Diagnostic techniques in cardiac disorders: Part I

Advances in technology over the past 15 years have given birth to a new field of multidisciplinary cardiovascular care and research, that of perinatal cardiology. Today's neonatal nurse must become familiar with the battery of tools that may be enlisted to assist in the assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and evaluation of cardiac disorders and therapeutic maneuvers in the neonate. In this first part of a two-part article, the history and physical examination, the chest x-ray, and the electrocardiogram are reviewed. The second part will discuss the role of both invasive and noninvasive "high-tech" diagnostic techniques in the management of cardiac disorders.