Clinical manifestations and treatment of ventricular septal defect in babies

Ventricular septal defect is a common congenital heart disease in babies and the most common heart malformation. The defect may exist alone or co-exist with atrial artery malformations. Parents must be very anxious and hope to share the pain for their babies. Today, the editor brings you the clinical manifestations and treatment methods of ventricular septal defect in babies. Parents can take a look.

Ventricular septal defect is the most common heart malformation among congenital heart diseases (CHD) in children, accounting for about 30%-50% of the total number of CHDs. It is caused by developmental disorders of the ventricular septum during embryonic development of the heart. The defect may exist alone or coexist with malformations such as pulmonary artery stenosis, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and transposition of the great arteries. This disease is slightly more common in boys.

1. Clinical manifestations of ventricular septal defect

For children with medium to large ventricular septal defects, the result will inevitably affect the child's growth and development. Symptoms often appear in infancy, such as weight loss, fatigue, polyps, and rapid breathing. The children's milk is often interrupted due to shortness of breath, weight gain is slow, and the complexion is pale. In addition, children with ventricular septal defect are prone to repeated bouts of tracheitis and bronchopneumonia. Respiratory tract infections are more common in children during cold seasons. If the child is found to have paroxysmal breathing difficulties and irritability at night, parents should be alert to the possibility of congestive heart failure. At this time, parents must take the child to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment of ventricular septal defect

1. Medication

(1) Diuretics: Reduce cardiac load and systemic venous congestion. Spironolactone (spironolactone) has a potassium-sparing effect. When furosemide and spironolactone (spironolactone) are used simultaneously, no additional potassium supplementation is required.

(2) Digoxin: However, it is generally not used when the baby first experiences increased stress.

(3) Vasodilators: such as enalapril and captopril, can effectively reduce the overload of systemic circulation. During long-term use of these drugs, blood electrolytes, digoxin levels, and renal function should be checked regularly. When medical treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment may be indicated as soon as possible.

2. Surgical treatment

(1) Indications for surgery: patients with simple ventricular septal defect without other malformations, whose heart failure cannot be controlled by drugs; patients with large left-to-right shunt, limited movement and poor response; and patients with pulmonary hypertension and recurrent lung infections.

(2) Early postoperative complications: low outflow tract syndrome caused by ventricular dysfunction, complete heart block, and pulmonary hypertension crisis.

(3) Surgical treatment: Most ventricular septal defects can be repaired via the atrial approach. In addition, the hypertrophic infundibulum muscle can also be removed through this approach. Subarterial defects can be repaired via the aortic valve approach, but the closure of some muscular defects must be performed through the left ventricle or right ventricle. The necessity of surgical treatment is still controversial: some people advocate that in order to avoid the occurrence of aortic valve complications, all subarterial defects should be treated surgically.

After reading the editor's introduction to the clinical manifestations and treatment methods of baby ventricular septal defect, do parents have a certain understanding? If the baby is found to have symptoms of ventricular septal defect, parents must discover it early, observe carefully, and go to the hospital as soon as possible. This is the best treatment method for the baby.