About this topic
An atrial septal defect is an ASD. It is a hole in the heart. The hole is between the two upper chambers of the heart. It is a congenital heart defect which means that your child is born with it. This hole gets in the way of the normal flow of blood through the heart. It lets blood back up in the lungs. It can cause serious problems like trouble breathing, poor growth, lung problems, and tiredness during activity. ‚
An ASD can be fixed in one of two ways. It may be fixed with open heart surgery or, sometimes, with a special heart catheter. Your childs doctor will talk to you about which procedure is the best one for your child. Open heart surgery is any procedure that opens the chest and repairs the heart. Open heart surgery is most often done for patients: ‚
- With large holes
- With other heart defects
- With an enlarged heart
- Who cannot undergo a heart cath. This is where a tube is put into a vein to fix the hole.
- With too much blood in the right side of the heart. This is right ventricular overload.
- With too much blood going to the body then into the lungs
View OriginalView Original
View OriginalView Original
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask the doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what to do to care for your child.
- Help your child rest when your child is feeling tired.
- Give your child the drugs as ordered by the doctor.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your childs cut site. Ask the doctor about:
- When you should change the bandages
- How to care for the cut sites
- When your child may take a bath or shower
- Wash your hands before and after touching your child's wound or dressing.
- Be careful not to pick up your child under the arms. Lift your child by scooping under the bottom and behind the back. This will help prevent the chest cut site from opening up.
What follow-up care is needed?
- The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If your child has stitches or staples, they will need to be taken out. The doctor will want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- Your child's condition needs close monitoring. Your child may need to have more tests. Some children get an Echo at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Then, they get Echo's each year.
- Your child may also have to see a doctor who specializes in the heart. This is a cardiologist. Your child may also need to see a rehab specialist to help your child get back strength.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
- Prevent blood clots
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your childs activity. Talk to the doctor about the right amount of activity for your child. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Fluid around the heart. This is a pericardial effusion.
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Lung problems
- Air blocks the blood vessel. This is an air embolism.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Go to the ER right away if any cut or wound wont stop bleeding even when pressure is applied. This bleeding can happen while your child is taking blood thinners.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge at the cut site; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- If your child has trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat, faints or passes out, or seems confused
- Health problem is not better or your child is feeling worse
Helpful tips
- Talk to your childs dentist about the ASD repair. Your child may need to take drugs to prevent infection before going to the dentist. This is often only needed during the first 6 months after surgery.
- Keep your child away from other people who are sick. This will help prevent problems in your child's health.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my child's cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has trouble breathing or a fast heartbeat.
Where can I learn more?
American Heart Association ‚
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/CareTreatmentforCongenitalHeartDefects/Congenital-Heart-Defects-Surgery_UCM_307729_Article.jsp ‚
Congenital Heart Information Network ‚
http://tchin.org/resource_room/c_art_14.htm ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/asd.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚