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Article: Contemporary Thinking for Congenital Heart Disease.
- Article from:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Article date:
- May 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Jannetti Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Caring for infants and children with congenital heart disease (CHD) can be a challenge for the pediatric nurse. That challenge includes understanding the physiologic impact of a wide spectrum of heart defects. The traditional approach to CHD defines it in terms of cyanotic versus acyanotic defects. Yet, many heart defects can shift between cyanotic and acyanotic with changes in hemodynamic status. These shifts may confuse and mystify the nurse's understanding of CHD and the provision of quality care. This article presents a way of understanding CHD using three physiologic categories: (a) increased pulmonary blood flow, (b) decreased pulmonary blood flow, and (c) ...