Original Articles
An appraisal of infants with murmurs referred to a cardiac clinic
Authors:
Rajeev Sathanantharajah ,
Neonatal Paediatrician, Neonatal Unit, Teaching Hospital (Mahamodara) Galle, LK
S Sivakumar,
Neonatal Paediatrician, Neonatal Unit, City Hospital, Birmingham, GB
V Gali
Paediatric Trainee (ST5), Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Birmingham,, GB
Abstract
Objective: Appraisal of infants with murmurs referred to a cardiac clinic.
Method: Retrospective analysis of all infants with newly heard murmurs referred from April 2007 to October 2009 to cardiac clinics run by a paediatrician with special expertise in cardiology in the City Hospital and Sandwell General Hospital in the West Midland, UK..
Results: During the study period, 246 infants were referred for murmurs. Of the referrals 55% were following postnatal checks and 45% from paediatric clinics and general practitioners. All infants had clinical examinations, saturation checks and electrocardiograms. Echocardiograms were done when needed. In 88 (36%) infants no murmurs were heard during assessment and no follow-up was needed. In 158 (64%) infants murmurs were heard during assessment. Fifty four (34%) infants with innocent murmurs and normal echocardiograms were discharged from the clinic. All 13 (8%) infants with patent foramen ovale (PFO) showed closure of PFO on subsequent follow up. Cardiac defects (excluding PFO) were found on echocardiogram in 91 (58%) infants. Of the 91 infants 24 (26%) with significant cardiac defects were referred to the nearest tertiary cardiac centre for further management.
Conclusions: The prevalence of murmurs detected at routine neonatal examination was 0.7%. Fifty eight percent of infants with murmurs had cardiac defects 26% of which were significant.
(Key words: Cardiac murmurs; infants; appraisal)
Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2011; 40(3): 125-127
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljch.v40i3.3510 (This DOI was corrected on 4/11/2011 so please use this version to refer to this article)
How to Cite:
Sathanantharajah, R., Sivakumar, S. and Gali, V., 2011. An appraisal of infants with murmurs referred to a cardiac clinic. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 40(3), pp.125–127. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljch.v40i3.3510
Published on
08 Sep 2011.
Peer Reviewed
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