Česky
What diagnoses do patients most often come in with?
Paediatric patients usually come to a paediatric cardiologist's office if their GP suspects a congenital heart defect or heart rhythm disorder. Given the potential severity of these diagnoses, it is the paediatric cardiologist's job to confirm or refute this suspicion and, if the diagnosis is confirmed, to determine the course of treatment. In the case of life-threatening findings, patients are referred to the Children's Cardiac Centre in Motol, which specialises in the treatment of the most serious heart diseases in paediatric patients.
Another segment of the pediatric cardiologist's work is preventive examinations in active athletes. In a small percentage of the pediatric population, professional sports can lead to the manifestation of serious heart disease and sudden cardiac death. The role of the paediatric cardiologist is to seek out these potentially at-risk athletes and recommend regimen measures to minimize the risk of sudden death during sports performance.
Recently, the number of patients with high blood pressure has been increasing. However, only a minority of patients have a simple surgically resolvable cause. The main culprit in the increasing trend of hypertension is the epidemic of childhood obesity, which, as in adult patients, is closely associated with the rise in blood pressure.
How common are heart diseases in children, can they be prevented?
Congenital heart defects are the second most common group of birth defects (after congenital anomalies of the urinary system). They affect about 2% of the pediatric population, of which about a quarter are acutely life-threatening, i.e., about 5 children in a thousand need surgery or catheterization by 1 year of age. Most congenital heart defects are caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental influences, but these have not yet been accurately described. For this reason, effective prevention is not possible. It is therefore important to detect the defect as early as possible. Most serious abnormalities in the anatomy of the heart can be diagnosed before birth by ultrasound. In contrast, with high blood pressure, the influence of lifestyle is usually quite crucial. Enough active exercise and healthy eating lead to a reduction in obesity and a drop in blood pressure. If a patient successfully improves his or her exercise and eating habits, he or she can usually avoid a lifetime of pharmacological therapy.
Learn more about the pediatric cardiology clinic at our outpatient clinic or schedule an appointment by calling 233 555 000 or using our online form.
