TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Approach to the Infant With Inadequate Systemic Perfusion A1 - Artman, Michael A1 - Mahony, Lynn A1 - Teitel, David F. PY - 2017 T2 - Neonatal Cardiology, 3e AB - Inadequate systemic perfusion is the second most common manifestation of symptomatic heart disease in newborn infants. Affected infants present with moderate to severe respiratory distress in addition to signs of decreased systemic perfusion. Respiratory distress is caused by increased pulmonary venous pressure causing pulmonary edema. Pulmonary venous pressures are increased because (1) there is obstruction to the egress of blood from the lungs or from the left atrium into the left ventricle or (2) the left ventricle cannot adequately eject blood. In some infants, the decrease in systemic perfusion is profound, with decreased to absent peripheral pulses, cool extremities, hypotension, and severe metabolic acidosis. In these cases, the compromise of systemic blood flow is life threatening and requires urgent diagnosis and therapy. In other infants, respiratory distress is the most impressive finding, and the signs of decreased systemic perfusion are subtle, often leading to the erroneous conclusion that the infant has primary pulmonary disease rather than heart disease. This is particularly true when the infant does not have a heart murmur, which may occur in this group of cardiac defects. Signs of decreased systemic perfusion, which may be indicated solely by mildly decreased pulses or by a mild metabolic acidosis, should be carefully sought and considered in all infants with significant respiratory distress. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/23 UR - accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1140363452 ER -