Chapter 26: Congenital Heart Disease (Children) Flashcards
Congenital Heart Disease
a defect in the heart, great vessels, or a noted disease pattern after birth
How can the nurse recognize a congenital heart defect?
recognizing the shunting pattern and recognizing cyanotic versus acyanotic congenital heart defects
What are the Signs and Symptoms Related To?
- the oxygenation status of the defect
- the contractility state or if the patient is in heart failure
Cyanotic Defects
right to left shunting
- the deoxygenated or venous blood from the right side of the heart is forced into the left side of the heart
- the overall oxygen saturation of the blood will drop; range may vary from normal (96-100%) to as low as 70%
Acyanotic Defects
left to right shunting
- the oxygenated blood shunts from the left to the right
- this type of mixing will not affect the overall oxygenation status
In the presence of normal hemoglobin, a decrease in the oxygenation saturation to 85% will cause what?
an outward sign of cyanosis (bluish coloration) that appears around the lips, nose, and mouth of babies and toddlers and in the nailbeds of older children
-if the decreased oxygen state is chronic, the child will eventually develop clubbing of the fingernails; the longer and lower the oxygen saturation, the more evident the clubbing (explanation: the capillaries enlarge (dilate) to accommodate the low saturation in an attempt to deliver more blood to the periphery)
Polycythemia
long-term effect of low oxygenation
-is the increase in red blood cell production in response to the low oxygen output
-has hemoglobin levels greater than 15 g/dL
-condition causes thickening of the blood and predisposes the child to thrombi and stroke
>low oxygenation and thickened blood will often cause the heart muscle to work harder in an effort to circulate more oxygen; this leads to muscular hypertrophy and eventually pump failure
Diagnosis
diagnosis of a heart murmur usually starts with a referral after a murmur is detected
-symptoms can be present: SOB, or high blood pressure in children
Diagnostic Screenings
-chest x-ray
-electrocardiogram (ECG)
>most confirmed by echocardiography or cardiac catheterization
-echocardiogram gives information such as location and size of the defect and can give indirect measurement of pressure
-cardiac cath will give direct measurements of the pressure in the chambers and vessels and gradients (difference of pressure) across the valves
Nursing Care
- monitoring and maintaining the child’s oxygen and nutritional status
- educate family about importance of rest periods and managing the child’s fatigue
- emotional care; this condition may involve many types of surgeries and many hospitalizations; provide emotional support by listening and suppling the family with resources for understanding the disease, prognosis, and treatment plan
- help fulfill spiritual needs when family is interested
Medical Care
focuses on treating the CHF that may develop b/c of the specific defect and includes preload-reducing agents (furosemide (Lasix)), positive inotropes (digoxin (Lanoxin)), and contractile function agents (carvedilol (Coreg))
Surgical Care: Preoperative Care
- thorough history and physical to identify recent changes in the past medical history
- preop checklist
- nurse can provide and support the education given to the family regarding the type of surgery and the process of the surgery (e.g. surgery time, recovery times, and expectations)
Surgical Care: Postoperative Care
- sometimes includes admission to the intensive care unit
- care is complex
Nonpharmacological Approaches to Congenital Heart Defects
- exercise
- stress reduction
Only method to “cure” a defect
-surgery
Safety Measures when Caring for a Patient with CHD
placing child on a pulse oximeter and cardiac monitor
-these children are at risk for deoxygenation and dysrhythmic episodes