Preoperative Evaluation of Refugee Children With Heart Disease

The objective of this report is to identify nutritional deficiencies and health concerns in Canadian paediatric refugee patients with heart disease before cardiac surgery. A retrospective case study was conducted with 4 refugee children, aged 0-18 years, with heart disease referred to Cardiac Surgery. A total of 75% of patients had low vitamin D levels, 50% had selenium deficiency, 50% had iron deficiency anaemia, 75% were below the third percentile for height and weight for age, and 75% had dental caries. Early laboratory, nutritional, and dental screening of paediatric refugee patients at the time of heart disease diagnosis can optimize general and cardiovascular health before surgical intervention.