Poorna Chandra Rao L. 1 , Shashikala Velampalli2 , Srinivas Kalyani3
BACKGROUND CHD is characterized by structural and functional heart defects which affect the quality of life of the person and can lead to premature death if not controlled through appropriate interventions. Early detection, diagnosis, and timely intervention result in substantial morbidity and mortality declines. We wanted to evaluate the echocardiographic profile of the children with CHD admitted with bronchopneumonia aged 1 month to 5 years and assess the pattern, age and gender specific distribution of CHD. METHODS This is a descriptive study performed over a period of two years. It included 200 children of either sex, between 1 month and 5 yrs. of age. Known cases of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) (including Cyanotic and Acyanotic) who were diagnosed with bronchopneumonia and surgically corrected CHD diagnosed as Bronchopneumonia, were included in the study. RESULTS A total of 200 children with CHD were admitted with bronchopneumonia of whom 121 were males and 79 children were females. The mean age of presentation was 9.54 months. 85 % of the children presented below one year of age, with 50.58 % of children presenting below 6 months of age. 179 children were diagnosed to have ACHD, while 21 children had CCHD. The average duration of stay in the hospital was 7.81 days, the children with CCHD stayed longer than those with ACHD. Children less than 6 months of age stayed longer in the hospital compared to those from other age groups. Mortality was 7.82 % in ACHD category, while it was 19.05 % in CCHD category; 10.95 % of the children in ACHD presented with chamber dilatation in the age group of < 6 months. 11.27 % of children with ACHD presented with CCF, most of whom were less than 6 months old. 43 % of children with CCHD presented with CCF mostly in the age group of 6 months to one year. Most of the children less than 6 months of age presented with pulmonary hypertension both in the ACHD and CCHD groups. CONCLUSIONS Early diagnosis of CHD in the neonatal period can help reduce the morbidity associated with bronchopneumonia in infancy and help reduce the incidence of failure to thrive and recurrence of respiratory tract infections.
