Pulse oximetry used in newborn screening for congenital heart diseases

M. Caşcaval

Rezumat: Congenital heart diseases are the most frequent congenital malformations in newborns, and the critical ones, which are defined as requiring surgery or catheter-based intervention in the first year of life, count for 25%. Pulse oximetry screening test is a non-invasive test that can detect these malformations, some of them asymptomatic initially, lowering infatile mortality and morbidity. The screening procedure is quite simple: the preductal (right hand) and postductal (either foot) oxigen saturations are measured, then using the American’s Academy of Pediatrics algorithm as we describe below, the infant can test positive or negative. Targeted malformations are: ductal dependent lesions (transpositions of the great arteries, severe aortic stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, interrupted aortic arch, hipoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary valve atresia with intact ventriculum septum, severe pulmonary stenosis, severe tetralogy of Fallot), total anomolous pulmonary venous connection, truncus arteriosus, tricuspid atreisa, Ebstein’s anomaly, single ventricle, double outlet right ventricle. We encourage and support pulse oximetry screening test in all infants before discharge from maternity, because it is not an expensive procedure, it can be easily done, reducing the surgical complications due to a late diagnosis of these critical malformations.
Cuvinte cheie: congenital malformations, screening, pulsoximetry.