PRESENCE OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES IN SICK NEONATES REFERRED FOR ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the importance of symptoms as a reason for referral topediatric cardiologists in the diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (CHD) in theneonates.

Methodology: This is a cross sectional study on sick neonates referred forcardiac evaluation with echocardiography having clinical suspicion of congenitalheart disease. The study was conducted at Cardiology Department ChildrenHospital, Lahore from 1st January to 31st December 2017. Data andechocardiography results were extracted from patients' documents.

Results: Out of 302 sick neonates referred for echocardiography with suspicionof congenital heart diseases 25.1% were found to have congenital heart diseasein this study. There were 66%males with 92.1% neonates of less than 15 days oflife. In our study 90.4% had poor perfusion and low oxygen saturation (≤ 94%)was found in 85.5% cases, Tachypnea in 92.4% of babies tachycardia in 92.4%and murmur was found in 19.5%.Surprisingly in high risk groups only 3.9%babies in our study had CHD. In this study the most common acyanotic heartdisease found was ventricular septal defects i.e 6.6% followed by coarctation ofaorta 2.6% and atrial septal defects 2.1% along with AVSD 2%. While in cyanoticheart disease TGA was the commonest disease ie 5% followed by pulmonaryatresia with intact septum and pulmonary atresia with VSD 1.3% each.Arrhythmias in sick neonates could not be added in the study because they weretreated first and then referred for echocardiography.

Conclusion: In sick babies in spite of high suspicion 25% found to havecongenital heart disease. High risk groups had low incidence of congenital heartdisease in this study. In acyanotic heart disease VSD found to be commonfollowed by coarctation of aorta while in case of cyanotic heart disease TGAfollowed by pulmonary atresia intact septum and VSD found to be thecommonest lesion.