In patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD), the need for antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis is well known among dentists, but not many dentists are aware of the associated hemorrhagic tendencies in such patients. We report a case of post-extraction hemorrhage in a patient with Eisenmenger's syndrome and discuss the importance of more elaborate hematologic evaluatio...

Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is a major cause of infant death and morbidity worldwide. An early diagnosis and timely intervention can significantly reduce the likelihood of an adverse outcome. However, studies from the United States and other developed countries have shown that as many as 30%-50% of infants with CCHD are discharged after birth without being identified. This diagnost...

OBJECTIVE To examine the results of fetal cardiac scanning and audit the changes in performance resulting from the introduction of a training programme for obstetric ultrasonographers. METHODS Using the database of the Northern Regional Congenital Abnormality Survey (NORCAS), fetuses with complex or significant congenital heart disease (CCHD) diagnosed prenatally in 1994 were identified. A si...

OBJECTIVES The goal was to investigate the effect of orally administered synbiotics on outcome of infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD). METHODS A prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of synbiotics on outcome of infants with CCHD. The infants with CCHD were assigned randomly to 2 groups. Infants in the study group were given sy...

BACKGROUND Invasive and non-invasive tests have been used to identify the risk of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with chronic Chagas' heart disease (CCHD). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) using the delayed enhancement (DE) technique can be useful to select patients with global or segmentary ventricular dysfunction, with high degree of fibrosis and at higher risk for clinical...

BACKGROUND Studies on pulse oximetry screening for neonatal sepsis and respiratory disease in a middle-income country are lacking. Newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) using pulse oximetry is an effective and life-saving strategy in developed countries. While most studies have reported false-positive results during CCHD screening, they have not elaborated on the detect...

In August 2011, New Jersey implemented a statewide newborn screening protocol for critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) using pulse oximetry. In January 2012, CDC responded to a request from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) to assist with an assessment of the implementation. Out of the 52 birthing facilities in New Jersey, a sample of 11 was selected. Staff interviews were conduct...

BACKGROUND Early diagnosis of critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) may be missed both during prenatal echocardiography and the short stay in the neonatal nursery, leading to circulatory collapse or death of the newborn before readmission to hospital. AIM To assess the usefulness of pulse oximetry as a screening test in early diagnosis of CCHD in newborns. METHODS A prospective screening...

OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine trends in timing of diagnosis of critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) and factors associated with delayed diagnosis (diagnosis after discharge home following delivery). METHODS We examined a population-based retrospective cohort of CCHD cases among live births identified through the Massachusetts Birth Defects Monitoring Program. Congenital heart defects wer...

In September 2011, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) approved the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC) 2010 recommendation that all newborns be screened for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) using pulse oximetry, a noninvasive test of blood oxygenation, to prevent mortality and morbidity. CDC partne...