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Home | Conditions | Cardiac Screening
CARDIAC SCREENING
Cardiac screening is looking for cardiac conditions in children who do not have any symptoms or complaints suggesting a heart condition.
FAMILY HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE
These include valve disease (bicuspid aortic valve), abnormal heart rhythms (Long QT syndrome) or heart muscle disorders (hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy HOCM) and require screening of children. Children and young adults with these conditions could have sudden catastrophic cardiac events during strenuous sporting activities and this can be prevented to a large extent with screening.
Dr Khambadkone will take a clinical history, detailed examination and perform tests like ECG and echocardiogram during the consultation to provide a comprehensive screening. ​​
GENETIC DISORDERS
Heart problems can be present in many genetic defects. Some syndromes (presence of many symptoms occurring together consistently) such as Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome or DiGeorge syndrome have typical structural defects associated with them. Abnormalities of heart rhythm causing severe or life-threatening arrhythmia can have a genetic basis (Long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome) and can be diagnosed with an ECG.
A spectrum of heart muscle disorders causing thickening of heart muscle (HOCM) or thinning of muscle and enlargement of the heart (dilated cardiomyopathy) can be caused by gene defects that run in families.
Some genetic conditions cause weakness of heart tissues causing them to stretch (Marfan syndrome, Ehlers Danlos syndrome) and need regular monitoring even in absence of symptoms.
Dr Khambadkone performs ECG and echocardiogram during the outpatient appointment and may request further tests (exercise test, magnetic resonance imaging) to reach a diagnosis. He collaborates very closely with Clinical Geneticists to help understand the impact of a genetic defect.​​​
SYSTEMIC ILLNESS
The heart can be affected in illnesses affecting other organs of the body. Hypertension (high blood pressure) from kidney disease can increase heart muscle thickness or cause fluid accumulation around the heart; auto-immune disease (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic disease) affects heart valves or its covering; or infections cause inflammation of heart (myocarditis, pericarditis). Viral infection is a common cause of heart inflammation. This was particularly seen during the COVID 19 pandemic and caused severe heart dysfunction. In most systemic diseases, the inflammation related to heart structures is caused by the body ‘s reaction to infection or some other trigger, rather than the primary disease.
Dr Khambadkone will evaluate the heart with ECG, echocardiogram and blood tests and the results will help assess the extent of heart involvement.
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