Tetraology of fallot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tetraology of fallot - Essay Example difficulty in breathing, physically tired and limp, very fussy, do not respond to external stimuli such as touch or sound, and seizure is sometimes evident. It is possible for tetralogy of fallot to occur during the end of the second month of pregnancy. Medical studies noted that the four specific defects in the development of the different parts of the heart include pulmonary valve stenosis, ventricular spetal defect (VSD), overriding aorta, and the right ventricular hypertrophy.2 Pulmonary valve stenosis refers to the narrowing of the pulmonary valve including the area below the valve. The narrowing of the pulmonary valve slows down the flow of the blood coming from the right side of the heart into the lungs. It is necessary for the heart to pump harder in order to push the blood through the smaller opening that connects to the lungs where the blood could pick up some oxygen. The overriding aorta is a heart defect wherein the position of the large artery (aorta) that absorbs the oxygen-rich blood to the body. The aorta in a normal heart is normally attached to the left lower chamber of the heart (ventricle); whereas in the case of tetralogy of fallot, the aorta is located between the left and the right ventricles over the VSD. This causes the mixing of the oxygen-rich and the oxygen-poor blood that causes cyanosis among the affected babies. The right ventricular hypertrophy refers to the thickening of the right lower chamber of the heart (ventricle). The thickening of the heart chamber makes the heart unable to function well. It needs more pumping effort to push the blood through the narrowed pulmonary valve including the area below it. Tetralogy of Fallot can be successfully treated and repaired through an open-heart corrective surgical treatment between the baby’s first sixth month up to one year of age3, 4 or treatment with the use of beta-blockers such as propranolol. It is possible to use simple knee-chest position for a temporary improvement of blood