Peer Reviewed
Feature Article Cardiovascular medicine

Care of adults with congenital heart disease

Preeti Choudhary, Rajesh Puranik, David S Celermajer, David Tanous
Abstract
With improved survival and longevity, GPs will have increasing exposure in the day-to-day medical care of adults with congenital heart disease. Many of these patients will face complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure and re-operation or intervention.
Key Points
  • There are now more adults than children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
  • Adults with CHD frequently have residual defects after childhood surgery.
  • Common problems faced by adults with CHD include arrhythmias, heart failure, re-operation or catheter interventions, family planning and loss to cardiac follow up.
  • Uncommonly, a new diagnosis of CHD is made in adulthood.
  • Most GPs are likely to care for adults with CHD and play a crucial role in the detection of new complications, day-to-day medical care, including immunisations, and prevention of loss of the patient to regular cardiac follow up.
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