Epidemiology, and diagnostic and surgical trends in atrioventricular septal defect in Malta
1Paediatric Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta. victor.e.grech@magnet.mt
European Journal of Epidemiology
|July 22, 1999
Abstract:
Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is a common congenital cardiac malformation, associated with Down's syndrome. AVSD causes heart failure, and if not treated early, irreversible pulmonary hypertension. In Malta, a decline in age at diagnosis and at surgery was present from 1944 to 1994. The birth prevalence was 0.31/1000 live births, within the range obtained from a literature review. Down's syndrome children are now treated as are non-syndromic children.
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