Cardiopulmonary exercise performance is reduced in congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors

Summary Background Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with lung hypoplasia. CDH survivors may have pulmonary morbidity that can decrease cardiopulmonary exercise. We aimed to examine whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) results differ in CDH survivors versus healthy age‐matched controls and whether CPET results among CDH survivors differ according to self‐reported daily activity. Methods In one medical center in Croatia, CDH survivors—patients with surgically corrected CDH who were alive at age 5 years—were invited to participate in spirometry and CPET. Values were compared with those of controls matched 2:1 by age and sex for each CDH survivor aged 7 years or older. Results Among 27 CDH survivors aged 5–20 years, 13 (48%) had continued symptoms or spirometric evidence of pulmonary disease. Compared with controls (n = 44), survivors (n = 22) had lower peak oxygen consumption (V˙O2 mean [SD], 35.7 [6.9] vs. 45.3 [8.2] ml/kg per min; P