Paeds- VSD + ASD + PDA + TOF Flashcards
Is VSD a cyanotic or acyanotic heart defect?
a) Acyanotic
b) Cyanotic
c) Both
a) Acyanotic
Ventricular septal defect is an acyantotic heart defect, although it can progress to cyanotic if not treated
What murmur does VSD present with?
a) Continuous
b) Ejection systolic
c) Holosystolic
d) Mid systolic
c) Holosystolic
VSD can be heard throughout all of systole
What is the gold standard investigation for diagnosing VSD?
a) Chest X-ray
b) Pulse oximetry
c) ECG
d) Echocardiogram
d) Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is the gold standard investigation for VSD, it can directly visualise size and therefore severity
What is ‘Ventricular septal defect’
- A congenital or acquired acynotic heart defect
- Defect in the inter-ventricular septum that allows shunting of blood between left and right ventricles.
What is the most common congenital heart defect?
VSD
VSD is the failure of fusion between __________ and _________ ridge
VSD is a failure of fusion between membranous and muscular ridge
Patho of VSD?
- Causes a left to right shunt because the pressure is higher in the left ventricle
- Oxygenated blood in the left ventricle is shunting to the right ventricle to re-enter the lungs
- This means that only oxygenated blood goes around the body so there is no cyanosis
What are cyanotic heart defects?
Teralogy of fallot
Transposition of the great arteries
Name the left to right shunts heart defects that are acyanotic
- Ventricular Septal Defect
- Persisent Ductus Arteriosus
- Atrial Septal Defect
Name the outflow obstruction heart defects that are acyanotic
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Aortic Stenosis
- Coarctation of aorta
What is eisenmenger syndrome?
- This can develop in babies with large VSDs where diagnosis and treatment is delayed
- Increased blood in the right ventricle causes pulmonary hypertension
- This creates higher pressures in the right ventricle and the shunt switches from left to right to right to left
- This means deoxygenated blood goes around the body and there is cyanosis
Symptoms of VSD?
• It depends on the size of the defect
• Small: Asymptomatic, normal growth. Often noticed because of as systolic murmur during routine exam.
• Moderate: Poor feeding, failure to thrive, short of breath (SOB). Symptoms noticed by 2-3 months as pulmonary vascular resistance decreases, causing an increase in left-right shunting.
• Large: Poor feeding, failure to thrive, SOB, sweaty and pale with feeds, frequent chest infections, easily fatigued and tachypnoea. Symptoms similar to congestive heart failure.
How can you present with VSD?
- Can present several ways, here are some examples:
- An infant is noted at birth to have a cardiac murmur. Examination reveals a systolic murmur at left sternal border, with no clinical evidence of heart failure.
- An infant presents with symptoms of SOB on exertion and failure to thrive. Examination reveals systolic murmur at left sternal border and signs of congestive heart failure.
Presentation of eisenmenger syndrome?
Eisenmenger syndrome: Presents with central cyanosis, may have clubbing, evidence of heart failure and a history of recurrent pulmonary infections.
Which disorder has a strong association with VSD?
To note, 1/3 of babies with Downs syndrome have a VSD- strong association
Ix of VSD?
• Pulse oximetry: To assess perfusion
• Echocardiogram: Gold standard- can visualize size, location and severity.
• CXR: To look for cardiomegaly and pulmonary oedema if severe. Can be normal with small VSDs
• ECG: Can show left or bilateral ventricular hypertrophy
Differential Diagnosis of VSD?
• Mitral regurgitation- has a similar holosystolic murmur in the same region so needs echo to differentiate
• Tricuspid regurgitation- has an increase in murmur intensity with inspiration (Carvalho’s sign)
• Atrial septal defect- murmur higher up and is mid or ejection systolic, not holosystolic
• Patent ductus arteriosus- Continuous murmur
• Tetralogy of Fallot- symptoms more severe than with VSDs
Clinical examination of VSD
- Inspection: Appear undernourished (due to fatigue in feeding), sweat on forehead
- Palpation: - Raised pulse rate - Thrill in left sternal border - Hepatomegaly (in heart failure)
- Auscultation: - Holosystolic (aka pansystolic) blowing murmur in left parasternal region. - The loudness of a murmur is inversely proportionate to the size of the defect ie the bigger the defect the smaller the murmur
OSCE tips for VSD?
- Know the difference between cyanotic and acyanotic heart defect presentations
- Remember the grading system for murmur classifications
- The VSD murmur is heard loudest over left sternal border
Murmur grades
how many grades are there?
6
Outline the murmur grades
Is ASD a cyanotic or acyanotic heart defect?
a) Acyanotic b) Cyanotic c) Both
a) Acyanotic
It causes a left to right shunt making it acyanotic
What type of murmur does ASD create?
a) Early diastolic
b) Pan systolic
c) Systolic ejection
d) Machine-like continuous
c) Systolic ejection
ASDs create a systolic ejection murmur!
What is the gold standard investigation for diagnosing ASD?
a) Chest X-ray
b) Pulse oximetry
c) ECG
d) Echocardiogram
d) Echocardiogram
An echo allows you to directly visualise the atrial septum and the size of the ASD
What is ‘Atrial septal defect’
- It is an acyanotic heart defect
- An opening in the atrial septum, excluding a patent foramen ovale.
- This causes a left to right heart shunt because pressure is higher in the left atrium than the right.
How many types of ASDs are there
And what are they?
There are 4 types of ASD:
Ostium secundum,
ostium primum
sinus venosus
unroofed coronary sinus.
What is Atrial septum development:
- Septum primum grows down, creating ostium primum which closes as septum primum grows further and fuses with endocardial cushions
- A hole appears in septum primum called ‘ostium secundum’
- Septum secundum grows down next to septum primum, and the hole created there is the foramen ovale
How to remember septum primum and septum secundum?
How to remember:
The septum forms first, then the hole/ostium is created as a result. Primum comes before secundum!