Tricuspid atresia: Nursing

00:00 / 00:00

Transcript

Watch video only

Tricuspid atresia, also known as pulmonary atresia, is a term used to describe an under-developed or absent tricuspid valve.

Tricuspid atresia is a congenital condition who’s cause isn’t well understood, and is not as common as the other heart defects that obstruct or decrease pulmonary blood flow.

The tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and right ventricle, allowing blood from the atrium to flow down into the ventricle. Without it, blood can’t flow normally on this side.

And, if there’s no alternate route to direct the blood flow, there would be virtually no blood in the right ventricle available to be pumped to the lungs for oxygenation.

This can also result in an underdeveloped, or hypoplastic, right ventricle. In order to maintain vital blood flow, an alternate route must be present.

Luckily, additional defects that present with this disorder; an ASD, patent foramen ovale, or PFO, and a VSD; provide a substitute route for the blood that would otherwise be trapped on the right side.

So, blood from the right atrium flows through the ASD or PFO to the left atrium, eventually making its way down to the left ventricle then out through the aorta; and blood from the left ventricle flows through the VSD into the right ventricle, eventually making its way through the pulmonary artery then to the lungs.

However, it’s important to note that all of this leads to mixing of poorly oxygenated and highly oxygenated blood.

Cyanosis, tachycardia, heart murmur and dyspnea are the most common early manifestations of tricuspid atresia, often noted at birth; while older children can exhibit signs of chronic hypoxemia, like clubbing of fingers and toes, as a result of long-term desaturated blood circulating in the body.

Summary

Tricuspid atresia is a congenital heart defect in which the tricuspid valve, located between the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart, is either missing or abnormally developed. This can impair the blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle. Luckily, additional defects that present with this disorder, such as an atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale, provide a substitute route for the blood that would otherwise be trapped on the right side. However, all of this leads to the mixing of poorly oxygenated and highly oxygenated blood.

Symptoms include cyanosis, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, poor feeding, and decreased energy. The condition is typically diagnosed through echocardiography, a non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart. Treatment for tricuspid atresia typically involves drugs like IV prostaglandin for newborns to keep the ductus arteriosus open until surgery can be performed.