Year four of the global COVID-19 pandemic will be upon us. Thanks to science, we have improved our understanding of the cardiac complications from this disease, proposed cardiac related therapies and recommendations and espoused vaccine expansion. It seems the world is now ready to emerge from a dark place, and our hope that the pandemic will become endemic is not soon enough coming to fruition.

Healthcare technology in the hands of lay people are becoming commonplace. Direct to consumer wearables for children and electronic health tools to facilitate the transition from pediatric to adult cardiac care are changing the landscape of physician/patient interactions. Though a lot of work remains to be done, it is not surprising that complex single ventricle patients have been the recipient of innovative therapies and management programs. It may be wishful thinking, but perhaps in the future, their historical poor prognosis would be a thing of the past.

Revisiting old problems, such as aortic valve disease, sleep disordered breathing and infective endocarditis, in addition to proposing new solutions, is how medicine moves forward. Clinical practice algorithms for atrial septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus and risk prediction for sudden death in adults with a systemic right ventricle (who may benefit from primary preventive implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD] implantation) have been suggested. Reviewing "simple lesions" and seeing old known defects through a new lens, as well as reconsidering the utility of previous practices, are always helpful.

Issues detrimental to cardiac function in adults are also recognized to be bad for children and those with congenital heart disease. The emerging nuances of dilated and restrictive cardiomyopathy are applicable to children as well. Advances in heart transplant donor recovery and novel therapies expand and provide new options for heart failure patients.

The Advocacy Workgroup for the Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology (ACPC) section of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has been active in their efforts to benefit patients with congenital heart disease and clinicians who care for them. Indeed, legislation and regulations for adult cardiology cannot be extrapolated to the pediatric population. Value and excellence in care and a focus on diversity and disparities in the community and the cardiology workforce have been the thrust of recent initiatives.

2022 marks the second year of the well-received ACPC Question of the Month. Many thanks to Dr. Frank Ing and his team of experts for providing a facile, streamlined way to obtain American Board of Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification (ABP MOC) credits to our ACC membership.

Being the professional home for the Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Topic Collection, we at ACC.org always aspire to provide curated, relevant content for your clinical practice. In 2023, we are excited to announce a new, refined content development process for our Clinical Topic Collections. Designed to streamline content solicitation and broaden the range of authors, we will enlist the ACPC Member Section to submit topics and content.  More information regarding this will be forthcoming.

It is indeed a pleasure and honor to be the digital home for Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology (ACPC) section. On behalf of Dr. Arwa Saidi, Chair, and the rest of the ACPC Council, I  join you in welcoming 2023! Cheers everyone!

References

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2. Barnes GD. Review of Anticoagulation in Patients With COVID-19: Key Points. acc.org. Feb 28, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2022/02/28/20/35/Anticoagulation-in-Patients-With.
3. Kim JH, Baggish AL, Chung EH, Harmon KG, Martinez MW, Phelan DMJ, Levine BD. COVID-19 and the Athletic Heart: Key Updates from the American College of Cardiology Sports & Exercise Leadership Council. acc.org. Jan 24, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Membership/Sections-and-Councils/Sports-and-Exercise-Cardiology-Section/Section-Updates/2022/01/24/19/52/COVID-19-and-the-Athletic-Heart.
4. ACC Underscores Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine (acc.org). 2022. Available at: https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/10/14/15/13/ACC-Underscores-Safety-of-COVID-19-Vaccine. Accessed 11/15/2022.
5. Roelle L, Conner T, Avari Silva JN. Direct to Consumer Wearables for Children: Who, What, When and How? acc.org. Aug 08, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/08/02/17/20/Direct-to-Consumer-Wearables-For-Children.
6. Bartra S, Kasavana ED, Jahn L, Hill S, Cox DA, Whitehead K, Lindsay I. Electronic Health Tools to Help Adolescent Patients with CHD Transition to an Adult Model of Care. acc.org. Sep 22, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/09/22/12/12/Electronic-Health-Tools-to-Help-Adolescent-Patients-With-CHD-Transition-to-an-Adult-Model-of-Care.    
7. Schumacher KR, Morales DLS. Perspectives on Assist Devices for the Patient with Failing Fontan Physiology: Where Are We Now? acc.org. Nov 21, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/11/21/13/31/Perspectives-on-Assist-Devices-For-the-Patient-With-Failing-Fontan-Physiology.
8. Alsaied T, Hoskoppal A, Lubert A, Saidi A. Implementing a Fontan Management Program. acc.org. May 17, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/05/17/13/42/Implementing-a-Fontan-Management-Program.
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10.  Baker-Smith CM, Zachariah JP. Sleep Disordered Breathing and CVD in Children and Adolescents: Ten Points to Remember. acc.org. Feb 09, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/01/27/18/05/Sleep-Disordered-Breathing-and-CVD-in-Children-and-Adolescents.
11. Infective Endocarditis: Words of Caution For Management (Cardiology Magazine). 2022. Available at: https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/03/12/01/42/Feature-Infective-Endocarditis-Words-of-Caution-For-Management. Accessed 11/15/2022.
12. Plummer S, Parthiban A, Sachdeva R, Zaidi A, Statile C. Clinical Practice Algorithm for the Follow-up of Unrepaired and Repaired Secundum Atrial Septal Defects. acc.org. Mar 08, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/03/08/19/34/Clinical-Practice-Algorithm-For-the-Follow-up-of-Unrepaired-and-Repaired-SASD.
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17. Mukherjee D. Iron Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease: Key Points. acc.org. Oct 31, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2022/10/31/18/46/Iron-Deficiency-and-Cardiovascular-Disease.
18. Vissing CR, Espersen K, Mills HL, et al. Family Screening in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Prevalence, Incidence, and Potential for Limiting Follow-Up. J Am Coll Cardiol HF 2022;10:792-803.
19. Shore S. Definition and Diagnosis of Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Key Points. acc.org. Nov 03, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2022/11/03/15/43/restrictive-cardiomyopathy-definition.
20. Shore S. Heart Transplant Donor Recovery and Novel Therapies. acc.org. Jun 24, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2022/06/24/14/15/Heart-Transplantation-Focus.
21. Chowdhury D, Ather M, Saidi A, Shaffer KM. Health Care Policy and CHD - 2020 Focus on Our 2030 Future: Top 10 Things to Know. acc.org. Nov 29, 2022. Accessed 11/15/2022. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2022/11/28/12/46/Health-Care-Policy-and-CHD.

Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, COVID-19 Hub, Valvular Heart Disease, Implantable Devices, SCD/Ventricular Arrhythmias, Congenital Heart Disease, CHD and Pediatrics and Arrhythmias, CHD and Pediatrics and Imaging, CHD and Pediatrics and Interventions, CHD and Pediatrics and Prevention, CHD and Pediatrics and Quality Improvement

Keywords: Heart Defects, Congenital, Pediatrics, COVID-19, Pandemics, Univentricular Heart, Ductus Arteriosus, Patent, Defibrillators, Implantable, Endocarditis, Tissue Donors, Aortic Valve Disease, Algorithms, Wearable Electronic Devices

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