Protocols in Congenital Heart Disease Patients

Congenital heart problems (CHD) can describe a variety of problems affecting the center. It is the most common sort of birth defect. Congenital heart disease is responsible for more deaths in the 1st year of life than any other birth defects. Many of these defects have to be followed carefully. A number of heal over time, others will require treatment. Symptoms depend on the particular condition. While hereditary heart disease is present with birth, the signs may not be immediately obvious. Defects such as coarctation with the aorta may not cause problems for many years. Other problems, such as a little ventricular septal defect (VSD), may never cause any issues, and some people with any VSD have normal physical exercise and a normal expected life.
Congenital heart disease refers to a problem with the heart's structure and function due to excessive heart development ahead of birth. Congenital means present at delivery.Hereditary heart disease is often divided into two types: cyanotic (blue discoloration caused by a relative insufficient oxygen) and non-cyanotic. These lists cover the most typical of the congenital cardiovascular diseases:
Computed tomography (CT) takes on an important supplementary part in the evaluation regarding patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Fast multisection control CT can be used to obtain isotropic quantity data, and high-quality two- as well as three-dimensional multiplanar reformatted images can be created in order to accurately and methodically delineate the normal along with pathologic morphologic features of the cardiovascular system. CT may be technically difficult and demanding within uncooperative young children. However, quite a few to systematically assess the aorta, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, cardiac chambers along with ventriculoarterial connection, relationship relating to the upper lobe bronchi and lung arteries, coronary artery, valves, wide spread veins (superior vena cava, poor vena cava, hepatic veins), and deep, stomach situs with a step-by-step approach. This approach may be helpful in understanding the anatomy of the coronary heart in CHD patients. CT offers both advantages and disadvantages within evaluating patients with CHD. Nevertheless, it is useful on this setting, and radiologists who perform CT in children with CHD should be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of CT and also the normal anatomy and typical pathologic conditions throughout affected patients.

Kurt R. Schumacher, MD, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.