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

Abstract

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.