Other Noninvasive Investigation Tools
Besides imaging, there are other noninvasive investigative tools that are frequently used in the evaluation of cardiac patients. In this chapter, the following will be discussed. • Stress testing •…
History Taking
As in the evaluation of any other system, history taking is a basic step in cardiac evaluation. Maternal history during pregnancy is often helpful in the diagnosis of congenital heart…
Other Forms of Functionally Univentricular Hearts
The terms univentricular and single have proven to be amongst the most controversial adjectives used to describe some of the most complex congenital malformations of the heart. Since the mid-1990s,…
Arterio-venous Fistulas and Related Conditions
An arterio-venous fistula is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein in the absence of any intervening capillary bed. As a result of the low resistance in the…
Chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease
Chronic rheumatic heart disease, representing the permanent lesions of the cardiac valves, is the most serious consequence of rheumatic fever. It accounts for a significant number of repeated hospitalisations and…
Aortic Coarctation and Interrupted Aortic Arch
Coarctation derives from the Latin term coartatio , which translated literally means a drawing together. Aortic coarctation, therefore, indicates a narrowing at some point along the course of the aorta….
Vascular Rings, Pulmonary Arterial Sling, and Related Conditions
The aortic arch, the arterial duct, and the right and left pulmonary arteries have close spatial relationships with the major airways and the oesophagus. Due to this close proximity, abnormalities…
The Central Nervous System in Children and Young Adults with Congenital Cardiac Disease
Prior to the early 1980s, it was uncommon for children with complex congenitally malformed hearts to survive into later childhood. The nearly simultaneous advances in congenital cardiac surgery, echocardiography, and…
Psychological and Social Aspects of Paediatric Cardiac Disease
What are the outcomes that really matter to patients, families, and societies living with the implications of congenital and acquired paediatric cardiac disease? Survival and physiological function are certainly paramount….
Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Pulmonary hypertension describes a number of different diseases involving the pulmonary vasculature, which have haemodynamic, histological, and therapeutic features in common. The hallmark of these diseases is an abnormally high…
