Procedure-type risk categories for pediatric and congenital cardiac catheterization

Background-The Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Project on Outcomes (C3PO) was established to develop outcome assessment methods for pediatric catheterization. Methods and Results-Six sites have been recording demographic, procedural and immediate outcome data on all cases, using a web-based system since February 2007. A sample of data was independently audited for validity and data completeness. In 2006, participants categorized 84 procedure types into 6 categories by anticipated risk of an adverse event (AE). Consensus and empirical methods were used to determine final procedure risk categories, based on the outcomes: any AE (level 1 to 5); AE level 3, 4, or 5; and death or life-threatening event (level 4 or 5). The final models were then evaluated for validity in a prospectively collected data set between May 2008 and December 31, 2009. Between February 2007 and April 2008, 3756 cases were recorded, 558 (14.9%) with any AE; 226 (6.0%) level 3, 4, or 5; and 73 (1.9%) level 4 or 5. General estimating equations models using 6 consensus-based risk categories were moderately predictive of AE occurrence (c-statistics: 0.644, 0.664, and 0.707). The participant panel made adjustments based on the collected empirical data supported by clinical judgment. These decisions yielded 4 procedure risk categories; the final models had improved discrimination, with c-statistics of 0.699, 0.725, and 0.765. Similar discrimination was observed in the performance data set (n=7043), with c-statistics of 0.672, 0.708, and 0.721. Conclusions-Procedure-type risk categories are associated with different complication rates in our data set and could be an important variable in risk adjustment models for pediatric catheterization.