Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology Study Guide

©2018 of 131 3.6 Congenital Heart Disease Congenital heart diseases are defects in the heart that are present from birth. These are abnormalities in the structure of the heart with which the person is born. Symptoms of congenital heart disease may not show up until later in the life. However, some common signs include arrhythmia, bluish tint on the skin, shortness of breath, tiredness upon exertion, dizziness, fainting, and swelling of body tissues or organs. Congenital heart defects can be categorized as cyanotic or acyanotic. Acyanotic Defects Acyanotic heart defects are congenital heart diseases that do not impair the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body. Acyanotic heart defects include ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), atrioventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), pulmonary valve stenosis, aortic valve stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta. Ventricular septal defect is the congenital heart disorder in which the opening of the wall of the heart creates separation between the lower chambers of the heart. This separation can be as small as a pinhole or as large as the total absence of the wall. Atrial septal defect is the heart wall disorder in which the upper chambers are separated. When these openings are large, heart catheterization is needed. Atrioventricular septal defect is the congenital defect in which the opening is present among all four cambers of the heart. Generally, the opening is present in the center of the heart and both the ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect are there. Patent ductus arteriosus is the congenital disorder in which the blood vessel connecting the pulmonary and aorta artery is not closed at the time of the birth. It can be treated using medicines, heart catherization, or surgery. Pulmonary valve stenosis is the congenital heart disorder in which the valve between the lower right chamber and pulmonary artery is narrowed. Further, aortic valve stenosis is the narrowing of the aortic valve that is present between the lower left heart chamber and aorta. Finally, coarctation of the aorta is a common congenital heart disease in which a portion of the large blood vessel carrying blood to the tissues and organs of the body from the heart becomes narrowed or pinched. It is treated using heart catherization or surgery. Cyanotic Defects Cyanotic heart defects are those congenital heart disorders in which the oxygen rich blood does not reach properly to the tissues and organs of the body. In these defects, the oxygen rich and oxygen poor blood tend to mix together, which leads to bluish tint known as cyanosis at the lips, skin, and nail beds of the affected person. Cyanotic heart defects include tetralogy of fallot, transposition of the great vessels, pulmonary atresia, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, truncus arteriosus, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and tricupsid valve abnormalities. Tetralogy of fallot is the congenital defect in which the child is born with four different defects: overriding aorta, ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, and thickened right lower chamber of the heart. Transposition of the great vessels is the defect in which the blood vessels that are attached to the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed. This disorder leads to blood transferring to the wrong Achieve Page 58