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Congenital heart defect essays
Flash card on congenital heart diseases
Flash card on congenital heart diseases
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One of the most common diagnosis of heart problems is Congenital Heart Disease. There are about 40,000 infants that are born with this defect in the United States. Congenital Heart Disease is presented at birth when one or more abnormalities are found the heart’s structure and they usually develop before birth. The defects can range from simple to severe. They can go undetected during childhood and even until adulthood. A considerable amount of these defects can eventually heal by themselves, but more severe complications call for treatment such as heart surgery. Congenital heart disease occurs when there is a defect or malformation in the heart’s blood vessels. Some examples of these defects include a hole in the heart, narrowed valves,
Ebstein’s Anomaly is a rare congenital condition, present at birth, in which the tricuspid valve is malformed and the valve itself is not in the correct anatomic place (Mayo Clinic Staff). This anomaly affects the right side of the heart – the tricuspid valve is located too deep into the ventricle, causing a smaller and weaker right ventricle. The space above the decreased right ventricle is made up of atrial tissue and this can be referred to as right ventricle dysplasia or an atrialized right ventricle (Reynolds). Typically the tricuspid valve has three freely moving leaflets, but in Ebstein’s anomaly one or two of those leaflets get fused to the heart walls causing regurgitation. Since the heart does not work as efficiently in those who have this anomaly, the heart usually compensates and becomes enlarged. It...
First and foremost, Eisenmenger syndrome was initially described in 1897 when German physician, Victor Eisenmenger, reported on a patient with symptoms of dyspnea and cyanosis from infancy that subsequently developed heart failure (Connolly, 2014). The postmortem description was revealed and a ventricular septal defect was discovered (El-Chami et al., 2014a). With that being said, this had been the first time that the link between a large congenital cardiac shunt defect and the development of pulmonary hypertension had ever been noted (El-Chami et al., 2014b). The normal heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers are separated from each other by the atrial septum (NORD, 2014a). The two lower chambers are known as ventricles and are separated from each other by the ventricular septum (NORD, 2014b).
“Hypoplastic left heart syndrome accounts for 9% of all critically ill newborns with congenital cardiac disease, causing the largest number of cardiac deaths in the first year of life.(2) ” HLHS is a severe heart defect that is present at birth. HLHS combines different defects that result in an underdeveloped left side of the heart. This syndrome is one of the most challenging and difficult to manage of all of the congenital heart defects. Multiple portions on the left side of the heart are affected including the left ventricle, the mitral and aortic valve, and the ascending aorta. These structures are greatly reduced in size, or completely nonexistent causing the functionality of the left heart to be reduced, or non-functional all together.
During a physical examination, a specialist may hear a heart murmur which will prompt a referral to a pediatric cardiologist for an analysis. Diagnostic testing will vary by the child’s age, clinical condition, and institutional preferences. Such test may incorporate a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. A chest X-ray uses unseen X-ray beams to cr...
The purpose of this paper is to establish an understanding of the rare heart disease Tetralogy of Fallot. Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that is present at birth, with the structure of the heart being problematic. It changes the normal flow of blood through the heart. The aspects of it being explained are the overall disease and symptoms of it. Secondly, the long term and short term effects corresponding to the particular disease. Lastly, the causes, prevention, and statistics of the disease. This research will provide an insight to the disease and all aspects and forms. It will allow a better understanding on how to cope with such disease or better prepare us in a case where this disease may be present and have to be dealt with.
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a fairly common inherited connective-tissue disorder. The syndrome can be found in 1 in every 5000 births worldwide (Giarelli, Bernhardt, & Pyeritz, 2010). MFS has been recognized for more than 100 years, in fact it was speculated that Abraham Lincoln had the disorder (Amado & Thomas, 2002). There is still no current cure, but early recognition and intervention can play a key role in the prevention of the sudden cardiac complications (Midla, 2008). For those Marfan patients diagnosed the life expectancy is close to normal, yet tends to be under diagnosed (Pyrietz, 2000). The nurse should have a broader understanding of MFS since recognition is essential for the diagnosis. Since MFS is primarily an inherited disorder, it of equal importance that the nurse understands that a referral to a geneticist is an imperative n...
In the story The Tell Tale Heart by Edger Alan Poe, a murder mystery is given. The kind of murder where we know the narrator as the killer, but can't quite understand his purpose in doing so.
Heart disease can take many forms. The form of heart disease I am focusing on is coronary disease. Different arteries supply different areas of the heart with oxygenated blood. If one or more of these arteries become narrowed or clogged as a result of coronary artery disease, or atherscelorosis the artery cannot fully supply the part of the heart it is responsible for. The heart is an effective pump only when good blood supply is maintained to all heart muscles.
What is coronary heart disease (CHD)? It is a disease when plaque gets built up in the coronary arteries; and the job of the arteries are to provide rich-oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Built plaque in the arteries leads to atherosclerosis and the plaque that is built can result from over the years. Throughout the years, the plaque tends to get hard or can rupture. If hardened, the arteries are now narrow and have weakened the flow of blood that travels to the heart. Blood clots can form from the plaque rupturing which can cause a great chance for the blood flow to be mostly blocked or blocked altogether. There are other names for coronary heart disease such as coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, etc.
According to Genetic Home Reference this can be cause by a mutation in one of several genes, the most common being SCN5A. This gene is responsible for providing the instructions that make a sodium channel within the cell. This channel would normally move positively charged sodium ions into the hearts muscle cells which is imperative for maintaining a healthy, normal heart rhythm. A mutation in this gene can change the function or structure of this channel, disrupting the flow of sodium through the channel, which can lead to abnormal heart
(Slide 2) What is Cardiomyopathy? If we break down the word we can see “Cardio” which means of the heart, “myo” which means muscle, and “pathy” which means disease, therefore cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle. (Slide 3) There are 3 main types of cardiomyopathies; hypertrophic, dilated, and restrictive. I will only be discussing dilated cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by the enlargement of the hearts chambers with impaired systolic function. It is estimated that as many as 1 of 500 adults may have this condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy is more common in blacks than in whites and in males than in females. It is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in children and it can occur at any age (CDC).
Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome is a very rare and serious genetic disorder that generally affects the heart, facial features, and skin of an individual. It is caused by a desultory gene mutation, which takes place in one of four genes. Those genes are known as BRAF, MEK1, MEK2, and KRAS. From research, it is also suspected there is a possibility that other genes are associated with the rare condition. This disorder holds multiple alternative names, a long history, obvious symptoms, extensive amounts of interesting data, and is lucky enough to be supported by numerous organizations that will stop at nothing to help.
Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects. The major cause of this is a build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries. Plaque build-up thickens and stiffens the vessel walls, which can inhibit blood flow through the arteries to organs and tissues.
The aim of this essay is to critically analyse a clinical incident involving an adult with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). I will define reflection, then select a reflective model and critically reflect on the incident demonstrating my new found knowledge. Lastly, I will suggest how nursing practice should change to improve the care of this group of patients.
Statement of Purpose: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk for psychosocial issues (PSI) associated with lower quality of life (QOL) and decreased resilience. Psychosocial issues, such as depression and/or anxiety, may increase medical noncompliance and mortality in this population. The purpose of this project was to implement a psychosocial screening protocol with appropriate referral for children with CHD who are followed in a heart transplant/heart failure clinic with the hopes of identifying at-risk children.