Acyanotic heart defect

An acyanotic heart defect, also known as non-cyanotic heart defect, is a class of congenital heart defects. In these, blood is shunted (flows) from the left side of the heart to the right side of the heart due to a structural defect (hole) in the interventricular septum. People often retain normal levels of oxyhemoglobin saturation in systemic circulation.

This term is outdated, because a person with an acyanotic heart defect may show cyanosis (turn blue due to insufficient oxygen in the blood).

Signs and symptoms

• Shortness of breath
• Congested cough
• Diaphoresis
• Fatigue
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Machine-like heart murmur
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnea
• Respiratory distress
• Mild cyanosis (in right sided heart failure)
• Poor growth and development (from increased energy spent on breathing)

Types

Left to right shunting heart defects include:

• Ventricular septal defect (VSD) (30% of all congenital heart defects)
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
• Atrial septal defect (ASD)
• Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD)

Others:

• levo-Transposition of the great arteries (l-TGA)

Acyanotic heart defects without shunting include:

• Pulmonary stenosis (a narrowing of the pulmonary valve)
• Aortic stenosis
• Coarctation of the aorta

Management

• Medications: Digoxin/Lanoxin
• Diuretics: Furosemide/Lasix
• Surgery

Complications

This condition can cause congestive heart failure.

See also

• Cyanotic heart defect

References

^NCLEX-PN Review 2nd Ed. (2006). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 1-58255-915-5.