A retrospective analysis of the duration of mechanical ventilation in Scandinavian paediatric heart centres.

Aim: Early extubation after cardiac surgery shortens paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) length of stay (LOS) and decreases complications from mechanical ventilation (MV). We explored the duration of MV in Scandinavian paediatric heart centres.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the MV duration and PICU LOS of 696 children operated for atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) or total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) in four Scandinavian centres in 2015-2016.

The effect of sildenafil on pleural and peritoneal effusions after the TCPC operation.

Background: We evaluated whether the administration of sildenafil in children undergoing the TCPC operation shortened the interval from the operation to the removal of the pleural and peritoneal drains.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 122 patients who had undergone the TCPC operation between 2004 and 2014. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their treatments.