Cardiac Emergencies in Kids

Abstract

Encountering a child with congenital heart disease after surgical palliation in the emergency department, specifically the single-ventricle or ventricular assist device, without a basic familiarity of these surgeries can be extremely anxiety provoking. Knowing what common conditions or complications may cause these children to visit the emergency department and how to stabilize will improve the chance for survival and is the premise for this article, regardless of practice setting.

Keywords: Cardiac; Cardiogenic shock; Congenital cardiac disease; Pediatrics; Resuscitation; Single Ventricle; Staged palliation; Ventricular assist device.