Recap – Arrhythmias and Cardiac Devices
Complications from surgery, scar tissue left behind, and an underlying disease can bring about arrhythmias in CHD patients and lead to need for a cardiac device. Gathered here are the contributions and resources from CCHD’s Arrhythmia Blog Series.
Jarvik: For Smaller Hearts
CCHD’s next series introduces the various Cardiac Devices involved in the treatment of Congenital Heart Disease and the associated conditions. In the first post, Dr. Adachi tells us about the Jarvik for small hearts, a ventricular assist device used to help pump blood through the body.
Terri’s Story
Often times, CHD patients face issues with the rhythm of their hearts. In some patients, this can mean additional treatment is necessary, with either medication or a cardiac device. In this week’s post, Terri Elliott, an adult CHD patient, shares her experience with an arrhythmia that led to her receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. or ICD.
The Elephant in the Room
With each CHD, there is no certain path, no one course looks like the next, and complications vary widely. Though a patient may have a specific structural diagnosis, different arrhythmias may develop over time, however patients and families are not always made aware of this possibility immediately. That’s why the diagnosis of an arrhythmia may surprise parents and send them for a loop, just when they think they’ve seen it all. This also makes it difficult for parents to know just how much to share with teacher and other adults in their children’s lives, just as Alison Connors shares with us this week.
Bradycardia Explained (Part One)
This week former Cardiac Nurse, Carol Raimondi, provides us with the first of a two-part resource on arrhythmia and the various diagnosis and treatment. Up first: Bradycardia.