Secundum atrial septal defects - A review of 75 patients

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMuller M.
dc.contributor.authorKerkhof M.
dc.contributor.authorVan der Merwe P.-L.
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-15T16:15:58Z
dc.date.available2011-05-15T16:15:58Z
dc.date.issued2000
dc.description.abstractSecundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is the most common type of ASD within the spectrum of congenital cardiac abnormalities in children. In this retrospective study the data on 75 patients with a pure secundum ASD were analysed. The male/female ratio was 1:1.3. This is less than the reported male/female ratio of 1:2. The symptoms most often found were shortness of breath, cough and susceptibility to fatigue. An ejection systolic heart murmur was found in the majority of the patients. A fixed split second heart sound was only found in 49% of patients. This could have been the result of incomplete documentation, inexperienced clinicians, a fast heart rate or the fact that a split second heart sound is not always present in patients with ASDs. On the chest radiograph the majority of patients presented with right ventricular enlargement, right atrial enlargement and increased pulmonary blood flow. A relatively unexpected finding on echocardiography was left atrial enlargement. This is usually caused by volume overload in the presence of large ASDs. Another unexpected finding was the high number of left QRS-axis deviations (10%) and indeterminate QRS- axis deviations, left rotation (7%) present on the electrocardiogram. This finding is much higher than the reported 3.8% of left QRS-axis deviation present in patients with secundum ASDs. The only explanation for this phenomenon is that during the embryological development of the atrial septum, not only does a secundum ASD develop, but the endocardial cushion becomes involved, giving rise to abnormal conductive pathways.
dc.description.versionArticle
dc.identifier.citationCardiovascular Journal of Southern Africa
dc.identifier.citation11
dc.identifier.citation5
dc.identifier.issn10159657
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/13571
dc.subjectadolescent
dc.subjectarticle
dc.subjectchild
dc.subjectechocardiography
dc.subjectembryo development
dc.subjectfemale
dc.subjectheart atrium septum defect
dc.subjectheart ejection fraction
dc.subjectheart murmur
dc.subjectheart rate
dc.subjecthuman
dc.subjectinfant
dc.subjectlung blood flow
dc.subjectmajor clinical study
dc.subjectmale
dc.subjectnewborn
dc.subjectQRS complex
dc.subjectretrospective study
dc.subjectsex ratio
dc.titleSecundum atrial septal defects - A review of 75 patients
dc.typeArticle
Files
Collections
Stellenbosch University - Scopus Tygerberg Hospital Publications