Correlation of patient characteristics with peak enhancement time for pediatric cardiac computed tomography in congenital heart disease

Objectives: Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) plays a key role in diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD), emphasizing the need for specialized protocols in newborns due to CHD’s complexity. The aim is to explore the relationship between peak enhancement time (PET) and various parameters during CHD assessment with CCT. Material and Methods: The study involved 38 CHD patients undergoing CCT, with observations made on their heart rate, respiratory rate, saturation, cardiac output, weight, height, and age. The PET for each case was determined, and Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to evaluate the association between these parameters and the PET. Results: The median PET was 20.63 s, with a mean aortic Hounsfield unit of 512.16 ± 160.56. A moderate negative correlation was found between PET and both heart rates (r = −0.42, P = 0.009) and respiratory rates (r = −0.41, P = 0.01), whereas a negligible positive correlation (r = 0.19, P = 0.25) was observed with SpO2. A moderate positive correlation was noted between PET and both weight (r = 0.44, P = 0.005) and height (r = 0.40, P = 0.01). In addition, there were significant differences in median PET across different age categories. Conclusion: The findings conclude that PET during CCT is significantly associated with heart rate and respiratory rate. An increase in these rates corresponds to a notable decrease in PET. Consequently, the study recommends minimizing scan delays in CCT for patients exhibiting higher heart rates.