Meet Kirsten…
Katie’s labour is induced at 39 weeks and Kirsten is born in a hospital with specialist paediatric cardiac services. Kirsten is cyanotic at birth and is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. A continuous infusion of Prostin (see Additional Information) is instigated. When she is 2 days old, she undergoes palliative surgery and an aortopulmonary shunt is created.
Kirsten makes an uneventful recovery from surgery and is discharged home after ten days.
Pulse point
This palliative surgery increases Kirsten’s pulmonary blood flow, stabilises her condition and allows her to remain at home until she is old enough to undergo corrective surgery at around 6 months of age.
Ramswany, D. 2014. Systemic to pulmonary artery shunts for palliation. Available at The heart.org: Medscape
