Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

The planning of therapy of patients with congenital heart disease requires a reasonably accurate diagnosis of the anatomy of the defect and the resultant pathophysiologic effects. During the last decade, remarkable advances have occurred in the laboratory armamentarium available to the cardiac physiologist. The measurement of intravascular pressure and flow as determined by intermittent blood sampling for oxygen can be complemented with more sophisticated methodology including indicator dilution techniques using dyes, gases, or polarographically active materials, intracardiac phonocardiography, and fiberoptics. These methods may be used to study patients at rest or by evaluating effects produced acutely by exercise or drugs. In most patients, it is necessary to visualize parts of the intracardiac chambers or great vessels with selective angiocardiography using motion picture techniques or rapid film changers. The two volumes by Drs. Edwards, Carey, Neufeld, and Lester entitled, Congenital Heart Disease have an important subtitle. The major emphasis of the