CCHD

Disease Diagnosis: Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD)

In the present scenario, it has been indicated that the child’s skin changes color (to a bluish color) every time she cries or exerts. On the basis of the presenting symptoms, cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) is suspected. To a large extent, persons with CCHD have low oxygen levels in their blood. According to Zabala and Guzzetta (2015), this happens to be not only one of the most common defect at birth, but also a prevalent death cause amongst kids having congenital malformations. There are quite a number of birth defects that could cause CCHD. It is important to note that before birth, the condition happens to be largely asymptomatic. This is more so the case given that before birth, the placenta is involved in the transfer of oxygenated blood to the fetus. Thus, the condition often becomes symptomatic following birth. One particular symptom routinely associated with CCHD is a cyanosis, i.e. a bluish skin tint - as has been presented in the case study. However, there may be other symptoms depending on the specific CCHD-causing defect.

To confirm the diagnosis above and establish whether there are heart defects, it would be prudent to look out for abnormal heart sounds as well as rapid heartbeat. Other specific diagnostic tests in this case could be inclusive of an echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization. While the latter would come in handy in the evaluation of the heart’s interior, the former would give a detailed outline of the heart. The differential diagnosis in this case would be pulmonary hypertension. This is yet another condition that impairs lung perfusion (Fleisher and Ludwig, 2010). The treatment plan would in this case be largely dependent upon symptoms severity. Given the age of the child, it would be better to manage the condition with medications until much later when she can undergo surgery to correct the physical defects identified in her heart. In addition to abnormal heart rhythm regulation, the said medications would also help in the elimination of excess body fluids.

References

Fleisher, G.R. & Ludwig, S. (2010). Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Zabala, L.M. & Guzzetta, N.A. (2015). Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD): Focus on Hypoxemia, Secondary Erythrocytosis, and Coagulation Alterations. Pediatric Anesthesia, 25(10), 981-989.