Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology Study Guide

©2018 of 131 places, causing lowoxygen circulation in the body. Immediate surgery is needed for long term survival in this case. Pulmonary atresia is the defect in which there is a blockage between the pulmonary artery and right ventricle of the heart. The consequences can be enlargement of the heart, impaired function of the blood vessels in the lungs, and issues with the right ventricle of the heart. Total anomalous pulmonary venous return is the structural defect in which instead of oxygen rich blood, oxygen poor blood is carried to the organs of the body. In this case, the pulmonary veins are mistakenly connected to the veins that lead to drainage in the right side of the heart, instead of the left side of the heart. Immediate surgery is needed to correct this disorder. Truncus arteriosus is a major congenital heart defect in which a baby is born with one large blood vessel instead of two. Babies suffering from this disorder may die of a heart attack soon after birth, if not treated immediately. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the defect in which the aorta and left side of the heart are not fully developed. This defect tends to cause death since too little blood is pumped in the body. Finally, tricupsid valve abnormalities are the congenital defects in which the valve between the upper and lower right chambers is not formed correctly. 3.7 Pericardial Disease The heart is surrounded by a thin tissue sac known as pericardium. It consists of two layers, visceral pericardium and parietal pericardium. The former is the inner layer surrounding the heart while the latter is the outer layer that is made of fibrous tissues. There is some fluid in between so that there is no friction between the two layers of the pericardium. Disorders of pericardium are explained below. Effusion Generally, the heart is surrounded with a double layered sac known as pericardium. There is a small quantity of fluid in between these two layers. Pericardial effusion occurs when too much fluid accumulates around the heart. This fluid can be the accumulation of blood after an injury or surgery. It has the potential to cause heart failure and even death. It is caused by infections from virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasites; inflammation of the pericardium; autoimmune disorders; waste products in the blood because of kidney failure; hypothyroidism; spread of cancer; cancer of pericardium; radiation therapy; chemotherapy; trauma; and certain medications. Symptoms of this disorder include difficulty breathing resulting in dyspnea; difficulty breathing while lying down, known as orthopnea; elevated chest pain at the time of breathing and lying down; coughing; low grade fever; and tachycardia. Pericarditis Pericarditis is the disorder of the heart in which the pericardium gets inflamed and irritated. When these irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other, it causes sharp chest pain. The cause of pericarditis is not easy to recognize or doctors associate it with some viral infections. It can also Achieve Page 59