HAND has good sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of early RHD, performing best for definite RHD. Protocols for RHD detection utilizing HAND will need to include confirmation by STAND to avoid over-diagnosis. Strategies that evaluate simplified screening protocols and training of non-physicians hold promise for more wide spread deployment of HAND-based protocols.

Patients with HLHS demand considerable inpatient resources, whether treated with the Norwood-Glenn-Fontan procedure pathway or cardiac transplantation. Improved survival rates have led to increased hospital stays and costs.

Patients with CHD commonly participate in competitive sports, and such participation is associated with higher QoL, improved exercise capacity, and lower BMI.

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Information is limited regarding the effect of race, ethnicity, and gender on the outcomes of the three palliative procedures for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This study examined the effects of race, ethnicity, gender, type of admission, and surgical volume on in-hospital mortality associated with palliative procedures for HLHS between 1998 and 2007 using data from the University HealthSystem Consortium. According to the data, 1,949 patients underwent stage 1 palliation (S1P) with a mortality rate of 29 %, 1,279 patients underwent stage 2 palliations (S2P) with a mortality rate of 5.4 %, and 1,084 patients underwent stage 3 palliation (S3P) with a mortality rate of 4.1 %. The risk factors for increased mortality with S1P were black and “other” race, smaller surgical volume, and early surgical era. The only risk factors for increased mortality with S2P were black race (11 % mortality; odds ratio [OR], 3.19; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.69–6.02) and Hispanic ethnicity (11 % mortality; OR 3.30; 95 % CI 1.64–6.64). For S2P, no racial differences were seen in the top five surgical volume institutions, but racial differences were seen in the non-top-five surgical volume institutions. Mortality with S1P was significantly higher for patients discharged after birth (37 vs 24 %; p = 0.004), and blacks were more likely to be discharged after birth (12 vs 5 % for all other races; p < 0.001). No racial differences with S3P were observed. The risk factors for increased mortality at S1P were black and “other” race, smaller surgical volume, and early surgical era. The risk factors for increased in-hospital mortality with S2P were black race and His-panic ethnicity.