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Showing posts from November, 2020

Surgical and Non-Surgical Treatments for Congenital Heart Disease in Infants

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-Contributed by Navaneeth R Congenital heart disease (CHD) refers to structural and functional abnormalities in the heart present at birth. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed congenital disorders, affecting nearly 1.3% of newborns worldwide. The children born with CHD face significant challenges as the conditions often pose substantial risk for their life. The advancements in the medical field have enabled us to effectively manage these children, ensure their survival and improve their quality of life as they grow up.  Congenital heart defects in infants include numerous disorders ranging from minor defects to complex, challenging conditions. While some of these which are minor resolve spontaneously on their own, others require surgical or non-surgical interventions. Even for those who do not require any treatment, long term monitoring and routine cardiac evaluation is a must. Non-Surgical Treatment for CHD All patients with CHD do not require open heart surgeries. Some c...

What are Pediatric Emergencies?

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The care for critically ill children begins with early recognition, and aggressive resuscitation and stabilisation. Critically ill children present particular challenges, as there are many unique features, anatomically and physiologically, that differ significantly to adults. Typically, sick children will present with an inability to drink, respiratory distress and altered consciousness. Although they have a great ability for compensation (e.g. increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate), they can also deteriorate very quickly.  A carefully performed clinical assessment, including observation, medical history and physical examination, will detect serious illness with a high sensitivity (90 percent) Some of the most common Paediatric Emergencies are: 1. Respiratory Distress Respiratory emergencies in childhood are characterised by three cardinal manifestations: dyspnoea, wheezing and stridor. The type of stridor can provide an important clue to the differential diagnosis. An ...