Shone Complex: A Case Report of Congenital Heart Disease Detected Using Point-of-care Ultrasound

Undiagnosed congenital heart disease and management of pediatric cardiogenic shock presents a diagnostic challenge for the emergency clinician. These diagnoses are rare and require a high index of suspicion given the overlap with more common pediatric pathology. Point-of-care ultrasound can assist in differentiating these presentations. We present a case of neonatal cardiogenic shock secondary to a previously undiagnosed congenital heart disease, specifically Shone complex, detected using point-of-care ultrasound.

A six-week-old female presented with severe respiratory distress and was found to be in cardiogenic shock secondary to a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

Initial diagnosis of congenital heart disease is uncommon in the emergency department, but it should be recognized by clinicians given the high associated morbidity and mortality. Point-of-care ultrasound is a powerful tool to assist in evaluating for cardiac abnormalities as an etiology for undifferentiated shock in the pediatric population.