Fetal circulation & Congenital Heart Defects

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Problems, Problems!!! I hope someone can shed some light. I am in the Pediatrics rotation. I will be taking an exam and my teacher said know Fetal circulation. We are on a break so I am a little lost. I can't afford to wait, because when we get back I will have the exam in 2 days. I have to be able to figure out what she means. I know there are the cyanotic and acyanotic conditions. I also know about the ductus arteriosus, the ventricular septal defect and the atrial septal defect. I wonder if I have to know how these vary from normal fetal circulation. Let me clarify, the acyanotic conditions have a left to right shunt. The Ventricular septal defect is due to a septal defect between the right and left ventricles. In the case of Transposition of the Great Arteries, the Aorta arises from the Right Ventricle instead of the Left artery. How would this vary under normal circumstances. I know the aorta should be arising from the Left ventricle. Is it enough to know the results of these defects and how they affect the child or is there something I am missing. Any suggestions.

Specializes in psych,and detox,and Ltc.

Thanks a bunch.....so much good information....I will be using this in 3rd semester coming in august.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

If it hasn't aleady been posted, check out http://cincinnatichildrens.org and take a look at the interactive cardiac section. It will make things SO much clearer in your mind, because the defects are shown in live action so you see the blood flow both pre and post op.

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vickyrn said:

examples of acyanotic (left-to-right) heart defects:

ventricular septal defect (vsd)

atrial septal defect (asd)

patent ductus arteriosus (pda)

atrioventricular septal defect (avsd) (endocardial cushion defect)

examples of acyanotic (left-to-right) heart defects:

usually the ones starting with a "t" -

tetralogy of fallot (tof)

transposition of the great arteries (tga)

tricuspid atresia

truncus arteriosus

total anomalous pulmonary venous return

hypoplastic left heart syndrome (hlhs)

?

okay after many hrs studying, I think that this needs to be corrected.

the pink should say examples of cyanotic (right to left) heart defects :

think cyanotic= 3t's= tof, truncys arteriosus, transposition of great vessel

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I agree.

Something we learned today to help us remember Tetralogy of Fallot...

Real--------- right ventricular hypertrophy

Oxygenation--overiding aorta

Problem------pulmonary stenosis

Very Scary---ventricular septal defect

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I agree also, my son was definitely cyanotic at birth.

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:yeah:

Tet of fallot= HOPS

H= hypertrophy of Rt. ventricle

0= overriding aorta

P= pulomonary stenosis

S= spetical defect (ventricle)

Thats how i remember it.

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Thank you so much, I am testing this information on Monday & a light bulb just went off!

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Check out 'Congenital Heart Defects,' a helpful iPhone app. Easy to understand with pictures, helped me figure them out.

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