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High prevalence of interatrial communications during the first three months of life
1Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark.
Insights
Color Doppler echocardiography (CDE) reveals a high prevalence of atrial communications in infants under three months old. This advanced imaging detects congenital heart abnormalities often missed by other methods.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Pediatric heart abnormalities require accurate and timely diagnosis.
- Color Doppler echocardiography (CDE) offers advanced visualization of cardiac structures.
- Understanding the diagnostic yield of CDE in a pediatric population is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze the diagnostic outcomes of first-time CDE investigations in children.
- To assess the prevalence of heart abnormalities detected by CDE in pediatric patients.
- To characterize the spectrum of cardiac diagnoses in young children, particularly infants.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of CDE investigations in 284 children (0-15 years 9 months).
- Data collected from a tertiary referral center over a one-year period.
- Focus on first-time CDE examinations with unrestricted access to the technology.
Main Results:
- Heart abnormalities were detected in 42% of all pediatric patients.
- In infants under 3 months old, CDE identified abnormalities in 71%.
- Atrial septal defects, specifically intraatrial communications, were the most prevalent diagnosis (78% in infants <3 months).
Conclusions:
- There is a high prevalence of atrial communications in infants during the first three months of life.
- The spectrum of congenital heart disease in newborns diagnosed by CDE differs from historical data.
- Advanced CDE technology enhances the detection of pediatric cardiac abnormalities.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to analyze retrospectively the results of color Doppler echocardiographic (CDE) investigations performed for the first time on a child under circumstances where there was unrestricted access to CDE. The records were obtained from a tertiary referral center at a university hospital serving a population of about one million. The patients were children (n = 284) ages 0 days to 15 years 9 months referred for CDE over a 1-year period. Heart abnormalities were found in 119 children (42%). Among the children <3 months old, a heart abnormality was detected by CDE in 71%. The most prevalent diagnosis was atrial septal defect, particularly during the first 3 months of life, where the intraatrial communications accounted for 78% of the heart abnormalities. It is concluded that there is high prevalence of atrial communications during the first 3 months of life. The spectrum of diagnoses among newborns differs from the previously reported frequencies of congenital heart diseases. Better equipment (CDE) seems to diagnose abnormalities that might not be diagnosed otherwise.