Paediatric Cardiology Flashcards
How can congenital heart disease present?
Murmur, heart failure, shock or cyanosis.
May also have been detected on antenatal cardiac ultrasound
What are some signs of heart failure in a child?
Poor weight gain/faltering growth, tachypnoea, tachycardia, heart murmur/gallop rhythm, cardiomegaly, hepatomegaly, cool peripheries
What are causes of heart failure more commonly seen in neonates?
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Coarctation of the aorta
Aortic stenosis
What are causes of heart failure more common in infants?
Ventricular/atrioventricular septal defect
Large persistent ductus arteriosus
what are causes of heart failure more common in older children and adolescents?
Eisenmenger syndrome
Rheumatic heart disease
Cardiomyopathy
What is eisenmenger syndrome?
Irreversibly raised pulmonary vascular resistance increases pressure so there is a right to left flow through a structural heart lesion, therefore blood flow bypasses the lungs
What murmur will be heard with an atrial septal defect?
Mis-systolic, crescendo-decrescendo murmur loudest at the upper left sternal border
What kind of murmur can be heard from a ventricular septal defect?
Pan-systolic murmur heard loudest at the left lower sternal border
What kind of murmur can be heard from a patent ductus arteriosus?
Continuous crescendo-decrescendo ‘machinery’ murmur
What are signs related to chronic hypoxia from a right to left shunt?
Cyanosis, clubbing, dyspnoea, plethoric complexion (red complexion related to polycythaemia)
What is involved in the medical management of eisenmenger syndrome?
Oxygen can help symptoms
Sildenafil to treat pulmonary hypertension
Treat arrhythmias
Venesection to treat polycythaemia
Anticoagulation to prevent thrombosis
Prophylactic antibiotics for prevention of infective endocarditis
What are typical features of innocent murmurs? (All begin with S)
Soft
Short
Systolic
Symptomless
Situation dependent
What features of a murmur would prompt further investigation and referral to paediatric cardiologist?
Murmur louder than 2/6, diastolic murmurs, louder on standing
Other symptoms like failure to thrive, feeding difficulty, cyanosis or SOB
What investigations can be done to investigate a murmur in a child?
ECG, CXR, echocardiography
What is the likeliest cause of a pansystolic murmur heard loudest at the 5 intercostal space, mid-clavicular line?
Mitral regurgitation