Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 crisis on families of children with congenital heart disease and knowledge, attitude, and practices assessment: A hospital-based study

Prabhu, S. A.; Shaiju, M.; Shiv Patel, P.; Sahu, P.; Verma, K.

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted the spectrum of health care, including delaying diagnoses and treatment, particularly for complex health conditions, such as pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 crisis and lockdown on families of children with CHD and to study knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 among them. Methodology: The purposive sampling was used, all patients (173) who consulted in the cardiology outpatient department during the study period and 190 CHD patients whose the date of surgery was previously scheduled during April and May 2020, but delayed due to the national lockdown were included in this study. Hence, the sample size of the study was 363. Phone calls were made to all patients' families. This study design was used due to current COVID-19 crisis to minimize contact with patients, in line with safety precautions mandated by the government. Results: 54.2% were male patients, 43.3% in the age group of 1-5 years, predominant diagnosis (37.3%) was ventricular septal defect. Majority of parents of CHD patients (78.2%) answered that primary source of information about COVID-19 was social media. Twelve percent patients had worsening of symptoms related to existing heart condition during this period. Parents of 26 patients (8.3%) faced difficulty in getting medicines due to lockdown. The KAP assessment found that a high proportion of parents possessed basic knowledge about the disease at the early stage of the pandemic. The average KAP score was 10.2 (Range 2-16). Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on children with CHD during the pandemic. This group had faced considerable difficulty like the general population. KAP assessment showed that they had good knowledge about the pandemic;they were following precautionary measures, especially because of the child's condition, to ensure the child's safety.