Tetralogy Of Fallot: Occasional Heart Defect

Name Instructor’s Name Course Date Tetralogy of Fallot Tetralogy of Fallot is an occasional heart defect that manifests itself in children at birth. It is known as a congenital heart defect and affects both girls and boys in equal measure. The defect is rare and complex, it can be found in 1 out of 3500 children, and accounts for between 7-10% of all the congenital heart defects (Alboliras 179). Tetralogy of Fallot influences the normal functioning of the heart; it changes the way blood flows in the heart. The defect causes an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body, it does not allow an adequate amount of blood to reach the lungs, resulting in poor oxygen blood flowing in the body. The defect is associated with four congenital heart diseases which include a large ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. Tetralogy of Fallot is caused by genes and family history and in some cases down syndrome (NCH Health Care System). The signs and symptoms of the defect depend on the extent of blood flow hindrance from the right ventricle into the lungs. Some of the observed symptoms include cyanosis; this is a condition caused by the flow of poor-oxygen blood in the body; under this condition, the skin of a child turns bluish; this is mostly observed in the lips and tips of fingers of the children (Kaplana Medical 72). The second symptom is rapid breathing and shortness of breath during eating and exercise. The third symptom is the loss of consciousness; children with tetralogy of Fallot are always at high risk of fainting. Other symptoms include irritability, getting tired easily during playing, crying a lot in their early stages of life, abnormal weight gain, clubbing of fingers and toes and also heart murmur. The tests for the defects include chest electrocardiogram, X-ray, cardiac catheterization and echocardiogram (Lifespan). The chest X-ray tests help detect the changes in lungs and heart structures caused by the defect. The echocardiogram test uses sound waves to show the structure of the heart, from the sound...