Pediatric Cardiovascular Physiology

Abstract

Knowledge of cardiovascular physiology is critical for the perioperative management of all pediatric surgical patients. The purpose of the cardiovascular system is to deliver oxygen to the tissues. Adequate oxygen delivery is determined by oxygen content of the blood and cardiac output. The latter is determined by preload, afterload, contractility, and heart rate. As in adults, these four factors interact with each other in a complex fashion. However, there are specific age-related differences in how changes in these variables affect the performance of the heart of a fetus, neonate, or older child. Perturbations in normal age-related cardiovascular physiology, as is seen patients with unrepaired, repaired, and palliated congenital heart disease, is common in pediatric surgical patients.