HLTH 2501: congenital heart defects

Question 1

cardiac anomalies

Answer 1

structural defects in the heart that develop during the first 8 weeks of embryonic life

Question 2

examples of cardiac anomalies

Answer 2

altered or missing valve, septal defects, shunts or abnormalities or the large vessels, or combinations of these

Question 3

how common are congenital heart defects

Answer 3

8/1000 infants in the US; these are the major cause of death in the first year of life

Question 4

what can most heart defects be detected by?

Answer 4

the presence of heart murmurs

Question 5

what is the major concern with congenital heart defects?

Answer 5

inadequate O2 delivery to tissues

Question 6

left-to-right shunt

Answer 6

blood from the left side of the heart is recycled to the right side and to the lungs, resulting in increased volume in the pulmonary circulation and overall decreased CO

Question 7

right-to-left shunt

Answer 7

unoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart bypasses the lungs and enters the left side

Question 8

acyanotic conditions

Answer 8

disorders in which systemic blood consists of oxygenated blood

Question 9

cyanotic disorders

Answer 9

venous blood mixes with arterial blood, permitting significant amounts of unoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood to bypass the lungs and enter the systemic circulation; produces a blue colour in the skin and mucous membranes, commonly in the lips and nails

Question 10

genetic causes of congenital heart defects

Answer 10

can be associated with chromosomal abnormalities like down syndrome

Question 11

environmental causes of congenital heart defects

Answer 11

viral infections such as rubella, maternal alcoholism, and maternal diabetes

Question 12

compensation mechanisms for congenital heart defects

Answer 12

the heart increases it rate and force through a SNS stimulation, however, this causes the heart to become hypertrophied; this also increases O2 needs for the heart

Question 13

what does acidosis result in?

Answer 13

increased lactic acid in the body

Question 14

what may develop with chronic hypoxia?

Answer 14

secondary polycythemia

Question 15

signs and symptoms of large congenital heart defects

Answer 15

pallor, cyanosis, tachycardia, dyspnea, infants tend to sit in a comfortable squat position, clubbed finger, intolerance for cold, and delayed growth

Question 16

tests for congenital heart defects

Answer 16

cardiomegaly observed on radiography, diagnostic imaging, cardiac catheterization, ECGs, and echnocardiograms

Question 17

treatment for congenital heart defects

Answer 17

surgical repair to close abnormal openings or to replace valves; supportive measures and drug therapy may also be used

Question 18

what is the most common congenital heart defect?

Answer 18

ventricular septal defect

Question 19

ventricular septal defect

Answer 19

is an opening in the interventricular septum, in which large openings permit a left-to-right shunt of blood (left ventricle is higher in pressure so it moves to the right ventricle)

Question 20

result of ventricular septal defect

Answer 20

CO and SV are decreased, more blood enters the pulmonary circulation, damaged pulmonary vessels, adn pulmonary hypertension

Question 21

treatment for ventricular septal defect

Answer 21

surgical repair or medications that focus on increasing the strength of contractions, keeping a regular heartbeat, or decreasing the amount of fluid in the circulation

Question 22

valvular defects

Answer 22

malformations of the valves commonly affect the semilunar valves; can be the narrowing of the valve or the valve causing blood to leak backwards

Question 23

stenosis

Answer 23

narrowing of the valve

Question 24

incompetence

Answer 24

a failure of a valve to close completely, allowing blood to leak backwards

Question 25

two classifications of valve defects

Answer 25

stenosis or incompetence

Question 26

mitral valve prolpase

Answer 26

abnormally enlarged floppy valve leaflets that ballon backwards with pressure

Question 27

what do valve defects result in?

Answer 27

decreased efficiency of the heart pump and decreased SV; the myocardium will eventually hypertrophy and fail

Question 28

treatment for valve defects

Answer 28

surgical replacement by mechanical, animal, or tissue engineered valves

Question 29

what is the risk for valve replacements?

Answer 29

thrombus may develop in the future and endocarditis infections are at risked; therefore ASA and antimicrobial drugs may be used

Question 30

tetralogy of fallot

Answer 30

includes four defects that alter pressure within the heart, thus altering blood flow

Question 31

what is the most common cyanotic congenital heart condition?

Answer 31

tetralogy of fallot

Question 32

four defects in tetralogy of fallot

Answer 32

pulmonary valve stenosis, ventricular septal defect, dextroposition of the aorta to the right, and right ventricular hypertrophy

Question 33

how does tetralogy of fallot work?

Answer 33

the pulmonary valve restricts outflow from the right ventricle, leading to right ventricular hypertrophy and high pressure in this region; this pressure leads to a right-to-left shunt of blood through the ventricular septal defect; this flow causes deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle directly into the systemic circulation and is promoted by the position of the aorta

Question 34

result of tetralogy of fallot

Answer 34

the pulmonary circulation receives a small amount of deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle and the systemic circulation receives a larger amount of mixed blood

Question 35

what is treatment for tetralogy of fallot?

Answer 35

surgery that closes the VSD, repairs the pulmonary valve, and widens the pulmonary arteries