Congenital Heart Defects in Children
Congenital Heart Defects in Children ( 20 Questions)
What should be the nurse's immediate response?
Administer oxygen therapy immediately. Administering oxygen therapy would provide temporary relief to the patient's cyanosis, but it does not address the underlying issue in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). TOF is a congenital heart defect characterized by a combination of four heart abnormalities, one of which is a ventricular septal defect (VSD) that allows oxygen-poor blood to mix with oxygen-rich blood. Administering oxygen will increase the oxygen saturation in the blood but will not fix the structural problem. The immediate priority for a patient with TOF experiencing a hypercyanotic spell is to address the heart defect itself.
Prepare for emergency surgery. In Tetralogy of Fallot, hypercyanotic spells, also known as "tet spells," are a medical emergency. These spells occur due to a sudden decrease in systemic vascular resistance, causing more blood to flow into the right ventricle, leading to increased right-to-left shunting, further decreasing oxygenation. The most appropriate intervention is to prepare for emergency surgery to correct the underlying cardiac defects, such as closing the VSD and relieving right ventricular outflow obstruction. Surgery is the definitive treatment for TOF and should be performed promptly during a tet spell to prevent severe hypoxia and potential long-term complications.
Monitor vital signs closely. While monitoring vital signs is essential in the care of a patient with TOF, it is not the most immediate response in the scenario of a hypercyanotic spell. Monitoring alone will not address the critical need for intervention to improve oxygenation and prevent hypoxia.
Administer prescribed medication. Administering prescribed medication may be part of the overall management of a patient with TOF, but it is not the immediate response during a hypercyanotic spell. Medications can help manage symptoms and stabilize the patient, but the definitive treatment for TOF is surgical correction.
Prepare for emergency surgery.
Choice A rationale:
Administer oxygen therapy immediately.
Administering oxygen therapy would provide temporary relief to the patient's cyanosis, but it does not address the underlying issue in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).
TOF is a congenital heart defect characterized by a combination of four heart abnormalities, one of which is a ventricular septal defect (VSD) that allows oxygen-poor blood to mix with oxygen-rich blood.
Administering oxygen will increase the oxygen saturation in the blood but will not fix the structural problem.
The immediate priority for a patient with TOF experiencing a hypercyanotic spell is to address the heart defect itself.
Choice B rationale:
Prepare for emergency surgery.
In Tetralogy of Fallot, hypercyanotic spells, also known as "tet spells," are a medical emergency.
These spells occur due to a sudden decrease in systemic vascular resistance, causing more blood to flow into the right ventricle, leading to increased right-to-left shunting, further decreasing oxygenation.
The most appropriate intervention is to prepare for emergency surgery to correct the underlying cardiac defects, such as closing the VSD and relieving right ventricular outflow obstruction.
Surgery is the definitive treatment for TOF and should be performed promptly during a tet spell to prevent severe hypoxia and potential long-term complications.
Choice C rationale:
Monitor vital signs closely.
While monitoring vital signs is essential in the care of a patient with TOF, it is not the most immediate response in the scenario of a hypercyanotic spell.
Monitoring alone will not address the critical need for intervention to improve oxygenation and prevent hypoxia.
Choice D rationale:
Administer prescribed medication.
Administering prescribed medication may be part of the overall management of a patient with TOF, but it is not the immediate response during a hypercyanotic spell.
Medications can help manage symptoms and stabilize the patient, but the definitive treatment for TOF is surgical correction.