Why you need to be aware of congenital heart disease and its complications?
Why You Need To Be Aware Of Congenital Heart Disease And Its Complications?
- Introduction
- Is Nursing Diagnosis Of Congenital Heart Disease Possible And How?
- What Are Main Congenital Heart Disease Types?
- How To Diagnose Baby Congenital Heart Disease?
- What Is Congenital Heart Disease Blue Baby And How Can The Condition Be Treated?
- Which Is The Most Effective Congenital Acyanotic Heart Disease Treatment?
Introduction
A large number of patients are unaware of congenital heart disease and end up taking treatment after the condition has progressed. This leaves the patient at risk of adverse events and possible complications. Unlike other heart disease conditions, awareness of possible congenital heart defects is relatively easy to achieve. Tests are presently available to help screen for congenital defects and inherited conditions, allowing patients to seek timely treatment.
Is Nursing Diagnosis Of Congenital Heart Disease Possible And How?
Nursing diagnosis for congenital heart disease is possible and an important aspect in treatment of congenital heart disease. This helps caring for the patient by identifying specific problems, and planning for potential complications. Let us take a look at the approach to nursing diagnosis:
- Assessment – involves collection of data from medical history, physical examination, and results of diagnostic tests. This helps to monitor vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart sounds, and symptoms like cyanosis.
- Identify problems – on the basis of the data, identify specific congenital heart disease issues. These include impaired gas exchange, reduced cardiac output and risk of infection.
- Planning treatment – involves an approach focused on goals and interventions as per the identified nursing diagnoses. This could be improving oxygenation, and preventing complications.
- Implementation and evaluation – of interventions through actions like monitoring vital signs, ensuring medicine intake and periodic evaluation.
What Are Main Congenital Heart Disease Types?
These conditions refer to structural heart defects present at the time of birth. The different congenital heart disease types include the following main types. These conditions vary in terms of category of defect and intensity:
- Atrial septal defect – is because of a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart. This causes increased blood flow to the lungs, resulting in possible heart failure when left untreated.
- Ventricular septal defect – is because of a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart. This causes high blood pressure in the lungs and possible heart failure.
- Patent ductus arteriosus – is due to an opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. This usually closes after birth, and may cause possible heart failure and complications.
- Tetralogy of Fallot – is due to a combination of four heart defects, and can result in oxygen deprivation and cyanosis. The four defects include VSD, pulmonary stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, and an overriding aorta.
- Transposition of the great arteries – is due to swapping of the aorta and pulmonary artery. This causes blood with poor oxygen to circulate in the body, while oxygen-rich blood goes to the lungs.
- Coarctation of the aorta – is due to narrowed aorta resulting in increased blood pressure and possible damage to the heart.
- Pulmonary stenosis – is due to narrowing of the outflow tract from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. This could cause possible heart failure.
- Aortic stenosis – is due to narrowing of the aortic valve, limiting blood flow from the heart to the aorta. This causes pain in the chest, fainting, and heart failure.
- Other conditions – include Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The latter is a complex condition and may require multiple surgical procedures.
How To Diagnose Baby Congenital Heart Disease?
The diagnosis of baby congenital heart disease involves a combination of relying on medical history, physical examination, and specific tests. Here is a look at the diagnostic processes involved:
- Medical history – is reviewed to check family history of heart defects or genetic components of disease. The patient’s health issues during pregnancy, are also reviewed. For instance, diabetes, infections, or use of specific medications are assessed.
- Physical examination – involves a detailed physical examination, to look for cyanosis – bluish appearance of skin around the face. Other signs that are checked include difficulty breathing, heart murmurs, and lesser than normal weight gain.
- Pulse oximetry – is used to measure blood oxygen saturation levels that may indicate heart or lung issues.
- Chest X-ray – offers images of the heart and lungs to identify the size of the heart, shape, and any fluid buildup.
- Electrocardiogram – is used to measure the electrical activity of the heart, and can identify signs of heart strain.
- Echocardiogram – visualizes the heart’s structure and function, to diagnose specific heart defects and to assess blood flow.
- Cardiac catheterization – is an invasive procedure to measure pressures within the heart chambers and to assess blood flow, oxygen levels.
- Genetic testing – this is recommended to identify possible genetic defects, chromosomal abnormalities or genetic syndromes. Advanced genetic testing facilities in Tamilnadu help patients identify genetic components of heart disease, including inherited and congenital conditions.
What Is Congenital Heart Disease Blue Baby And How Can The Condition Be Treated?
This condition, also known as “blue babies” is due to a category of congenital heart disease. These conditions cause inadequate oxygen levels in the blood, resulting in a bluish appearance of the skin. This is typically visible around the lips and limb extremities, and is known as cyanosis.
Diagnosis of the condition is through a combination of physical examination, pulse oximetry, echocardiogram, and imaging studies, explained above. Treatment options include the following:
Medicines such as prostaglandins, diuretics, surgical procedures, palliative surgery, corrective procedures, catheter-based procedures and heart transplant.
Which Is The Most Effective Congenital Acyanotic Heart Disease Treatment?
Conditions without mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, without typical symptoms of heart murmurs and cyanosis are known as acyanotic congenital heart diseases. Treatment of heart disease of this type depends on the specific defect, severity, and symptoms. Common approaches that are considered as effective for specific conditions are outlined below:
- Atrial Septal Defect – treatment involves the use of diuretics or heart rate control medications. Open-heart surgery or catheter-based procedure may also be used to plug the hole.
- Ventricular Septal Defect – treatment includes diuretics and medicines to help the heart pump effectively. Surgical closure is also performed to prevent heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus – is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical ligation or catheter-based closure.
- Aortic Stenosis – is treated with balloon valvuloplasty to widen the narrowed valve.
- Pulmonary Stenosis – is treated with balloon valvuloplasty to relieve the narrowing at the valve.
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Shetty B s a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).