Clin Med - Congenital Heart Disease Flashcards
What is patent ductus arteriosus? (PDA)
Blood flowing from aorta to pulmonary artery.
What keeps PDA open?
Prostaglandins
What closes PDA?
A prostaglandin inhibitor (indomethacin)
What triggers the closure of PDA?
Highly oxygenated blood.
Who is at risk for non-closure?
High altitude births and premature babies at risk for non-closure.
When do normal PDAs close?
Small PDA normal for 24-48h after birth
- 20% closed @ 24h
- 80% closed @ 48h
- 100% closed @ 96h
What neonates are at greater risk?
neonates whose mother contracted Rubella in 1st Trimester are at greater risk.
PDA in adults
- Very Rare
- Typically Asymptomatic till middle age (most are small and well tolerated)
- Again, think about Right Sided Congestive Heart Failure
PDA Physical Exam & Murmur
- Widened Pulse Pressure
- Bounding Peripheral Pulses
- Continuous, Machine-like murmur over Pulmonic area (Left Upper Sternal Border)
- -A Thrill is COMMON
When should you refer PDA?
All adults with a PDA should be referred to a cardiologist.
What is VSD?
Ventricular Septal Defect - the MOST COMMON congenital heart defect
What kind of shunting is VSD?
Left to right shunt.
What co-morbidity is VSD associated with?
Down’s Syndrome
Size of VSD
Small defects are louder. The smaller the VSD, the louder the murmur.
Small VSDs are typically asymptomatic.
Term for acyanotic turning cyanotic
Eisenmenger physiology
What is Eisenmenger physiology?
Often associated with Large VSD and Long standing VSD and ASD (even PDA).
Pulmonary HTN causes the pulmonary resistance to exceed that of the systemic resistance and left-to-right shunts are reversed causing cyanosis in typically acyanotic defects