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Atrial Septal Disorder Case Studies

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Ryan case study
1. Discuss the pathophysiology of atrial septal defect?
A septal defect is the connection between left and right side of the heart. The opening in the atrial septum permits left to right shunting of blood. The opening may be small, as when the foramen ovale fails to close, or large, as when the septum may be completely absent.
2. What is the incidence and etiology of this congenital heart defect?
Congenital defects of the atrial septum are common, accounting for approximately 13 percent of congenital heart disorders, with a reported birth prevalence of approximately 2 per 1000 live births. Every child is born with an opening between the upper heart chambers. It's a normal fetal opening that allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth. After birth, the opening …show more content…

8. Priorities for Ryan’s preoperative care:
Important priorities Ryan needs right before surgery include a careful history and physical examination to detect the presence or potential development of any acute illnesses. Assess the child’s behavioral patterns, cardiac function, respiratory function, weight, and fluid status.
9.Potential complications associated with open-heart surgery performed on an infant: Infection: signs include fever, excessive incisional pain, spreading erythema around the incision, and wound drainage beginning 3 to 4 days post-op Arrhythmias: auscultate apical pulse to detect an irregular heart rate or bradycardia; both indicate a reduced cardiac output, which requires immediate intervention.
Pneumonia or fluid in pleural space: assess the chest and lungs for breath sounds, respiratory effort, and signs of distress. Impaired tissue perfusion: check pulse ox, capillary refill, extremity warmth, pedal pulses, LOC, and urine output. Reduced urine output is a sign of decreased cardiac

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