Paeds Cardio Flashcards
Most common Septal Defect
Ventricular Septal Defects
Epdiemiology
Congenital hole in the septum between the two ventricles.
- 30% of all defect cases
- Associated with Turner’s and Down’s yndrome
- They close spontaneously in around 50% of cases.
- VSDs may be detected in utero during the routine 20 week scan
L->R Shunt
Pathophysiology of VSD
Congenital hole in the septum between the two ventricles
Increased pressure in the left ventricle compared to the right, blood typically shunts from left to right. Blood is still flowing into the lungs before entering the rest of the body and therefore patient remains acyanotic. The shunt leads to right side overload, right heart failure and increased pulmonary vessel flow.
Define Paediatric Heart Failure
Caused by: Severe aortic stenosis, interrupted aortic arch, transposition of the great arteries, large patent ductus arteriosus, VSD, Rheumatic fever, cardiomyopathy, Eisenmenger syndrome.
- Cardiac output which is inadequate for the body’s requirements.
- Cases are due to congenital malformations which usually result in high output cardiac failure
Symptoms Paediatric HF
What tests are performed?
– Shortness of breath
– Inability to gain weight/poor growth
– Predisposition to recurrent chest infections
– Hepatomegaly
– Signs of specific cause –> e.g., murmur, cardiomegaly, cyanosis
– Chest X-ray –> may show cardiomegaly
– ECG –> can show ischaemic changes as well as congenital arrythmias
– Echocardiogram –> this is used to diagnose structural disease
Management HF
– Treat the underlying cause of the heart failure
– Medical management can be used to reduce afterload of the heart reducing the work the heart has to do
– If unresolving –> consider need for heart transplant
Signs & Symptoms VSD
VSDs that are bigger than aortic valve are Symptomatic otherwise not.
What type of Murmur is there?
- failure to thrive
- features of heart failure
- hepatomegaly
- tachypnoea
- tachycardia
- pallor
- PAN SYSTOLIC MURMUR at Left Sternal Edge
*
Complications VSD
- Infective Endocarditis
- Extra Blood in RV= Pulmonary HTN
- If RV pressure exceeds LV then eventually shunts back into LV = cyanotic - Eisenmenger’s Syndrome
- R Heart Failure
Investigations VSD
- VSDs may be detected in utero during the routine 20 week scan
- Echocardiography is the diagnostic investigation
- Chest x-ray may show cardiomegaly, enlarged pulmonary arteries and pulmonary oedema in large VSDs and there may also be ECG changes.
Management VSD
- Small VSDs close spontaneously
- Larger ones can present with HF so need diuretics, often combined with captopril.
- Surgical management 3-6m to prevent Eisenmenger’s
Atrial Septal Defect Epidemiology
Patent Foramen Ovale
- Most common defect detected in Adulthood
- Significant mortality, with 50% of patients being dead at 50 years.
- RF Maternal Diabetes and Smoking
- Higher in Women than Men
Two Types
Atrial Septal Defect Pathophysiology
Secundum & Primum
Ostium Secundum
* Most Widespread - 70-80%
* Hole between two atria
* Associated with Holt-Oram syndrome
Ostium Primum
* Septum primum fails to close, and this tends to lead to atrioventricular defects
Signs And Symptoms Atrial Septal Defect
What murmur
Adulthood
* Arrythmia, Dyspnoea, HF
Childhood
* SOB, Difficulty feeding, failure to thrive.
* EJECTION SYSTOLIC MURMUR Left upper sternal edge
* Fixed splitting of S2
Complications Atrial Septal Defect
- Embolism may pass from venous system to left side of heart causing a stroke
- Eisenmenger’s Syndrome
Investigations & Management Atrial Septal Defect
- Echo
- ECG: RBBB
- Secundum ASD, cardiac catheterisation may be used with insertion of occlusion device.
- For partial AVSD surgical correction is required.
- Treatment: 3-5Y
Pathophysiology Patent Ductus Arteriosus
L-R shunt
Ductus Arteriosus connects pulmonary artery to aorta in foetus, allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth.
closed by maternal prostaglandin pressure after birth.
- More common in premature babies, born at high altitude or maternal rubella infection in the first trimester
- Defect in the constrictor mechanism of the duct.
- Blood flows from the aorta to the pulmonary artery (to the lungs)
- Following the fall in pulmonary pressure after birth.
eventually causing RHF or Eisenmengers. RISK OF LIFELONG BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS