Abstract

Introduction: Preventive medicine is the ideal way in dealing with frequent and fatal diseases. Congenital heart disease (CHD) are responsible for the largest proportion of mortality caused by birth defects, in the first year of life. Actual numbers and mortality from CHD is increasing. In the developed world the treatment of CHD has escalating costs for health care systems and private covered patients, while in low-income countries the resources are minimal. Prevention/early detection, is urgently needed to tackle the increasing needs. Aim: To justify why pulse oximetry (pox) is the best available, early detecting postnatal screening test currently. Conclusion: Although CHD’s are both frequent and carry a high morbidity and mortality, we still lack a single, easy to apply, non-invasive and low-cost screening test, worldwide. The most advantageous method for minimizing CHD deaths worldwide seems to be currently, the combination of clinical assessment with pox.

Keywords: Prevention/Early detection of congenital heart diseases; Critical congenital heart disease; Pulse oximetry screening test for critical congenital heart disease

Abbreviations: CHD: Congenital Heart Disease; pox: Pulse Oximetry; echo-2D: Echocardiography; NT: Nuchal Translucency; c-CHD: Critical-CHD; DA: Ductus Arteriosus; SpO2: Saturation of Oxygen