Thrombosis in children with BT shunts, Glenns and Fontans

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) constitute a major proportion of children seen in tertiary hospitals with thromboembolic disease (TE). Three common surgical procedures are the Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt, Glenn shunt and the Fontan surgery. All of these procedures can result in TE. There are few well designed studies in the literature determining the epidemiology of TE in these cohorts, however, TE has been diagnosed in children, especially following the BT shunt and the Fontan surgery. The best approach to treat or prevent TE complications in these cohorts of children has not been determined. Clinical studies are urgently required to provide evidence based recommendations for treatment and prophylaxis of TE. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.