Symptomatic atrial septal defect in the neonate and infant
Wyler, F.; Rutishauser, M.
Helvetica Paediatrica Acta 30(4-5): 399-408
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0018-022X PMID: 1245438 Document Number: 106562
Atrial septal defect, secundum type, is rarely diagnosed and seldom produces symptoms in infancy. 7 patients, aged between 2 weeks and 8 months, who developed congestive failure, are presented. 6 of them had an atrial LR-shunt documented at cardiac catheterization. 1 diagnosis was made at post mortem in the only infant who died. The clinical signs of an ASD do not vary from those normally found in the older child; the causes for early failure are probably rapidly decreasing pulmonary vascular reistance and disturbances of left ventricular compliance. 6 infants improved with conservative or no treatment, although spontaneous closure or significant diminution of the shunt did not occur. Surgical closure can be deferred to a later optimal age for operation. ASD secundum type should be considered as a cause of heart failure in the neonate and infant.