Pediatric Heart Failure and Congenital Heart Defects

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to pediatric heart failure and congenital heart defects based on the lecture notes.

Heart Failure

A condition where the heart cannot pump effectively, often leading to hospitalization in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate, commonly seen as a symptom of heart failure in children.

Digoxin

A medication that increases heart contractility and slows conduction, used in heart failure and certain arrhythmias.

Hypoxemia

A condition of having insufficient oxygen in the blood, commonly occurring in children with certain congenital heart defects.

Furosemide

A loop diuretic used to decrease fluid overload and improve heart failure symptoms.

ACE Inhibitors

Medications like Captopril and Enalapril used to manage heart failure and hypertension by decreasing cardiac workload.

Tet Spells

Hypercyanotic spells in Tetralogy of Fallot caused by agitation or crying, resulting in acute hypoxemia.

Prostaglandin E1 (Alprostadil)

A medication that keeps the ductus arteriosus open and is life-saving in specific ductal-dependent congenital heart defects.

Cyanosis

A bluish discoloration of the skin due to inadequate oxygenation of the blood, often seen in certain congenital heart defects.

Nutritional issues in CHD

Common complications include failure to thrive, poor feeding, and need for high-calorie nutrition.

Diuretics

Medications that help remove excess fluid from the body, reducing heart workload and managing fluid overload.

Digoxin Toxicity

A serious condition related to digoxin use that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bradycardia, and arrhythmias.

Increased Pulmonary Blood Flow Defects

Congenital heart defects characterized by higher flows of blood into the lungs, such as ASD, VSD, and PDA.

Mixed Congenital Heart Defects

Defects like Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) where oxygenated and deoxygenated blood mix.

Oxygen administration in heart failure

While oxygen can help when delivery is poor, it should be used cautiously in heart defects with large shunts.

Knees-to-chest Position

A maneuver used in managing Tet spells by reducing venous return to the heart, thereby alleviating hypoxemia.

Fluid Overload

A condition often treated with diuretics; it exacerbates heart failure symptoms and increases cardiac workload.

Alpha-blockers

Medications that decrease heart rate and contractility, often used in the management of heart defects.

Poor Perfusion

A condition marked by insufficient blood flow to body tissues, often seen in severe heart defects.

Cyanotic Heart Defect

A type of congenital heart defect where there is low oxygen in the blood, leading to cyanosis.