Guidelines for Management of Congenital Heart Disease in Adults

Experts provide recommendations for systemic and policy improvement as well as specific guidance for clinicians.

Background and Purpose: In part as a result of advances in cardiac surgery, an estimated 85% of children with congenital heart disease now survive into adulthood. In 2000, about 800,000 such individuals received care in adult healthcare systems, some of which may lack the physicians, advanced-practice nurses, and social workers sufficiently experienced in the unique problems of these patients. These guidelines were created to provide disease-specific recommendations for the care of adults with CHD (ACHD).

Key Points:

1. A need exists to strengthen transition clinics for adolescents and young adults and to recover patients with CHD lost to follow-up after leaving pediatric supervisory care.

2. Specialists in adult cardiovascular medicine req…

Reviewing Author

Howard C. Herrmann, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAffluent Medical; Artedrone; Caranx; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic; Prolifagen; Wells Fargo

EquityMicrointerventional Devices, Inc.

RoyaltiesUniversity of Pennsylvania

Grant/Research SupportAbbott Vascular; Edwards Lifesciences; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic

Editorial BoardsCatheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Case Reports; JSCAI