Ventricular septal defects. A case study and discussion

Ventricular septal rupture is a serious complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI) that generally produces progressive circulatory failure and rapid deterioration. Prompt diagnosis followed by surgical repair with peri-operative circulatory support is often life-saving (Mazeika et al 1994). The following is an account of a patient that I cared for, whilst working on the coronary care unit (CCU) as part of an ENB 125 course. The patient was originally admitted with an inferior MI and went on to develop a ventricular septal defect (VSD).