Paediatrics Flashcards
Describe foetal circulation
Placenta –> umbilical vein –> IVC –> RV –> foramen ovale –> LA –> aorta –> umbilical arteries –> placenta
OR:… RV –> pulmonary artery –> ductus arteriosus –> aorta
What are the 3 shunts foetal circulation has?
- Ductus venosus
- Foramen oval
- Ductus arteriosus
What is the function of the Forman oval and ductus arterioles in the foetal circulation?
Used to bypass the non-functioning lungs
Give 4 ways congenital heart disease may be identified/present?
- Antenatal US screening
- Detection of a heart murmur
- Cyanosis
- Heart failure
- Shock
What are the hallmarks of an innocent ejection murmur?
All have S in - aSymptomatic patient - Soft blowing murmur - Systolic murmur only, not diastolic - left Sternal edge AND normal HS with no added sounds, no parasternal thrill and no radiation 30% children = innocent murmur
Give 3 possible causes of cyanosis in newborn with respiratory distress (RR >60bpm)
- Cardiac disorders –> transposition of great arteries, teratology of Fallot
- Respiratory disorders –> surfactant deficient, meconium aspiration, pulmonary hypoplasia
- Persistent pulmonary HTN of the newborn = filature of pulmonary vascular resistance to fall after birth
- Infection –> septicaemia from group B strep
- Metabolic disease –> metabolic acidosis and shock
Give 2 possible causes of heart failure in neonates
Often obstructed (duct dependent) systemic circulation problems
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
- Critical aortic valve stenosis
- Severe coarctation of the aorta
- Interruption of the aortic arch
Give 2 possible causes of heart failure in infants
Due to High pulmonary blood flow
- Ventricular septal defect
- Atrioventricular septal defect
- Large persistent ductus arteriosus
Give 2 possible causes of heart failure in older children and adolescents
Often right or left heart failure
- Eisenmengers syndrome (right heart failure only)
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Cardiomyopathy
Give 2 possible causes of heart failure due to circulation failure
- Reduced oxygen carrying capacity –> anaemia
- Increased tissue demands –> sepsis
- Iatrogenic –> too much fluid
Give 3 symptoms of heart failure
- Breathlessness –> especially on feeding and exertion
- Sweating
- Poor feeding
- Recurrent chest infections
- Tachycardia and tachypnoea
- Heart murmur, gallop rhythm
- Cardiomegaly and hepatomegaly
- Sever acidosis, collapse, death –> if severe obstructive lesion causing duct dependent systemic circulation
Name 4 congenital heart problems that can cause a left to right shunt
- VSD
- ASD
- AVSD
- PDA
What is a VSD?
Defect in septum between right and left ventricles
Give 5 signs of a VSD
- Poor feeding and failure to thrive
- tachypnoea
- Thrill
- Pansystolic murmur (LLSE)
- Sweating
- Gallop rhythm
Would you expect to see on a CXR of a patient with a VSD?
- Cardiomegaly
- Pulmonary oedema
- Enlarged pulmonary arteries
What is the treatment for a VSD?
Monitor
Large and HF present = diuretics, captopril, calories
Symptomatic after a year = surgery –> cardiac catheterisation or open
Name the classifications of ASD
- Ostium secundum = middle of atrial septum with margins on both sides (standard = 80%) involving foreman ovale
- Blood from left to right atrium
- Ostium primum = bottom of atrial septum, close to the mitral and aortic valves
- Often associated with AVSD - Sinus venosus = at the top of atrial septum, anatomically and echocardiographically hard to pick up
Why are ASD’s often asymptomatic?
Because blood flow in the atria is low pressure and so breathlessness etc is uncommon
Give 3 signs of ASD
- Fixed and widely split S2 sound
- Ejection systolic murmur in pulmonary region (LUSE)
- Palpitations
- Recurrent chest infections
- Difficulty breathing
AVSD is a common defect in people with what chromosomal abnormality?
Trisomy 21 (Downs syndrome)
What is the treatment for an AVSD?
Surgery to repair at 2-5 years of age (to avoid long term complications)
What is a PDA?
Vessel connecting aorta and pulmonary artery is still patent
- Blood from aorta –> pulmonary artery due to pressure gradient so increased high pressure blood going into lungs
Give 3 signs of a PDA
- Poor feeding, failure to thrive
- Tachypnoea
- Active pericardium
- Thrill
- Continuous machinery murmur in pulmonary area
- Hepatomegaly
- Oedema
Describe the management of congenital health defects that cause a L to R shunt
- Stabilise patient
- Increase calorie intake
- NG tube
- Dietetics and ACEi to prevent HF Symptoms
- Surgical repair