common arterial trunk
Common trunk arterial is a rare congenital heart defect Having a common arterial trunk means that there is one large blood vessel coming out of the heart Normally, two blood vessels come out of the heart
A common arterial trunk mixes oxygen-poor blood that goes to the lungs with oxygen-rich blood that goes to the rest of the body. This creates serious blood circulation problems
Untreated, a common arterial trunk can cause life-threatening problems Treatment is operative It is usually successful, especially if done before 2 months of age
The common arterial trunk develops during the fetal period Therefore, it is an inherent vice In most cases, the cause is unknown To better understand common trunk defects, let's learn about the structure and function of the heart
Heart The heart consists of four cells Between the cells there are valves that ensure the flow of blood in one direction
The cells of the heart are:
- The right atrium, which receives oxygen-rich blood from the body and sends it to the right ventricle
- The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where it is oxygenated.
- Left atrium, which receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and sends it to the left ventricle
- The left ventricle, which pumps blood through the aorta to the rest of the body
Normal heart development Fetal heart development is a complex process. At some point, all fetuses share a common arterial trunk Normally, this stem is divided into two parts One part becomes the aorta, which attaches to the left ventricle, and the other part becomes the pulmonary artery, which attaches to the right ventricle. During this process, the ventricles are divided into two parts, and a septum is formed between them
Common arterial trunk in newborns In children with a common arterial trunk, the common arterial trunk did not divide into two parts, and the septum did not form between the ventricles, leaving a large hole between them (ventricular septal defect).
Signs and symptoms of common arterial trunk appear in the first weeks of life These are:
- Bluish skin color (cyanosis)
- Poor nutrition
- Drowsiness
- Growth retardation
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
Call 911 if your child has any of the following signs and symptoms:
- rapid, shallow breathing
- worsening cyanosis
- loss of consciousness
