Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

Many studies show that the incidence of congenital heart disease is around eight cases per thousand live births, therefore, considering the number of children born in Italy in recent years, it can be considered that currently in Italy about 4000 newborns are born each year with congenital heart disease. Some congenital heart disease are definitely more frequent than others, the most recurrent are the interventricular defect that represents 32% of congenital heart disease (CHD) and the atrial septal defect that represents 9%.
The atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect that allows the passage of blood flow between the left atrium and the right atrium through the interatrial septum, a tissue that divides the two atria. In this type of defect, a portion of blood, depending on the magnitude of the defect, passes from the left atrium to the right atrium, and goes to oxygenate (without result as already oxygenated) to the lungs, which receive an overload of blood.
In the vast majority of cases the DIA does not give symptoms during childhood. Only some children with wide DIA may have reduced resistance to exertion, but symptoms generally do not appear before adulthood. For this reason, parents are stunned when the defect is diagnosed in pediatric age. The child needs medical checks for some issues and the parents have to face a diagnosis of congenital heart disease that in most cases is treated surgically.
The purpose of this thesis is to make the topic of congenital heart disease recognisable, specifically the atrial septal defect and to deepen through the analysis of a real case report the theme of nursing care for the child affected by atrial septal defect (ASD) subjected to surgical procedure in order to correct the defect.