Connecticut Adult Congenital Heart Service (CTACH)

Pathway Background and Objectives

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, accounting for ~1% of all live births. 20,000-40,000 children with CHD graduate to adulthood each year. There are over 1.4 million adults with congenital heart disease living in the USA. Adults with CHD have been shown to have better outcomes when followed in a specialized adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) center. CT Children’s became the first accredited ACHD program in the state in 2018.

It is believed that the majority of adult patients with congenital heart disease are not receiving specialized ACHD care. They often believe they were fully repaired in childhood and are not aware of the late complications. Adult cardiologists and internal medicine providers are often unaware of the late sequelae as well. There is a general lack of awareness that our CTACH program exists. The specific objectives of our program are to:

  • Raise awareness that specialized care is needed for patients with ACHD
  • Make access to specialized care as easy as possible
     

Referral Guideline  

 

The clinical pathways in the above links have been developed specifically for use at Connecticut Children’s and are made available publicly for informational and/or educational purposes only. The clinical pathways are not intended to be, nor are they, a substitute for individualized professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Although Connecticut Children’s makes all efforts to ensure the accuracy of the posted content, Connecticut Children’s makes no warranty of any kind as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or its fitness for use at any particular facility or in any individual case.