A nurse-driven algorithm to screen for congenital heart defects in asymptomatic newborns

Area of Science:

• Neonatal screening
• Pediatric cardiology
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Critical congenital heart defects (cCHD) affect a small percentage of newborns.
• Early detection of cCHD through pulse oximetry screening (POS) improves outcomes.
• Current screening methods may miss asymptomatic cases before hospital discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a nurse-driven algorithm for cCHD detection using POS.
• To test the utility of this algorithm in identifying asymptomatic newborns with cCHD.
• To enhance early intervention for potentially lethal cardiac lesions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a universal, nurse-driven algorithm for POS screening.
• Implementation of the algorithm in a community hospital setting.
• Integration of POS with physical examination for comprehensive assessment.

Main Results:

• The collaborative protocol was easily implemented in a community hospital.
• The algorithm effectively enhanced POS and clinical examination.
• Asymptomatic infants with undiagnosed cCHD were identified prior to discharge.

Conclusions:

• A nurse-driven POS algorithm is a practical tool for cCHD detection.
• This approach improves the identification of asymptomatic newborns with cCHD.
• Early detection facilitates timely intervention and better patient outcomes.