Precision Medicine in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Advances in structural and functional genomics have paved the way for precision medicine in critically ill children. Patients with congenital heart disease are especially susceptible to various critical pathophysiologic states as they navigate the challenges of palliative and reparative cardiac surgeries. In addition to the stress of cardiopulmonary bypass, they also experience sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome which contributes to the overall morbidity and mortality. Enhanced understanding of the genomic mechanisms associated with these critical illnesses can lead to future research aiding the development of a personalized care management approach for this high-risk subgroup of critically ill children.