Impact of an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Order Set in a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Background: Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are increasingly surviving to adulthood. Given their age- and condition-specific needs, the optimal postoperative setting for these patients is not yet determined. This study aims to evaluate the utility of an adult-specific order set in improving clinical outcomes for these patients in a pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Adults with CHD (ACHD) admitted to the cardiovascular ICU following cardiac surgery at a pediatric tertiary care center were identified for a retrospective cohort study. Health care delivery metrics and clinical outcomes of participants who received the adult-specific order set were compared with control patients admitted prior to the intervention. Categorical outcomes were compared using the χ² test of independence or Fisher exact test, and continuous outcomes were assessed using the t test. Results: A total of 130 ACHD patients received the intervention, with no significant differences observed in clinical outcomes when compared with 89 controls. While there was additionally no reduction in hospital-related mortality (2.3% vs 7.8%, RR 0.3; P = .1), clinician ordering behaviors were better aligned with best-practices following the intervention. Among patients with moderate or greater anatomic complexity, a post hoc analysis demonstrated reduced in-hospital mortality from those who received the adult order set. Conclusions: The implementation of an adult-specific order set in a pediatric care setting did not improve clinical outcomes for all ACHD patients. Patients with moderate and greater anatomic complexity did see a mortality benefit, suggestive that targeted electronic tools may most benefit those who have the highest risk.