Welcome to the first post of new year!
I would like to put up few details of our publications of 2008.
Dr Sunita Maheshwari was in the panel of specialists who came out with the Consensus guidelines on Timing of Intervention for Common Congenital Heart Diseases. It was both a matter of pride and prestige for our institute and specially, to our department, to be elected for such an honour. It was to the credit of our boss, who deserved it completely!
It was an unique attempt by the consensus panel to have published such guidelines for first time in India for CHDs. It really deserved applause. We sincerely hope that it can be used to the best by the entire Pediatric and Cardiology community of the country.
We are putting up the abstract of these guidelines here.
The entire guidelines can be accessed free at http://indianpediatrics.net/feb2008/feb-117-126.htm or http://indianpediatrics.net/feb2008/117.pdf (Please copy the url and paste in your explorer window to get the article)

Consensus on Timing of Intervention for Common Congenital Heart Diseases

WORKING GROUP ON MANAGEMENT OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES IN INDIA

ABSTRACT
Justification: Separate guidelines are needed for determining the optimal timing of intervention in children with congenital heart diseases in India, because of their frequent late presentation, undernutrition and co-existing morbidities.
Process: Guidelines emerged following expert deliberations at the National Consensus Meeting on Management of Congenital Heart Diseases in India, held on 26th August 2007 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, supported by Cardiological Society of India.
Objectives: To frame evidence based guidelines for (i) appropriate timing of intervention in congenital heart diseases; (ii) assessment of operability in left to right shunt lesions; and (iii) prophylaxis of infective endocarditis in these children.
Recommendations: Evidence based recommendations are provided for timing of intervention in common congenital heart diseases including left to right shunt lesions (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and others); obstructive lesions (coarctation of aorta, aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis); and cyanotic defects (tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great arteries, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, truncus arteriosus). Guidelines are also given for assessment of operability in left to right shunt lesions and for infective endocarditis prophylaxis.

Key words: Children, Consensus statement, Congenital heart disease, India, Surgery.

I shall post the next abstract in the next posting.

Regards

Kiran