2007, Number 37
Prevalence and clinical presentation of cardiopathies in a pediatric emergency room in a teaching hospital
Aregullin EEO, Lara CC, Sánchez CRG, Canabal HF
Full text
Language: Spanish
References: 11
Page: 181-185
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ABSTRACT
Background: Although a variety of cardiac conditions occur in the pediatric age range, its frequency in a tertiary level emergency room setting has not been determined. Pediatric cardiology teaching is challenging both because of its relatively low frequency and because it is underdiagnosed.Objective: To determine the prevalence of cardiac disease in pediatric patients on an emergency room setting.
Methods: The study population were the patients admitted at the Pediatric Emergency Room from the “Dr Jose E. Gonzalez” University Hospital during 12 months. The data included age, gender, diagnosis, whether the Cardiology Service knew them, and inpatient days. Percentages were obtained in every diagnosis category and the results expressed per diagnosis group.
Results: The general prevalence of cardiopathies was 1.1%. There were sixty-one admissions, aged 6.5 ± 4.9 years. The causes for admission were cyanosis (28%), arrhythmias (23%) murmurs (18%), heart failure (18%), miscellaneous (4.9%); syncope (3.3%), electives (1.6%), vasculitis (1.6%) and chest pain (1.6%). The origin of 85% of the arrhythmias was supraventricular. Two thirds of the cyanosis admissions were in infants and the total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was the most frequent cause (26%). Patent ductus arteriosus was the most common (36%) cause of murmur and the dilated myocardiopathy represented 80% of the heart failure group. The miscellaneous and electives causes were high blood pressure and catheterization. Syncope and chest pain accounted for 4.9% of the admissions.
Conclusions: Although numerous conditions were assessed, some were encountered more frequently. The cardiology academic curricula for pediatric residents and medical students should emphasize these pathologies.
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