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AIM: The present study was undertaken to assess the accuracy of pediatric echocardiograms done at non-tertiary centers and to evaluate the relationship of inaccurate interpretations with age, echocardiogram performer and complexity of congenital heart disease (CHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The echocardiogram reports of 182 consecutive children with CHD (5 days-16 years) who were evaluated at a non-tertiary center and subsequently referred to our center were reviewed. Age of the child at echocardiogram, echocardiogram performer and complexity of CHD were noted. These reports were compared with echocardiogram done at our center. Discrepancies were noted and categorized. To assess our own error rate, we compared our echocardiogram reports with the findings obtained during surgery (n = 172), CT scan (n = 9) or cardiac catheterization reports (n = 1). RESULTS: Most of the children at the non-tertiary center (92%) underwent echocardiogram by personnel other than a pediatric cardiologist. Overall, diagnostic errors were found in 69/182 (38%) children. Moderate and major discrepancies affecting the final management were found in 42/182 (23%) children. Discrepancies were higher when the echocardiogram was done by personnel other than pediatric cardiologist (P < 0.01) and with moderate and high complexity lesions (P = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in proportion of these discrepancies in children ≤ 1 year vs. >1 year of age. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of pediatric echocardiograms done at non-tertiary centers had discrepancies that affected the management of these children. More discrepancies were seen when the echocardiogram performer was not a pediatric cardiologist and with complex CHD.
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BACKGROUND: Fetal echocardiography is a well established sensitive tool to diagnose congenital heart disease (CHD) in utero. One of the determinants of effective utilization of fetal echocardiography is its awareness in the general population. The present hospital based study was undertaken to assess the awareness of the need for fetal echocardiography amongst Indian parents. METHODS: One thousand one hundred and thirty eight consecutive parents who visited the pediatric cardiology outpatient department of a tertiary care centre over a period of two months were asked to fill up a questionnaire that included their demographic data, educational status, history of CHD in children, awareness of fetal echocardiography and source of information and timing of fetal echocardiogram if performed. The data was categorized and awareness was noted in different groups. RESULTS: The awareness in the study population was 2.2%. Awareness was found to be similar across the study population irrespective of the demographics and high risk status of the parents. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of fetal echocardiography, an important tool in reducing the incidence of complex CHD, thereby impacting public health, is alarmingly low in the population studied. Appropriate action to increase awareness of fetal echocardiography needs to be looked into.
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A 4-year-old boy presented with repeated respiratory tract infections. Echocardiography showed dilation of the left main coronary artery with flow into the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract (RVOT). Diagnosis of Left Coronary Artery Aneurysm (LMCA) with RVOT fistula was made. A surgical repair of LMCA aneurysm by two-patch technique was performed. The patient had an excellent outcome postoperatively and is asymptomatic on follow-up.
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INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary vascular disease is a risk factor in the surgical management of patients with d-transposition of great arteries (d-TGA) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). In older infants or children with this physiology, the question of operability often arises. Cardiac catheterization in this condition can be fallacious. It is well known that oxygen reduces pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance especially where irreversible pulmonary vascular obstructive disease has still not set in. We tried to implement this effect of oxygen in correlation with echocardiography in patients with TGA-VSD physiology where operability was in question. METHODS: Patients with d-TGA and a large post tricuspid shunt in whom operability was considered doubtful were selected for the study. We administered humidified oxygen at the rate of 10 litres/minute by mask for 48 hours in the ward or intensive care unit. After administration of oxygen we reassessed the child echocardiographically looking for signs of lowering of pulmonary vascular resistance which included increased pulmonary venous blood flow to the left atrium (LA) and right to left shunting across the VSD. OBSERVATION: We studied 1 patient with d-TGA and aortopulmonary window (APW), 4 patients with TGA / large VSD and 1 patient with Taussig-Bing anomaly. The age of the studied children ranged from 4 months to 3 years with a mean age of 1.1 years. After administering oxygen as described, echocardiogram showed an increase in pulmonary venous blood flow to the LA and right to left shunting across the VSD in 5 patients and increased flow reversal in aorta in presence of the APW. CONCLUSION: Patients with TGA/VSD physiology with doubtful operability can be subjected to this method of determining operability using echocardiography after administering oxygen. Although not 100% accurate in predicting long term postoperative pulmonary hypertension, this is a simple, noninvasive method that can aid in decision making in such a situation.