Received July 11, 2007,
from the ChildrenŐs Heart Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA
© 2007 by the American
Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
J Ultrasound Med 2007;
26:1715–1719
0278-4297/07/$3.50
Revised manuscript
accepted for publication August 21, 2007
Prenatal Detection of Congenital Heart Disease in Southern
Nevada - The Need for Universal Fetal Cardiac Evaluation
Author
Ruben J Acherman, MD, William N Evans, MD, Carlos F Luna, MD,
Robert Rollins, MD, Katrinka T Kip, MD, Juan C Collazos, MD, Humberto Restrepo,
MD, MPH, Joseph Adasheck, MD, Brian K Iriye, MD, Donald Roberts, MD, Alan J
Sacks, MD
Source
ChildrenŐs Heart Center Nevada, 3006 S Maryland Pkwy, Suite 690,
Las Vegas, NV 89109 USA.
E-mail: iacherman@aol.com.
Abstract
Objective. Congenital cardiac malformations are common developmental
anomalies. In the United States, congenital heart disease is the number one
cause of infant mortality from congenital malformations. Prenatal
diagnosis of congenital heart defects aids treatment coordination. Our
aim was to evaluate prenatal detection of serious congenital heart
malformations in Clark County, Nevada.
Methods. We electronically searched our research
department–maintained computer database for patients with serious
congenital heart disease born in Clark County between May 2003 and April 2006.
We excluded patients that did not have at least 1 local prenatal ultrasound
examination. All prenatal ultrasound studies were performed in obstetric offices,
radiology imaging centers, or maternal-fetal medicine specialty practices.
Fetal echocardiography was performed in maternal-fetal medicine specialistsŐ
offices under the supervision of a fetal cardiologist. Pediatric cardiologists
performed all postnatal echocardiographic examinations.
Results. During the study period, we diagnosed serious congenital heart
malformations in 161 patients among a total estimated 77,000 births (2/1000).
Of the 161 patients, 58 (36%) had a prenatal diagnosis, and 103 (64%) had an
exclusively postnatal diagnosis.
Conclusions. Standard prenatal ultrasound fails to show congenital heart
disease in most fetuses.