Introduction
VSD is a congenital heart defect that occurs in childhood. It is mainly identified from an abnormal hole in the septum – a wall that separates the heart’s lower chambers. A VSD causes a malfunction in blood flow, making blood flow directly between two ventricles instead of the lungs. The lungs are filled with fluid, complicating the breathing process. Depending on its size, patients may have additional heart-related complications. VSD is common, affecting many children in the US annually. The asymptomatic nature of VSD reduces the need for treatment or diagnosis.
Patient history and symptoms
It is necessary that a clinician take the patient’s history during treatment. The most common component of patient history is that the physical findings on the size of the hole are directly proportional to the size and severity of defects experienced. Most patients have no apparent signs and symptoms. The defect may heal on its own. In other cases, patients may present with tiredness, loss of appetite, arrhythmia, and shortness of breath. Extensive treatment is required to prevent further complications. Patients suffering from VSD should undergo periodic monitoring and evaluation to prevent deterioration.
Treatment
The type of treatment recommended for a VSD is directly related to its size. While small ones may not require treatment and will heal easily, large holes from VSDs will require surgical procedures to close. Cardiac catheterization, which involves the insertion of a flexible tube via the groin or arm and pushed towards the heart, is another noninvasive procedure used for treatment. Since VSD may cause heart muscles to weaken, dietary recommendations and heart medications are used as a countermeasure. VSD is not life-threatening and does not require instant attention. If it is small, one should allow healing and monitor the patient’s health regularly. Only severe cases are referred for extensive procedures.
Echo Findings
Echocardiographic findings represent an important step in the diagnosis and treatment of VSD. Echo is used as the most advanced method of dialogizing VSD. Echo represents an advanced method of diagnosing heart issues besides the use of a stethoscope. It is used on fetuses as well to determine the health status of their hearts. Echo findings are used to determine the type of VSD – membranous, subpulmonic, AV canal, or muscular. Echo findings do so by identifying the major characteristics of a VSD including its size, location, systolic pressure, hemodynamic load, mean transseptal pressure gradient, lesions, defect margins, relationship of nearby heart structures, and biventricular function. The accurate interpretation of echo findings forms the basis for the type of treatment that will follow.
Conclusion
There are other tests that can be done for differential diagnosis in VSD. With an ECG, electrodes are attached to the skin and they produce a diagram that diagnoses any abnormal rhythm or heart defects. Chest X-rays are also recommended in the diagnosis of VSDs as they generate images that can be used by doctors to conduct periodic assessments on the size of the defect. Pulse oximetry tests generate readings on the amount of oxygen levels in the blood of a patient, and this ascertains their overall cardiac health. All these tests have to be used in conjunction with echo findings to have a clear picture of the VSD and enable a physician to recommend appropriate treatment.
References
Adan, A., Eleyan, L., Zaidi, M., Ashry, A., Dhannapuneni, R., & Harky, A. (2020). Ventricular septal defect: Diagnosis and treatments in the neonates: a systematic review. Cardiology in the Young, 31(5), 756-761. Web.
Bravo-Valenzuela, N. J., Peixoto, A. B., & Araujo Júnior, E. (2018). Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease: A review of current knowledge. Indian Heart Journal, 70(1), 150-164. Web.
Mostefa Kara, M., Bonnet, D., & Houyel, L. (2018). Anatomy of the ventricular septal defect in congenital heart defects: Random or systemic association? Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases, 106(8-9), 463. Web.
Rao, P. S., & Harris, A. D. (2018). Recent advances in managing septal defects: Ventricular septal defects and atrioventricular septal defects. F1000Research, 7, 498. Web.