At Güven Hospital Department of Pediatric Cardiology, the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired heart diseases are provided for patients ranging from the fetal period to 18 years of age. Care begins with the evaluation of the baby’s heart during pregnancy and continues through childhood and adolescence.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is observed in approximately 8–10 out of every 1,000 live births. These conditions may result from genetic or environmental factors, or may occur without an identifiable cause. Today, many congenital heart diseases can be diagnosed prenatally through fetal echocardiography. Some congenital heart conditions may present with symptoms such as shortness of breath, fainting, cyanosis, chest pain, poor weight gain, and recurrent respiratory infections. Most patients are referred to the pediatric cardiology department by pediatricians due to the detection of heart murmurs or abnormalities in heart sounds.
In our country, rheumatic heart diseases are encountered relatively frequently due to the high prevalence of streptococcal (beta) infections. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of these conditions are crucial in order to prevent recurrences. In addition, children who participate in regular and intensive sports activities should be evaluated for congenital heart diseases, cardiomyopathies, and cardiac rhythm disorders, and are recommended to undergo a cardiology assessment at least once a year.
Early diagnosis and timely treatment of heart diseases are of great importance. Therefore, following a detailed family history and physical examination, comprehensive diagnostic evaluations may be performed when necessary. These include electrocardiography (ECG), exercise stress testing, chest X-ray, color Doppler echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, 24-hour Holter monitoring, cardiac catheterization, and angiocardiography.
Conditions Diagnosed, Treated, and Followed Up in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology
In our Department of Pediatric Cardiology, the following conditions are diagnosed, treated, and closely monitored:
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Evaluation of heart murmurs
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Chest pain
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Syncope
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Congenital heart diseases
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Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases
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Heart failure
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Cardiomyopathies
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Cardiac arrhythmias
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Cardiovascular evaluation of pediatric athletes and issuance of sports participation clearance reports
Diagnostic Procedures Performed in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology
The following diagnostic tests and assessments are performed in our Department of Pediatric Cardiology:
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Electrocardiography (ECG) evaluation
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Exercise stress testing (Exercise ECG)
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24-hour Holter rhythm monitoring
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Color Doppler echocardiography
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Fetal echocardiography (evaluation of the fetal heart during pregnancy)
