Experience of medical treatment of neonates with Ebstein anomaly in the intensive care unit

Background: Neonates with Ebstein anomaly may remain a challenge for neonatal intensive care units due to continuously changing clinical manifestations. Maintaining an adequate cardiac output in the presence of cardiomegaly, severe cyanosis, high pulmonary vascular resistance, and rhythm disorders is a difficult task. Aim: To demonstrate the possibility of conservative management, as well as clinical and instrumental criteria of assessment of neonates with Ebstein anomaly and arterial hypoxemia and cardiomegaly. Materials and methods : Four neonates aged from 3 to 8 days of life were admitted to the neonate intensive care unit due to persistent arterial hypoxemia (SaO 2 ≤ 90%) and O2-dependence. Their cardiothoracic ratios ranged from 55 to 75% and were higher in the neonate with initial severe tricuspidal insufficiency (stage 3–4). Great Ormond Street Echocardiography (GOSE) score > 1 was found in 2 neonates with clinical manifestation of severe heart failure, arterial hypoxemia and cardiomegaly. Results : During the following 3 to 4 days, two neonates (aged 5 and 6 days) were transferred to the 2 nd stage of care due to the absence of clinical manifestations of heart failure and severe hypoxemia. In the other two cases, intensive management was necessary, with catecholamine support, oxygen therapy, infusion of prostaglandin E1, anti-arrhythmic agents, with no surgical intervention. Conclusion: The majority of symptomatic neonates with Ebstein anomaly can be stabilized in the settings of adequate conservative management. However, some of them would require transition from conservative treatment to surgical intervention. Such clinical and instrumental criteria, as SaO 2 , cardiothoracic ratio, and GOSE are the main benchmarks to choose between conservative and surgical strategy.