Question

Marcus is born with transposition of the great arteries, in which the aorta arises from the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery arises from the left. Assuming no other anatomical abnormalities, trace the flow of blood through his body. What affect will this have on his cardiovascular system? Is correction necessary or could he live a normal life?

Answer 1

Answer ----

The cardiovascular system contains the major organs heart which is concerned for the pumping of the blood in which oxygenated blood is supplied to the body and deoxygenated blood is given to the lungs for the purification.

Transposition of the greater arteries or the TGA is the condition in which the two major arteries of the heart which plays a major role in circulation are reversed or transposed.

In TGA the aorta gets connected to the right ventricle and pulmonary trunk to the left ventricle which in normal conditions the aorta is attached to the left ventricle and pulmonary trunk is attached to the right ventricle.

So by the result of this transposition the deoxygenated blood goes in the whole body and the pure blood goes in the lungs due to disorder.

In this conditions babies are to be treated surgically for the survival they can't survive without surgery.

There are also chances of the some associated abnormalities in this type of cases like ventricular septal defect etc but as we are assuming no other anatomical defect lets continue this.

Doctors always first check other abnormality if present or not and then all recording of the vitals are done by the help of the pulse oximeter , electro cardiogram etc.

Symptoms are seen in which that baby will appear blue ( cynosis) from the birth.

Fast breathing and poor feeding and problem in breathing is also seen.

Because the whole physiology is disturbed and yes the treatment that is surgery is must after which child can have normal life.

This is diagnosed by several things like by pulse oximeter , chest xrays , electro cardiogram and ecocardiogram

Management

child is kept on the ventilator to provide sufficient oxygen and also some drugs are given through iv to make the functions of heart and lungs proper and prostaglandins are also given so that dictus arteriosus can remain open.

And in this surgery named ARTERIAL SWITCH is done in which both arteries are again attached to there right places and coronary arteries are also shifted.

After surgery proper care is taken and baby can have a normal life after the surgery but surgery is must for survival.

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