Question

The parents of an infant with tetralogy of fallot ask a nurse about the problems involved with this disorder. when answering, what must the nurse consider?

Answer 1

The nurse must consider explaining to the parents that their infant is born with this condition. It affects the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body, which resulted to four congenital heart defects. First, the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, which carries blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygen. Second, narrowing of the pulmonary artery that carries blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygen. Third, ventricular septal defect, this is an opening in the wall between the right and left ventricles of the heart and fourth is an overriding aorta. Here, the artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body is shifted toward the right side of the heart rather than on the left side.

Moreover, the nurse must also discuss that the most common symptoms that can be notice is a blue color of the skin, lips, and nail beds. This occurs when a baby's blood oxygen level drops rapidly. Therefore, the infant need to undergo surgery to fix the condition, most children will live healthy after successful surgery.