PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Materska-Radziwoń

Publications and source records attributed to T Materska-Radziwoń.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

[Early detection and observation of the evolution of congenital malformations of the aorta in newborn infants, infants and young children].

UNLABELLED: 57 infants and small children (42 boys and 15 girls) with congenital aortic malformations were investigated. Clinical, ecg and X-ray follow-up was carried out. Following 4 groups of patients were separated: 1) neonates and infants with supraductal (preductal) aortic hypoplasia or atresia, with hypoplastic left ventricle of the heart (5 boys and 2 girls), 2) infants with supraductal coarctation of the aorta, without underdevelopment of the left heart cavities (2 boys and 2 girls), 3) infants and children with postductal coarctation of the aorta (17 boys and 3 girls) and 4) infants and children with valvular or/and subvalvular, or supravalvular aortic stenosis (18 boys and 8 girls). CONCLUSIONS: Congenital malformations of the aorta and of the left side of the heart should be suspected in all neonates and infants displaying early symptoms of cardiorespiratory failure, resembling frequently the symptoms of severe "pneumonia". Proper measurement and thorough analysis of arterial pulses and pressures in upper and lower extremities is of great importance in detection and differential diagnosis of congenital aortic malformations in infants, even when features of other cardiovascular lesions (e.g. ventricular septal defect, endocardial cushion defect, transposition of the great arteries) dominated in the clinical picture of complex malformations. Small amplitudes of peripheral arterial pulses, with considerably--prolonged upstroke time, small amplitude of arterial pressure measured in upper and lower extremities, co-existing with electrocardiographic patterns of the right ventricular hypertrophy--suggested an aortic malformation complicated by hypoplasia of the left ventricle. Distinctly lower systolic and mean arterial pressure in legs, than in arms was typical for coarctation of the aorta. Significant differences in diastolic pressure values in arms and legs with coexisting ecg patterns of dominating right ventricular hypertrophy should rise a suspicion of abnormal, separate communication of the ascending aorta, and the descending aorta, separately from the left and from the right ventricles of the heart. The electrocardiogram seems to be of great help in differentiation between aortic lesions with or without hypoplastic left ventricle, those with or without systemic right and left ventricle, and those with systemic left ventricle only. Early detection, diagnosis, prompt and proper medical and surgical treatment may be lifesaving for the majority of infants with congenital malformations of the aorta not complicated by left ventricular hypoplasia.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1975

[Congenital heart diseases in newborns and infants; early detection, differentiation and accuracy of clinical diagnoses (author's transl)].

In order to facilitate for the general physicians the making of a suitable selection of babies who are in the most urgent need of specialized treatment at cardiac centres, simple methods for diagnosing and qualifying congenital cardiovascular diseases were elaborated. The following "minor" criteria were taken for suspecting a CHD: 1) cardiorespiratory distress following birth, 2) sequentially repeated Apgar score below normal, 3) "pneumonia" symptoms with respiratory distress, dyspnoea and cyanosis, attacks of unconsciousness, 4) feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, inexplicable irritability, 5) presence of other congenital anomalies. The almost certain presence of serious heart disease should be recognized in children, showing the following "major" symptoms: 1) permanent cyanosis, pallor or greyish colour, 2) cardiorespiratory failure (resembling usually symptoms of pneumonia), 3) ECG patterns indicating ventricular hypertrophy signs, 4) other significantly abnormal ECG patterns (e.g. AV and intraventricular conduction disturbances), 5) cardiac enlargement and lung vascularity abnormalities in chest X-rays, 6) weak, or impalpable arterial, particularly femoral pulses, femoral arterial pressures significantly lower, than at upper extremities, bounding pulses and high-pressure amplitude in arms and legs, 7) abnormal heart sounds and pathologic heart and vascular murmurs. A diagnostic "key", based upon evaluation of the "major criteria" facilitates the diagnosis and differentiation of the most important CHD's at neonatal and infantile age. When using this "key" one should keep in mind the relative frequency of incidence of particular lesions. The initial diagnoses by the above "key" were verified in 354 patients by cardiovascular catherisation, angiocardiography, surgical exploration, and for by autopsy. The diagnoses were perfectly accurate in 83.6% cases, in further 11.3% cases being also accurate but were supplemented by some details, and had to be corrected in only 5.1% cases.

Age Factors↗