Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc 2017; 30(2): 39-45

Echocardiography: The Examination Request by the Pediatriciant Achieving the Pediatric Cardiologist

DOI: 10.5935/2318-8219.20170011

Summary

Background

Echocardiography is a diagnostic tool used to evaluate cardiac anomalies and clarify doubts about the benign nature of certain findings of cardiovascular clinical examination.

Objectives

To identify the main reasons for the request of echocardiography by pediatrician and evaluate the degree of anxiety of the family generated by this conduct.

Methods

We included patients younger than 18 years without previous diagnosis of heart disease and referred for the first echocardiogram. Family members responsible for the patients answered a questionnaire to assess the degree of their anxiety from order to the performance of the echocardiogram, with scores between 0 and 19. Data were analyzed using percentages, standard deviation and Student’s t test.

Results

Studied 30 patients with a mean age of 4.45 years. The most prevalent reason for referral was heart murmur (23 cases), of which 70% patients had no congenital heart disease hypothesis confirmed, after echocardiography. The average score on the anxiety questionnaire was 11 ± 6 significantly associated with the presence of heart disease, with a mean of 13.0 ± 5.3 vs. 9.3 ± 5.2 in the group without the possibility of it (p = 0.007).

Conclusion

The murmurs findings was the main reason for echocardiography request by the pediatrician. Confirmation of heart disease was higher in children under 1 year and with murmurs findings. Despite the anxiety level was higher in the group of patients who were diagnosed with congenital heart disease, this was not negligible in the family in the group of patients without heart disease. (Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc. 2017;30(2):39-45)