Search

Copyright of Revista de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias de la Salud (RIICS) is the property of Fundacion Universitaria Maria Cano and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents a case study of a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA), highlighting her imaging manifestations as observed through echocardiography (ECHO) and cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA). Topics discussed include the clinical presentation of PTA, the embryonic development failure leading to this condition, and the importance of early diagnosis and surgical intervention to improve patient outcomes.

Introduction: Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are among the most common form of birth defects. The fetal cardiac screening by ultrasound can detect a high proportion of cases of CHD. Detection of cardiac anomalies can be challenging and is typically done by fetal cardiac ultrasound performed between 18 and 22 weeks. A transvaginal scan can detect anomalies even at 12-13 weeks. Early and precise detection of CHD can direct appropriate management. Objectives: To detect the incidence of congenital heart diseases at a tertiary care centre and to detect cardiac anomalies early, accurately, and help avail all the benefits of early prenatal diagnosis. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, where 5,000 patients were screened over a period of 10 months who came for routine second trimester (16 to 24 weeks) obstetric evaluation. The fetal heart was evaluated and sequential segmental analysis was done using ultrasonography. Detailed biometric and structural evaluations of all fetuses were undertaken. In high-risk cases (17%), or in cases with positive cardiac findings, the extended fetal echocardiographic examination was performed at 16-20 weeks(850 cases). Follow-up scans were done at 24 weeks and post-natal periods to confirm the diagnosis. Out of 5,000 screened cases, 25 fetuses had CHD. The most common indication for extended fetal echo was maternal (59.2%) followed by fetal (40.2%). In maternal indications, the most common was advanced maternal gestational age (>35 years), followed by bad obstetric history and gestational diabetes. In fetal indications, the most common was abnormal obstetric Doppler findings favouring IUGR. Results: Of 5,000 cases examined by us, at 16 - 24 weeks using Color Doppler, and a high-end ultrasound machine, we could diagnose VSD in 3 cases, ASD in 2 cases, TOF in 2 cases, Transposition of great vessels in 2 cases, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 2 cases, Ebstein's anomaly in 1 case and severe fetal hydrops with bradycardia in 1 case. On follow-up scan at 24 weeks, 2 additional VSD cases, 2 additional ASD cases, 2 new cases of TOF, and 1 new case of TGA were diagnosed. However, the number of cases of other pathologies remained the same. On post-natal scan additional cases of VSD, TOF and TGA diagnosed were 2, 1, and 2. Conclusion: An apparently normal appearance at any stage of pregnancy does not exclude a major heart defect, and it seems likely that some defects may be amenable to diagnosis only after birth. Hence follow-up scans with minute observation and technical expertise are need of the hour. Most of the CHDs in our region are missed, primarily because of poor socioeconomic status, lack of availability and awareness of diagnostic echocardiography. Spreading awareness and skill of fetal echocardiography is need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study describes the 20-year experience of managing common arterial trunk (CAT) in a low-and-middle-income country and compares the early and medium-term outcomes following the transition from conduit to nonconduit repair at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital., Methods: Single-center retrospective study of consecutive patients aged less than 18 years who underwent repair of CAT from January 1999 to December 2018 at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital. Patients with interrupted aortic arch or previous pulmonary artery banding were excluded., Results: Fifty-four patients had CAT repair during the study period. Thirty-four (63.0%) patients had a conduit repair, and 20 (37.0%) patients had a nonconduit repair. There were two intraoperative deaths. Thirty-day in-hospital mortality was 22.2% (12/54). Overall, in-hospital mortality was 29.6% (16/54). Eight (21.1%) late mortalities were observed. The actuarial survival for the conduit group was 77.5%, 53.4%, and 44.5% at 6, 12, and 27 months, respectively, and the nonconduit group was 58.6% at six months. The overall freedom from reoperation between the conduit group and nonconduit group was 66.2% versus 86.5%, 66.2% versus 76.9%, and 29.8% versus 64.1% at 1, 2, and 8 years, respectively., Conclusions: The outcomes following the transition to nonconduit repair for CAT in a low- and middle-income setting appear to be encouraging. There was no difference in mortality between conduit and nonconduit repairs, and importantly the results suggest a trend toward lower reintervention rates., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.