Peritoneal Dialysis for Refractory Heart Failure from a Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries who has not Undergone Definitive Surgery: A Case Report
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of significant morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization worldwide including the
Philippines. Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (C-TGA) occurs when the right atrium enters the morphological left ventricle which gives rise to the pulmonary artery and the left atrium communicates with the right ventricle which gives rise to the aorta. Heart failure can occur in C-TGA especially if associated with other heart defects. Ideal management is anatomic correction via surgery to prevent or address heart failure. Peritoneal dialysis has been used as a therapeutic intervention for patients with refractory heart failure and kidney injury with or without kidney failure due to its gentler fluid removal compared to conventional ultrafiltration resulting in less myocardial stunning and neurohormonal activation. We present the case of a patient with heart failure who started on peritoneal dialysis (PD) as an adjunct therapy for fluid management after failing to satisfactorily achieve volume control with diuretics.
The patient is a 56-year-old man with C-TGA admitted for decompensated heart failure. He was initially treated
with intravenous diuretics on the first admission but was readmitted after 3 months for decompensation this time with borderline low blood pressure making diuresis difficult. The patient was given loop diuretics, tolvaptan, and angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) but still with decreasing trends in urine output and inadequate symptom control. PD was initiated before discharge with subsequent improvement in heart failure symptoms. The patient was on regular follow-up for PD maintenance and titration of heart failure medication.
In this case report, we have shown how PD can be an effective adjunct to guideline-directed medical therapy in
patients with severely symptomatic heart failure who have an unstable hemodynamic status and for which volume management cannot be satisfactorily achieved with diuretics.
