Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology Clinical Guidelines

To access the acute referrals database, click here. For health professionals wanting more information about our cardiac services click here.

• A

  • Updated Apr 2016 ACE Inhibitors in Paediatrics
  • ACHD - transition planning from paediatric services

    Transition planning for cardiac teenagers at PCCS

  • Acute Referrals Database

    Links to the 'Acute Referral Data Base' for acute cardiology referrals from paediatricians around New Zealand

  • Admission process for cardiac surgery

    Includes information on surgical admission to PCCS, skin preparation, pre-op checklist

  • ALTE Apparent Life Threatening Events

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Updated Mar 2016 Amiodarone - Paediatrics
  • Anaesthesia - management of the high risk cardiac patient
  • Anticoagulation

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Updated Aug 2016 Anticoagulation following cardiac surgical intervention
  • Arrest - investigation of sudden cardiac arrest

    Links to PICU protocol

• B

  • Bereavement

    For ADHB staff only - copy and paste the following link into browser ( \\ahsl6.adhb.govt.nz\main\Groups\Everyone\POLICY\Master file of Intranet\Board\PCR\Deceased +- Referrals to the Coroner.pdf )

  • Bereavement - referral to Palliative Care Team

    Links to the internal Paediatric Palliative Care Team Website with referral and contact information

  • Breastfeeding - drugs in breastmilk

    Links to Medications and Mothers Milk Online

  • Breastfeeding - expressing

    Links to Newborn Clinical Guidelines

  • Breastfeeding - guideline for baby admitted for minimal weight gain
  • Breastfeeding - handling breast milk with additives

    Includes handling powdered formula. Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guideline

• C

  • Updated Apr 2016 Cardiac Catheterisation

    Includes information on organisation pre- and post- catheterisation procedure and information for families

  • Updated Jul 2018 Cardiac Catheterisation - Atrial Septal defect device closure
  • Cardiac Inherited Diseases - referral to CIDG for paediatric cardiomyopathy (pdf, 329.70KB)
  • Cardiac Inherited Diseases Group (CIDG)
  • Updated Jan 2016 Cardiac Surgery - admission process

    Includes information on surgical admission to PCCS, skin preparation, pre-op checklist/nursing care plan

  • Updated Nov 2016 Cardiac surgery - pre-operative anti-staphylococcal bundle
  • Cardiomyopathy

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Cardiomyopathy nursing care plan (pdf, 101.71KB)
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Carvedilol

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Central Venous Catheter Nursing Care Guideline (pdf, 504.76KB)

    ADHB policy for nursing care of central venous catheters in a child

  • Updated Jul 2016 Chest Drains - ambulatory

    Includes information on atrium mini express ambulatory drains

  • Chest drains - removal on 23b

    Includes information on removal of pacing wires, chest drains, and intracardiac lines

  • Chest drains in children

    for ADHB staff only. Copy and paste this link into your ADHB Browser: \\ahsl6\main\Groups\Everyone\POLICY\Master file of Intranet\Clinical Practice\Starship Childrens\Chest Drains in Children.pdf

  • Updated Feb 2007 Chylothorax - algorithm for management in the cardiac patient
  • Clinical pathway - Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)
  • Updated Oct 2016 Clonidine - transdermal

    Guideline on the use of transdermal Clonidine for use in PICU and Ward 23b

  • Updated Oct 2018 CT - Gated Cardiac CT Scans for Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease
  • Updated Jul 2016 CT/MRI (cardiac) non urgent bookings

    Information on non-urgent CT/MRI bookings in paediatric cardiology including recommendations relating to high risk infants and children

• D

  • Developmental - PCCS neurodevelopmental follow up
  • Developmental care of infant

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guidelines on Developmental Care

  • Device implants

    Links to pacemakers and device implants guideline

  • Drains, removal of on Ward 23B

    Links to guideline on removal of pacing wires, chest drains and intracardiac lines.

  • Drugs - ACE Inhibitors
  • Drugs - Amiodarone
  • Drugs - Carvedilol
  • Drugs - Clonidine
  • Updated Jul 2016 Drugs - Dobutamine
  • Updated Jul 2016 Drugs - Dopamine
  • Drugs - Epoprostenol
  • Drugs - Milrinone

• E

  • Echocardiogram - information for families (pdf, 99.74KB)
  • Echocardiogram sedation

    Sedation for diagnostic echocardiograms

  • Electrocardiograph (ECG)

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Updated Jan 2016 Electrophysiology study - Radiofrequency or Cryoablation

    Includes information on organisation of EPS, pre- and post- procedure and nursing care plan

  • Endocarditis - Infective

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Endocarditis - Prophylaxis

    Links to NZ Heart Foundation guideline for infective endocarditis prophylaxis for dental and other medical interventions

  • Updated Apr 2018 Epoprostenol (Veletri®) - Paediatrics
  • Updated Nov 2015 Exercise Testing

    Includes indications for testing, referral form, testing protocol and information for families

• F

  • Feeding - caloric calculator

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guidelines

  • Feeding - handling powdered formula and breast milk with additives

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guideline

  • Feeding - nasogastric and nasojejunal tube care

    Links to ADHB Child Policy for ADHB staff only. Copy and paste the following link into your browser: ( \\ahsl6.adhb.govt.nz\main\Groups\Everyone\POLICY\Master file of Intranet\Clinical Practice\Starship Childrens\Nasogastric&NasojejunalTubeMgt.pdf )

  • Feeding - neonatal nutrition

    Links to ADHB Nutrition Services

  • Feeding - practicalities of feeding cardiac babies (pdf, 943.29KB)

    Educational resource from Speech Language Therapy services at Starship

  • Updated Mar 2016 Feeding guideline for BREASTFED infant admitted with congestive heart failure with minimal weight gain
  • Updated Mar 2016 Feeding guideline for FORMULA FED infant admitted with congestive heart failure with minimal weight gain
  • Updated Jul 2016 Fluid, diuretic and nutrition management in children having cardiac surgery

    Includes pre- and post- op management of fluids, diuretics and nutrition in the cardiac child

  • Fluids - IV Fluid Guideline

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Fontan procedure - video available for families to watch

• H

  • Updated Jul 2016 Helminth (Worms) Infection - screening and presumptive treatment
  • Updated Jul 2016 Home monitoring programme - discharge information

    This guideline is one of three containing information on cardiac infants on the home monitoring programme.

  • Updated Apr 2016 Home monitoring programme - EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT

    This guideline is one of three containing information on cardiac infants on the home monitoring programme.

  • Updated Apr 2016 Home monitoring programme - in hospital management

    This guideline is one of three containing information on cardiac infants on the home monitoring programme.

• I

  • Immunisation Handbook

    Links to Ministry of Health 2014 Immunisation Handbook

  • Immunisations

    Link to IMAC site for general information on immunisations

  • Updated Feb 2015 Immunisations and Cardiac Infants
  • Incubator - care of the baby

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guideline

  • Inter-hospital transfer of patients

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Intranasal Fentanyl

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • IV Fluids

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

• J

  • Jaundice - management of neonatal jaundice

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guideline. Includes links to phototherapy and the evaluation and management of late onset jaundice

• K

  • Kangaroo Care

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guideline

  • Kawasaki Disease

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

• L

  • Lines - management of central venous lines

    ADHB policy for nursing care of central venous catheters in a child

  • Lines - removal of intracardiac lines in 23B

    Links to guideline on pacing wires, chest drain and intracardiac line removal

  • Local anaesthetic for minor procedures

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Long QT Syndrome

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

• M

  • Updated Aug 2016 Magnet for adjusting permanent pacemaker or ICD

    This guideline for use under direction of Electrophysiology Team

  • Updated Oct 2018 Management of the high risk paediatric cardiac patient for investigation under general anaesthesia
  • Updated Aug 2008 Marfan syndrome - diagnostic assessment
  • Medicines - discharge planning for cardiac medicines (pdf, 20.66KB)
  • Updated Aug 2016 Medicines availability - Pacific Islands
  • Updated Mar 2016 Milrinone - paediatrics
  • Morphine administration

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • MRI/CT non urgent booking

    Information on non-urgent CT/MRI bookings in paediatric cardiology including recommendations relating to high risk infants and children

• N

  • Nappy Rash

    Links to Newborn Clinical Guideline

  • Neonatal ECG

    Links to Newborn Services Clinical Guidelines

  • Updated Aug 2016 Neurodevelopmental follow up of cardiac patients
  • Newborn Clinical Guidelines

    Links to National Women's Newborn Services website

  • Updated Jul 2016 Nutrition algorithm for single ventricle infants
  • Nutrition Services

    Links to the ADHB Nutrition Services website. This is only available to ADHB staff.

• O

  • Oximetry

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Oximetry - pulse oximetry screening in the newborn

• P

  • Pacemaker (temporary) for a child (pdf, 294.10KB)

    Includes information on management of a child with a temporary pacemaker

  • Updated Aug 2016 Pacemakers (permanent), ICDs and device implants

    Includes information on permanent pacemakers, ICDs, AEDs and Reveal devices

  • Updated May 2015 Pacing wires, chest drain, LA and PA Line removal

    Guideline for the removal of intracardiac lines, pacing wires and drains in Ward 23b

  • Updated Aug 2016 Pain - procedural pain management in PCCS
  • Pain management guidelines

    Links to the index of Starship Pain Service guidelines

  • Pain management pathway

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Palliative Care

    Links to National Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network guidelines on end of life care

  • PICU Guidelines
  • Prostaglandin E1 (Alprostadil)

    Links to Newborn Services Drug Protocol

• R

  • Rheumatic Fever - children and adults

    Links to the Starship Clinical Guideline. Includes National Heart Foundation guideline, notification form and other resources

• S

  • Sedation for children

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Updated May 2013 Sedation for diagnostic Echocardiograms
  • Sucrose analgesia

    Links to Starship Clinical Guidelines

  • Surgery - surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (pdf, 225.98KB)

• T

  • Tachyarrhythmias

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Tetralogy of Fallot - hypercyanotic spells

    Links to Starship Clinical Guideline

  • Updated May 2016 Transition planning for cardiac teenagers at PCCS
  • Transport of paediatric cardiology patients - guidelines for best practice (pdf, 232.81KB)
  • Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) - clinical pathway (pdf, 147.00KB)

• W

  • Worms

    Links to guideline on Helminth infestation

  • Updated Aug 2016 Wound management in PCCS