Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology

Cardiac Defects

Cardiac defects are another important aspect of cardiac pathophysiology. Many of these birth defects have significant pathology that alters the structure of the heart. A ventricular septal defect (VSD), which is essentially an opening in the septum between the ventricles, is the most common type of cardiac defect. This defect causes a shunt from the left side of the heart (higher pressure) to the right side (lower pressure) from birth, increasing the volume load on the right side. This, in turn, increases the pressure load on the right side of the heart, resulting in right ventricle hypertrophy to adapt to the new demand. Eisenmenger's Syndrome is an intriguing example of cardiac physiology in relation to cardiac defects.