LOCAL OB NURSES ATTEND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE PROGRAM

MAY 2, 2013

WATSEKA, ILLINOIS - Tracy Harris of Watseka and Susan Brassard of Milford, both registered nurses in the OB Department at Iroquois Memorial Hospital recently attended a workshop at OSF St. Francis in Peoria. The educational program focused on Congenital Heart Disease in newborns.

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect. Infants with CHD have a defect in their heart structure which creates abnormal blood flow patterns. Approximately eight of every 1,000 infants born have a form of CHD. Some forms of CHD cause no or very few problems in the health, growth, and development of the infant. However, critical CHD can bring a significant risk of morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed soon after birth. Failing to detect CHD while in the newborn nursery may lead to critical events such as cardiogenic shock or death. Survivors who present late are at greater risk for neurologic damage and subsequent developmental delay.

Pulse oximetry is a simple, painless, non-invasive test performed in the nursery after the infant is 24 hours of age and measures the percent oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the arterial blood and the pulse rate. Pulse oximetry can help to identify infants with critical CHD that may have low levels of oxygen in their blood. Pulse ox screening may help diagnose critical CHD before an infant becomes sick.

Screening for congenital heart disease began in January of 2013 at Iroquois Memorial Hospital. Harris and Brassard also learned more about fetal arrhythmias, the significance and incidence of CHD in newborns, current treatment options and techniques, and management of the pregnant woman who has congenital heart disease herself.

Harris has been employed at IMH since 1997 and Brassard since 1984.