Echocardiographic Profile of Ventricular Septal Defect among Children Attending Tertiary Care Teaching Institutions: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Introduction: One of the developmental defects, the Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) needs to be studied to reduce morbidity and mortality among the children. Aim: To describe the VSD cases on the basis of site, size along with few aspects of functional derangement and pathology produced therewith. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 200 clinically diagnosed and suspected consecutive VSD cases between age group of 1-12 years attending the Cardiology Outpatient Departments (OPD) of two teaching institutions. After collecting baseline information for each participant, Electrocardiograph (ECG) was taken along with 2-D Colour Doppler Echocardiography. Data were summarised by proportion and Fisher-exact test was used for drawing inference. Results: The cases were classified into perimembranous type (83%), muscular (15.5%) and multiple (1.5%). Small variety of VSD with diameter of <5 mm was more common with left to right (L-R) shunting predominant. The severity of defects were found to be complicated by Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), Infective Endocarditis (IE) and Isolated Valvular Diseases (IVD) summing up to 15% of the participants. Conclusion: More than 3/4th (78.0%) of VSD belonged to the smaller variety which needs early detection for prompt medical management to prevent pathologies like obstinate Pulmonary Vascular Obstructive Disease (PVOD).

Keywords

• congenital heart disease
• functional derangement
• pulmonary arterial hypertension