THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE UNDERGOING SURGERY IN THE HEART HOSPITAL

Abstract

Objective: To outline the epidemiological profile of patients with congenital heart disease undergoing surgery in the heart hospital. Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study, with quantitative analysis from medical records of patients less than 18 years of age with congenital heart disease, treated between August 1st 2005 to July 31st 2010. Results: Of the 300 patients with operated congenital heart disease during that period, 69.7% (209) were of acyanotic type; of these, the most frequent type was the ventricular septal defect accounting for 21% (63) of the cases. Among the cyanotic heart defects, tetralogy of Fallot was found in 14% (42) of the patients. The cyanotic and acyanotic defects evolved to death in 82.7% (24) and 17.3% (5) of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the profile of patients with congenital heart disease was composed by infants, preschoolers and schoolchildren, without gender dominance. There was a predominance of acyanotic congenital heart defects, and most deaths were related to cyanotic heart diseases. DESCRIPTORS: Heart Defects, Congenital; Epidemiologic Measurements, Thoracic Surgery; Infant Mortality; Down Syndrome.