Neonatal Cardiac Emergencies: Evaluation and Management

Abstract

A congenital cardiac defect occur in approximately 8-10 of each 1000 live born infants, and one third to one fourth of these lesions are potentially fatal during the new born period. Advances in diagnosis, catheter interventions, intensive care and surgical techniques, along with intensive post-operative management, have made it possible to salvage many of these critically ill infants. Prompt recognition of the infant with critical heart disease enabling transfer of the infant to a centre capable of carrying out the required diagnostic and surgical procedures is essential to the survival of these infants. Successful management of pediatric cardiac emergencies requires an accurate diagnosis to institute an appropriate plan of therapy. The diagnosis however is not always straightforward, as physical findings, electrocardiogram, and chest x-ray are often difficult to interpret in the new born period and that manifestations of heart disease in the neonate may be quite different from those in the older infant or child. Although echocardiography is required to precisely define the anatomical abnormality, it is usually possible to define the functional abnormality on the basis of the clinical and radiographic findings