Contemporary thinking for congenital heart disease.

Understanding congenital heart disease (CHD) in terms of three physiologic categories provides the pediatric nurse with practical, effective interventions for sick children. Children with increased pulmonary blood flow require support for congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms including medications, increased caloric intake, and organization of care. Children with significantly decreased pulmonary blood flow need surgical intervention to create a path for pulmonary blood supply. Children with obstruction to systemic blood flow require support for both CHF symptoms and poor ventricular contractility. Shifting the focus of understanding from cyanotic and acyanotic defects to these three physiologic categories improves the pediatric nurse's capability to plan and care for children with CHD.