Can Tetralogy of Fallot receive oxygen therapy?

Written by Chen Guang Yin
Cardiology
Updated on January 09, 2025
00:00
00:00

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that includes abnormalities such as ventricular septal defects, pulmonary valve stenosis, and stenosis of the right ventricular outflow tract. Due to these congenital defects, the ejection of blood from the heart is affected, which in turn impacts the blood supply to various systems and organs throughout the body. The patient may exhibit symptoms of cyanosis and hypoxia, especially after physical activity, hence the use of supplemental oxygen is advisable. While oxygen therapy can temporarily alleviate these hypoxic symptoms, it does not address the underlying issue. Surgery is necessary for a definitive resolution.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
37sec home-news-image

Tetralogy of Fallot in children who prefer squatting is because

Tetralogy of Fallot exhibits squatting symptoms because squatting involves flexing the lower limbs, which reduces the amount of venous return to the heart, thereby decreasing the cardiac workload. At the same time, the arteries of the lower limbs are compressed, increasing systemic vascular resistance, reducing right-to-left shunting, and temporarily alleviating hypoxia symptoms. Infants who cannot walk often prefer to be held with their thighs up, with both lower limbs bent; after they become able to walk, they frequently squat down momentarily during walking or playing.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
48sec home-news-image

Tetralogy of Fallot Clinical Characteristics

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease in infancy, accounting for about 12% of all congenital heart diseases. It is caused by malformations of four heart structures: 1. right ventricular outflow tract obstruction; 2. ventricular septal defect; 3. overriding aorta; 4. right ventricular hypertrophy. Its clinical manifestations may include cyanosis, squatting symptoms, clubbed fingers, and paroxysmal hypoxia attacks. Physical examinations generally show delayed development, a prominent precordial area, and at the second to fourth rib interspace along the left sternal margin, a grade 2 to 3 rough systolic murmur can be heard.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
1min 12sec home-news-image

Tetralogy of Fallot Common Symptoms

The clinical manifestations of Tetralogy of Fallot include, firstly, cyanosis as the primary clinical symptom. The degree and onset of cyanosis are related to the severity of pulmonary stenosis, and it often appears in areas with abundant capillaries such as lips, fingers, toes, nail beds, and bulbar conjunctiva. Secondly, squatting symptoms are common among children; they often spontaneously squat for a while during walking or playing. Squatting, with the legs bent, reduces the venous return and thus decreases the load on the heart, temporarily relieving symptoms of hypoxia by reducing the right-to-left shunt. Thirdly, clubbing occurs due to long-term hypoxic conditions, which can cause capillary dilation and proliferation in the fingers and toes, and the local soft tissues and bones also grow and enlarge; fourthly, paroxysmal hypoxic attacks, which are most common in infants, can be triggered by breastfeeding, crying, emotional excitement, or anemia. These attacks suddenly occur and can lead to severe symptoms including difficulty breathing, fainting, convulsions, and even death.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
1min 11sec home-news-image

The main cause of hypoxic attacks in Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot is a complex congenital heart disease, characterized by ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, aorta overriding, and right ventricular hypertrophy. When the obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract is severe, pulmonary artery blood flow significantly decreases. A large amount of unoxygenated venous blood passes through the ventricular septal defect causing a right-to-left shunt, which clinically manifests as severe cyanosis and increased red blood cells, and different degrees of hypoxia in the systemic circulation. Factors that can induce hypoxic episodes in these infants include feeding, crying, emotional agitation, anemia, infection, etc. These can suddenly lead to fainting, convulsions, or even death. The main reason is generally due to a sudden muscle spasm at the narrow pulmonary artery infundibulum on top of pre-existing stenosis, causing temporary pulmonary artery obstruction and exacerbating cerebral hypoxia, thus leading to severe hypoxic attacks.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
58sec home-news-image

Can Tetralogy of Fallot be cured?

Tetralogy of Fallot is a type of congenital heart disease linked to family genetics and is considered quite severe among congenital heart conditions. Generally, within a few months after birth, children will exhibit cyanosis of the skin. It is crucial to perform surgery on the child promptly in such cases. Currently, the level of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery in our country has developed very rapidly. For typical cases of Tetralogy of Fallot, surgical treatment can be curative. Moreover, there are no specific requirements regarding weight and age for children undergoing heart surgery nowadays. Therefore, once Tetralogy of Fallot is diagnosed in young children, it is best to perform surgery as soon as possible. These children can then grow up, develop normally, and attend school like their peers.