Situación actual de la organización, recursos y actividad en cardiología pediátrica en España

  1. Francisco Sánchez Ferrera
  2. Francisco José Castro García
  3. Javier Pérez-Lescure Picarzo
  4. Ferrán Roses Noguer
  5. Fernándo Centeno Malfaz
  6. María Dolores Grima Murcia
  7. Dimpna Albert Brotons
Journal:
Anales de Pediatría: Publicación Oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría ( AEP )

ISSN: 1695-4033 1696-4608

Year of publication: 2019

Volume: 90

Issue: 2

Pages: 94-101

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1016/J.ANPEDI.2018.03.004 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Anales de Pediatría: Publicación Oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría ( AEP )

Abstract

Introduction The results are presented on the «current situation of the organisation, resources and activity in paediatric cardiology in Spain». It was promoted by the Spanish Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart disease. Material and methods An analysis was carried out on the results obtained from a specifically designed questionnaire, prepared by the Spanish Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart disease, that was sent to all hospitals around the country that offer the speciality of paediatric cardiology. Results A total of 86 questionnaires were obtained, including 14 hospitals that perform cardiac surgery on children. A total of 190 paediatric cardiology consultants, 40 cardiac surgeons, and 27 middle grade doctors performing their paediatric residency (MIR program) were identified. All hospitals had adequate equipment to perform an optimal initial evaluation of any child with a possible cardiac abnormality, but only tertiary centres could perform complex diagnostic procedures, interventional cardiology, and cardiac surgery. In almost all units around the country, paediatric cardiology consultants were responsible for outpatient clinics and hospital admissions, whereas foetal cardiology units were still mainly managed by obstetricians. The number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was similar to those reported in the first survey, except for a slight decrease in the total number of closed cardiac surgery procedures, and a proportional increase in the number of therapeutic catheterisations. Conclusions Paediatric Cardiology in Spain is performed by paediatric cardiology consultants that were trained initially as general paediatricians, and then completed a paediatric cardiology training period. Almost all units have adequate means for diagnosis and treatment. Efforts should be directed to create a national registry that would not only allow a prospective quantification of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, but also focus on their clinical outcomes.