Relationship Between Central Venous Pressure, Cardiac Index, and Renal Function in Pediatric Heart Failure: a

Nilay Donmez1, Marva Moxey-Mims1, Ryan Cantor2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.

Pediatric Cardiology
|July 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Renal dysfunction is common in pediatric heart failure patients. High BMI, male gender, and specific heart failure types are key predictors, highlighting the complexity of kidney issues in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Renal dysfunction (RD) is a frequent complication in children with heart failure (HF), impacting outcomes.
  • Determinants of RD in pediatric HF are not fully understood, with low cardiac output often cited as a risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between renal function and hemodynamic parameters in pediatric patients with HF.
  • To identify risk factors for RD in children with HF, stratified by etiology.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 3739 pediatric patients (<18 years) listed for heart transplantation (HT) from the PHTS database (1993-2023).
  • RD defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) thresholds based on age.
  • Logistic regression used to analyze correlations between eGFR and clinical, hemodynamic, and demographic parameters.

Main Results:

  • RD was present in 6% of the cohort.
  • In cardiomyopathy (CM) cohort: high BMI, male gender, black race, and high cardiac index with high central venous pressure (CVP) predicted RD.
  • In Fontan circulation cohort: only high BMI predicted RD. No hemodynamic parameters predicted RD in the congenital heart disease (CHD) cohort.
  • RD at listing, weight at transplant, post-transplant mechanical circulatory support, and post-transplant dialysis were associated with RD at one-year post-transplant.

Conclusions:

  • The relationship between clinical/hemodynamic factors and RD in pediatric HF is complex and varies by etiology.
  • RD at listing significantly impacts post-transplant renal function.
  • Further research into modifiable risk factors and novel HF therapies is crucial to reduce RD morbidity.

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