be associated with child PTSS in this study.
Conclusion: Our work demonstrates that preschool-aged children may develop PTSS following cardiac surgery. Those with single ventricle physiology may be more susceptible to the development of PTSS than children with biventricular physiology. Postoperative opioid administration and parenting stress were not associated with child PTSS. Additional work is needed to identify risk factors for the development of PTSS in preschool children requiring cardiac surgery. | |
