Publication:

Study of complications of congenital heart diseases with special reference to pulse oximetry and anthropometry

Background This study was done to determine prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD), its complications especially effect on growth parameter and role of pulse oximeter as a diagnostic modality.

Methods This study was a hospital based prospective observational study conducted on hospitalized children in paediatric wards and PICU of Civil hospital, B. J. medical college Ahmedabad, for one year which is a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Results Prevalence of CHD in our institute was 1.2% during the period of one year. Signs of failure (tachycardia, tachypnoea, pallor and hepatomegaly) were seen in more than 50% of patients. Nearly 29.5% patients had hypoxia on arrival on pulse oximeter reading while 74% patients had normal saturation. Complications commonly found in CHD are congestive heart failure and growth failure.

Conclusions CHD is a chronic disease and has all its consequences; complications are commonly found in congenital heart diseases are congestive heart failure and growth failure. Pulse oximeter can be used as screening test but not as the reliable diagnostic method.