Implementation of Congenital Heart Diseases Screening at the Bihac Cantonal Hospital

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the leading cause of infant mortality from congenital anomalies in developed nations.
• Early diagnosis of CHD is vital for improving treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.
• Pulse oximetry (PO) is increasingly utilized for screening cyanotic CHD, enhancing diagnostic sensitivity when combined with clinical examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the application of PO screening combined with a novel clinical examination methodology for earlier detection of CHD in neonates.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted in 2012 at Bihac Cantonal Hospital, involving 1,865 newborn infants.
• Congenital heart disease was diagnosed in 29 neonates during the study period.
• The methodology integrated pulse oximetry screening with a new clinical examination approach for the cardiovascular system.

Main Results:

• The study successfully diagnosed 29 cases of congenital heart disease among the 1,865 newborns screened.
• The combined approach of pulse oximetry and clinical examination demonstrated effectiveness in identifying CHD in the neonatal period.

Conclusions:

• A modern algorithm incorporating pulse oximetry and clinical examination can significantly enhance the diagnosis of congenital heart anomalies.
• Early detection facilitates optimal care for affected infants.
• This screening approach is simple, cost-effective, and readily implementable in most maternity settings.