Commentary on the New 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

John Jairo Araujo

Cochair Adult Congenital Heart Disease Council in Inter American Society of Cardiology & Chapter´s President ACHD from Colombian Society of Cardiology, Colombia

Dr. John Jairo Araujo, Cochair Adult Congenital Heart Disease Council in Inter American Society of Cardiology & Chapter´s President ACHD from Colombian Society of Cardiology, Colombia.

Keywords: Adult Congenital Heart Disease; Management Recommendations; Guideline

Abstract

The constant growth in the population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) has taken many countries by surprise. Canada is a pioneer and world leader in development and care. It was the first country to develop clinical practice guidelines for ACHD in 1996, followed by the United States in 2008 and Europe in 2010 [1]. In recent years, a few other consensuses have been developed along with scientific statements in America and Europe, which have been adapted to the needs of this growing population. These serve as tools for managing ACHD complications and relapses which are periodically discovered as more children survive multiple and innovative surgical procedures [2-5]. The most recently published guidelines [6] constitute an update developed in collaboration with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the American Society of Echocardiography, the Heart Rhythm Society, the International Society for Adult Congenital Heart Disease, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. World-renowned experts on the writing committee and members of the ACC/AHA task force have provided a 171 page document, 110 pages of which are entirely devoted to recommendations, with 878 references.

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