Impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease: a small systematic and integrative literature review.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compile primary studies to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

DATA SOURCE: A systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, with searches conducted in the PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases. Studies published in the last 5 years, open access, and addressing the research question, "What are the main impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease?" were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools.

DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 377 articles were identified, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. The NOS tool indicated that two of the eight cohort studies had a risk of bias and lower methodological quality. The JBI tool revealed that three of the four cross-sectional studies had a low risk of bias and good methodological quality. The integrative analysis highlighted three main impacts of COVID-19 on these patients: difficulties in follow-up and treatment, reduced physical activity due to social distancing, and postponement of procedures and surgeries. Infected patients experienced increased complications and hospitalizations, but without a significant change in mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the health and management of congenital heart disease, leading to clinical complications and worsening follow-up. Further primary and secondary studies are needed to strengthen the evidence and improve patient management.