Twenty Years' Experience of Congenital Heart Disease Characterization in Thammasat University Hospital

Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of pediatric mortality globally, including in Thailand. Understanding CHD types and severity is crucial for epidemiology and patient care. Objective: This study aimed to examine demographic data, types, and severity of CHD in patients at Thammasat University Hospital from 2001 to 2020, and to compare CHD types between 2001–2010 and 2011–2020. Methods: A retrospective review collected data from pediatric patients (aged 15 years or younger) from 2001 to 2020, based on echocardiography and medical records. Demographic information, diagnosis, classification, and CHD severity were analyzed using counts and percentages. Comparisons of severity among different types of CHD, and comparisons of CHD types between the first and latter 10-year periods, were analyzed statistically. Results: A total of 2,868 patients were included. Cyanotic CHD was diagnosed in 490 patients (18.24%) and acyanotic CHD in 2,196 patients (81.76%). Among cyanotic cases, biventricular CHD comprised 65.71% and functionally univentricular CHD 34.29%. The most common acyanotic type was left-to-right shunt lesions (75.50%). CHD severity was classified as mild (38.64%), moderate (51.53%), and severe (9.83%). Severity differed significantly between CHD types (cyanotic vs. acyanotic, p < 0.001) and within cyanotic CHD (biventricular vs. functionally univentricular, p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in CHD type distribution were observed between 2001–2010 and 2011–2020, regardless of cyanotic vs. acyanotic CHD (p = 0.522), biventricular vs. functionally univentricular CHD (p = 0.463), or acyanotic CHD classified by pathophysiology (p = 0.630).